Honey and the Bees

Since 2009 the third Saturday in August has been celebrated as World Honey Bee Day, and I can hardly let today pass without a tip of the hat to the beloved honey bees. We’re moving closer to September as well, which is marked as National Honey Month, so all the more reason to celebrate our hard-working bee friends.

Did you know St. Valentine is considered the patron of beekeeping?   In Bulgaria it’s St. Kharlampii, who was a renowned healer who used honey and beeswax extensively in his practice.  In Ireland, St. Gobnait, also known outside of Ireland as St. Abigail and St. Deborah, is the patroness of beekeeping. Deborah, as I love to mention, means “bee” in Hebrew.  In the ancient Chaldean language, the root means both “bee” and “word.”  So perhaps that helps explain why I love writing about bees so much.

The medicinal and nutritional value of honey has been documented as early as 300 BCE.  Honey is used to ease sore throats and coughs, for wounds, for allergies; it’s used in beauty rituals and spiritual rituals as well.

In ancient times honey and salt were the only commonly recognized preservatives, and honey was definitely considered to be connected to rebirth/resurrection magic.  There’s evidence that bodies were embalmed in honey between 3500 to 1750 BCE, and honey was certainly a sacred essence to a number of goddesses, including Demeter and Aphrodite.

• I use honey a lot.
• Certainly, for sweetness.  The flavor, color, and aroma of honey can vary depending on the nectar source of the flowers visited by the bees.  And so, it’s fun to try different sources.
• In baths.  A little bit of honey is a wonderful addition.  It’s good for your skin, and it also represents the element of sweetness which may be something you’re invoking with your bath.
• In exfoliating sugar scrubs.
• On altars as offerings.

While honey is literally a source of sweetness, we shouldn’t forget the figurative aspects as well.   There are times in life when sweetness is called for. When sweetness isn’t present, you can work with honey as a reminder, invoking that quality, attuning to that vibration. I particularly like this quote attributed to Walter Savage Landor:

“Kindness in ourselves is the honey that blunts the sting of unkindness in another.”

All month I’ve been watching the industrious bees gather pollen and nectar in my grown-too-wild garden, especially feasting off the goldenrod.  And all month I’ve been thinking about bees and the gifts they give us and the relationship we’ve had with them for so many thousand years.  Years ago, I read a tale about how the tears of the Egyptian god Ra, when they hit the hot desert sand, turned into bees.  And I’ve always been delighted by the tale that says that Kamadeva, the Hindu god of human love and desire, has a bowstring made from humming bees.  Both those tales remind me that the bees are there through it all – the tears and the love.

I, of course, talk to the bees.  Although I don’t keep hives, it’s been a long time-honored tradition to keep the bees informed of what’s going on.   Here’s a bit about the custom from the Raising Jane Journal.

Another beautiful example of bee and human collaboration are these fabulous artworks co-created by artist Aganetha Dyck and bees which can be seen here.

And there’s more to learn here in this article by artist Judith Shaw.

As an aromatherapist and natural perfumer myself, I wear only natural perfumes.  Roxana Villa is one of my favorite natural perfumers, and I love and wear a number of her creations.  She’s a bee lover as well.  To celebrate one of her perfumes To Bee, she and her husband, artist Greg Spalenka, created this little To Bee Lookbook.  Check it out.  And on page 21 you can see his Bee Prosperity print, which I have hanging, near my prosperity altar.    

In the manner of all good celebrations, I think we should indulge in some food, don’t you?  I’m enjoying working my way through the recipes on this site. Yum!

It makes my heart happy to watch bees.  And I can’t help but think of the lines from Mary Oliver’s poem Hum:

"The bees have gone simple, sipping,
that's all.  What did you expect?  Sophistication?
They're small cretures, and they are
filling their bodies with sweetness, how could they not
moan in happiness?

What about you?  What’s the buzz where you’re at?   What are you celebrating today?  Have any bee stories to share?  Are you a honey lover? Do tell – you know I love to hear.