As long as we have Bees we have Hope for the future.
When you see them stop and breathe. Thank them for the bounty on the dinner table and for the candle lights in the darkest winter nights.
And if you find yourself in the darkest night of your soul listen to their hymn.
They will tell you about selfless love and working for the future generations.
They will tell you our natural state is Oneness, Unconditional Love and Bliss.
Sing with them and bring life in everything around.
When a hive reaches maturity the Queen and half of her Worker Bees will swarm to a new location and start over. They leave behind a house full of brood, honey, nectar and a new Queen.
The most amazing thing is to experience a swarm. The high energy of the Bees in motion reverberates in the deepest corners of your body. There is Happiness in the air and a contagious exuberance.
In the middle of this chaotic swirl of Bees emerging from the hive the Queen shines like a bride. She flies high up in the heavens to mate with the Sun. Exposed to light a chemical process renews her fertility and power to create.
In the “ Nine Lectures for the Bees ” Rudolf Steiner explains the alchemy of light within the hive and relationship between the Queen and the Sun. But the most delightful explanation of this Holly event I found reading ‘The Song of Increase ” by Jacqueline Freeman
My Bees Blessed my garden three times this Spring . I caught few causing me to climb at dizzying heights to get them.
While I welcome and understand the event my heart always aches at the thought of departing from a good old queen.
There was no time to even get my hat or a tarp to put underneath the box. I had to act fast . Many times they will sit in a location for a short while and then they fly to another which is permanent.
So at the end of the day I got the swarm and a good doze of euphoria.
My Bees did not make it through the winter. I had them for about three years .They arrived as a swarm and they were tough as nails . The sorrow froze my heart and when I opened them up I found out they never got to cluster back on one of those days that went from 60 Fahrenheit to well bellow freezing. They left stores of honey waiting in the empty hive.
In despair I bought three packages and although I was told they will arrive April 1st my broken heart did not want to hear it . I was still mourning my hive.
I think it was around the 29th my house started to smell like a hive. I know it sounds strange but it is true. The first time I have bought Bees same thing happened to me. So I knew I will hear something soon. On March 31st I had a phone call my Bees were ready to meet me . I had exactly an hour to drive there . It was very exciting and scary because it was raining and freezing cold . When I picked them up I was told I could keep them for few days inside .
Bee Packages freshly picked up
I drove back home singing to them and telling them about the gardens and about my plans .
After they stayed inside the house with me for few days I took them out on April 2nd, the first warm, sunny day in a very long time . They were so happy to be out of the wire cage they did not fuss about a thing and everything went smooth .
I stood there in awe and gratitude watching them cover my hands and flying everywhere Love was in the air and I felt a shift.
One week later I opened them to retrieve the queen cages and they already had drawn comb and stored pollen . They were diving full force into their work .
I start them with just a sliver of wax foundation at the top of the frames so they get a chance to build in their own natural measurement and they love it.
I also feed them for the first three-four weeks Bee Tea. ( Cane sugar syrup or honey mixed with herbal tea and essential oils like Lemongrass , Eucalyptus , Thyme and Spearmint) . The tea strengthens their immune system and gives them confidence in the first days of making comb and getting adjusted to a new place .
Tomorrow on Easter Sunday they are three weeks into entraining me in their frequency. Since their arrival Trees flowered, Dandelions emerged, the Weather is tamed , everyday is Paradise again and I barely touch the ground .
While they are busy bringing loads of pollen I am cleaning the garden around the hives . Although I could give them individual names they told me many years ago their name is Andromeda . They also taught me to listen with my heart , never treat them and never assume I know better .
Bees have very high frequency and if you are open they will telepathically inform you of their needs and also teach you some zen wisdom.
One of the first lessons I have received was Bliss. They actually make me feel it in their presence . Meditating with them daily helped me understand our natural state as Bliss , Oneness and unconditional Love . It is those moments that reminded me why seven years ago in the biodynamic beekeeping class I sobbed watching the movie Tales from the Hive . It is deep ingrained into our hearts to live in these states , yet we are drawn in separation and we fight with life .
Tomorrow we celebrate Easter. To me the celebration goes beyond its religious connotation . I celebrate Nature’s resurrection and my own from sleep walking into being present , allowing my Soul to shine and striving to embody my Spirit .
