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Reindeer Guide

 
Prayer Beads for Elen of the Ways, Reindeer, and Elk
Dec 15, 2023

This post is about another one of my Spirit Guides and Deities:  Reindeer Woman/Mother and Elen of the Ways.  Like Hestia-Vesta, sometimes They appear as one entity or two, although I don't hyphenate Their names, because it's a lot, and RM-EW is just too vague.  Sometimes I do use Their names interchangeably, though.

As I said in the Sacred Wheel post, I never really cared for reindeer, especially not Santa's reindeer.  I love antlered (and horned) creatures and reindeer were cool and all, but that was it.  It was like foxes...until one became my guide.  

In the famous story of Santa's reindeer bullied the odd and different Rudolf, until he proved himself useful to them, then they celebrated and became his friend--It's a fucked up story.  The bullies never got reprimanded.  It's a shitty lesson to teach to those of us who're different--that we have to be useful, to have purpose in order to be accepted and have friends.  Fuckin hate that toxic, outdated story.

The one day in 2017, I came across an article written by Gather Victoria about Reindeer Woman/Mother and I felt an immediate connection (a connection that strengthened when I learned that reindeer cows actually keep their antlers throughout the winter, when the bulls shed theirs).  As mentioned, I love deer and antlered/horned animals--I usually use a white tailed deer antler as a wand in my rituals, and I have two white tailed antler spikes atop of my Spirit Stick.  

Persephone's Descent
Sept 22, 2024

The article talks about Solar Goddesses of the Sami, the Baltic, and others of the north--particularly those cultures who herd reindeer.  About Spirit Workers clad in red and reindeer pelts, reindeer herders, reindeer drawn sleighs, and other things, including more potential inspirations for Shamanic Santa figure.  I began to do more research on these animals, entities, stories, and cultures.  This Spirit Worker was hooked!

Soon I was journeying with Reindeer and Elen of the Ways, incorporating Them into certain rituals, making art, and writing Pagan Childrens stories.

Two of my goddesses are antlered: Artemis has Red Stag Antlers and Elen of the Ways has Reindeer Antlers (before Heilung's famous costume, that's actually how Elen appeared to me [still does], except Her antlers are part of Her head, not a headdress).  Before GV's post, I already had a relationship with Elen of the Ways.  

Other Deer Deities in my life are the Liminal Cernunnos, the Deer Mother Cailleach, and Queen Persephone.  Persephone has a human form, but also a Half Living Half Dead Doe form, too--not antlered, but her Beloved Hades accompanies Her as a skeletal buck.  Elk Guides have also appeared to me over the last couple of years, as I've dove deeper into seiðr and rune work. I've also been experiencing prehistoric spirit workers wearing deer heads, skills, antlers, and pelts this year. Harkens back to my 20's when I experienced a Priestess of Artemis with the head of an antlered Deer Skull, covered in tattoos, bones, fur, hair, and beads at a massive bonfire in front of a temple in the Liminal.

In the astral/liminal, I can shapeshift into a winged reindeer cow.  In an bipedal form, I'm a mixture of a winged red fox with reindeer cow antlers and hooved feet.  These are forms that I almost always take when I'm trancing, journeying, and dreaming.  Forms that weren't intentional on my part, and continue to evolve as I heal and grow.

Reindeer has been a wonderful guide and a loving, patient deity, too.  They are a guide that I mostly experience during the winter, than any other time of the year, even though I involve Reindeer Mother's solar journey throughout the year, and I keep reindeer decor up, too, because reindeer exist all year long.

One day I hope to purchase ethically sourced reindeer cow antlers and hide for spiritual purposes.  I also would like to make a headdress from reindeer cow antlers--probably have to be fake, since those antlers, albeit thinner than a bull's, still have some weight and possibly an awkward balance to them.  Until then, I have two Oracle Masks.  One that I regularly wear for my Reindeer Rituals and another that's going to be used for other Deer Rituals--this one still needs to be painted and consecrated.

Reindeer Mother Ritual, 2022
Although these antlers are more elk-like than reindeer

I get excited when I see deer--be them wild, domesticated, in-person or in pictures/videos.  Three or more deer are always positive omens for me.  Deer in general symbolize gentleness and good things.  Course these meanings change depending on what the deer is doing.  

Years ago, when I was in middle or high school, back when I still hunted with my dad, I had a crazy experience with a white white-tailed buck.  My dad and I were hunting on my grandpa's land in Vinton County, Ohio in the late 90's, back in the days before cellphones or pagers were a common thing.  Frozen to the bone, I had already walked back to the trailer to eat and wait (with no heat, just my winter gear).  It got darker and colder, but still no dad, which was unusual because he was a stickler to Ohio's hunting laws, and was always back before dark.  My dad has epilepsy, and my mind raced to his health, especially in the bitter cold.

Worried, with no flashlight or sense of direction, I walked back to the edge of forest with my shotgun.  I stood there, and looked for hunter orange.  I listened for human movement or voices.  Silence.  I entered the woods, on the trail, telling myself that I was going to stay on the ridge only and not deviate from the path.

