Yesterday a deer walked right up to me. Is this a sign?

[jcaternolo]

First of all, it's normal for deer to live around my apartment. There's a spacious front, side, and back area for them to run around in and plenty of trees and grass and far from the hustle and bustle so I see them often.

However, until yesterday, the deer have been content with just watching me and the other tenants from afar. If someone drove down the driveway, they would watch, and not back away, but I have never in my life seen any of these deer or any other deer now that I think about it, either tolerate people walking up to them (except in a couple videos) or going up to a person of their own free will.

I'm thinking that Artemis or some other nature god/goddess is trying to contact me. Also, this happened 1-2 days after I started developing interest in Artemis.

Another thing, I was pondering all this on my bus ride home, and when I got off I heard more crows than I've ever heard in my lifetime and I heard them caw louder than I've ever heard them caw, so I'm thinking that it's Morrighan's way of reminding me of her, since now she's not the only goddess I'm seeking.

[Corvus]

Re: Yesterday a deer walked right up to me. Is this a sign?

It's possible. It's also possible that since you live in a city the animals are just desensitized to humanity and so don't feel threatened by mankind anymore

[jcaternolo]

Re: Yesterday a deer walked right up to me. Is this a sign?

It's possible. It's also possible that since you live in a city the animals are just desensitized to humanity and so don't feel threatened by mankind anymore

Actually, I live close to the city. I live near Lake Ontario, across the river from the beach. Nobody down here ever disrespects nature, although there are a lot of people down here so I guess they could still get desensitized to humanity. Or maybe since everyone has left the deer alone, they ended up trusting humanity to the point where they started getting curious.

[Thothur]

Re: Yesterday a deer walked right up to me. Is this a sign?

No, it means the deer has been somewhat domesticated and desensitized to the presence of people. Nothing more, nothing less. But if you'd like to believe it's a sign from whom/whatever, then hey, that's all good too.

When I lived near a city park there were squirrels that'd come up eat peanuts right out of my hand. Animals get used to people and overcome their natural fight or flight mechanism.

[Doc_Holliday]

Re: Yesterday a deer walked right up to me. Is this a sign?

Woah woah woah. No offense everybody, but who are we to tell this guy that this was not a sign? Sure we are expanding into wild territory more and more every year and animals are becoming more desensitized to humanity. But none of us know for SURE that this was not a sign.

As for you jcaternolo, ask Artemis, personally, if it was a sign. Then be at peace, settle yourself, and wait for a feeling in your gut. He has more answers than I.

[Thothur]

Re: Yesterday a deer walked right up to me. Is this a sign?

Woah woah woah. No offense everybody, but who are we to tell this guy that this was not a sign? Sure we are expanding into wild territory more and more every year and animals are becoming more desensitized to humanity. But none of us know for SURE that this was not a sign.

Well we don't know for sure. I don't know for sure that before I finish typing this, I'm not going to be slain by lightning. And it's even thunderstorming out. But it's a pretty safe guess that if an animals walks right up to you, one of two things is going on...

1.) It's been tamed by repeated interaction with people. People feed it. It thus has become dependent upon people in some way and less shy of them.

2.) It's rabid and going to eat your spleen. Run. Quickly.

The option of...

3.) It's a sign from XYZ deity...

Well that's just ego talking, and people wanting to feel special. Whilst understandable, it's also highly improbable.

It also falls into the category that my first two options are in some way provable. #3 isn't.

I'm not trying to micturate in the guy's cheerios. I'm just presenting logical options. I've got critters that go through my yard every day. Squirrels, rabbits, deer, groundhog, snakes, moles, mice, chipmunks, hawks, owls, various and sundry songbirds, crows, and a whole friggin FLOCK of Turkey. 3 adults and 8 young ones. Not more than 15 feet away from me. Was it a sign? Hell yea. A neon sign that says come hunting season this year, my freezer is going to be full!

[Malflick]

Re: Yesterday a deer walked right up to me. Is this a sign?

...I'm with Doc on this one. How do you know?

If he felt something from the experience, then it could be.

Also, I think divinity is entwined with nature anyways, so... Seems legit to me :P!

[Thothur]

Re: Yesterday a deer walked right up to me. Is this a sign?

As for you jcaternolo, ask Artemis, personally, if it was a sign. Then be at peace, settle yourself, and wait for a feeling in your gut. He has more answers than I.

He? I do hope that was just a typo. I'd not be asking Artemis for any favors any time soon, if I were ye, Doc. SHE might be just a bit pissed off.

[Doc_Holliday]

Re: Yesterday a deer walked right up to me. Is this a sign?

Okay Thothur I respect your opinion, but to say as soon as we think we see signs its ego is a bit, odd no?

My grandmother was a saint, she was the most Christian influence I ever had in my life, and she was a very good example of it. She could hardly read (Had bad eyes) but she could always take the headaches and pain of straining to read some of the bible. She cared for everybody, even people who tried to cheat and harm her. A plumber scammed her for 1000's of dollars and all she said was "He must have needed the money if he went through that much to get it." so basically she was the definition of calm and loving.