A lot more about Bees , Andromeda and Love soon.
Until then I wish to radiate all they filled my heart with into yours .
Peace
Joy!
Star magic and Faerie dust: the sky mirrors itself in the Dandelions blooms.
I am watching in wonder : A Bee in every flower.
Alchemy enfolding right in front of my eyes.
When I was a child I believed these resilient Jupiter ruled perennials are stars and constellations trapped in the grass.
Little did I knew then how my fascination with this amazing plant would perpetuate. Dandelion is a staple in biodynamic gardening and farming.
The roots are medicine for the liver and a powerful detox. Leafs can be added to salads or sautéed like spinach. You can make wine with its blooms, substitute coffee with its roasted roots, and so much more.
It builds soil.
Bees LOVE them.
They are a living lesson in Sacred Geometry.
And blowing its seeds in the wind is the simplest moment of happiness anyone of any age can experience .
Where they grow it feels like the entire cosmos concentrates in one tiny spot.
“The innocent yellow dandelion! In what ever district it grows, it is the greatest boon…It [BD #506] will give the soil the faculty to attract just as much silicic acid from the atmosphere and from the Cosmos as the plants need, to make them really sentient to all that is at work in their environment. For they of themselves will then attract what they need.” — Rudolf Steiner, Agriculture, page 99 (Adams translation)
Dandelions are powerful healers and teachers . Go outside and gaze at their sunny faces.
And celebrate tomorrow’s Full Moon , Earth Day and Buddha’s Birthday (next day, on Friday April 22nd) by picking up a seeded Dandelion and making a wish .
Mine is to see a world with more compassion for all living beings and each other.
Love, Peace and Bliss
Today at 12:30 am EST we entered Spring Equinox.
A day to do less and listen more.
I went through the garden where I burnt sage and listen to the wind for messages.
Nature welcomed me sending a Squirrel, Woodchuck and the Falcon . Bees were looking for water in despite the biting cold.
Light and shadow, night and day, grief and hope all facing each other on the threshold.
Brigid and Eostre passing through causing a burst of creativity and flowers to emerge.
From my inner voice a prayer to my garden is rising :
May Your Heart Awaken
Awakening mine
So I may Grow
Green , Lush Ideas
Into Prosperous Actions ;
So I may weave
Strands of Cosmic Inspirations
Into a tapestry of Sacred Work.
Awaken your Heart
So mine will Flower
Into the song of a Blue Bird
Allowing me to Bee
The Voice and Form
Of your Creative Energy .
Wishing you All Happy Spring and Dreams into Reality.
Yesterday morning rain and threatening winds chased me inside. Behind close windows I felt hopeless: Winter does not want to leave.
Dreaming away I worked on some projects which needed closure.
Before I knew was 3:00 pm and the sky cleared. In a rush i took off in the garden to check my bees. And SURPRISE :
They were laboring joyfully flying in leminiscate patterns around the hive.
She (Andromeda) greeted me by sending two scouts to sit on my hand . I was so happy to see her (I say her because the hive is considered one organism according to Rudolf Steiner -“Bees-Lectures by Rudolf Steiner”)
I went closer to see and mainly listen to them , checking for any sign of distress. Couldn’t believe my eyes: they were bringing in pollen .
Exuberant I started to look around for other signs. I felt as if i have missed a week. My Elderberries started to bud and the pussy willows are just about to open up. I think my garden conspired to amaze and cheer me up.
A rush of energy jolted me. Although here we do not start planting until May 15 , I can start cleaning and making new beds .
In anticipation of the Spring Equinox Nature is ready for action.
I love how this event and the solstices are being explained in the Garden Workbook by Michelle Small Wright , the founder of Perelandra . Soon I will also start spraying the soil with the biodynamic preparations and apply a paste made out of clay, sand and cow manure on trees .
Well , I am fully awake now. Spring is in the air.
One week old Kale
One week old Heirloom Tomato
Winter is the time of dreaming and planning for Spring and Summer . Like any biodynamic gardener after I retrieved my seeds from underground on Epiphany (Jan 6) I immediately prepared for starting them .
It is a time of listening , preparation and nurturing ; not just the future garden but also my new designs for the year ahead . My drawing board is filling with sketches and dreams .
I am filled with excitement for all the upcoming projects .
