THE DEER or STAG:The deer has long been considered a magickal creature. This animal was sacred to such Greek goddesses as Artemis, Aphrodite, Athene, and the Roman Diana. At an Attica festival, Artemis was presented with a sacrificed deer and honeycakes in the shape of a deer. This goddess was also called Elaphaia ("she of the Red Deer") and Elaphebolia ("She Who Strikes the Red Deer"). Fawn skins were worn by the Greek Maenads and the Bacchant and Orphic devotees. The Stag was also a creature of Apollo at Delphi. The Greeks believed that the stag could identify medicinal herbs and plants. On a Minoan seal is shown the figure of an antlered stag dancer with large breasts. Stag dances were performed by men dressed as women at the New Year in England, Romania, and Germany into the nineteenth century. In India, the deer was the mount of the god Vayu, deity of the wind. In China, the deer represnted high rank, official success, and wealth. Among the Celts, the stag was an animal of Cernunnos, the hunting god Cocidius, and the hero Ossian. When connected with these deities, the stag symbolized the virility of the warrior, the Sun, and fertility. Deer were sacrificed as a substitute for the Horned God in goddess rituals. In Celtic myth, a white doe or white stag was often sent by the Otherworld deities to guide some human into their realm. The animal god Cernunnos wore an antlered headdress. The Irish goddess Flidais was associated with deer; they drew her chariot. Sometimes deer were called faery cattle and messengers. Stories tell of nymphs and faeries changing into fawns to escape capture. From earliest times the stag was a sacred animal in the Black Sea and Anatolia areas, and among the Hittites. In both China and Japan the dragon is often calles "the Celestial Stag". The Stag is also believed to be an enemy of the snake. Amulets made of deer skin parchment were preferred by cerimonial magicians of the Middle Ages. Some of the magickal power of the deer was believed to remain in such parchment. To Native Americans, deer and all forked horn animals represented dangerous psychic and spiritual powers that had a double nature. By observing this creature, humans learned to hide when being hunted. SuperstitionsIf deer feed on the herb dittany, they can become immune to arrow wounds.Deer, especially stags, can be charmed by the music of pan-pipes. After eating snakes, a deer can shed its coat and old age with it. To heal, use the right antler. To keep snakes away, burn either antler. Ointments made from stag bone marrow will cure fevers. Magickal AttributesKeen scent, grace, swiftness, gentleness.Using other methods to reach your goals than force. Being alert for any danger. A white deer in meditation often bears a message or will lead you to someone or something that will reveal spiritual knowledge. Hunting and seeking, abundance, dreams, intuition, introspection, listening, death and rebirth, transformation. Accept others as they are and don't try to change them. DEER: Woodland Goddess, psychic powers, alternative paths to a goal. STAG: Lord of the Underworld, messages from guides, better understanding of the cycle of death and rebirth. ChantWoodland dreams of intuition come with the graceful deer.I greet you, brothers of the forest. Your gift of magick will brighten my life. Transformation will come to me. Like you, I stand listening to the drum beat of life, Poised to follow my guiding spirits. |