I can always tell when Spring is truly here by the return of the hummingbirds. I keep a feeder on the front deck and delight in the antics of the “hummers”. This Spring, as I sat at my desk working, I was visited at my office window by a lovely green hummingbird. It just hovered in the window and watched. The messages came clear, one being that a feeder in my office window was needed. Our friend who was visiting from The Netherland saw to it that a new feeder was quickly added. So, now I get to work and enjoy their multiple visits. Of course, they torment the cat who sits on the window sill and watches. I have my very own Nature Channel 🙂
The hummingbird is associated with love and joy. In MEDICINE CARDS: THE DISCOVERY OF POWER THROUGH THE WAYS OF ANIMALS, Jamie Sams and David Carson tell us that the hummingbird is the creature that opens the heart. When we connect with hummingbird consciousness, we delight in the sheer joy of living, and of living the bliss of loving. Our life becomes a wonderland of sensuous delights…We live for beauty, delighting in flowers, aromas, fine mist, and delicate tastes…We laugh and enjoy creation…We appreciate the magic of being alive and the of the beauty around us.
Hummingbird feathers open the heart chakra. Because of their magical qualities, hummingbird feathers have been used for millennium in the making of love charms. It is said that Hummingbird conjures love as no other medicine does.
Hummingbird is known as a messenger and stopper of time. They are the only creature that are able to stop dead in their tracks while travelling at full speed. It is also unique that they can fly backward and sideways, hover, go forward, and up or down. Hummingbird’s dance teaches us about living in the moment, the NOW. We learn to move backward and sideways beyond time to see that what happened in our past and what may happen in the future is not nearly as important as what is happening NOW. With the agility of the hummingbird, people with a hummingbird totem, adapt easily to situations and make the most of their new circumstances.
Observing the hummingbird, they seem tireless. They are always fluttering, actively seeking the sweetest nectar, reminding us to seek out the good in life and the beauty in each day. Amazing migrators, some hummingbirds are known to wing their way as far as 2000 miles to reach their destination. This quality reminds us to be persistent in the pursuit of our dreams, and adopt the tenacity of the Hummingbird in our lives.
Hummingbird also teaches us fierce independence. In ANIMAL SPEAK, Ted Andrews says hummingbirds teach us to fight in a way where no one gets hurt. In human terms, this is non-violent communication and there are many great books that help us learn how to put this ability to work in our daily lives. They teach us courage. Having the courage to refrain from creating new trauma (and losing soul pieces) by communicating non-violently toward ourselves and others is an important part of healing. Recovering these lost soul pieces enables us to become healthily independent.
In ANIMAL SPEAK, Ted Andrews says hummingbirds teach us how to draw the life essence from flowers. Hummingbird teaches us the medicinal properties of plants and how to work with the energy of flowers to heal ourselves and others.The vibrating hum of this birds wings and their lightness seem to symbolise the subtle energetic healing which essences can provide. Andrews says the twittering, vibrating sounds of the hummingbirds bring us an internal massage that restores health and balance.
The hummingbird has powerful spiritual significance. In the Andes of South America the hummingbird is a symbol of resurrection. It seems to die on cold nights, but comes back to life again at sunrise. And, although it’s not commonly known, its fluttering wings move in the pattern of an infinity symbol – further solidifying the symbolism of eternity, continuity, and infinity.
Hummingbirds are seen as messengers between the worlds, aiding shamans in their work. The hummingbird’s wings move so fast that you can’t see them, can’t focus on them. Their wings move so fast that they appear to hover in mid-air, as if still.This is the meditation of the hummingbird, moving between worlds without moving, at once blurred in motion yet appearing still. Hummingbird teaches us to walk with one foot in spirit world and one in the physical world, journeying through another world while remaining aware and present of this one.
Embrace Hummingbird…Hover in the moment, and to enjoy its sweetness.
Until next time –
Mitakuye Oyasin (A Lakota prayer reminding us we are all related),
Debbie