What are you willing to sacrifice for the sake of personal growth and inner transformation?
I just cut all my long hair in a traditional ceremony at the Apu Ausangate, offered them to the mountain with cedar and tobacco. In honor of my wife and my future child. I gifted what was so precious to me.
This act signifies for me a letting go of the past, resembling the natural shedding of deer antlers. Just as deer shed their antlers to grow larger ones, we too must release the old in order to make space for the new.
This act also represents a return to the space of not knowing, a space of wisdom that can only be accessed when we release the constraints of old knowledge and beliefs.
We carry many masks, identities, and beliefs that have been imposed by our family, culture, education, and religious upbringing. To return to our essence, we need a deeper inquiry beyond these learned beliefs.
Have you ever pondered what masks you are wearing?
The sacred act of surrender and release is not without its challenges. It requires courage, humility, and a willingness to make sacrifices, as the root of the word "sacrifice" implies making something sacred. This process is not one of pain, but rather a gift, an opportunity for transformation and personal growth.
Are you ready to unwrap this gift?
This initiation began more than a year ago and has been deepening as I learned about my Antlers, opened my connection to the Oak tree (as deer food and medicine), and stayed deeply committed and connected to that prayer. I receive the teachings from the cosmic deers lineages in many ceremonies since then, who have come to this earth to bring knowledge of the way we can walk the deer prayer, and carry the deer medicine.
They told me "as you carry Deer as your family name you need to know, remember, study, and embody our ways of walking, our medicine, our prayer. Let us teach you."
This initiation has been a journey of profound self-discovery and transformation, a process of shedding old beliefs and embracing vulnerability to make way for new growth. It has required a deep commitment to the sacred teachings and a willingness to embrace the unknown.
What is it that you need to cut, sacrifice, let go, in order to open the empty space of renewal?
How big is the sacrifice so how big can be the gift?
This transformative journey demands courage, humility, and a steadfast commitment to the sacred process of shedding the old in order to make way for the new.
Through this sacred act of surrender and letting go, we are able to open up to the boundless possibilities of transformation and growth, ultimately embodying the teachings of our unique ancient lineages, our unique medicine.
❤️🫎"
Angell Deer
