Diane Pegler
Connecting with Merlin
By
Diane Pegler
I Am Returning’ said Merlin to the Faeries.
‘The time has come. It was written in the Stars that I would
return at this time and you and I have a very important role to play.’
The Faeries listened very carefully as Merlin beamed his message
to them from his haven among The Stars.
The Stars have always sung to the Faeries; only the Faeries,
Elementals and Devas, Animals, Flora and Fauna can hear their song.
In the 60’s we sung:
When The Moon Is In The 7th House and Jupiter Aligns With Mars
Then Peace Will Guide The Planets And Love Will Steer The Stars
Harmony & Understanding, Sympathy and Trust Abounding
No More Falsehoods or Derisions, Golden Living Dreams Of Vision,
Magic Crystal Revelation
And The Minds True Liberation. Aquarius! Aquarius!
(How strange that the musical Hair has made it’s come back to the West End stage in April 2010!) Well the actual dawning of the Age of Aquarius when the moon did enter the 7th House and Jupiter did align with Mars was 14th February 2009. 50 years later!
It was on that day The Stars radiated the first message to The Faeries of the very important part they would play in creating the beautiful, loving Age of Aquarius.
For those with eyes to see, the Sun, Moon and Stars have orchestrated breath-taking majesty and planetary alchemy throughout this year commencing with a Blue Moon eclipse on 31st December.
This is the heavenly back drop against which Merlin, our enigmatic wizard friend and kindly sage, and the Faeries have created their (unseen to most) miracles.
My own formal introduction to Merlin happened in February this year around the time of my birthday. Has this been pre-destined or a spiritual birthday gift?
I don’t know because while I have always been a fan of Merlin there was a little reluctance on my part to believe that such a wondrous Being could be my guide however I now know that He is (How cool is that?!) and I also know that he will be making a visit to many more people - So keep an eye out!
Faeries too will become increasingly noticeable.
Wherever you go, you’ll see a Faery, they will crop up in conversation, in jewellery, in cards, in books, in the media, ……
…..
Everywhere, everywhere there will be Faeries.
How wonderful and funny and beautiful!
Faeries make people smile inside and laugh out loud.
They make your heart sing.
This is just one of their Ascension roles and it is so stunningly simple.
Clever Merlin!
Merlin’s message is that all we need to do is
‘Live, Love and Laugh Out Loud’
I want to share a wonderful image of Merlin as he strides towards Glastonbury, his hat cocked to one side, his staff heralding his way. The Tor is in the distance and he looks over his shoulder beckoning us to follow him. There’s a quizzical look in his eyes as he invites us to join in the fun he’s just about to start!
Merlin’s coat trails the ground and the Faeries seem like balls of Light bouncing along the hem almost as if they are hitching a ride.
Merlin takes such long strides and walks so quickly that it’s easier for the
Faeries to keep up with him this way. You can hear their peals of gleeful laughter as they all bob along!
Another Merlin secret: ‘Orbs which appear in photographs these days are actually Faeries who have stumbled into the shot..accidentally on purpose!’
Now we come to Merlin’s hat. This is so good, you’ll really want to try it.
Merlin stood in front me holding his up-turned hat
‘Place all your hurts and all your hopes and dreams into the crown of my hat’.
When I had finished he twisted the hat clockwise three times then popped the hat back on to his head. Just like the magician who pulls the white rabbit from his top hat.
‘The Light from my crown chakra is so powerful I can transform your disappointments and manifest your dreams.
Do you know why the Light from my Crown Chakra is so powerful?
- because this is where I hid The Grail!’
I gasped and Merlin laughed. Of course, it makes perfect sense.
Merlin is The Protector Of The Grail and where better place to hide it!
Merlin went to say:
‘The Grail Path to the Divine is the direct link from the Heart to the
Crown Chakra and out to The Universe. Only those with the purest of Hearts and Intentions will attain The Grail (Ascension).’
So simply put, to attain Ascension for ourselves and the Planet,
We only need to Live, Love and Laugh with the highest of intention
for Our Planet and all who dwell upon it.
Merlin also said..
‘Seek the Magick wherever it may be, whoever you are and whatever age you may be!’
How exciting!