Before I got too deep, I stopped and listened.  Heard nothing.  As I took a step, the enormous white white-tailed buck leaped towards me from the ridge's path.  I fell backwards.  It saw me and turned at the last moment, its hooves slamming into the earth right beside, and disappeared into the woods.  I sat there, stunned.  Reliving and feeling it's powerful hooves landing next to me.  The animal was so quiet despite its size and strength, I swore it was a spirit, as it seemed to glow against the darkness.  

Silence and darkness.  No animal sounds...not that I expected to hear that buck.

I slowly got up and picked up my shotgun.  I listened.  I looked for hunter orange or flashlight.  I went no further, and returned to the trailer.  I waited.  Minutes passed and I thought about going to the neighbors house a half-a-mile down the gravel road.  Then finally on the edge, I saw my dad's flashlight.  When he got back, he was fine.  He was tracking a buck that took him off of grandpa's property and into Mead's land (the paper company).  

 I told him about the white buck.  He said it more than likely was a piebald--they're mostly unnaturally white with brown splotches--he didn't know one of those were in these woods.  Said it was good that I didn't try to shoot it--bad luck to kill unnaturally white animals.

Hunting and Fishing were traditions on my dad's side of the family.  We had certain rules, too:

  • Never take more than you need
  • Give thanks for good hunts/fishing--to God and the animals
  • Don't kill the young
  • If you can't make a humane kill, don't shoot
  • You can scout and plan, but No traps and No cheating
  • Fuck poachers
  • Use as much of the animal as we can
  • Never kill unnaturally white or black animals
In my family it was considered bad luck.  Later, while reading myths about Artemis, I'd learn that in several cultures, it was more than bad luck to kill white animals.  White animals, such as white buffalo of some American Indigenous cultures, are sacred and should be protected.  

Although in other cultures, such as Sami and/or Baltic, white reindeer cows are sacrificed to the Sun.  If there's no while animals, then another animal would have a white ribbon tied to it to be sacrificed.   Those animals belong to the Gods.

And you know what?  That was the last time I went deer hunting with my dad.  It wasn't because I felt bad about hunting or that I was scared.  Maybe that Buck was just startled or maybe it was a warning about going into the dark frigid woods with no flashlight, map, or compass?  Who knows?  

I'm not against ethical hunting--in our area, humans have and continue to kill off deer's natural predators--the populations need to be balanced for all of the ecosystems, not just human roadways or gardens.  But Fuck all of the poachers, trophy hunters, and other unethical hunting and fishers--may the Hunting and Wild Gods curse yall greedy scumbags.

I haven't gone deer hunting since my teens, I do obtain deer bones and meats from ethical hunters within my family when available.  Forming a connection with local animals, plants, and spirits are just as important as forming relationships with distant ones.  Course, I look forward going to the zoo to visit many of my favorites, especially the reindeer/caribou.

Columbus Zoo, October 12, 2024

I've been working on this post all month long, and it just keeps getting longer and longer.  So one more thing:

Building a Relationship with your guides
I have white-tailed deer teeth, bones, and antlers from my state.  Since I don't have any parts from other deer, I have anatomically correct figurines of elk and reindeer, too, as well as house decorations.  Simple ways of developing relationships with your guides is to have pictures or little figurines of them--be them made from natural things or even plastic.  Spirits can live in plastic, too.  Something simple, something more detailed.  

I like to keep my figurines on my altars and at my desk, where I spend a lot of time doing art, writing, and studying.  I often hold, focus on, and speak to these figurines, as I do my deity ones.  


Depending on your view of the materials used, these little figures/pictures can be seen as more humane.  You can 3-D print something or make your own from natural clay, polymer clay, paper mache, or learn how to carve.  I want to learn how to carve wood one day--I've made the polymer clay things (I'm allergic to natural clays).  I want something more natural.  Lots of different ways to work with the spirits without harming an animal or getting animal parts, especially since some shop owners lie about how ethical their animal bits were obtained.  Some don't know or care, same as some of their buyers.

Sometimes if you really want the parts, but are unwilling/can't gather yourself, taking the chance and purchasing from a shop may be your only way.  You can communicate with the spirit of the animal.  Cleanse and make offerings, showing compassion for their life, their death.  I'll ask permission before doing anything spiritual with the animal parts (which I do no matter the animals life and death; it's the polite thing to do).  Tell the animal who and what I am and what I want to do with the parts.  Asking if the spirit wants to work with me, or allow its parts to become home to another spirit.  If the animal wants to be returned to the earth, I'll return the parts to the earth, no matter how much money I spent.  

Spirits work better when they want to work with you.  I don't believe in forcing an entity to work for me.  That's spirit slavery, and I ain't into it.  I'd rather earn their respect, than force "respect".  We don't have to be friends, but I don't want to be your enemy either.  But that's another matter!

Yes, simple ways of building relationships with your guides: Get something that represents them--pendant, figurine, art, journal, etc--and keep it near you.  Hold it, talk to it, keep it in a sacred place.

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Readings (Pagan and Not)(Adult and Children) About Reindeer, the Spiritual, Science, and Fun:

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If you'd like to learn more about your spirit guides, I may be able to help.  I can communicate with all kinds of entities, from Deities to pets.  Click this link for the Hearth Fox Shop for more information.

Thank yall for the support!

Face to the Sun.
Trust in Joy.
Follow the Bees...

- Priestess Foxlyn


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