It is magic; a cold frosty morning with a bright moon lending a silver shimmer to everything. The wonders of the season.
In my yard this morning was a young buck. What a gift it was to watch him scratching himself on a thorny, dried up plant, and then just stand there, checking out the morning. He stood for the longest while, just looking around. My first thought was of Cernunnos, the hunter. I learned about Cernunnos this last summer while in England and Scotland. We are at a time when we all have to hunt for that which is real and true within our lives and ourselves. Not just for ourselves but for humanity, the Earth, all our brothers and sisters, all our relations. This includes the birds, the trees, the stones, the animals, the swimmers, the creepy crawlers, all our relations. Like the buck, we need to stop and take the time to be, be here now, in the present moment, just sit and ponder the wonders of our lives here on earth, and then give thanks and gratitude for all the gifts and lessons.
The beauty of the masculine also struck me. Although he was young, he stood with his head held high, his body relaxed, at ease. According to some the medicine of the deer is gentleness. Do we allow our masculine natures to be gentle? Can we allow our masculine natures to be gentle? It brings to mind Dagda, the Irish Bull God. He was a strong leader and caretaker of his people, but he was also gentle and at times vulnerable. Dagda didn’t battle against his vulnerabilities, instead he allowed them and at times laughed at himself. He loved the Goddess with all his heart. He didn’t want to possess her, nor control her, but recognized the balance that their relationship offered and that vulnerability was an aspect of the relationship that allowed it to grow stronger and together they were wiser.
The buck didn’t leave until my dog went outside. He had meandered down to the bottom of the yard where he stood for the longest while. Upon hearing the dog he was gone, two leaps and disappeared. Blessed is the deer who comes to remind us of gentle contemplation, of standing in our masculinity with the strength of heart.