My encounter with ‘deer’ became my muse to write my term paper for Archetypal Psychology.
This is a snippet of the paper:
“I bring my notebook outside to sit with the discomfort, interact with it, and record the process. Admittedly this idea went against my instinct to push through and start writing- get it done, pen to paper.
I obeyed the inner voice and found a cozy space outside. Sitting in the sun, the birds became more active; my attention was drawn to the wooded area behind my new home (at the time it was a land yet to be explored).
A rustling sound startled me within minutes, and a massive streak of brown flashed through the canopy of green trees cascading the wooded hillside.
An enormous and magnificent deer wandered toward me, gazing into my soul; we both seemed in awe of each other. Breath escaped me; perhaps an audible sound moved with it, unaware of all I was holding until the moment drew it out, startling her slightly.
She made her way down the steps and ran across the yard out of sight. Anxiety left my body with her presence; the moment felt sacred and left me wondering.
The inner tension now disrupted, a potent space opened up for wonder to reach me with ‘deer’ as a messenger.
The leaves, earth, wind, and air had different qualities and vibrancy than just a few moments prior.
immagine del cuor, a sacred moment when a deer simply became deer, a transfer of identification and meaning.
My personal experience made me admonish a deep wound plaguing the world at large. We are in a time of a culture gripped by hustle, driven by action and rewarding behaviors oriented around achievement instead of soul-focused.
It is nearly impossible to create the necessary shifts required to serve the soul when the pacing of life moves too fast, forcing the nervous system to try and acclimate to the impossible.
Inner resources continue to be depleted, and the new normal is mistaking replenishment for a bougie form of self-care designated solely for spontaneous spa days.
When did we stop ‘wondering’ as a form of medicine for the soul…it is time we remember how to dream new ways forward” ~MKC 