These beautiful pictures were taken by Pamela’s brother-in-law, Terry Ricketts. The hummingbird has always been a symbol of joy and good health to Pamela’s family.

In many traditional cultures the hummingbird is a totem animal and is recognized as a being of magic and spiritual significance. It is said that Hummingbird brings love as no other medicine can, and its presence brings joy to the observer.

The Hummingbird is the only bird that can fly backwards. This is a reminder that the past can’t be changed but the past can teach lessons. The Hummingbird comes when it seems that what needs to be done is impossible. It teaches how to find joy in any circumstances.

What is hummingbird’s message for us? First of all, adaptability in life’s many situations and being able to “roll with the punches”. If you have hummingbird medicine, you adapt easily to whatever situation you may find yourself in, and make the most of your new circumstances. You don’t waste time looking back and wishing for “what was” for you are concerned with making the most of “what is”.

The second message is inner joy. The hummingbird shows us how to take great pleasure in spreading joy and love and beauty to all around us; we can then take that inner joy into new and different surroundings.

The hummingbird brings us the gift of beauty. The ruby throated hummingbird is one of the most common species in North America. This energetic little bird migrates 1800 miles from the Eastern US to spend winter in Central America. This distance alone indicates the hummingbirds stamina and perseverance. They can show us how to go the distance without becoming depleted.

Hummingbirds instinctively know how to use flowers for healing and teaches us how to draw the life essence from them to create our own medicines – as in our usage of flower essences, essential oils and herbal tinctures. Hummingbird reminds us that if we find joy in what we do, we become light as a feather, and life is rich with nectar.