a rainbow bodied hummingbird painted by Tiberiu Soos
According to indigenous traditions in many parts of the world, every kind of animal has its own particular medicine, teaching and message for us, if we are open to its wisdom.
“One way to look at the medicine wheel is as a progression of time, a day, a week, and a year. Everything is considered to be alive on the medicine wheel – mountains, rivers, the sun, the air, a rock. A thing seen inside the medicine wheel is seen from infinite perspectives. We ourselves and all of life are living medicine wheels. Dawn breaks in the east and a new day is born. East then is the entrance to the sacred medicine wheel or medicine circle in many Native American cultures. East is the place of illumination. One can think of the east as the direction of the spouting of seeds, of springtime, of new life and promise. In human terms, east is the place of the infant. The usual emblematic colour of the east is yellow. The eagle, an emblem of spirituality, is often the totem of the east. Eagles fly in wide circles and so should we.”
David Carson https://www.watkinspublishing.com/notes-from-turtle-island-the-medicine-wheel
We love this idea of David Carson’s; that we, and every single creature or being in nature, are all living medicine wheels!
Along with spring’s many gifts comes the energy of the Maiden archetype; playful, light and joyfull with a skip in her step. In this moment of the year we are fortunate to be accompanied by the element of air and the gravity-defying powers of the wonderful humming bird and her medicine. We can receive inspiration (literally!) from the air by breathing from our bellies and our hearts, and guidance from the hummingbird’s nature.
In our online course ‘Medicine Woman: a journey to your centre’ co-created with gemmapoloinspirations, we delve into, and are accomplanied by, the healing qualities of eight spirit animals, as part of the 28-day exploration of the four feminine archetypes. Here’s a short extract from the Maiden archetype module:
This tiny, magical bird had much significance in Mesoamerican cultures and appears in mythology as the messenger between humans and the Gods and Goddesses. Medicine Women and Men used her iridescent feathers as powerful charms and she was regarded as a great ally.
Simply through her intensely colourful presence we can sense a vibration of profound joy. The hummingbird is the only bird capable of pollination, and one of her great medicines is her capacity to savour and enjoy the beauty and the nectar of life, as she flies from flower to flower to pollinate them.
It can be said that the divine purpose of this exquisite creature is to spread joy and healing wherever she goes. She holds the key to our hearts and when we invoke her medicine she instantly opens us to love and beauty, so we can savour life’s sweet nectar.
Despite being such a tiny bird she flies over 3000km on her annual migration. This great resilience is an essential element of her medicine; when we need to transform negativity and sadness, when we need to let go of our inner critic and when we need to soften the hard shell around our hearts, her medicine is perfect.
By observing her unique ability to fly in all directions and to be magically still in mid-air, we are inspired to be adaptable and change our direction whilst remaining anchored in the vibration of love and joy in our centre.
“Hummingbird medicine can help you be at home in the various shifting facets of our present-day material culture, buoy you up so to speak, with a lightness of spirit while helping you to keep your energy high and joyful.”
‘Medicine Cards: The Discovery of Power Through the Ways of Animals’, Jamie Sams & David Carson, St Martin’s Press.
Take a moment to listen to one of the many beautiful medicine songs featured in our course: ‘Vuela con el viento’ by Ayler Schafer https://youtu.be/pvIHbamz08g. (the original song is in Spanish – here’s the translation so you can fully appreciate its medicine).
Lift me up on your wings of light
Eagle, bring us the medicine of
the Wind, the Air, the Stars
The brilliant Sun
My guiding light
Heal, heal, heal, heal me
Heal all my wounds
I am so grateful for my life
Pachamama I love you
Lift me up on your wings of love Condor,
bring us the medicine of the Sky,
Illuminate my inner world,
Teach me how to fly on my path,
Fly with the Wind
This beautiful song speaks of the powers of the eagle, and of course the hummingbird!, to lift our spirits to connect with the elements of air and wind, as you listen allow to the words and music guide your movements today. If you have ever chosen a medicine card from a animal spirits set, you’ll have experienced how much information is offered when we really contemplate their true nature. How marvelous it is to feel such love, support and guidance from the animal world! Our gratitude brings with it a way of living with respect and care for earth’s animals and their natural habitats.
MEDICINE WOMAN: A JOURNEY TO YOUR CENTRE