That being said she was also very humble, she just stuck to things that brought her peace, like tending her garden, and loving her family. Yet she still saw lots of signs from YHWH, every time a beautiful sunrise occurred she attributed it to YHWH, everytime she overcame a small illness she attributed it to YHWH. I would not call that Ego, I call that faith. And faith is the reason we're all here on these forums. You may be a more logical thinker, but that does not mean that others can not be faithful thinkers. Faith brings a lot of people a lot of peace, if this man thinking it was a sign from Artemis strengthens his faith and gives him peace of mind, why not?

Again, you could be right, but I just thought I'd give an example.

- - - Updated - - -

Also yes, typo, She* it wont let me edit that post now for some reason.

Sorry Artemis

[Thothur]

Re: Yesterday a deer walked right up to me. Is this a sign?

When I was reading 'Journey to Ixtlan' by Carlos Castaneda some 20 years back, I thought I saw 'signs' at every corner too. Suddenly every crow was an omen. And they were there in greater numbers and cawing louder than ever before. Were they a sign? No. I was simply now just noticing them when I'd not have payed one hoot of attention otherwise.

When people are new to a path they'll see 'signs' everywhere. They want so badly to see one, they can taste it. So, in their mind, it becomes one, whether it really is or not. If something is an actual sign, you won't need to question it. It'll stand out and burn in your mind and soul like a brushfire. That's just my opinion of course. Mileage may vary...

The long and short of it, is that my point is, if you have to ASK if it was a sign, you have your answer...

[Corvus]

Re: Yesterday a deer walked right up to me. Is this a sign?

In my opinion it's pointless to debate between if it's a sign or not. If it's a sign then the mere contemplation of it as a possible sign is an alert to the deity and said deity may send another, alternatively meditate on if it was a sign. If it's not a sign then you've spent time debating the nature of [insert deity here] and so said deity may become interested, alternatively meditate to become closer to deity. Is it significant if it's a sign possibly, does it really matter? probably not. It's probably just my being spoiled with most of my deities being particularly blatant but I don't really think it matters if it's a sign since the outcome is the same. If it's a sign then the deity has accomplished it/her/his goal of contacting you and making you think about the matter. If in fact it is not then you've thought about the deity and encouraged growth between you two.

[Doc_Holliday]

Re: Yesterday a deer walked right up to me. Is this a sign?

Well said Corvus.

[Celliehwyn]

Re: Yesterday a deer walked right up to me. Is this a sign?

I agree with both Doc and Thothur. Faith is important and relevant, yet when if you have to ask if it was a "sign" then it wasn't. Although it would definitely feel like a sign and a magical/blessed experience if it happened to me. At the end of the day it was an awesome experience jcaternolo. does it really matter why?

[monsno_leedra]

Re: Yesterday a deer walked right up to me. Is this a sign?

There are a lot of variables missing from the story here to make a guess. What time of day for instance? Where were you standing in comparison to the approaching deer? Even what where you wearing and were you moving or standing perfectly still at the time? Lets face it deer have difficulty defining outline and depth of things thus why they stomp and snort when they encounter a shadow or a new smell. If it's a white tail you'll also see them thrust their tail into the air to show the white as a warning to other deer and alert them to an unknown presence. Factor in time of day, angle of the sun, where your standing and what is behind you and it becomes highly probably that a deer would walk up to you and not realize it until either you move or it is close enough to smell you. None of those factors even touching upon human interactions with that particular deer or herd.

I do agree that if one has to ask was it a sign then probability wise it was not. That you had been pondering Artemis prior to the event only adds to the likely hood that it was a mental jump to in my opinion. Especially given her association to Deer in her huntress persona and the expectation of her spirit being there since that is what you were looking for or pondering at the time. Even in her Olympian aspect as a sister to Apollo and again association to Deer in general again suggests almost a wishful thinking and desire for her to acknowledge your pondering of her.

Not to say it couldn't be for my own experiences have similar aspects. For me it was walking on a mountain trail and coming face to face with a deer and clearly hearing a woman's voice that said "I am Artemis and you are mine!" An event that would set me on a course to discover just who Artemis was as I had never heard of her at the time so there was no prior mental pondering or associations. The deer encounter followed by many dream sequences, walking visions and overwhelming references to Artemis by name. Which was rather strange given I am a male and Artemis was not well known then or now for selecting males or telling them they belonged to her. It would be many years before I discovered her connection to males at Ortygia (sp) near Sparta.

Even today when I see a deer or encounter one I am transported back to that day on the mountain trial in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. I suppose one of the reasons I never hunted them. Probably why I never really hunted bear either considering her association to them and the Bear Maidens or her associations to Boars though I've seen them appear as well with Artemis.

[Medusa]

Re: Yesterday a deer walked right up to me. Is this a sign?

I think it means whatever you need it to mean.
It's a deer.