The Spiritual Meaning Of Deer + What To Do If They Keep Appearing To You

For much of history, humans have hunted deer for food and sport, and as such, cultures have long associated deer 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.

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."

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.

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.