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Archive for June, 2009

The Afternoon of Life

Posted in Bee Present, Beetwixt & Beetween on June 20, 2009| Leave a Comment »

I turned 50 last month and never posted anything.  I had a good party and caught a swarm of bees on the day!

I came across this piece by Carl Jung which somehow encourages me that there is still more to learn, uncover and grow towards in the “afternoon of life”:

“Wholly unprepared, we embark upon the second half of life . . . we take the step into the afternoon of life; worse still we take this step with the false assumption that our truths and ideals will serve as before. But we cannot live the afternoon of life according to the program of life’s morning — for what was great in the morning will be little at evening, and what in the morning was true will at evening have become a lie.”

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The Bee in Heraldry

Posted in Bee Lore, Bee Present, Beetwixt & Beetween on June 20, 2009| 1 Comment »

I have always been fascinated in Heraldry – ever since I was sent away to a boarding school in Windsor.  Every Sunday during termtime we had to go to the Chapel of St George in Windsor Castle to sit through two services – Mattins and Evensong.  I was not a chorister.  I was a “super” which, in Latin means “extra”.  A bit like a drone, really.  The only thing to look at in the Chapel were the shields and banners of the Knights of the Garter that hung on the walls.  Very romantic.  So many colours, patterns, symbols.  This combined with the beautiful singing had a very calming effect.  Even now, if I want to relax, I will listen to medieval choral music.

It is probably not so surprising that:

The bee is the most popular insect in Heraldry

The bee is normally shown with an old-style beehive – as shown on the shield above.

More at: http://www.heraldryandcrests.com/heraldic_symbols.htm

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The Beehive in Masonic Tradition

Posted in Bee Law, Bee Lore, Beetwixt & Beetween on June 20, 2009| Leave a Comment »

The Beehive….is an emblem of industry, and recommends the practice of that virtue to all created beings, from the highest seraph in heaven to the lowest reptile of the dust.  It teaches us that, as we come into the world rational and intelligent beings, so we should ever be industrious ones; never sitting down contented while our fellow-creatures around us are in want, when it is in our power to relieve them without inconvenience to ourselves.

Masonic Beehive

When we take a survey of nature, we view man, in his infancy, more helpless and indigent than the brute creation; he lies languishing for days, months, and years, totally incapable of providing sustenance for himself, of guarding against the attack of the wild beasts of the forest, or sheltering himself from the in-clemencies of the weather.

It might have pleased the great Creator of heaven and earth to have made man independent of all other beings; but, as dependence is one of the strongest bonds of society, mankind were made dependent on each other for protection and security, as they thereby enjoy better opportunities of fulfilling the duties of reciprocal love and friendship.

Thus was man formed for social and active life, the noblest part of the work of God; and he that will so demean himself as not to be endeavouring to add to the common stock of knowledge and understanding, may be deemed a Drone In the Hive of Nature, a useless member of society, and unworthy of our protection as Masons.

More at:  www.philbrick2255.org.uk/books/broached_thurnell.pdf

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How to Write “Bee” in Chinese Symbols

Posted in Bee Present, Beetwixt & Beetween on June 20, 2009| Leave a Comment »

I came across this video on the internet.  Wow, for a simple English word “bee” the way of describing it in the Chinese symbols is so artistic.  There are two words, each with a picture and a word to pronounce.

None of the character actually looks like a bee.

Think I will stick to English for the moment!

More at: http://www.ehow.com/video_4403826_write-bee-chinese-symbols.html

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Lightning never strikes twice in the same place…..but swarms do!

Posted in Bee Law, Bee Present, Beekeeping on June 9, 2009| Leave a Comment »

On Sunday, I got a very unexpected email and phone call!  It was from the man who told me about the last swarm that I caught (see the blog entry about catching a swarm in 15 minutes).  He had another smaller swarm (which turned out to be a cast).  And it was in EXACTLY THE SAME PLACE!

I went round on early Monday morning and scooped the cast into a box.  It was raining and the bees clung to each other like treacle.  Because I had done it before – and the bees were so accessible, I think this time it took even less than 15 minutes!  Probably more like 10!

Anyway, Monday was a rainy day and that evening we returned to pick up the nucleus box.

This morning, I met up with an old friend and gave her the cast as her (only) hive had gone queenless.  When she put the cast into her hive (she has a Dartington Long Hive with two sides to it) – she found that the colony was no longer queenless but that the queen has started laying.  Oh well!

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