Bee shamanism
Bees, Honey

[Bees are considered sacred in the Druid tradition: they symbolize community, celebration, organization. Thanks to their honey we have mead – used as a sacred drink in Druid ceremonies. Indian bee goddess, Bhramari Devi]

Sacred Path of the Bee with Layne Redmond and Debra Roberts http://thebeepriestess.com

Bhramari Devi

(Sculptural detail of a bee from the well of Saint Gobnait.) In Ireland the Patron Saint of beekeeping is Saint Gobnait. The community of Bullyvourney, County of Cork, Ireland still holds a celebration on Feb 11 in her honour. A Mass is held and attendees are encouraged to take water from the well.

Telling the bees is an ancient folk tradition of northern Europe, in which the family would keep a hive of bees at the home. It was a necessity that the bees be kept in the know of any news that befell the family. Good or bad, trivial or grand, it was crucial that someone told the bees.

Beyla, the bee goddess with influence over sweetness, wisdom and mead

Queen Bee. The Anatolian goddess is often shown wearing a beehive as a tiara, most frequently at Hacilar. This is the introduction of a motif that would flourish in historical times. Of all the insects represented in the ancient world, bees are foremost in ritual and symbolic meaning. The Goddess's tiara announces her status as a queen bee and suggests that she streams with honey, a much-revered substance in ancient times. (from thebeegoddess.com)

bee goddess

Bee Goddess from Rhodes, 7th Century BCE The bee was a prevalent image of the Goddess found in such diverse cultures as Mesopotamia, Lithuania, Egypt, Sicily, and elsewhere. The names Melissa and Deborah refer to a priestess of the goddess and literally mean “honey bee.”

≗ The Bee's Reverie ≗ The priestesses of historical descendants of the ancient Bee Goddess

The most famous piece of jewelry being the bee Priestess pendent from Crete.