The Temple of Artemis and the Priestesses of Eleusis
Guarding the outer entrance of the sacred precinct of Eleusis stood the temple of the goddess Artemis. When the mystai arrived, they rested outside the temple walls and
paid their reverence to the goddess.
Artemis is an Indo-European goddess of life and fertility, who survived in ancient Greek culture as a moon goddess. Artemis was highly associated with bees, as beekeeping and agriculture were very ancient and vital crafts in Western Asia and Crete.
Many artifacts depicting small metal bees have been found in places where Artemis was worshipped.
Phoenician historian Porphyry (234–305 CE) states that the ancient Greeks referred to Artemis by the name Bee, and that the soul was conceived as coming down from her in the form of bees. Perhaps the connection between Artemis
and the bee resulted in the adoption of bees as symbolic creatures of the underworld.
Consistent with this, classicist A.B. Cook held that the metal bees
were votive sacrifices symbolizing the divine soul.
Bee shamanism may well be the most ancient and enigmatic branch of shamanism. It exists throughout the world--wherever in fact the honeybee exists. Its medicinal tools--such as honey, pollen, propolis, and royal jelly--are now in common usage, and even the origins of Chinese acupuncture can be traced back to the ancient practice of applying bee stings to the body’s meridians.
Bee wisdom includes
The knowledge of the healing and ceremonial powers of the honeybee and the hive;
bee shamanism’s system of acupuncture, which predates the Chinese systems;
and mparts teachings from the female tradition and explores the transformative powers of the magico-sexual elixirs they produce
bee shamanism’s system of acupuncture, which predates the Chinese systems;
and mparts teachings from the female tradition and explores the transformative powers of the magico-sexual elixirs they produce
(See http://www.amazon.com/The-Shamanic-Way-Bee-Practices/dp/1594771197)
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