Spirit Animals: HUMMINGBIRD ELIXIR
Hummingbird Symbolism
Everywhere she goes there is this constant hum. The whiz of her wings shakes up the air. The vibration lights up her senses. She is a vibrant being of color seeking vibrant flowers. She drinks high powered nectar full of sugar. Hummingbird is energized with enthusiasm for living. Her mate rushes by in a blur of squeaks and buzzes. The flash of ruby on his throat takes her breath away. This is how it goes in the warmth of morning. By mid-day she may perch on a tiny branch to preen and rest for a bit. Then she’ll be back to the business of lighting up the world with her sound, her energy, and her love.
Hummingbird Love & Joy
We love hummingbirds. Over and over when they show up our eyes twinkle. Our hearts unfurl one more step towards the infinite in the presence of these tiny little creatures.
If I were given only one word to describe the meaning of hummingbird symbolism, I would say, “love”. Give me two words and I say, “joy”. Love and joy can be such ambiguous answers although, especially when we don’t have access to them. Love and joy can slip through our fingers and escape the grasp of our hearts. We can’t make love or joy happen any more than we can cage the high powered, nectar fueled hummingbird.
Hummingbird spirit animal has much to teach us about the nature of love. She is not an anchored beast that has all four feet on the ground, nor is she a soaring bird of prey detached from the world below. Hummingbird spirit animal does not take a direct path. If a trail of light were to follow her wherever she goes, we’d see that she weaves through the world. The threads of love that connect us all are what weaves the world together.
Hummingbird’s wings move so quickly that we can’t decipher a single wingbeat. We can only watch where flight takes the bird. The nature of love is like this. We can’t identify where it is in time and space, but the threads of love determine the paths of our lives.
How is love changing your path right now? How can you abandon direct-line thinking and adopt the hummer-path? Where is your heart effortlessly lifting you up to? How does it feel when you are in the space of love? What makes your soul hum?
Strength of Hummingbird Spirit Animal
Hummingbird can cross a giant body of water like the Gulf of Mexico in one crossing, so it is easy to see how the strength, the stamina, the acrobatics, and the tenacity of hummingbird befuddles us. As with any great creature with abilities beyond our comprehension, hummingbird has found her way into all the great myths of the world.
Every society has a story to tell about hummingbird symbolism. In these stories, hummingbird spirit animal is associated with timelessness, tirelessness, rain, rainbows, warriors, fairies, lightness, beauty, circles, and jewels.
Hummingbirds and Immortality
Bears are omnivores, deer are herbivores, hawks are carnivores, and hummingbirds are nectarivores because they eat nectar. What a fun word – nectarivore! The word “nectar” originates from Greek words “nek” and “tar” that translate into “overcoming death”. Thus, nectar is synonymous with the “elixir of life”, a magical potion believed to make one immortal.
Not only does hummingbird drink life giving nectar, but she also literally overcomes death by going into a hibernation-like state called a “torpor” when food is scarce. Her metabolic rate is slowed to 1/15th of its normal rate. This speaks of going beyond survival.
How can you go beyond thinking only in terms of survival? Are you able to overcome your fears of failure, be that financial ruin or debilitating illness, and drink from the nectar of the Gods? What is the nectar that feeds you? Is it material wealth that you must attain or are you seeking recognition from others? Or is it the beauty of the world blossoming open in front of you?
Nectar is the literally the essence in a flower. Nectar contains a sweet scent that attracts pollinators. Hummingbird helps flowering and fruiting plants proliferate by spreading pollen about. She is the assistant in the creative power of nature. Hummingbird spirit animal goes straight to the essence, the heart, of the flower and drink up the truth that is there. By doing this she nurtures the beauty of the world.
Hummingbird animal totem can teach you how to go straight to the heart of the matter, the essence. Then you can carry that essence to other situations in your life. How will the truths you discover now result in abundance of spirit once the rains come?
Illusion and Hummingbird Symbolism
Hummingbird can hover in place, but the amount of energy and movement required to remain hung in midair is anything but still. She is a flurry of activity. Much of what hummingbird does is an optical illusion.
From one angle the black-chin of a Black-Chinned Hummingbird looks black, but in the right light it flashes a brilliant magenta. Many of the colors on male hummingbirds shimmer with a jewel-like iridescence when light skims across their feathers at the proper angle.
This is a reminder that all life is an illusion, and that magical flashes of the divine come when we’re not looking at something straight on. Our lives may look still outside, but be a blur of activity inside. In allowing the needle-like beak of the hummingbird totem animal to penetrate the opening flower of your being, nothing will ever look the same.
Want to learn more about spirit animals?
Visit the Spirit Animal Guide
As always I am so warmed by your beautiful writing. I have loved hummingbirds all my life, and rescued several this summer from our porch room. They have such a lovely sense of sweet energy and your article captures it so well. Thanks for this piece of Art miss Stacey!
Love, Puja
so sweet..nectar, elixir and magical flashes of divine…thank you!
You’re most welcome Linda!
I was wondering about what it means to see a hummingbird. Sometimes when I take a walk I see one on a branch or a telephone line (seems like it’s always the same one, but I have no way to tell for sure) and it’s almost always chirping. I’ll say hi to it and just watch until I have to move on or it flies away.
