Comments on: Aphrodite and her Melissae in Ancient Greece

By: Laurence Smith

Laurence Smith — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:06:49 +0000

From the Homeric Hymn to Hermes written 600BC – Appollo speaks
. “There are certain holy ones, sisters born gifted with wings: and they dwell under a ridge of Parnassus. These are teachers of divination… From their home they fly now here, now there, feeding on honey-comb and bringing all things to pass. And when they are inspired through eating honey, they are willing to speak truth; but if they be deprived of the gods’ sweet food, then they speak falsely, as they swarm in and out together. These, then, I give you; enquire of them strictly and delight your heart.”
The bees give different sounds depending on the state of their development and their health, and when they are disturbed they will make a sound to warn and to alert each other, so someone who is familiar with these changes of sound might refer to them as the bees talking. Adepts could then divine the messages of the bees.

By: celestial elf

celestial elf — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 08:59:41 +0000

Great post thank you
thought you might enjoy my machinima film on permaculture and the bees

bright blessings
elf ~

By: 2010 in review « Bee Lore

2010 in review « Bee Lore — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 14:54:21 +0000

[...] Aphrodite and her Melissae in Ancient Greece January 2008 9 comments 5 [...]

By: Melissa

Melissa — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 21:21:32 +0000

I love Greek mythology and Aphrodite was always my favourite – it’s AMAZING that she called herself Melissa, that’s made my day

By: Best Incense Making Day Ever! « The Witch of Forest Grove

Best Incense Making Day Ever! « The Witch of Forest Grove — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 03:47:46 +0000

[...] for divination, oracular work, blessings for mead making, and for working with bee familiars. The Melissae are tied to Aphrodite, Dionysus, Hermes, and sometimes Demeter in Greek mythology. My apprentices [...]

By: Sacred Geometry and the Honey Bee « Bee Lore

Sacred Geometry and the Honey Bee « Bee Lore — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:39:40 +0000

By: Jude Horrocks

Jude Horrocks — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:43:51 +0000

I think your site is great. I have recently read a book called The Shamanic Way of the Bee by Simon Buxton, after bouncing round the idea of beekeeping. I also love Tori Amos, whose comment can be found on the front of the book. I am also a pagan, thinking of taking Shamnic courses, which is why I chose that book as my first book into my journey into what I hope is a future relationship with bees and beekeeping. So, looked up the Melissae because of his book and came to your site and wanted to thank you for it, as I am sure I will find a font of bee knowledge here!! Cheers!! I think I am experiencing something strange, magickal and unexplainable as I learn more about bees and are relationship to them. I got interested in beekeeping and thinking about doing it after reading about the disappearing bees and watching a show about a Buddhist monk beekeeper. Amazing creatures. Thanks for taking the time to dedicate this site to the noble bee!!!

By: elizabeth heartstar

elizabeth heartstar — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:28:29 +0000

I have loved honeybees all my life and when in my early teens, in 1966 would help a beekeeper in Ojai, california named Khan Bashiroff who had orange groves that the honeybees loved as I did. At this time my spiritual life journey began. When I was told of the dying of so many bees, I prayed about this and
was told my part to play was to make people aware of the honeybees and to do ceremonies in England in Avebury and Stonehenge. This is what I have been
doing. I found this link and thought I would email you and thank you for your
sharing. I look forward to hearing more about the Bee Lore
Blessed Bee, Elizabeth

By: emmetbrady

emmetbrady — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 00:04:26 +0000

Thank you for this wonderful website. These types of stories always remind me that the mystery of bees goes well beyond what we see day to day. Mystic rhythms abound . . .

By: K. Bender

K. Bender — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 12:29:33 +0000

There are indeed few artworks referring to bees as attributes of Aphrodite/Venus. I published recently “The Iconography of Venus Vol.1.1 The Italian Venus” (www.lulu.com) and, besides the Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus”, I found among the identified Italian artists only an emblem in Andrea Alciato’s Book of Emblems (1531): Emblem 113 with a text of Theocritus , a theme often taken up by Cranach. Thus not at all with the same iconological meaning as in Botticelli’s painting.
I would be glad to learn about other artworks showing bees with Venus/Aphrodite.