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Hummingbirds were the first spiritual sign that I ever recognized in my life. Hummingbirds now have a special meaning to me, as they do in many people’s lives. I wanted to learn more about what they represent for other people and share the story of what they mean to me.
People have been looking up to hummingbirds for hundreds of years. Hummingbirds are very important in Aztec culture and mythology. Their main god is called Huitzilopochtli, which means “hummingbird of the south,” as “huitzilli'' means hummingbird in Nahuatl. Huitzilopochtli is meant to be representative of what a good warrior is: fierce, fast, light, adaptable, and strong-willed. These are all characteristics of a hummingbird as well. Hummingbirds can be a model for us of how best to move through the world.
Some terms and associations I found for hummingbirds include fierce, tenacious, mighty, defying expectations, balance, strength, high vibration, lightness, ease, adaptability, curiosity, and strong will. This is quite the list of positive attributes, and it certainly isn’t all that I found. There’s plenty to dive into in terms of what we can learn from these creatures and how we can let them guide us through our lives.
Hummingbirds are one of the smallest birds in the world, but are also one of the most impressive. They can fly in any direction, including backwards, and they are also able to hover in place, which no other bird is able to do. The hummingbird is living proof of what is otherwise impossible for every other current living being. The same can be true for you too. When someone else tells you that what you dream of is impossible and cannot be done, that may be true for them, but those limitations may not apply to you, and you won’t know unless you chase it. Defy expectations. Hummingbirds do.
In general, the way a hummingbird flies is pretty incredible. When they fly, their wings can flap 70 times per second, which is 4,200 flaps per minute! They are able to flap so quickly because of how strong their pectoral muscles are. Because of their tremendous strength, they are able to achieve a certain lightness, agility, and adaptability, making such remarkable flight look so easy. I think this applies to people, too. When you focus on learning who you are, leaning into your intuition, and working to always be learning and growing, you are able to walk through your life with a certain lightness, glow, and beauty that others will notice. But at a lower vibration, this experience is not available. Hummingbirds exist at a high vibration and that is their beauty. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like the way I want to live and be perceived.
When you work as hard as a hummingbird does to defy odds, pollinate the local flowers, and bring such tremendous beauty into the world, you get tired. Hummingbirds work hard, but they rest hard too. Often when hummingbirds are found sleeping, they are mistaken to be dead because they are so deeply asleep. What better depiction for us humans of how critically important rest and sleep are? We are not doing well in this department compared to all the other animals. The other animals don’t impose systems on their species that reap all the profits and benefits from each creature and wrings them out until they are nothing but an empty case of a being. They have rest and sleep perfectly built into their day naturally, but we resist our needs for sleep and rest. I truly believe the world would operate at a much higher vibration if we all got more sleep. Let hummingbirds be your inspiration to practice balance between working hard for your responsibilities and dreams, and rest and rejuvenation.
That day when I first saw a hummingbird as a spiritual symbol changed a lot for me. It was a day during Covid, when things had started to open back up a tiny bit, but not enough for me to be able to move back up to Sacramento for school. I was alone in our family room, feeling pretty dejected and I remember looking out the little skinny window directly in front of me from where I was on the couch and there was a hummingbird hovering there, probably visiting the camelia tree just to the right of the window. In that moment I had the overwhelming feeling that the hummingbird was telling me that everything was going to be okay, which instantly changed my mood. That was such an important moment for me in terms of how I view certain occurances. This was actually not the last time that a hummingbird delivered the same messgae to me. In times of anxiety and uncertainty, I have been visited my hummingbirds, or even just images of hummingbirds, who have come to tell me that whatever is going on is going to be okay. Because of these experiences, I ended up buying a hummingbird ring as a reminder of their message, but I definitely don't wear it enough.
What I also learned about hummingbirds is that even though hummingbird feeders can be a really fun and cute way to get connected with the other animals living around us, they actually may be more harmful than helpful. If hummingbirds are always coming to a man-made feeder, they are drawn away from the real flowers and plants growing in the surrounding area. Hummingbirds are important for pollination, so their absence does not go unnoticed. We had a feeder when I was younger, and I don’t necessarily think they should never be used, but maybe not kept filled on a regular basis.
It's been a while since I've really received a message from a hummingbird, but I see images of them often and I see them in our garden sometimes too. I hope that you too receive the message from these special little birds that everything is going to be okay. :)
References
Regan, Sarah. “3 Spiritual Meanings of Hummingbirds + What to Do If You See One.” Mindbodygreen, 1 Oct. 2022, www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/hummingbird-meaning.
“The Hummingbird in Mexican Culture - Association of Avian Veterinarians.” Www.aav.org, 24 Aug. 2022, www.aav.org/news/615010/The-Hummingbird-in-Mexican-Culture.htm.
“What Does a Hummingbird Symbolize in the Bible?” Coffee & Christ Shop, 10 Jan. 2023, coffeeandchristshop.com/blogs/news/what-does-a-hummingbird-symbolize-in-the-bible. Accessed 29 May 2024.
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