COUNTER COVER 22

THE DEER

The choice of colours used may be the characteristic that best separates the tradition of the Serrano embroidery from other types of embroidery.

Until the mid-20th century, this type of embroidery primarily used four characteristic colours: red, yellow, blue and green.

Then, the salmon colour was added and in the last quarter of the 20th century, monochrome pieces in different hues, mainly blues, can be found.

The deer is considered the premier guardian of nature and the forest. The active male stags support and protect the passive, welcoming and life-giving does.

As a guide and guardian of Mother Earth, the deer exhibits the values of agility, beauty and elegance. It represents good fortune, passion and the virtue that leads us to the discovery and to the continuous renewal of life’s processes. Deer provide the strength, virility and purity of creation in close connection with the natural elements that make up the earth.

The deer’s wisdom provides the power of gratitude and the gift of maintaining silence while actively listening, all while being completely aware of the sounds and happenings in the forest. By paying attention to the symbolism of the deer, we can see that they offer us different paths towards the common good. It is able to sacrifice itself for the sake of family and community, always with the understanding that it does what is necessary and vital to safeguard the integrity of the ecosystem.

The deer chooses to be the guide of those that have decided to learn and enjoy direct contact with nature, appreciating and protecting all the species that inhabit it, understanding and differentiating what is necessary and what is superfluous at any given moment. Inspired by what deer stand for, we can explore the personal power that can combine both masculine and feminine agency and we can discover alternative paths to reach the goal of the common good for all beings that inhabit the Earth.