Hummingbird Shaman

I received a very welcomed call from a friend recently. She called to tell me of a special PBS show on Nature, this one featuring the hummingbird. For those who missed this special, I’m certain it will air again, or you can watch online on Hulu.

The hummingbird is built like no other bird, giving it abilities and speed beyond our reasonable comprehension. It’s wings can rotate, giving this tiny bird the ability to hover, fly backward, stop instantly, and move at lightning speed. This unique wing movement give the hummingbird the ability to create a figure-eight movement, or infinity symbol.

What we see of the hummingbird’s world is limited: we live in our own human perception, giving us the ability to focus deeply on our interests and our own slice of the world. How much of the world around us do we miss in our constant state of thought and movement?

On many days I have seen the hummingbirds perched along a walkway, yet no one else sees them. They watch, and occasionally speak in their territorial chirping sound. In the springtime they display their feathers, diving, looping, showing their greatest qualities.

Wings of infinity. The ability to move at amazing speed, yet remain in a state of stillness as they hover in one position. There lies the secret to infinity: having both sides – balanced, separate yet connected. The infinity sign is flowing, continually outward and inward simultaneously.

Can we achieve this sense of infinity? most certainly. Remember that hummingbirds do not exist in confinement, and we can carry this value into our thoughts, memories, and actions. Hummingbirds live for the moment, being here now, and in this perception we still retain our connectivity to our tomorrow.

There are ways we can create a safer, more secure environment for ourselves, building our world from the inside. These tools can be found in the book, “Being Here Now – Find your center, Stand your ground”, now available in ebook and paperback format. Learn simple techniques for self awareness and personal ownership.

Estee Taschereau is the Editor and Author of Hummingbird Shaman, offering individual sessions for discovery of the true spark that animates you.

After a fun holiday weekend I parted ways with a good friend as they prepared for a long drive home. “Have an uneventful drive”, was the sentiment, but it took several takes to come up with a good way of saying it. What we finally decided on was a few great sitings of the hawk and eagle kind.

Hawks, eagles, vultures, and falcons are in the raptor family. What exactly defines raptor? These birds are carnivorous, meaning they eat other animals. Vultures typically select dead animals, like road kill, while others go for life prey.

It was not so long ago that I stood outside my home and saw an eagle circling. The eagle moved quickly across the sky, never repeating any portion of its path like the hawks I see more often.

Raptors are honored in the native cultures and the world of shamanism. The attributes of these magestic birds are encouraged as virtues to emulate. The most common perspective is the strength of these birds.

What stands out most with the raptors of the world, the eagles, red tail hawks, falcons, and vultures is their awareness. All attention is given to the moment – now is the key to achieving any goal. Their focus is honored in expressions such as “an eagle eye”. We’ve all heard the expression, “a birds eye view”. It has been found that our human brain only registers a small portion of what our eyes see. How much of our observations are vision based, and how much is achieved by conscious focus?

There are 290 Falconiformes, or raptors, worldwide. This includes the noctural or night hunters, such as owls. In the U.S. there are regulations that restrict the ownership of raptor feathers or other body parts. These regulations are in place to protect the population of threatened species.

My friend followed up that evening with an email to let me know that the prediction was close, with the sighting of a hawk, a falcon, and two eagles. No vultures this trip, they are currently residing in the southern states for their winter. What a great way to add a little excitement to any drive!

What does it mean to

Intuitive Meaning Editor and Author Estee Taschereau offers clear, compassionate assistance to individuals who seek to understand their own path and abilities. Phone sessions are available in the US, as well as sessions via Skype.

There is a big difference between working with people and working with animals. People have the power of the mind, which is both a blessing and a curse. We can bring about healing change through focus, and we can also mask situations and live within illusions.

Animals are different. They do not follow along with our mental games. Their intentions are clear, and they do not judge themselves out of good health.

When we experience pain our first inclination is to move away from the source of pain. This includes pulling our consciousness away as well. Pain is often associated as an absence of energy. When we restore the flow of energy we can actually experience a sudden decrease of pain. Some say the pain goes away completely. Energy healing is assisting in restoring the natural energy flow.

When energy healing is used on pets their response is usually immediate, but each will demonstrate their experience in their own way. Some pets will turn and look when you touch their auric field with an hand attuned to Reiki or other healing energies. Others will squiggle and squirm just as much as they typically do. I remember giving a Reiki healing to my neighbors Jack Russell, a session that lasted all of 10 seconds before the dog resumed her frantic exploration of my house. I saw no physical change or acknowledgement, but the next day her owner commented that they had not seen the dog sleep in such a natural, restful position in over a year.

The effects of energy healing goes both ways. Yes the animal gains from the healing, but the healer also receives both the energy healing and the focus of consciousness, and that shift within their own energy helps greatly when sharing healing energy with others.

