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Veronika Bond's avatar

Absolutely beautiful! Deer is close to my soul. In the Native American Medicine Wheel, I am a member of the 'Deer Clan'. You write "The so called path before us is often felt before it is seen..."

Funny that just before I woke up this morning I was in a dreamspace, there was an unexpected visitor, and in a flash I realised it was you. Did we meet on the deer path?

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Jamie Millard's avatar

There is definitely a mystic miracle of soul that the deer stimulate reverence to. That pathless path may be part of that dreamworld. Those other dimensions that we wander beyond our five senses. We feel that familiarity and try to grasp what is beyond our comprehension as a body. The veil is thin just before waking. I always hear Rumi saying don’t go back to sleep. There are gifts at dawn! The light is just breaking as I read your message. Thank you so much! I definitely think there is a deer clan starting to meet up to bring more light to the world! We kindred spirits definitely meet on that deer path! 🙏❤️

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Veronika Bond's avatar

I know ~ and thank you for reminding me of this lovely Rumi quote...💕 For the past 25 years or so I've been treasuring the dawn and gathering her gifts. I call it 'the hour between night and day'. It's the best time for receiving inspiration. ✨ Always a pleasure to meet on the deer path 🦌

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Jamie Millard's avatar

It’s my favourite time of the day! No surprise. Definitely see you on the path 🙏❤️

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Mo Issa's avatar

I love this stanza:

"In the web of roots

between the trees

the deer path

will appear."

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Jamie Millard's avatar

Thanks Mo! 🙏❤️

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Jo Sundberg's avatar

Just beautiful Jamie.

I am getting a bit bored with my responses here each week but the word Beautiful just comes to me every time! ☺️

Yes, the gifts of dawn. It is such a precious time for the spirit, the heart, and the soul. It is the reason why I get up at 5am, if not earlier.

"When the shame of the past

has gone

silent

and the creek of future fear

has receded

In those rare moments

that your mind becomes

clear

When everything

flows into the now of

here

You will feel it

before you see it"

Yes. Oh the relief of those moments. The more we are aware of our thoughts and where our attention is the more that the absolute joy and spaciousness of the here and now becomes our life. A life long practice.

Thanks Jamie. Jo 🙏

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Jamie Millard's avatar

Thank you so much as always, Jo! It’s crazy I don’t even need to set an alarm and I’m like a child on Christmas morning most days by 430. Just ready to fall in love all over again. It’s definitely a practice that has become an addiction! The forest is another sacred place that is my meditation. Definitely see you on that deer Path. 🙏❤️

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Jo Sundberg's avatar

😀. Yes! A child on Christmas morning. That's exactly what it's like.

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Sadhbh Adamea's avatar

Ohh I love this post! As the deer is my spirit animal I can totally relate. When I am out I need to believe that they are there before I see them. I can also sense them on days where they are hiding. I feel never alone when in the woods. 💕

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Jamie Millard's avatar

You are definitely a hirsch gotten Sadhbh! For me, it’s a meditation into presence and the deer are my reward. Thank you so much for reading and for reaching out. 🙏❤️

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Rodrigo Lopez's avatar

Dear Jamie,

Your writing is beautiful.

Thank you for illuminating our day.

With deep gratitude,

🙏

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Jamie Millard's avatar

Thank you so much Rodrigo

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Vipul Bhesania's avatar

Thank you for sharing this beautiful piece J! I agree that The Path can only be felt with the heart and requires the full presence of the Soul. It cannot be seen with the eyes and requires a deeper faith in life. Nature can be our beautiful guide along the way ❤️🙏🏽

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Jamie Millard's avatar

Thanks Vipul!

Well said 🙏❤️

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Jenn's avatar

Gorgeous piece, lovely thoughts beautifully communicated. Once a family of deer broke into my backyard, including the cutest little one. We watched in hushed awe until they let themselves out about an hour later.

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Jamie Millard's avatar

Thanks Jenn

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Alicia Kwon's avatar

Beautiful, beautiful! Thank you, Jamie! Bless you!

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Jamie Millard's avatar

Thank you Alicia 🙏❤️

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Philip Harris's avatar

I was going to comment earlier but did not have the words. I hope you will not mind my borrowing from my comment this morning at Martin Shaw's Sunday Beasts and Vines. I think your poem was already a gift waiting while I was writing: a reality underpinning theology. It popped up.

Anyway, thank you. Here is tha last part of what I wrote at Martin's: " If it helps, I have learned some strait lessons from creatures. Birds, rats, have given me pause, turned me round sometimes at great cost to themselves. I have seen deer like Grace in the wood. On occasion I was brought up short, shamed by a child."

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Jamie Millard's avatar

Thanks so much Phillip! Bless you ❤️

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Raveen's avatar

Nicely said. Being in nature does indeed have that profound effect on us.

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Joshua Bond's avatar

"The elusive deer don’t cross our path. We cross theirs." I like this reframing, bringing the more-than-human world to our attention and beginning to see life from their perspective. Humans, as the 'dominant' species, need to be brought down a peg or two, or at least be open to question their self-declared supremacy over all other living beings.

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Jamie Millard's avatar

I agree wholeheartedly! Thank you so much for reading and for reaching out ❤️

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