A honeybee colony appears to be a perfect democracy. Honeybees make their most important decisions by debate and consensus building. Humans might aspire to the honeybees’ egoless focus on the well-being of the group and the survival of the species.
Important decisions, like finding the perfect location for a new home, involve the worker bees, known as scouts, locating and then communicating potential sites to the population of their colony. The waggle-dance is a form of communicating direction and location for sources of nectar as well as new home locations. Imagine if we humans could speak to each other through a dance so convincing that other members of our families or countries or global communities could understand our message and make a good decision for the majority, one that all members would agree to follow.
The Queen bee is a mother and egg-layer, not an autocrat or leader. My Bee Goddess is laying larvae on the center of a sunflower disk floret, a Celtic knot symbolizing unity and eternity. The honeybees explore the ray florets of the outer petals, protecting and feeding their Queen.
The meaning of the sunflower in Greek mythology is the story of the water nymph Clytie and the sun god Apollo. Clytie loved Apollo, but he did not return her affections. She pined for him, daily watching his chariot fly across the sky. Clytie was transformed into a sunflower, destined to turn her face to the sun’s path for eternity. Sunflowers symbolize loyalty, adoration, happiness and longevity. The instinct to turn and face the sun is also seen as faith, positivity, and perseverance.
In place photos:
