Bee Wisdom

The world is curious about the bee. A little pollinating fairy with six legs, humble and discreet, her fervour fascinates and her wisdom intrigues. She does not have the silky fur of a baby seal nor the mischievous smile of a dolphin to make us melt and yet, she touches our hearts with a profundity that is difficult to describe. Her mysterious song sets off a particular resonance within the human being which extends beyond the mental and the emotional, a sort of soul resonance... What is this irresistible charm that she emanates? Where does it come from, this magic which seduces us? The media regularly draws our attention to threats facing the bees' well-being, awakening compassion and curiosity about them. A good portion of humanity is beginning to be aware that we are only part of a Whole, that our planet is a living being of whom we are the cells, and that all are interconnected with one another. The bee is one of the emblems of this enlarged perspective. We have come to realise that we are not individuals separated from each other and that each thought, each word, and each action has a repercussion on the ensemble. Thus, with our daily choices, we have the power to change the world... This realisation is frightening on many levels, since it brings us face to face with our responsibility as members of the terrestrial family, and that brings certain old habits into question. At the same time, feelings of fullness, joy and hope emerge when one perceives the immensity of the potential that this represents. To learn to unite our strengths, not only among humans but also with the animals, plants, and Devas, opens the doors to co-create a veritable earthly paradise: a planetary garden. The bee recalls us to our Soul. One wing in the wild world and one in the domestic, she offers herself as a creator of relationships, a guide and a teacher of the complex and intriguing mysteries of the Universe. The bee is a companion, a counsellor, an ally. She unites the personal and the universal. Throughout our history, numerous traditions consider the bee a messenger of the Gods, recognising her characteristics as a mediator and carrier of information between worlds. Engraved on tombs, she has long been honoured as a companion of souls during their passage from life to death, and, invoked during birth, from death towards life as well. For a long time, the bee has been enveloped in a cloak of beliefs accepted as established truth without having been truly understood. Only a few contemplative philosophers studied her teachings, along with certain lodges confined within Mystery Schools. Today, the time is ripe for this knowledge to be revealed to a larger and more varied body of truth seekers eager for learning and wisdom. The bee knows and she awaits us.

This book describes and illustrates the results of more than fifteen years of elegant experimental studies conducted by the author to investigate how a colony of bees is organized to gather its resources. The results of his research--including studies of the shaking signal, tremble dance, and waggle dance--offer the clearest, most detailed picture available of how a highly integrated animal society works.

The bee recalls us to our Soul. One wing in the wild world and one in the domestic, she offers herself as a creator of relationships, a guide, and a teacher of the complex and intriguing mysteries of the Universe. The bee is a companion, a counsellor, an ally. She unites the personal and the universal. This book is a crossroads, a meeting place between ecology, art, science, and philosophy. Its role is to bridge the worlds. Much of the information relayed is not found anywhere else today. Over the course of the work, through poetic and provocative messages, the collective consciousness of the bee invites humanity to allow our true nature to blossom.

'It seemed to me that the bees were working on the very same kinds of problems we are trying to solve. How can large, diverse groups work together harmoniously and productively? Perhaps we could take what the bees do so well and apply it to our institutions.' When Michael O'Malley first took up beekeeping he thought it would be a nice hobby to share with his son. But he noticed that bees not only work together to achieve a common goal but, in the process, create a remarkably productive organization, like a miniature but incredibly successful business. O'Malley also realized that bees can teach managers a lot, identifying 25 powerful insights such as: * Distribute authority: the queen bee delegates relentlessly and worker bees make daily decisions * Keep it simple: bees exchange only relevant information * Protect the future: when a lucrative vein of nectar is discovered, the entire colony doesn't rush off to mine it Blending practical advice with interesting facts about the hive, The Wisdom of Bees is a useful and entertaining guide for any manager looking to get the most out of his or her organization.

Although the fruits of Anthroposophy--Waldorf education, biodynamic agriculture, Camphill, anthroposophic medicine, and so on--are relatively well known and moderately successful, their relationship to Anthroposophy and its vehicle for transmission, the General Anthroposophical Society, and the School for Spiritual Science, remains mysterious and unclear; sadly, the same is true of the meaning and purpose of those institutions. Related to this is the fact that, though these offshoots of Anthroposophy are well known, eighty-five years after his death and eighty-seven years after the re-formation of the Anthroposophical Society, what Rudolf Steiner brought into the world, what entered the world through him and what he sought to accomplish--that is, what spiritual science and spiritual-scientific research are and how one practices them--remain virtually unknown. In other words, something essential has been forgotten. Written both in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Rudolf Steiner's birth and in the context of the long-standing, episodically erupting, and ongoing confusion surrounding the mission and task of the Anthroposophical Society, Peter Selg seeks to recover what has perhaps been forgotten or overlooked in Rudolf Steiner's own words and life. He does so by describing, clearly and objectively, the historical background of Steiner's vision of the "civilizational task" of Anthroposophy and how he had hoped it might be accomplished. This book has two parts. First, the author offers a lucid description of the development and gradual sharpening--in the face of the crisis of Western culture epitomized by World War I and its aftermath--of the vision of spiritual science as a truly Michaelic task for the Michael Age. In part two, Peter Selg takes up the events following Rudolf Steiner's death, outlining deftly and subtly the struggles and developments that ensued, commenting tactfully on the questions and perspectives that arose and continue to arise. Rudolf Steiner's Intentions for the Anthroposophical Society is for all those who care about the reality and future of Anthroposophy. Originally published in German as Der Vorstand, die Sektionen und die Gesellschaft. Welche Hochschule wollte Rudolf Steiner? by Ita Wegman Institute for Basic Research into Anthroposophy.

Reveals for the first time the ancient tradition of bee shamanism and its secret practices and teachings • Examines the healing and ceremonial powers of the honeybee and the hive • Reveals bee shamanism’s system of acupuncture, which predates the Chinese systems • Imparts teachings from the female tradition and explores the transformative powers of the magico-sexual elixirs they produce Bee shamanism may well be the most ancient and enigmatic branch of shamanism. It exists throughout the world--wherever in fact the honeybee exists. Its medicinal tools--such as honey, pollen, propolis, and royal jelly--are now in common usage, and even the origins of Chinese acupuncture can be traced back to the ancient practice of applying bee stings to the body’s meridians. In this authoritative ethnography and spiritual memoir, Simon Buxton, an elder of the Path of Pollen, reveals for the first time the richness of this tradition: its subtle intelligence; its sights, sounds, and smells; and its unique ceremonies, which until now have been known only to initiates. Buxton unknowingly took his first steps on the Path of Pollen at age nine, when a neighbor--an Austrian bee shaman--cured him of a near-fatal bout of encephalitis. This early contact prepared him for his later meeting with an elder of the tradition who took him on as an apprentice. Following an intense initiation that opened him to the mysteries of the hive mind, Buxton learned over the next 13 years the practices, rituals, and tools of bee shamanism. He experienced the healing and spiritual powers of honey and other bee products, including the “flying ointment” once used by medieval witches, as well as ritual initiations with the female members of the tradition--the Mellisae--and the application of magico-sexual “nektars” that promote longevity and ecstasy. The Shamanic Way of the Bee is a rare view into the secret wisdom of this age-old tradition.

Listen to the bees. Bees reflect human society – understand them and we can get a little closer to understanding ourselves. Humans and bees have enjoyed a close relationship for millennia, and the entries in this book reflect at least two thousand years of fascination with the world's favourite insect. Monarch, celebrity, monk, peasant, warrior or regular Joe, there are few who haven't fallen under the spell of bees and the riches they bring. From superstition to science, cake recipes to self-help, these quotes are a mirror to ourselves – our hopes and fears, our lives and deaths. Not to mention our taste-buds. 'A summer where there are no bees becomes as sad and as empty as one without flowers or birds' The Life of the Bee, Maurice Maeterlinck, 1901, trans. Alfred Sutro, 1914. In many European countries and parts of North America it is traditional to visit a hive and 'tell the bees' when there is a birth, marriage, departure, return or death in the family.

The most joyful emanation produced by a colony of bees is known as the "song of increase"—declaring that the hive is flourishing and the bees are happy in its abundance. Song of Increase takes us inside the world of the honeybee to glean the wisdom of these fascinating creatures with whom humanity has shared a sacred bond for millennia. Within these pages is a bee-centric approach to living with honeybees, rather than advice for simply maximizing the products they provide. Jacqueline Freeman takes us beyond traditional beekeeping and offers a way to work in harmony with honeybees for both their good and ours. "Our way is one of kind observation," she explains, "where we create supportive homes and fields for bees to live in, as well as tend the heartfelt relationships we form by being together." Song of Increase focuses on hidden aspects of apiculture that lead us naturally to more sustainable practices. Freeman illuminates the unity consciousness that guides every action in the colony and how this profound awareness can influence the way we see both the natural world and ourselves. Each chapter presents a wealth of information about the life of bees, including Freeman’s personal insights and direct teachings received from the bees themselves. Contents Include: I. The Song of Unity: How Bees See Themselves, Their Colony, and the World II. The Song of Belonging: The Sacred Work of the Queen, Drones, Maidens, and Pips III. The Song of Communion: How Bees Create a Perfect Home IV. The Song of the World: The Communion of Bees and Flowers V. The Song of Increase: The Blessings of the Swarm and the Ascension of a New Queen VI. The Song of Abundance: The Generosity of Bees VII. The Song of Sharing: How We Can Help Our Bee Friends