Hummingbird Keynote: Tireless Joy and the Nectar of Life Cycle of Power: Daytime The hummingbird may be the smallest of birds, but it is also the most fascinating. Anyone who has ever seen this tiny bird is filled with a sense of wonder and joy. Its name comes from the vibration of its wings as it flies or hovers. We have all heard how good it is to whistle while we work, but humming is much more effective. It creates an internal message, restoring health and balance. This the hummingbird reminds us to do. It reminds us to find joy in what we do and to sing it out. There are over 300 species of hummingbirds. This is very significant. In the Hebrew alphabet, the letter shin is given the numerical value of 3000. This has associations with fire and relationships, the past and the future. As we will see later, this is even reflected in the wing movement of the hummingbird. It has the ability to move its wings in a figure 8 pattern--a symbol for infinity and links to the past and future and the laws of cause and effect. Hummingbirds have long bills and tongues that enable them to extract nectar from flowers. In fact, they could not live without flowers, and many flowers could not live without pollination from hummingbirds. Again this reflects the mysteries of cause and effect that the hummingbird can teach so that you can extract your own nectar. Hummingbirds have knowledge of how to use flowers for healing. This includes their fragrance, their color, and their herbal qualities as well. They can teach you how to draw the life essence from them and create your own medicines--as in the case of Bach flower remedies and other flower elixirs. They can teach you how to use flowers to heal and win hearts in love. The hummingbird is the most skillful flyer of all birds. It can hover in the air. it can fly backward, forward and sideways. In fact, it cannot walk; it flies everywhere. It reminds us that if we truly enjoy what we are doing, we become light as a feather, and life is rich with nectar. The humming bird can reach high speed at its take off. It can also stop immediately in flight from a high speed. It is such a skillful flyer and is not afraid of any predator. Humming birds have even been known to chase off eagles. No other bird can fly backwards. This reflects the hummingbirds ability to explore the past and to draw from it the nectars of joy. The hummingbird can help you to find joy and sweetness in any situation. Its swiftness is always a reminder to grab joy while you can - as quickly as you can. Because of its iridescent colors, the hummingbird has been named for jewels and glittering stones - i.e., the ruby-throated hummingbird. It has also come to be associated with the Faerie Realm. One species has been called the wood-nymph hummingbird and another the purple-crowned fairy. The iridescent colors have also caused it to be associated with rain. More specifically, it is associated often with the rainbow promise that follows the rain. To the Pueblo Indians, the hummingbirds rainbow coloring, its great strength in flying, and its hovering about flowers, has associated it with various ritual practices. Prayers sticks and ceremonies were used to bring the rain and help with endurance. Hummingbirds are big eaters, and most of their food is comprised of the nectars (sugars) of the flowers, although they will also eat tiny insects. The hummingbird may eat 50-60 meals a day. Because of its small size and its high degree of activity, it loses body heat quickly, so it must digest food quickly. Individuals with hummingbird totems should watch their own sugar levels. Are you getting too much or too little? Are you not getting enough sweetness in your life? Are you not savoring the sweet things in life. Hummingbirds are very playful. Even when bathing - and they bathe often - they play in the water. They also seem to fight with each other, although no one seems to get hurt. Now scientists pretty much agree that these are only mock fights for exercise and fun. Hummingbirds are fiercely independent. Except when mating, they like to be alone and free, seeming to revel in that freedom. During the mating ritual, the male does anything he can to gain the attention and affection of the female. If the female chooses to mate, she returns the attention, otherwise she just flies off. Mother hummingbirds are hard workers. This is necessary, for they receive no help from their mate. She will usually lay two eggs, again very symbolic. Two is the number of the inner self, the feminine to which we must give birth and expression to find our own joy. Hummingbirds are master architects. They build their homes with great care and design. Some are very intricate, but each is unique to itself. If the hummingbird has taken up residence in you, you may wish to redecorate. It may be telling you to do something to create joy in the home. Hummingbirds can also hibernate overnight. The body temperature will lower, its feathers will ruffle up as insulation and it will assume a state of torpidity. It will appear to have died on its perch. This is done to prevent exhausting the energy supplies necessary for it to live--while allowing it to rest. For those with the hummingbird as a totem, it is important to get regular and deep sleep and rest. It will be necessary so that you do not burn yourself out. The ruby-throated hummingbird is a wonder of migration. Every winter it makes an amazing journey. for several days it will eat and eat, storing up food and energy in its tiny body. Then it will fly for days and days to get to a warm climate. Some have been known to make a journey of 2500 miles or more, from Alaska to Central America. Scientists are still unsure how it is able to store up enough energy to accomplish such a journey. But it does, and because of it the hummingbird is a symbol for accomplishing that which seems impossible. It will teach you how to find the miracle of joyful living from your own life circumstances. ~Animal Speak by Ted Andrews Photo credit: 12thhouseblog
Posted on: Mon, 21 Jul 2014 22:37:11 +0000
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