The hummingbird is the smallest member of the bird family and is nicknamed simply hummer due to the sound its wings make when it flies. Hummingbirds can only be found in the Western Hemisphere, and of the more than three hundred known species, only twelve spend the summer in North America. Some hummers are so small that they can be caught in a spiderweb. Hummingbirds cannot walk or hop, but they can scoot sideways while perched. Their wings move imperceptibly fast, yet they can come to a complete stop after traveling at full speed and are the only birds that can fly backward. They have incredible endurance, migrate long distances, and return to the same gardens every year. Hummingbirds can remember every flower they have been to and how long it will take that flower to refill. Anyone who has ever kept hummingbird feeders knows that the birds will alert the household humans when their feeder is empty by hovering close by or even in front of a window to get their attention.
Key Attributes
Love, adaptability, resilience, joy, playfulness, ability to travel great distances, and tasting the sweetness of life.
Chakra Interpretations
Root
Hummingbirds are very territorial and, despite their tiny size, will aggressively chase away other hummingbirds and other types of birds. You probably have territorial instincts as well. It is difficult to care for hummingbirds in captivity because they are very fragile, and unless they are allowed to fly freely in a large area, they will likely die. The hummer shows that for your survival, you cannot be tied down or confined. You must have free movement but also need to return to familiar places. It could be that your preference is for a house with an open concept design and not a traditional home with divided rooms. Another aspect of the hummer is that they use their feet only for perching. You might have a tendency to stay in motion most of the time and have a hard time relaxing or getting grounded.
Sacral
Like many larger birds, a male hummingbird will perform a dramatic aerial display, moving his wings even faster than usual and flying in an arc to catch a female’s attention. Once he mates with her, he moves on to the next pretty thing that catches his eye. As far as sex is concerned, while it may seem unflattering, you might love the theatrics of catching the attention of someone you have your eye on. Once you do, it is likely that you bore quickly and move on to the next conquest. For you, it could be about the game and not so much about finding someone with whom you can have an emotional connection. A more traditional aspect of hummer speaks to adaptability and resiliency while keeping a playful and optimistic outlook. The hummingbird could be a reminder to lighten up and stop taking life so seriously.
Solar Plexus
Hummingbirds are the tiniest of all birds but can be surprisingly aggressive. Because of your outward appearance, people may have a misguided opinion of your abilities or temper. Both may come as quite a shock once they get to know you. In addition to being the tiniest, hummers are also one of the brightest and most colorful types of birds, but they can hide or highlight those bright colors depending on where they face in relation to sunlight. One possible meaning for the hummingbird in this chakra is that there are times you prefer to hide in the shadows and times you like to shine in the spotlight. Try not to be afraid to show your truest, most beautiful self and shine more!
Heart
A hummingbird’s breathing and heartbeat are so fast they use up a tremendous amount of energy. From a health standpoint, it could be that you suffer from high blood pressure or you occasionally are out of breath. If this is the case, taking care of your health is essential. Slowing down and adding meditative breathing exercises could be a great benefit. If your heart has suffered damage, working with hummingbird energy may be able to help you develop a lightness of being so you can heal enough to reopen to the people who care for you. From a domestic perspective, all hummingbird moms are single moms, so this could symbolize that you are a single parent.
Throat
Hummingbirds have a bill designed explicitly for sipping nectar from tubular flowers. Most likely, you have a bit of a sweet tooth! You probably have a unique way of communicating and tend to sugarcoat your words to keep from hurting someone. If this is the case, just make sure you are maintaining authenticity, or your words will sour over time. Another possibility is very simply that you enjoy tasting all the sweetness that life has to offer.
Third Eye
Hummingbirds can see color as well as humans, and they can also see in the ultraviolet spectrum. Because they fly so fast and can change direction quickly, they need excellent eyesight to keep them from flying into things. If you have experience with or include trance work in your practice, the hummingbird in this chakra could be saying that you are not the kind of person who needs or wants a long lead-in or guidance to enter a trance. Most likely, by the time you close your eyes, you are where you want to be. Another aspect speaks to the hummingbird’s connection to nature spirits, especially those allied to flowers: you see the beauty in all things.
Crown
The hummer’s iridescent wings move in a figure eight pattern, the symbol for infinity and a lesson for you to go beyond time, to stop moving so fast and learn to hover in the moment. Only then can you genuinely touch what is sacred and see what is beautiful. The hummer’s iridescence is a reminder to reflect on the magic all around you, even in the smallest of things.