Oh DEER, what do you mean?

​One of the most annoying aspects of my work is that messages from the universe come in the form of symbols. It could be a song playing on the radio, a cloud formation in the sky, the repetition of a theme or it could be the repeated appearance of something in your life… like the deer that for the past few months I have been seeing EVERYWHERE.
 
At first I dismissed their appearance because they appeared in the typical, more rural places. My office is across from a state park and there are open as well as wooded tracts of land all over the place down there. Of course, there would be deer around.
 
As the sign continued, and the deer appeared on the side of the state and county roads, I rationalized that the deer were coming out because they were looking for a food source. The summer was dry, and now that it is getting cooler they are looking for food wherever they can get it. Not only that, hunting season had begun, so perhaps they were avoiding the hunters. That’s why I was seeing so many deer.
 
At this point my husband tried to tell me, “Dawn, you are the one seeing the deer… not me, maybe you should pay attention to it.”
 
I didn’t. And that’s when I saw two deer less than a mile from my home on Harlem Road. This was like getting hit in the head with a two-by-four. Why? Well if you aren’t familiar with Harlem Road, it is a busy thoroughfare like Main Street USA. For two deer to be standing on the sidewalk at about 5pm when traffic was at its heaviest, was shocking.
 
At that point I took notice. But I didn’t understand the sign.
 
What did I do? Like any good Millennial, I googled “meaning deer animal totem.”
 
What did I get? A bunch of stuff that made no sense. The descriptions spoke about “gentleness” and “innocence” as well as “love” and “compassion.” All traits I admire, but I couldn’t understand what in my life would be occurring that was so important that I apply these concepts to. As I already do my best, and think I am pretty good at, applying these attributes to my interactions with clients and those closest to me.
 
I was stumped. I was frustrated. And, in that moment could empathize with how my students just beginning to navigate the world of Spirit and symbols must feel knowing they are getting a message but having no way to interpret it.
 
Frustrated, I ignored the signs. Did they stop coming. Of course not. Spirit pesters. Don’t believe me, check out this article.
 
Today, after seeing a six-point buck and then on a separate occasion, witnessing six doe feeding, I had a breakthrough. I understood what the deer meant.
 
How did I do that? I did exactly what I tell my students and clients to do – isn’t it great when you listen to you own advice? I asked myself, when I think about deer what do I think of? What do they represent to me?  
 
This is what I realized. When I think about deer I don’t visualize Bambi and Thumper, nor do I think about sitting in the woods in camouflage hunting deer for meat. Rather, I envision deer being displaced from their natural environment, searching for a new home. I visualize them in people’s backyards. I visualize them frantic and afraid as a new road cuts through what had once been their home. Why is this the imagery I see? Why do deer bring these emotions forward? Because as a young adult, that is exactly what I witnessed that occur.
 
You see, the town I grew up in, while not rural was very suburban. There were acres of unpopulated and undisturbed land. These vast tracts of wooded land by my house, began to be developed about twenty years ago. What was once undisturbed, is now one of the most hopping retail centers in the area populated with a cinema, three restaurants and more than twenty shops. While we humans benefited, the wildlife did not.
 
When I see deer, that feeling of being expelled, placed oneself outside of one’s comfort zone and needing to reestablish oneself is what comes to mind.
 
With that in mind, when I dissected the symbol in terms of my life it finally began to make sense. Why? Let me explain. You see, both my husband and I are reimagining our businesses right now (always). Right now, I particularly feel displaced. But like the deer who find their way, so will we.
 
Additionally, something I noted today was the appearance of sixes; one being the six-point buck and then with the six doe. As I have a fondness for numerology, I was pleased to see the sixes. Six represents balance and harmony. Not only that, numerologically, both my birthdate AND my name becomes sixes. Because the numbers are congruous, I take that as a sign that I am heading on the right path. Despite my current trepidation, uncertainty and hesitancy.
 
So when it comes to symbols, sometimes you have to think outside the box. Fortunately, Spirit is always there with you to help.
 
Please share any of your stories about signs in the comments below. I’d love to hear them!

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