Over the years I have learned the importance of intention and deliberate creation . Working on a large project , like ours , Intention keeps us on track and motivated .
Still in nature’s dreamtime but close enough to early Spring I walk around our garden imagining the fragrances and the colors to come and infusing lots of Love at every step.
Speaking of Love …I am making paper clay hearts for Valentine’s day . They are available on my website www.ethericdesigns.com
“Seeds of Love” waiting to sprout into a splash of color and Gold
My intention with this blog is not to teach you how to start your seeds but an invitation to allow yourself immersion in Nature’s rhythm . I have learned I have more energy, clarity and optimism when I do so. After all what I have learned from the garden is to let go of the need for doing and listen and flow more , allowing the seasons to teach me.
I have learned from the trees when to give in to dreaming and to take action .
This morning I went for a walk and the tree buds are awakening but still sleepy . My Witch Hazel flowered timidly . She is an early riser. So I know we still have some winter to bear .
Please join me and nurture your dreams and gardens . I hope you are considering organic and heirloom seeds , non GMO and lots of wildflowers and herbs for the Bees and other pollinators .
In the web of Life every action we take has an impact.
One of my greatest gifts is to see the highest potential in people and places.
When I walk through a space the first five minutes gives me a vision of what the place dreams to become.
Same thing has happened with our home. In despite of the sad appearance I saw a loving and beautiful space, embraced by the Nature surrounding .
Before
In Progress
We moved in and contrary to our plans we had to start with the roof . It gave me an opportunity to adjust the energy using the geometry of the arch by creating an oversized eyebrow over a tiny dormer.
I built the wall in three parts like a puzzle, laminating 3/4”plywood and using the framing of the old dormer.
Why an arch?
Well, for two reasons.
One is Nature has no sharp turns. Rivers meander,valleys and mountains and free form Honey Bee combs are almost parabolic .
Second is an arch elevates the energy and brings in spiritual qualities to harmonize and balance. The eyebrow generated vaulted ceilings inside giving a new height and frequency to a space meant for rest and dreaming. More about it perhaps in another post.
Clay plaster on vaulted ceilings
Interestingly enough on one of my garden walks, few years later after we moved in , I did an automatic drawing inquiring about the patterns of the existing energies.
I think the picture speaks for itself.
The land holds an energetic pattern which in its pure form is like a map to wholeness. Often times these patterns are disturbed or distorted by Electro Magnetic Fields, corrupted Lay Lines , our actions and our emotions.
Hence our adventure in renovating our home became a journey through thresholds of awareness :
1 Remembrance
We are called to places where lessons unfold so we can grow and heal.
We think we arrived to heal the place to humbly realize the place heals us. Only then we can hear its voice and bring its creative energy in manifestation.
We start remembering who we are as we peel the layers of the place and ours towards the One and Only Light.
2. Forgiveness
Healing of the land comes two fold.
Ancestral Karma is being released off the land and also in our personal story. We learn from a point of observance to read the fine print of the story by releasing judgement.
“it brought the best of us “ my husband said. And it is so indeed because we forgave.
3. Unity
We fall apart and we come together in oneness. We are one with ALL.
4. Grounding
Living in a home during construction work is challenging .We survive the chaos through contemplation and connecting to the Earth. Our example is the mountain behind our property.It taught us patience, being present, strength, perseverance.
5. Gratitude
Finding delight and appreciation in every little thing or circumstance opened our hearts and minds to infinite possibilities.
6. Co creating with the Divine
Learning how to step aside from our ego and draw the creative impulses while holding space for “This or something Greater” with the future in our hearts.
7. Transcending old patterns
This is our seventh year into creating Sanctuary.
It has been a summer of less doing and more reflecting on our achievements integration and releasing.
We are transcending the old patterns of irritation and the land mirrors us showing is ready to embrace the new Light geometries.
.All is well .
My inspiration came from an incredible burning desire to create a sustainable living off the grid. So I started to search different ways to integrate natural building into an existing 1932 ’s structure.
In parallel the pear trees we found as remnants of an old fungus contaminated orchard prompted us to look into Biodynamic farming and Permaculture.
Healing started to unfold . My drawing board was not limited to the structure anymore.It simply bloomed into the garden, naturally .
