The information below is primarily on the Honey Bee.
I did not expect that I would be writing on the Honey Bee as quite frankly, of all the creatures in the world, these little ladies can really give me the willies (except for Bumble Bees, which I am quite fond of). It happened though that I had found a wonderful new book by Ted Andrews, a Workbook for his book Animal Speak, for my eldest son for Christmas. I too was curious to read it and so finally having a few moments to read and relax, I borrowed it from him and settled in for what I thought was going to be at least an hour of enjoyable relaxation. I was only a few pages into the book when I read how he believed that to conquer long term, repetitive problems we need to face the creature we most fear and learn to work with it's medicine because that creature is most likely a very powerful totem for the person and has qualities and attributes that will help to resolve the recurring challanges. Brilliant I thought, well let's see what do I fear..... oh no, Bees......
As Ted says however, gaining knowledge about what we fear or do not understand is the first step to overcoming the fear and learning to appreciate it. Certainly I was willing to see if Bee was both a totem for me and how I could better understand how to work with it's energies. Before going further I also must say that we do NOT always like or feel connected to all of our totems! Yet if something is a totem for us, it will find numerous ways to get our attention. It's not too surprising that many of the nightmares that have frightened me the most have included the honey bee for example. By researching and seeking to understand Bees as well as asking them as a totem for assistance, I learned a great deal within a very short time that has stirred much respect within me for these creatures. And not too surprisingly, what I learned also related to precisely the challenges occuring in my life.
To begin with, the first thing I read repeatedly is that Honey Bee's are not dangerous (the exception to this of course is the African Honey Bee which by nature is much more aggressive) and rarely sting unless they feel provoked to defend their hive and fellow workers. I thought back to all the times I have been around Honey Bees and the people that carry their medicine and truly for the most part, they have been extremely gentle, sociable creatures and folks. Many Bee people are extremely cooperative and the only other people that come as close to this sense of community are Ant people. These people really understand that in order for they themselves to do well in life, then all of life must also prosper and thrive and they are willing to work with many others to accomplish their own and others well being. What happens to many Bee people though is that since they themselves are so willing to automatically cooperate and behave in ways that are helpful to others, they don't stop to question whether those they are helping are also going to be willing to return the favour. Thus the Bee person often finds that they are giving and giving and wondering what went wrong when they find themselves in need of support or assistance and none of the people they have helped can be found. Bee communities thrive because each and every member is willing to extend to other hive members what they have been given. So too do Bee people need to insure that the "hive" they are hanging out with are truly folks that are on their same wavelength in recognising that giving is a two-way street. Bee's know who is a member of their hive and who isn't by pheremones. Each colony or hive has it's own individual scent that marks the individuals within it. Bee's have a highly developed "nose" for who belongs and who needs to be escorted off the premises, one way or another. So too do Bee people need to "sniff out" those that have earned the right to belong to their circle of people and who is simply trying to intrude to see if they can steal the Bee person's "Honey". I have known more Bee people who would swear they do not have an intuitive bone in their body and yet when they hear of something that does not feel right to them, they always say "this stinks" or "This smells fishy to me though I don't know why". It's important that Bee people learn to honour what their noses are telling them. It could be a "Bear" is getting close to the "hive" and extra defenses need to be put in place or a "mite" has piggybacked it's way into the hive and needs to be removed before it infects everything in the person's life. While a Bear may tear apart a hive to get to the honey within, Bee's can often easily rebuild (with up to 60,000 members strong, it takes little time for healthy bees to rebuild). Mites, though tiny, are a dangerous enemy to the Honey Bee. They weaken and eventually may kill off a hive, and so too do Bee people need to remember that sometimes it's the little things that get started and are ignored that can end up bringing down an entire structure for good. Even though the mites themselves do not carry the scent of the community, they may be hard to detect because they are living on one of the bee's as a parasite and thus the scent of the hive is masking the presence of the mite. I know in my own life there have been very small things that have occured; I have been asked to do someone a "small favour", or could I possibly take "five minutes" to do something and then before I know it, that small, seemingly insignificant thing has ended up turning into a huge favour costing me plenty in terms of time, money, energy and peace of mind. Bee (yes, pun intended!) aware of who is asking you to do what and for what reasons. It it doesn't smell right, it isn't. If you need help in saying no or walking away, call in the help of your own hive, for often Bee people do have at least a handful of folks around them that will be protective and caring of them! And sometimes we don't find out just how many people do care until we put out the distress call for help!
