The hummingbird is the archetypal animal of the North direction of the Q'ero medicine wheel. This little creature represents courage and perseverance. It is not physically prepared for the journey it undertakes, but it keeps going. It flies to a destination it should not be able to reach, stopping for nectar in places it does not know how to find, and at the same time it makes every person who looks at it smile. The hummingbird is the definition of possibility. It knows nothing of probability. Energetically the hummingbird represents the mythical part of us, our subconscious. It lives in the territory of dreams, fairy tales, magic and stories. The hummingbird thrives on ceremonies and rituals. It makes a space sacred when we call it to us. In the North, through the eyes of the hummingbird, everything is exactly as it should be. The hummingbird teaches us that our world can be bigger than we think. It expands our territory and shows us where to go, when to leave and how long to stay. It lets us know that our nectar comes from places we never imagined and reminds us that the universe is on our side when we flow with it. If the hummingbird did not obey the direction it was going through, it would not last long. The same is true for us. If we do not follow the impulse within us, we begin to lose our shine. We begin to die. The hummingbird is associated with the third chakra, the solar plexus or sun chakra. It is our place of power. The energy of the third chakra is courage and expression in the world. When it works well we walk with certainty, not arrogance; we manifest through being, not simply materialize by the sweat of our brow.