Michelle Cassandra Johnson, a wisdom teacher and racial equity consultant, teams up with Amy Burtaine, an anti-racist trainer and beekeeping enthusiast, to explore our connection to bees. They suggest that it’s the bees who might be trying to save humanity. They discuss bees as guides, the spiritual lineage of bee priestesses, and the importance of sustainability in beekeeping. Their enchanting tales reveal bees' roles as superorganisms, their adaptability, and the lessons we can learn about interconnectedness, gratitude, and the beauty of giving.
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Michelle's Dream Leads to Bees
Michelle Cassandra Johnson was drawn to bees through a dream and spontaneous acquisition of beekeeping supplies.
The bees came at a profound time as psychopomps when her mother was seriously ill, symbolizing transition and guidance.
insights INSIGHT
Bees as a Superorganism
Bees form a superorganism where individual bees act for the good of the entire hive.
Humans could learn from bees about interconnectedness and collective survival rather than individualism.
insights INSIGHT
Bees Signal Environmental Health
Bees are an indicator species showing how well Earth's ecosystems are doing, reflecting human impact.
Colony collapse signals environmental distress, urging humans to shift behaviors for planetary health.
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What Honeybees Can Teach Us about Collective Wellbeing
Amy Burtaine
Michelle Cassandra Johnson
The Wisdom of the Hive explores how honeybees can teach us about communal interdependence, attunement to nature, and coexistence with darkness. The book provides insights from beekeeping, Buddhism, and nature-based shamanic practices, along with stories, meditations, and reflection questions to apply these lessons to our lives.
More and more people are waking up to the very real dangers that humanity is facing as a result of a declining honeybee population. Yet as we join the refrain, “Save the bees!” Michelle Cassandra Johnson and Amy Burtaine pose a profound and extraordinary question: What if it’s the bees who are trying to save us?
In this eye-opening conversation with the coauthors of the new book The Wisdom of the Hive, Tami Simon speaks with Michelle and Amy about bees as psychopomps who come to us with guidance; the spiritual lineage of bee priestesses; sustainability and respect in bee tending; hive consciousness and the concept of the superorganism; bees as an indicator species and the consequences of colony collapse for humanity; tending bees in a way that aligns with how they want to live; experiencing the power of the hum; the healing properties of the hive; how opening a jar of honey can turn into a shamanic journey; the waggle dance; the adaptability of bees and the various roles they play over their lifespan; the queen and her brilliance; becoming less fearful of bees (and what to do when one lands on you!); bees as a model of faith and trust; the question bees have for each one of us: What is the medicine I can offer?; how bees demonstrate gratitude, contentment, and equanimity; the swarm; meaning, connection, creativity, and contribution; the polarity of the dark and the light; the gift of “a box of sweetness”; why “the more you give away, the more you have.”
Note: This episode originally aired on Sounds True One, where these special episodes of Insights at the Edge are available to watch live on video and with exclusive access to Q&As with our guests. Learn more at join.soundstrue.com.
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