When the Bees arrived was an exuberant moment and a true demonstration of the word “COEXIST”.
Since that day what others consider weeds (Thistles, Burdock, and Motherwort just as few examples) became an oasis of feeding frenzy not just for the Honey Bees but all the other pollinators.
Bee on Motherwort
I measure the health of the land by the number of insects and creatures finding shelter and food on it.
Praying Mantis on My Garden Door
As I am writing this I reflect back into the last seven years and all the lessons . Today we honor the old Pear trees making room for a healthier small orchard in the future. Letting go of the old brings in opportunity for renewal.
Also we are almost half way with the renovations.
It felt as if our home wanted to secure the future (upper level) first, consolidated its core (we lined the chimney and created the space for an wood stove which pushed us to consolidate few beams in the basement and rebuild the stairs.
We closed the porch and build a new foundation underneath it.The arch theme reverberates into the present opening harmoniously our Career Gua (in Feng Shui the dwelling divides in nine zones called Gua) and symbolically the work we Love to do.
A beautiful new door (by Adirondack Naturals http://www.adknaturals.com) adorns and guards our home blessing equally inhabitants, visitors and passers by.
It is a tiny home and the idea was from the very beginning not to extend its footing but improve the space within . We are living in times when we must ponder what we should take from Nature for our dwellings considering how fragile life is.
Our footprint here is about partnership with the land, beautification as an act of reverence and pouring love in a place we call home hoping it will reverberate out into the world.
What is your footprint?
If there is light in the soul,
there will be beauty in the person.
If there is beauty in the person,
there will be harmony in the house.
If there is harmony in the house,
there will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation,
there will be peace in the world.
– Chinese Proverb
On the threshold of a New Moon in Cancer I was strolling along the path in my garden when my eyes stopped at the ninety degree turn of our fence.
A baby Garter Snake was gazing at me bringing out some messages of transformation, creativity, and shedding limitations.
You can read more here
As I was gazing back at him I realised I was standing in the creativity area of the garden .
A few minutes later I was looking on the internet to identify the snake when I got an email about my website being born into the world . www.ethericdesigns.com
The joy of synchronicity made my heart smile . So I was to expect a ninety degree turn in my creativity through transformation .
I have been dreaming for my website Etheric Designs for a very long time. And today is manifesting into reality creating new opportunities to express and joyfully share my work.
When we first moved into our home seven years ago all we wanted was to spend time in the garden and the more we have been in the garden we wanted the garden inside .
Nature opened my designer heart into a whole new world: Natural Building/Cob Houses ,Beekeeping, Biodynamic Gardening, Permaculture. It taught me that every place has a creative force waiting to be manifested. And one of our tasks here on Earth is to bring that into the world .
After all , the lessons I have learned from the Bees were sinking deep on my drawing board and paired with my Feng Shui studies turned the page of my imagination into a new passion : Creating a Sanctuary for our Soul .
I wanted to create something that would allow me to walk my talk and inspire others in the process .
A house becomes a home when it is aligned with our dreams and becomes a source of physical, emotional and spiritual strength and support .
In many cultures the home is built as the point of intersection between heaven and earth. Not only did the ancient builders consider both orientation and geomantic placement but they did so with reverence for the Earth and the next generations .
We turned away from the seemingly practical, fast paced methods into a slower process and we took time to evaluate how we communicate with the space, what materials we use and the overall theme .
We replaced the old blown in insulation with the more environmentally friendly denim and mineral batts . On the outside, Natural Lime is slowly replacing the vinyl siding.
In the interior, I could only build some areas with cob but I extended the benefit of clay onto the other walls by applying clay plasters and clay paint made by me from scratch.
The floors were replaced by wide boards of pine treated with a natural vegetal oil .
When the oil-fueled furnace broke down, we replaced it with a wise wood stove which enables us to cook, bake and gaze into the fire while we are working on a hydraulic heating system powered by the sun .
We have been on this journey for a very long time completing the design as our Home nudges us in the right direction .
In the meantime the garden keeps teaching us, reinforcing our view and desire to step fully into a sustainable way of living .
Stop by from time to time and see the progress, get insights and dream with us .
My true happiness lies in the knowing that something I create, discover or learn could open a new perception and courage for someone else to seek different ways to co create with Nature .
cobgoddess 