There are many modalities of healing: Reiki, Pranic, Quantum Touch, Auric and Chakra cleansing, and more. Each has its own techniques, but all offer the same focus on healing, flow, and balance.

Estee Taschereau is the author of “Being Here Now – Find your Center, Stand your Ground” now available in paperback and ebook formats. Learn practical, easy to use energy awareness and clearing techniques for self healing and balance.

Since this site focuses on shamanism and totem animals, I’ll give you one guess on today’s topic. What appears in the darkness?

Dusk changed the day at first like a subtle nuance of color in the evening sky, but with each breath the darkness grows. Small figures flitter through the air, darting to and fro in a pattern that defied its own definition.

The wind blows through the trees, demanding everything in its path to follow its direction, but the small winged creature penetrates the force of the wind, carrying its own message into the silence of its flight.

First one, then two could be seen. How do you count something that appears so quickly, and vanishes within the blink of an eye? At one point it seemed that four were darting around the area, satiating their appetite on insects that would otherwise be a nuisance.

As I stood on the walkway these small winged creatures flew across the opening between the trees, darting within inches of my head. Camera in hand I knew my that the odds of capturing a bat in one picture was astronomical, but my desire persisted. One comes into view, then another, and they dance before me and disappear before my finger can complete its own message to the shutter. Magically on this night I find two images of these creatures of the night.

The bat totem is one that is often overlooked, or likely avoided. Folklore has cast a shadow of darkness over this totem of transformation, and those who worship this typecast creature do so in a manner that perpetuates their own darkness.

The bat is the only mammal that flies. Their eyes do not guide them, instead they find their way through their amazing ability to perceive their environment through a wave of energy that begins and ends from within.

The bat totem is often associated with darkness and fear. Some believe it to be the shaman’s symbol of death, not of the physical death but the spiritual transformation that is the amazing combination of release and renewal.

In my perception I see the bat as a sign of walking your own path, and surviving in situations that cannot be resolved in the obvious ways. To see without vision, to be of the earth yet take to the sky, to cross that line between night and day, that is amazing.
This is the way of the bat, a symbol of the subtle power that is so often unseen, but definitely exists. What appears in the darkness may just hold the key to our inner light.

This story is available for reprint in its complete form including credits. Photo and story are originals by http://HummingbirdShaman.com author Estee Taschereau, and are protected under copyright law. Learn more about your totems and totem encounters in a private consultation by phone.

Note: Most bats are of no threat, and bats typically avoid interactions with humans and pets. If you find a bat and are able to approach it the bat is likely wounded or ill. Do not handle, contact animal control. Bat guano is an excellent source of nitrogen for your garden. Protect bats, provide housing for them, and they will repay you a hundred fold by clearing your yard of mosquitoes, consuming up to 500 per night, per bat.

What does it mean, to find the sign of a vulture in your path? Is it an omen? No, this totem animal appears on occasion, and can be seen for its gift and reminder, beyond its worldly task. The vulture, in our day and culture, certainly gets a bad rap. Their looks are far from appealing, and their duty turns the head and likely the nose of many. These birds are scavengers, seeking out the remains of bodies no longer inhabited by spirit. Their job is vital to the health and well-being of the living, and supports the dualistic balance of the planet. Life cannot and does not exist without death.

During my visits to the Oregon desert I watch the vultures that next nearby. In the morning I see the vultures in the schoolyard, each perched on a fencepost, spreading their wings and warming in the morning sun. In the evening I watch as the vultures round the bend at the end of the road, gliding toward the tall pine trees known to be their home each summer. They seem to float as if suspended motionless in the air. In the branches they appear as darkened shapes, almost haunting in appearance.

Though not the most beautiful of birds the vulture has its place in history. Vultures are found in many ancient texts and symbolism.

The vulture is a symbol of the principal female divinity. This bird is found throughout every country where Maya civilization can be traced – Polynesia, Japan, India, Chaldea, Egypt, Greece, and the Peruvian Andes.
Within Egyptian mythology the vulture adorned the headdress of the Goddess Isis, also known as Mau. It was believed that the myth may be traced back to Mayach, for the vulture was the totem of Queen Moo, who’s name means “macaw”. (Augustus Le Plongeon , Queen M’oo and the Egyptian sphinx, Pg 12-14.)

Yesterday the vultures flew in great number over the house in which I am staying, circling around as if they were saying, “finish your story, please”. This morning I walked out of the yard, across to the field where they greet the morning to capture a few photos. As I returned I see a small vulture feather in my path. “Finish your story, please”.

Everything in this world has its purpose, including the vultures nesting down the road. Vultures do not necessarily mean death, and we need not look at them as dark or gloomy. They show us a quiet grace, and help us to transition with that same grace. Look for the sign of a vulture in your path, it may be a happy moment and a sign of change.