Dianne Pegler
World Faery Day
http://www.flyingwithangels.co.uk/
The Beacons of Light
The Beacons of Light ~ Re-minders from Home
Greetings from Home
Demarcation Point in the Evolution of Human
This day marks a very special time in the advancement and evolution of the human animal on planet Earth. There are times of great change in the evolutionary cycles of every being, and everything that you believe is an entity. Of course, many of the living, breathing things humans do not consider to be alive actually are. Everything that you see around you, dear ones, is living and breathing in some way. You think of many of these objects as inanimate. You may pick up a sea shell on the beach and say it has no life-force energy, yet we tell you that it does or you would not be able to pick it up. If it were not alive and evolving, it would not exist within the vibrational range that you are attuned to that you call your world.
Dear ones, today we wish to address you specifically because of this demarcation. This is the point where things are starting to change for your own physical bodies. We have spoken before about the re-wire of humanity. Each and every one of you is being re-wired energetically to carry more light on this planet than you ever have before. What we mean by that is simple: only a small portion of your real soul is in your physical body, though you have full attachment to all of it. You have access to every part of it through your higher self. That is the connection point that opens up the tiny little piece of you called the physical being, to the enormous part of who you really are. That connection is starting to change.
Releasing the Templates
We have spoken of this before, but we wish to recap it here as it is important to understand the overall process. Humans began the journey on Earth without physical bodies. You were here with what you considered to be angel bodies, or bodies of ethereal form without physical density. There also came a point at which you were not able to keep that connection, because you had to move into a denser form to house your spirit. That is when you first adapted the physical form on Earth. You are connected to her; she is connected to you. You are not new on this planet.
Now having told you that, we can share with you that there was a long period when you had to transition from these ethereal bodies into this dense physicality. That was an evolution. Even though you were lowering your vibration at that point, it was a tremendous evolution for all of humanity and the events that were taking place on planet Earth. You are going through that same evolution right now. It is no secret, dear ones, you are again looking at raising your vibrations. But there was a time in your evolution that it was necessary to lower your vibration to take on these physical bodies. You did everything you could to try and put yourself into one of these bodies and then to try to find Home. You tried to find on the outside what you felt on the inside, to let your own spirit shine through that dense physical bubble of biology. Now you have begun to do that and your physical bodies are evolving themselves. Now, it is no secret to that eventually these bodies will turn back into light bodies, because you will no longer need the physical density. The transitions that you are starting to go through right now are huge.
When you first came to planet Earth to assume these dense physical bodies, there were only 500 of you. Billions of souls inhabited planet Earth, but when you took the dense, physical bodies, only 500 of you decided to play the game in that fashion. So 500 physical human templates were created, and from that point on humans have been restricted to those original templates. That is what is changing and shifting, for you no longer need those templates. Let us explain.
The templates have been very helpful for you. In your early growth as a species you needed strong and sturdy templates to ensure survival, especially with your repeating patterns of war. Now your spirit needs more room to grow and work in new ways. In response, your bodies can now re-lease the restricting images that once held your bodies� highest image or possibility. Many of you have been fighting against these templates for years, which often causes problems because they do not hold your whole spirit any longer. Even so, the body is now adjusting to hold more of your spirit, more of your light, and more of your expression of who you really are in this lifetime without changing bodies. This has never happened before. There comes a time when you are re-leased from the old templates that used to hold your body, These templates are the base energy forms that the mater of your body formed around, for they held the perfect image of your body in its highest form. Let us explain that concept because it is important for you to understand.
Importance of Inner Beauty
The image of your physicality creates it. Today you hold your own image in your mind, but in the beginning of life these images are produced by the template itself, then pass to your primary parental contract and on to you. The image changes only when you override the original template with your beliefs or your desires. Even so, it would only change so much and that was a restriction of the template itself. The highest image is stored as part of this template. Similar to DNA, the body looks at this image every time it re-creates itself. We say this because even when you release these templates your body will still look for this image, and that is why it is becoming more important for you to see your true inner beauty.
Your inner beauty is what you hold in your mind. We hope you think about this the next time you look in the mirror, and all your attention goes to your problems, physical challenges or imperfections. Your human nature is to focus on those imperfections. Instead, learn to see beauty in that mirror and your new body template will form around that image. When you see your true beauty and walk in that image, it will now allow you to begin re-leasing the old templates.
