Hummingbirds invite us to follow the sparks of joy. Of course their medicine is joy; they flit from the nectar of one flower to the next, without a care in the world.
Take a closer look, however, and you will see that there is more to these spirit guides than sheer ecstasy. They have pesky traits, too. The Rufous species can be quite territorial. Still, they enjoy the sweetness of life.
Holding paradoxes, whether in ourselves, or other people is challenging. Even so, life is full of necessary opposites. For example, a compass needle needs an opposing magnetic field outside itself, in order to find direction.
How do you react, when there is external opposition in your life? Do you spin around internally without focus? Or, perhaps one thought encourages you to take the high road, while the other coaxes you to guard your territory at the expense of all else?
Instead of blaming circumstances or people, consider how the internal struggle between ego self and Self can help you find your way. Though you may feel divided, you are one.
What if the parts that you refuse to accept are there to lead you home? And what if the struggle through, is the way to wholeness? Could going back and forth between possible ways to react loosen the self- created restraints that are holding you back from a more joy-filled life?
The traits you dislike will probably not completely disappear in this lifetime, so how will you mature them, tame them or seek to discover the gifts within them? Imagine accepting the opposing parts of s/Self and then respectfully holding others’ paradoxes, too.
The next time Hummingbird fearlessly flies inches from your face confronting the whole of your being, will you cower in your smaller self, desperately defending your territory, or surrender to something bigger and follow the sparks of joy?
Making Spirit Flesh*
When upset with a person, a good mantra to chant is, “Express, don’t send,” from Sandra Ingerman’s book, How to Heal Toxic Thoughts. As a licensed therapist and shamanic practitioner, Sandra knows the importance of admitting your feelings, perhaps even to the other person. She also cautions her readers against sending negative energy out into the world, especially as a psychic attack on someone.