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mbg Spirituality & Relationships Writer

By Sarah Regan

mbg Spirituality & Relationships Writer

Sarah Regan is a Spirituality & Relationships Writer, and a registered yoga instructor. She received her bachelor’s in broadcasting and mass communication from SUNY Oswego, and lives in Buffalo, New York.

Image by Andyworks / iStock

November 1, 2022

Found all over the world and in many shapes and sizes, deer have been a part of various spiritual traditions for generations—and are still regarded as a meaningful symbol today. Whether you feel a specific connection to deer, or you’ve just been seeing them a lot lately, here’s what it may mean for you.

For much of history, humans have hunted deer for food and sport, and as such, cultures have long associated dear with everything from abundance, to good luck, to the hunt itself.

But beyond hunting, we also see deer in different spiritual and religious traditions, symbolic of themes like love and divinity. As spiritual teacher, Alyson Charles, tells mbg, deer’s healing wisdom ultimately relates to the path of the open heart, gentle strength, unconditional love, and compassion.

This animal’s peaceful serenity is a perfect example of what deer represents, and all together, encourages a certain embracing of the divine.

“The deer is a sensitive, highly intuitive spirit guide. It strikes a balance between confidence and success and gentleness and grace,” spiritual author Emma Mildon previously wrote for mbg.

Deer have historical roots from East to West, with Charles noting that the deer is among the earliest and most important symbols in Buddhism. “It was in Deer Park at Sarnath that Gautama Buddha preached his first sermon and ‘turned the wheel of the Law,’ which revealed doctrines of reincarnation and karma. Deer are often depicted in Buddhist art as attending Buddha, usually kneeling near the base of the white lotus where the Great Teacher sat,” she explains.

There’s also rich symbolism throughout the bible using deer, such as Psalms 42:1, which reads, “As a deer thirsts for streams of water, so I thirst for you, God,” or Proverbs 6:5: “Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand and like a bird from the hand of the fowler.”

In Cherokee spirituality, according to research published in Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports1, white-tailed deer were not only considered a symbol of good luck, but there were specific rituals around hunting them, as well. Deer were considered an “other-than-human person” and their antlers were were worn as amulets.

According to Charles, if deer are showing up in your life (or dreams, which we’ll get into shortly), it’s an invitation to learn something from their wisdom. For example, you may have an opportunity to embody a deer’s qualities in order to heal or open your heart, or when you want to inspire through kindness rather than force, Charles explains.

Deer may show up when you want to give and receive unconditional love, or when you want to stop being so hard on yourself or others, she adds.

Ultimately, deer represent gentleness and heart intelligence. So deer may present themselves to you if you’ve been hurt and your heart needs tending.

Charles also notes working with deer’s energy can help you work towards your goals from a place of positive intentions and a clear heart.

Many of the same meanings for deer will apply in dreams as well, with Charles explaining that they may specifically show up in dreams because it’s an efficient or effective way to get your attention. “Perhaps during waking hours you would be too distracted to notice it presenting, or perhaps deer has already tried revealing to you in some fashion but you weren’t taking note, so it shifted to dream presentation to work with you there,” she says.

And as therapist and dream expert Leslie Ellis, Ph.D. previously told mbg, to dream of being chased by a deer, for example, could mean “you are fleeing from something that is not truly scary—or maybe you are running from your own fearful nature, from the deerlike flightiness in you.”

• Am I willing to do the necessary work to heal or further expand my heart?
• Do I trust myself to set healthy boundaries?
• Do I love and honor myself with tenderness and compassion?
• Have I attended to past rifts that require forgiveness or healing?
• Am I willing to act vulnerable?