That is what is actually taking place and we call it a demarcation point. As you go forward, you are re-leasing the templates that helped you hold your image. In any creation throughout the universe whether it is living, breathing or what you call inanimate, it does not make any difference. Everything is living and breathing, because otherwise they would not exist in your world. Yet it is very difficult concept for you to grasp or to interact on that level, for that is one of the things that is absolutely changing on this planet. There will come a time when you will be able to talk to your stapler because it is not working. You will be able to communicate on different levels that you have never been able to do before, because your understanding is no longer limited in the same way it was before. The new capabilities of carrying more of your spirit in your body is absolutely in front of you right now.
The Line Between Life and Death
We also wish to caution you here, for you will see people leaving the planet. We have told you this before and it is no secret. As you move from one age into the next, there will be many of you who decide not to stay. It is not right or wrong, it simply means that you are going to re-cycle your energy and come back in a new form. During this time when your original templates are removed the veil is thinner, but also that line between life and death is much more vulnerable and fragile. For this reason, you will hear stories of people who die for apparently no reason. They will be in perfect health one day, then maybe catch a cold or something else, and all of a sudden leave. The template that you are holding, that one of the original 500 templates that you chose for this particular lifetime, is no longer holding your energy. It is no longer protecting you, and because of that the line between life and death in the physical form is much closer than you have experienced before.
We are not telling you to be careful. That would be the worst thing you could do, because if you walk around trying to protect yourself you will most certainly bring catastrophe on yourself for that is your thought�not to do something. The universe does not hear the word �not� and simply moves past it. When you speak in universal terms, energy forms around the energy framework of those words. Many of you hold visions of body types that you see in magazines. Before you start changing, and many of your physical bodies will start changing very rapidly from this point forward, we ask you first to look at all the exciting things that you believe are happening, Look at this body you have today, because you are seeing it for the first time without any template.
Inner Beauty
One of the first keys that we want to work with you on is finding your own inner beauty. The word beauty, of course, is very subjective and varies greatly from one person to another. Yet, there is a pure beauty of Home that each one of you carries here and will express in some fashion. Now that those templates are no longer going to restrict you in the way they have before, you can start to see more of your own inner beauty. That is new, for it has always been hidden from you. It is part of the reason why all your attention goes to what you consider to be defects or flaws in your appearance, rather than toward seeing your true beauty.
Your true beauty has been hidden from you for a lot of reasons. It was through your own choice that you did this, because you were afraid that your egos would get in the way and block you. None of those restrictions apply any longer, so you can start to see your own true inner beauty, that part of Home and heaven that you carry within your physical body. Your inner beauty will start to show and shine through each and every one of you. As we talk about beauty the physical changes and that you are now going to create your own templates, we ask you to do so with one thing in mind. Please do not focus on pictures in magazines, and instead learn to see the beauty in the smile on your face. Now is the time and many of your physical bodies will start to experience changes that are unexplained.
As the templates begin to re-lease, know that the line between life and death becomes very thin. In fact, many of you are closer to the edge what you call death than you realize at this very moment. That is not wrong but it is simply going to be the new path of humans. Because of the templates, when you wanted to go Home it was not possible to do so very quickly. It took a long time to line up all 11 dimensions to to point at which you could leave as one and return as one soul, but that is what is changing now. It is the reason that life, death, and the line between the two is now getting closer to many of us. All of you on planet Earth carrying a physical body will not only have new capabilities now, but you will also have vulnerabilities. Do not fear these or worry about them. We want to make you aware of them not only in your own world, but because you will see evidence around you. You are going to start seeing the physical human change very rapidly from this day forward.
What Will the New Bodies Look Like?
Now you are asking, �What does a new body look like? What are the new templates going to look like? What are the physical changes that are going to happen as you move and create these new templates?� We are asking you the same question because we cannot tell you where you are going, dear ones. We do not see the future, because you have not written it yet. This has never happened before anywhere throughout All That Is. Because it has never taken place, the excitement throughout the universe is all focused on planet Earth to watch the miracles of the re-birth of humanity on a single planet. This is getting exciting beyond your understanding on a cosmic level. On a creator level, it is also going to be quite exciting, yet difficult and challenging at times. That is the human way; it is how you learn things. That is how you adapt and that is how you often create, so we are giving you some visuals, ideas and concepts to consider. If it resonates in your heart, hold that image and it will happen. If it does not, choose your own image. Please do not follow our words if they do not resonate in your heart, for that is your choice and that is at the base of your power. Do not call it right or wrong; do not worry about identifying a label, especially a label that was only good in a field of duality. Your world is changing around you and now your physical bodies are starting to adapt to make that change and evolve you to the next level.