Bee communities are made up of the Queen, Workers (always infertile females) and Drones (males). Queens begin the nest and lay the eggs that will become workers and drones. She will continue to build up the nest or hive until enough eggs have hatched and there are enough mature adults to take over in her stead. So too do Bee people often find they must put much effort into starting things, but then they must learn to allow others to take over some of the tasks and help. The Queen or Bee person can then focus on what is needed to create new "workers" or "drones" that will continue to keep him/her fertilised and in production. The health of the hive can be dependant on having a Queen that is strong and healthy, for she will continue to produce new workers that are able to carry on as the older workers die off. Workers only live a short time, up to about 50 days while the Queen can live up to 4 years. Worker Bees literally work themselves to death due to their devotion to their Queen and their hive. Bee people need to learn to take time off from their work and activities for this reason, or they too will find they suffer from health problems or may even work their projects and even business's to death through over-expansion or continued activity that the market cannot support. Taking time off and allowing others to share more of the load will allow the Bee person to remain refreshed and invigorated so that when action does need to take place, the person is not too burned out or just plain knackered to follow through. Worker Bees also defend the hive against intruders as well as foraging for pollen and keeping the hive in good repair. Worker Bees will also "dance" to communicate to others where to find the best pollen. There is no sense of competition among Worker Bees, each behaves for the good of the whole and the more that know where to find abundant pollen, the more the hive will thrive. Bee people need to network on many levels in their lives if they too are going to attract the best that life has to offer. These folks are generally very generous with their own time and information as well, and if they can connect with many others of like mind, they can become extremely successful in their lives as well as being thought of as good and generous people. Bee people need to find numerous ways to connect with others so that they can share what they have to offer, even if that includes a process of trial and error to see what works best for them in this regard. Bee people who are in business for themselves will find it especially important to "spread the word" about their products and services and should take advantage of as many opportunities to do so as they can. Or if a Bee person's career depends on referrals from others as with sales or real estate for example, they should certainly make sure that as many people as possible know about them! Many Bee people I know do very well in Real Estate which is not too surprising considering how important the home/hive is for these folks.
Some Bee people I have known could really let fly with stinging words and actions, and it is important for these folks to learn to control this sort of behaviour if they find themselves acting out the African Bee side (or shadow) of the Bee medicine. Unfortunately, sometimes it is required and the Bee person is left with little choice but to sting to defend themselves or that which is of value to them. Yet when a Bee stings, it dies shortly after for the stinger along with part of the abdomen and poison sac is pulled away from the Bee has stung something or someone. Bees and Bee people do tend to instinctively know this and this is what makes them think twice before attacking. When a Bee person must "sting" they also need to understand that the energy involved in the situation also needs to die. If the "attack" is strong enough, the Bee person can rest assured that portion of their life is dying. And they may need time to grieve for what has been lost so they may move forward again. Yet if they are plugged into the medicine they carry, they will come in time to accept that a new community within them is being born and soon they shall be able to move on again. Take the time to rest and recharge for the long cycle of work and production that lies ahead! Along with this cycle of death and rebirth it is important to note the following:
"It is not advisable to kill the colony without removing the nest because of the potential damage from remaining honey and larvae. If left in the wall, decaying larvae can cause an odor problem, and the honey may attract a number of other pests. "
Those who carry Bee medicine must learn to be sure they "clean up" things that have died in their lives, even creating rituals to clear old energy, lest they find that the old energy hangs about and "rots" thus, attracting pests and causing damage to other areas of the person's life. It may be that the Bee person finds they undergo a cyclical process of death and regeneration and this may indeed fall into a cycle of four years or smaller cycles of about 42 to 56 days (the life span of both workers and drones). It can be helpful for Bee people to note when things on a small or larger scale tend to weaken and die off for a time in their lives and then see how long it takes before the energy begins to renew and resume progress. This can also help the Bee person plan to set aside resources or support for those cycles so they can be relaxed into rather than fought against.
