Deer Mother

Deer Mother was a winter solstice gathering held in place of a traditional birthday party—something more rooted, more magical. My friend Emory and I invited loved ones to celebrate with ritual and purpose, guided by the ancient archetype of the Deer Mother: the antlered matriarch who carries the sun through the darkest night.

Guests arrived to find wreath-making materials and antler headbands at their seats. We sipped tea from a chickadee tea set, nibbled cranberry and seed tarts, and created bird-friendly wreaths using dried grains and flowers. After a fire-lighting ritual outdoors—where Emory and I wore handmade antlered headdresses—we returned to a transformed table set with red cloth, candlelight, and hand-sculpted ritual bowls adorned with petroglyphs and reindeer portraits.

We feasted on ancestral foods, shared reflections by the fire, and toasted the turning of the year with oat “reindeer milk” in our ritual bowls. Everyone left with handmade offerings to share with the wild ones of winter—and hearts full of quiet joy.