This next level that you are going through right now will help you to amplify the light that you carry at least 12 times in the same physical form. The only thing that is necessary here is to re-lease the bonds, those boundaries that helped you create this image. Those boundaries were your physical template, the body types that have existed on planet Earth since you first took physical form. Now that is changing and the excitement is unbelievable throughout the universe. All eyes are on humanity. The game was to be over, and it would have been ending on planet Earth between 2000 and 2012 So, right about now there would be very few people left on planet Earth and you would be in some of the most difficult situations of survival on this planet. But that is not the case, for you have already shifted the outcome. Now you are adjusting your physical bodies and the Earth is giving birth to allow for a new form of human. Everything is changing to allow more of your god-self in these physical forms and that is exciting. Now how do you take the next step and how do we help you? We cannot. We have never played the game of being human. We can tell you what is coming, but we are relying on you to help each other. We are relying on you to tell one other and connect that information, because that will make it easier for everyone who follows that path. It will make it easier for everyone to know who they really are and what their gifts are on this planet.
It is a magical time taking place on planet Earth that is beginning today. It has been happening slowly, but from this point forward you will see physical changes that you have not seen before. It is exactly what you have asked for and you deserve every moment of it, dear ones.
Some of you are wondering whether you are in the right place or whether this resonates with you, but you scripted this long ago. There were only so many bodies that could fit on planet Earth at this exact time, and the reason you are here is because you have something very important to give. You have a part of Home that you brought, and although it has been hidden from most of you and you have not been able to find it yourselves, that is about to change. So how do you find your inner beauty? How do you take that next step? You help someone else find their beauty. You reflect it first and then learn how to be the light, because there are two ways of working with light: you can be the light or you can reflect the light. Both are incredible gifts of lightwork on this planet.
Dear ones, we see the struggles you go through. If it were possible for us to remove the veil for just a moment for you to really see who you are, it would be magical and life would be very easy for you. The problem is that if we did that, most of you would go Home and you would not be here playing the game. You have agreed to put on the veil and pretend to be a human, bumping around and finding your way. We are here to cheer you on and to share with you how beautiful you really are. Dear ones, like proud parents, we could not be prouder of the planet that we watch over. Planet Earth is very much a part of our lives, although we have never taken a physical form to be able to be where you are and feel what you feel. You are the masters of the gameboard. You are the ones who have dared to take off your wings to be here, to have a human experience and we wish you all the best. We wish you all the most beautiful human experience you can have.
We leave you with three little reminders. Treat each other with the greatest respect. Look in each other�s eyes and find that inner beauty. Nurture one another every chance you get and play well together.
The LP Partnership
Addictions - Steps to Recovery
Looking at the world, we see so much hurt and pain, but also so much love and forgiveness and I wanted to find a way to heal that hurt and pain in order to bring people closer to the love and forgiveness.
Since finding Theta healing I’ve been asking about and looking at the ways that will really allow people to make the changes in their lives that they desire.
There are many types of addiction around, from the accepted addictions such as tobacco or food to the least accepted addictions such as hard drugs or alcohol. With my knowledge of Theta healing I know that emotional and/or physical addictions can be healed.
Personally I have been very close to addiction. At one time in my life where I was at an emotional and physical low, I remember reaching for the brandy bottle at 10 o’clock in the morning! Luckily for me, my two children needed breakfast preparing and with them in mind and a strong family focus, they gave me the strength to get through the weeks and months without submitting to this addiction, although alcohol abuse did provide me with an escape from the pain in my life for many years to come.
A cousin of mine, who is very dear to me, developed an emotional addiction to cannabis after becoming seriously ill and I asked for his story as I thought that it might be similar to others. In his own words, cannabis gave him a way of coping, of being able to live without thinking, being able to forget. On top of this, he had spent a childhood with an extremely difficult step-father that also left scars; things that I believe are some of the most common root causes of people ending up addicted in one form or another. Cannabis took over his life totally - he stopped going out, became very lazy and, as a longer term affect, he suffered loss of short term memory
As part of the LP Partnership, I have worked in the prison service working with prisoners who have had severe addiction to both drugs and alcohol. This was a very rewarding role that helped me understand that there are many beliefs and traumas that can push people into the arms of addiction.