Hello Jennifer, How wonderful that you have all of these memories with hummingbirds. There is a chance it could be the same hummingbird that has a nest nearby the telephone line. When we see animals in the wild it can mean a countless number of things. In general, you can take the qualities of hummingbird spirit animal discussed in this article and apply them to your life. Which ones stand out to you and seem to connect most directly to your life? More specifically, you can spend some time considering what challenge or triumph is in your life, relationships, career, home, etc. that you’ve been asking the Divine for help with. The symbolism of hummingbird somehow is answering that question for you. Connecting the dots does require some detective work and some creative problem solving, but it is a worthwhile endeavor. If we get a simple answer we can easily dismiss it and forget it, but if we have a complex, multilayered answer it becomes a gorgeous piece of art that we treasure and continue to learn and benefit from. Many Blessings, Stacey
thank you for your reply! your mention of art gave me an idea, to illustrate my experiences with these creatures and what it may have meant in the context of my life.
I forgot to mention that I was seeing a hummingbird in different areas of the neighborhood where I was walking around (but always on a street parallel to the lake,different times of day.
Illustrations sound like a fabulous idea! I hope you’ll share them with me when you have a chance. You can email them to info@wildgratitude.com. Blessings, Stacey
My husband was recently diagnosed with cancer. We are both 30 and we have 2 beautiful little kids. Recently, I gave him a tiny metal hummingbird, which he keeps in his wallet. I hope it will bring him strength and protection as we navigate the next few months.
We have a house in the country, but we have never seen any hummingbirds around. I noticed, since we used to see so many at my parents’, not far away. However, since I’ve given him the token, I have seen a hummingbird. Twice.
Once, I was praying to the universe, in my room, that my husband would get better, that the treatments would start soon… When I walked to the kitchen window about a minute later, there was a hummingbird staring at me. It was flying on the spot, at eye level, right in front of me. It stayed a few seconds, then it left. I was overwhelmed with hope that somewhere, somehow, my prayer had been heard.
The second time was yesterday. I was looking at a turtle dove perched on a telephone wire outside, while the kids were playing. I was thinking about my mother, and the significance she attaches to turtle doves, as they always seem to show up near her at special times in her life. About a minute later, a hummingbird flew next to the turtle dove. It flew around it, stayed next to it a few seconds, then left. The turtle dove never moved.
I don’t know if any of this has any significance, or if I’m just inventing meaning in my mind … but I hope with all my heart that it is a sign of better times ahead, with my husband by my side.
Thanks for taking the time to read these few lines.
Hello Em, Thank you for sharing your tender story. I’m sorry to hear of your hardship and I’m sending my wishes for your husband’s recovery. Regardless of what the future holds, I’m so glad to hear that the hummingbirds have brought you hope for the time being. There is no stronger medicine than hope. Don’t worry about inventing meaning. You know how much he means to you and your children. Anything that brings you into the blessing that you are for each other is a gift. It all has meaning. Much Love to You, Stacey
Such a Beautiful description.
I dreamt last night of three hummingbirds on flowers that were in a vase but i knocked the vase and scared them away. They werent mine so i was very embarassed. I tried to fix the flowers but couldnt, so i quickly said goodbye and left.
Hello Amy, Dreams are the most peculiar things sometimes. What beautiful images to have in the dream accompanied by some intriguing emotions. You didn’t mention if you wanted help with decoding the message in your dream or not, so I will leave it up to you unless I hear otherwise! I trust in your innate wisdom with this all and look forward to staying in touch. Many Blessings, Stacey
I would love some help please. I always look up the meanings but have trouble turning it into something useful
Okay, let’s see what I can do for you. A blossom/flower is often seen as representing beauty or love. I would also pose that blossoms represent a full flowering, a coming into your potential and shining your gifts in the world. The vase holds, expresses and attracts love or beauty. Since the vase was tipped over, it shows that love or beauty may be flowing out of your life. The reason why it may be flowing out of your life could be because you are not willing to own your own flowering. What gifts or talents of yours are you denying at this time? How are you chasing away the benefits (hummingbird drinking the nectar) of your own unfolding? Have nothing to do with the kind of false humility that has you denying the great gift you are to the world. Be well my dear.
Yep that sounds like me. Lol. Thanks so much for your help. Xx
How do i know which gifts im denying and which benefits of my unfolding im chasing away?
Like i love singing and animals but im not a great singer, just alright. Plus im majorly shy etc. i want to try to do things im meant to but usually things just end up being a waste of time. Im unhappy and lost but alone and unsure
We often think the things we love to do should be our careers, but often we should do them just for the sake of loving to do them. In this way we open our hearts and bring more of ourselves to other parts of our lives. We are meant to do what brings us joy regardless of if these things bring us money or fame or some other “productive” outcome. In my opinion, productivity is way overrated in our society. There are many things I am mediocre at, but I continue to do them for the shear joy they bring into my heart. It is the courage to do these things without outside recognition and awards that shows my soul that I believe in her power. Then I have the energy to do what I need to do to pay the bills and take care of the matters of mundane life. Hopefully that makes some sense to you Amy.
Thank you sincerely for your help. I really appreciate it. 🙂
[…] Couch, S. (2014, September 14). Spirit animals: Hummingbird elixir [Blog post]. Wild Gratitude. Retrieved from https://www.wildgratitude.com/hummingbird-symbolism/ […]
[…] Hummingbird reminds us to pause and reach deeply into our own energy field, to know and understand the vibration of our union with ourselves and our partners. It is not always easy to feel into this awareness amidst the noise of day to day life – especially when juggling family and financial commitments. Taking time out to spend with your partner in nature helps to bring clarity, as Mother Nature reminds us to strip things down to basics. […]