Bee Magick: 11 Hardworking Correspondences

Bees appear frequently in folklore. Bee charms were traditionally hung in the best room of a house to attract health, happiness and good fortune. If a bee flew into the home then a stranger would soon call; and bees resting on the roof were seen as a good omen.

Bees may have been seen as psychopomps or messengers of the dead as they have appeared in Mycenaean tomb decorations, with some tombs shaped like beehives. Perhaps the human soul transmuted into bee form after death.

“Telling the bees” is a British custom. Bees were kept abreast of important family matters. Births, deaths, marriages, journeys, absences and especially deaths, were reported to the bees, often before other family members.

Usually the “goodwife” of the household would be tasked with “telling the bees”. She would knock gently on the give to get their intention, and solemnly tell them the news. In neighbouring Nottinghamshire, the wife of the dead was heard singing quietly in front of the hive—“The master's dead, but don't you go; Your mistress will be a good mistress to you.” It was feared that failure to update the bees of such news would bring catastrophe. Failure to put the bees in mourning could end in all sorts of trouble; the bees might fail to produce enough honey, leave the hive, or even die.

In my county, whenever there was a death the top of the hive was wrapped with a piece of black fabric or crepe by the beekeeper, otherwise it was feared that the bees would not thrive. Whenever there was a wedding the hives were decorated, and pieces of cake were left out so that the bees could share in the festivities.

Bee Correspondences:
Fertility
Joy
Feminine power
Teamwork
Growth
Competent leadership
Hard work
Obedience
Industriousness
Prophecy
The sweetness of life

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