As you can imagine, from my own personal experiences, addiction is very close to my heart and, with the knowledge and learning that I have attained through Theta healing, I believe that I have found the ideal vehicle to help people with the first steps to recovery from addiction.
Through the enhanced ability that Theta healings Intuitive Anatomy has given me, I believe that I have found a way to bring healing to those who have succumbed to addiction, a way to help people find the permanent changes they need, without having to relive their past pain, shock and trauma to get there. I have found a way to provide the necessary stepping stones to a new life without addiction, a way to heal from past hurts, to be able to create new feelings and beliefs to create the life you wish for. Indeed, Theta healing provides you with a new tool box to move forwards and make the changes you wish to make a better life. Yes, Theta healing really can provide the initial steps for you to live life freely without addiction.
To discuss this more or to find out how Theta healing can help you in all aspects of your life, please call Lorraine on 07737 548 132, email me at theta@the-lp-partnership.com, or visit my website http://www.the-lp-partnership.com/.
Crystalline College
Awakening and Crystal Energy
More and more people are awakening to an inner calling at the very centre of their being. We are looking back with clearer vision and open mind at older sometimes almost lost healing practices, those that were practised by the wise and at one time revered of our societies. Our scientists are finding physical evidence to support much of the lost arts of holistic healing, including the fact that we all have an energy vibration or field and that this energy can be influenced by our health and emotional well-being. We are taking back our own power to care for and maintain our bodies, looking at not only the physical but our emotional health and how it affects us.
Many are being drawn to crystals and by listening to their inner bell of truth are finding that they are intuitively choosing crystals and other holistic methods to help them cope with hectic, stress filled lives. No longer are we content to reach for a pill to cure our symptoms but want to look beyond the symptom to locate and eradicate the underlying cause.
Crystals are wonderful, shimmering full of energy and exceptional power. Yet, that should not be a surprise to us as they have been growing within Mother Earth for millions of years, during this time they have absorbed tremendous power as well as the minerals that complete their formation. As we progress ever closer towards 2012 it is clear that our planet is being bathed in still more wonderful cosmic energies and these energies are re-awakening many crystals that have lain dormant since the disaster that struck Atlantis. New crystals are emerging and the energy of many crystals is changing, amplifying or diminishing as they attune with this increase of cosmic force. Also, we ourselves are changing as we attune to the new energies and our needs alter.
Only now are we ready to start embracing these renewed energies again and working with pure Intent for the Highest Good are capable of great healing not only of our planet but ourselves. But we need to understand the powerful energies of the crystals that are awakening and how to work with them safely.
Many, many books have been written giving generic information about crystals and their properties making sweeping statements about how they affect the human energy field and ultimately can be used as an aid to healing and a general support to ease certain aspects of our lives. Whilst this is a useful guide it shouldn’t be considered as accurate for everyone.
We are after all different and our energy and needs are different, therefore it follows that one crystal doesn’t suit all as, one pill doesn’t cure all. Choosing a crystal intuitively for one’s own personal needs is a very different matter to choosing a healing crystal for another. It is necessary, if we are to work holistically and look at the whole person, to ascertain what the underlying needs are to bring about a healing of the body, mind and spirit.
A crystal’s energy can help release old and very deep seated trauma or emotional issues. It can be deeply relaxing or energising, wrap you in a blanket of pure love and comfort and be deeply healing.
Crystals are quite unique in that they not only work with the physical body but also with the emotional and mental aspects of dis-ease in our subtle bodies (aura). It is here that it becomes important to understand which crystal energy is appropriate to use and this can only be safely accomplished by a competent and fully qualified Crystal Therapist, as they will have spent at least 2 years in part time training to attune with crystal energy. They will have personally experienced the effects of the crystal energy not only on themselves but with their fellow students and each will have been different. They will have worked on understanding the human energy field and the causes of dis-ease. Have a full and clear understanding of the Chakra system and its close association with the Endocrine system and that working with the chakras means you are working on the Endocrine system. They will be able to fine tune a crystal treatment to suit the needs of the individual and have the knowledge and experience to support you with the effects of crystal energy.
