Lessons from hummingbirds: Stillness in flight

In the north direction, the archetype is the hummingbird, who teaches how to drink directly from the nectar of knowledge in life.

by John English — 

Editor’s Note: This is the third article in a four-part series on the directions of the medicine wheel in Incan shamanism.

The student of Incan shamanism begins with the serpent path in the south, where she or he sheds their past programming, like the serpent sheds its skin. The west direction is the path of the jaguar, who teaches the student how to move through their own darkness and death.

In the north direction, the archetype is the hummingbird, who teaches how to drink directly from the nectar of knowledge in life. The north is also the direction of the ancestors of the Incan lineage. The student finishes in the east direction, where he or she begins to fly, wing to wing with the Great Spirit, assisted by the eagle and the condor.

The hummingbird is the archetype of the north direction, but she could also be an important archetype for our culture because of her ability to be still in flight. In our busy world — with cell phones, computers and mobile Internet access — the hummingbird is the one who can teach us how to maintain stillness as we proceed through our hectic lives.

Your life will change altogether and take on a new level of beauty when you can be conscious and still enough to make life a meditation. We become who we are meant to be and we can touch everyone we meet throughout our day by being present and taking a moment to connect with each one of them. The hummingbird is the one who can teach us how to do this.

Part of the bargain for incarnating on this planet is that we forget several things. We forget that we are Spirit and a part of the one Spirit many of us call God. Being a part of something, rather than apart from it, means that all parts retain the quality of the whole. Another benefit many of us forget is our birthright to drink directly from the nectar of life. When we drink directly from the knowledge of the nectar of life, we will soon remember the beautiful aspects we have forgotten about our true nature.

The hummingbird will teach us this, also. Watch a hummingbird feeding on a flower. If another hummingbird approaches, you will notice that the first one immediately chases the other hummingbird away. Then it goes back to feeding on the flower.

We can take an important lesson from the hummingbird’s attitude. When we are still in flight and drinking directly from the nectar of life, we are filled with the energy and truth of who we really are. It is in our best interest to let nothing distract us from this state of being. If something does, we should chase it out of our lives immediately.

Hummingbirds also can teach us how to make the impossible journey. Every year they migrate from Brazil to Canada on those little wings. Their bodies are not built for long-distance flight, yet somehow they make the impossible journey.

With the hummingbird’s help, we can make this journey also. We can journey back to enlightenment and union with Spirit, where we can commune with the ancestors who finished this journey ahead of us. We can take our seat at the table with these ancestors and live a life of joy and beauty. We can be a light in this world at a time when it is so sorely needed.

John English is a shamanic healer and author of The Shift: An Awakening. He conducts private sessions and workshops about destiny and the dreamtime, shamanic healing, journeying and the medicine wheel. www.dreamtimeonline.com or 480-473-8957.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 24, Number 6, December 2005/January 2006.