It is also interesting to note that Bee venom has been used in the treatment of diseases such as Arthritis, Rheumatism, Multiple Sclerosis and other painful, aching conditions. Toxic substances have long been known to be extremely powerful healers when used in the right dose or combination with other drugs or substances. Bee people often do find that they have words and actions that can heal or words and actions that can wound and destroy. And sometimes things said that could be damaging, might really be just what the other person needs to hear or experience so they can examine how what they are doing may be damaging or hurtful to others folks too.
Bee people often find that from time to time they simply need to pick up and move on. Bee's swarm when looking for a new home or following a new Queen, because their old home has simply become too crowded for that many members to remain. Bee people may also find that they too need to seek out new environments and experiences if they are to continue to thrive and be happy and healthy in their lives. These folks may also find that people or situations they have been involved with have become too "crowded" for them to remain and it's time to seek something new. Trying to hang onto the old will only cause problems and defeat in the end. Instead Bee people need to send their own "scouts" out, and this can be done by asking Bee as totem to scout about for new situations and people that can be beneficial for you, and report back with the information. I have also known some Bee folks who simply must pack up and move house about every two to four years, regardless of how wonderful their home has been for them. And perhaps this too explains my own "itchy feet" for I too get this restless urge to move every few years. Again, asking Bee as totem to help you find the right new home for you will save you loads of time, energy and stress!
What to watch for when Bee appears:
There is a clear message here that there is pollen available to you that can be turned into life sustaining nourishment but you may have to get out there and hustle a bit to get it! Still, the efforts you make now are apt to be well rewarded.
Have you been slinging some stinging attacks or had some come your way? Do you need to defend what is of value to you, lest it be taken over or ripped apart by someone else?
All Bees represent the ability to do the impossible because they defy the laws of aerodynamics which states they should not be able to fly, though obviously they do quite well. Perhaps Bee is sending you a message that you too need to believe that the impossible can and does occur, we are usually just too blind to see it.
It may be time to look for a new community or hive. Is your home and the people around you supporting you in the way that is truly beneficial for you and others?
You most likely need to ask for help with something. Remember, even the Queen only works on her own just long enough to get enough mature adults up and running. So too do you need to work on your own for only so long and then you need to ask for assistance. Take a good look at your life, what do you need help with most right now?
Is your home clean and in good repair? Workers spend much time making sure their hive is well tended. Remember, decay and clutter attract pests and energy you really can live without.
We have a Bumble Bee as well as a Honey Bee essence available for those wanting to connect even more deeply with Bee's in general.
Other essences that Bee people may find helpful are:
All Viola/Pansy Essences - (These being some of the first flowers to bloom in the spring also provide the first food sources for foraging bees) - Flower Essences
Blue Sapphire (which can help with communication)
Star-flower False Solomon Seal - Flower Essences
PLEASE NOTE: Due to the enormous amount of email I receive each week I cannot go over specific totems with people on an individual basis, but I am happy to include on these pages as much information as I can about working with and understanding totem energies. I wish I could answer questions I receive but time and energy wise it is truly impossible! Also, I have no easy answers for anyone on what a totem encounter might possibly mean for them. Trying to sort something like that can mean many hours of effort on my part and frankly that is time I need to spend on earning a living and supporting my children. If you would like more information, please read the Totem Faq page as well as the Morningstar Totem Pages Faq page (scroll down to the bottom of this page). There are also numerous sites on the net that you may also find very helpful. Thanks for your understanding!