How do you locate a qualified and accredited crystal therapist and know that the qualification they hold is of a recognised standard? As stated earlier it takes at least 2 years of part time study both practical and theory to become qualified. A therapist, who has studied for anything less than this period of time, simply cannot have sufficient experience and knowledge. A weekend or couple of workshops just does not work.
There are a number of organisations that register therapists and for crystals the recognised and accepted authority is the BCH (British Crystal Healers) an overseeing body formed by CHF (Crystal Healing Federation) and ACHO (Affiliation of Crystal Healers Organisations), these two organisations are the leaders in setting standards and supporting a core curriculum for the accredited schools and colleges that form their membership. They each hold lists of practitioners and therapist’s that have graduated from these accredited schools and colleges. Also they are the lead body associated with GRCCT (General Regulatory Council for Complementary Therapies), a voluntary self regulating membership which works to maintain set agreed standards for Complementary Therapies including, core curriculums, case study requirements, core tutored hours and accreditation etc.
It is any easy check using the website address to check the qualification of any therapist/practitioner and should be a necessary action before embarking on any type of Complementary or Holistic Healing.
The Crystalline College is accredited with and is a full member of both CHF and GRCCT and CMA (Complementary Medicine Association). Linda Priest is the Founder and Principal having graduated as an accredited crystal therapist and tutor with the Vantol College of Crystal Therapy, she is also a full and active member of CHF and registered with GRCCT.
Courses available with the Crystalline College:
2 year part time Accredited Diploma in Crystal Therapy
6 week evening class Crystals for Holistic Healers and Practitioners
4 week evening class Crystals for the home and Self Healing
Websites:
http://www.crystallinecollege.co.uk/
http://www.crystalandhealing.com/
http://www.britishcrysalhealers.org/
Bees
The Healing Quality of Honey
We have put this article about the bees on our Complementary Healing
page, as their honey has so many healing qualities. Here are a few things that honey will heal. Bee stings, cuts, burns, sore throats external ulcers and many more, do check it out on the web. How much better to use natural honey rather than commercial creams?
Emmett who has kindly sent us the article, will give us the details on how to make a Topbar Hive next month.
Val
INTRODUCTION
I want you to keep bees: without chemicals, without stress to the colony, using an
inexpensive and low-tech method that gives your bees the optimal environment to do
what they do best. You will benefit from the honey and wax they provide, and the radical
increase in any food crops you grow. Most importantly, you will be preserving a vital
part of the system that supplies food for our species. I have observed the declining state
of our environment with increasing alarm, and it is rare to find something that one
insignificant individual can do to make a difference. Keeping bees makes a real
difference, not just to you but to every plant that needs pollinating within a 2 1/2 mile
radius of your hive. That’s 1,600 acres/647 hectares you are helping by tending one hive
for 10 minutes a week when the nectar flows.
The content and structure of this handbook derives from classes I have given and my
need to have something to give my students as a resource. Surprisingly, no one has
written a “how to” book on this subject. What you need to know to work a topbar hive is
presented in an easy to refer to format with checklists, step-by-step instructions, and
explanatory text. I confess to considerable irritation with books that hide information in
chatty paragraphs, require copious highlighting, and are still a bugger to use.
If you are truly interested in beekeeping you will also want to get some other books on
the subject by far more authoritative authors than I. This handbook is limited to only very
basic information about this remarkable species and a thorough presentation of managing
topbar hives. In the appendix you will find a number of books and other resources with
what I hope are useful comments to give you a heads up on what is on offer.
Nothing can replace hands on experience and the mentoring you will get from a
beekeeper. It doesn’t matter what type of hive he or she uses. How you handle bees, and
what you listen and look for are best passed on by someone with experience. As a group
beekeepers are remarkably friendly and willing to help someone who wants to learn, and
an extra pair of hands at harvest time is always welcome.
If you are an experienced beekeeper, this book will give you all the information you will
need to use topbar hives.
The factual material in this text has been taken from a variety of resources, and from Les
Crowder, my teacher. My sincere thanks to all the scientists, beekeepers and authors
whose discoveries and hard work we profit from. And my greatest thanks to Les.
CHAPTER ONE
HISTORICAL FACTOIDS
1. Early bee fossils have been found in amber dating from100 million years ago.
2. The western honeybee migrated from Africa reaching Europe by the end of the
Pleistocene period 10,000 years ago.
3. The earliest record of humans and honey is from a cave painting circa 6,000 BC
in Valencia, Spain, depicting a man climbing a cliff to rob bees of their honey.
4. The Egyptians had hives established along the Nile as early as 2,400 BC.
5. The Chinese practiced beekeeping 3,000 years ago.
6. Honey was regularly used in wedding ceremonies in ancient Egypt. In medieval
Europe newlyweds drank mead (honey wine) for one lunar month after the
wedding. This tradition gave rise to the word ‘honeymoon’.
7. Aztecs had bees, and honey was an accepted form of payment for taxes and tithes.
8. In 1568 Nickel Jacob discovered that bees could raise a queen from larvae.
9. In 1586 Luis Mendez of Spain noted that queens laid eggs.
10. In 1609 Charles Butler showed that drones were male.
11. Honeybees arrived in the US in 1621 and played an important part in
colonization, as they were necessary for pollinating European crops.
12. In 1637 Richard Remnant showed that workers were female.
13. In 1682 Sir George Wheler’s A Journey Into Greece describes a wicker, topbar
hive which used the “bee space” to allow for the harvesting of honey without
destroying the hive.
14. In 1717 Sebastien Vaillant demonstrated that flowers produced nectar.
15. In 1758 Carolus Linnaeus gave the honeybee the scientific name of Apis mellifera
meaning honey-carrying bee. He is the botanist that invented the system by which
all species are named.
16. In 1771 Anton Janscha of Slovenia described the mating of queen and drone.
17. In 1851 the movable frame hive was patented by Reverend L.L. Langstroth and
thus began the system of beekeeping in use today. Langstroth was a drinker and
his first prototype was reputedly made from a champagne crate.
18. Previous to Langstroth, hives were kept in “skeps,” basket hives, which had to be
destroyed to harvest the honey.
19. Originally the Chinese used a different species of bee named “apis cerana” which
was replaced by apis mellifera in the 20th century and allowed them to become the
world’s leading producer of honey with 40% of the world market.
20. In 2006 scientists unravelled the genetic code of Apis mellifera.
21. Since its evolutionary split from the larger, rounder bumblebee 60 million years
ago, the honeybee has evolved so that it can mix the greatest variety of genetic
material (during mating) of any known animal. One queen will mate with up to 15
drones. This makes for a huge variation of offspring that increases the resilience
of the species.
22. Ninety commercial crops depend on the honeybee.
23. The annual value of these crops in the US is around $15 billion.
24. 800,000 colonies disappeared in ‘07 and 1 million in ‘08.
HOW THE HONEY BEE SAVED AMERICA
During the American Revolution, the British army under General Cornwallis had been
planning an attack on Washington’s forces. An American scout found out the time of the
attack but was discovered, wounded, and pursued by a band of British troops. On his way
to Washington’s camp he encountered a Quaker beekeeper named Charity Crabtree who
was moving some of her hives down the road. Weakened by his wounds, the scout
collapsed and charged Ms. Crabtree with delivering his vital information to the American
army. Seeing the British in hot pursuit, the Quaker girl overturned her hives, mounted the
scout’s horse, and raced away. The British pursuit was stymied by thousands of angry
bees. After delivering her message to General Washington he is credited with saying, “it
was the cackling geese that saved Rome, but it is the bees that saved America.”1
1 In 390 B.C. the Gauls attempted a night time attack on Rome. They reached the
outskirts of the city but woke up a flock of geese whose cackling alerted the Roman
guard. The attack was repulsed.
CHAPTER TWO
WHY TOPBAR?
Supers
Queen excluder
The topbar hive I use was developed in Kenya in the 1970s. The other popular design
comes from Tanzania and has vertical rather than sloped sides. The Greeks have used a
topbar system for centuries, and a basket, topbar hive and the “bee space” are described
in Sir George Wheler’s A Journey into Greece published in 1682.
Topbar hives are cheap to build and can be put together from scrap. Construction
equipment can involve as little as a skill saw, nails, a hammer, and some glue. Work will
be faster and tidier if you have an electric drill, drill bits, a table and a miter saw, and
screws. If you go for store bought lumber and all new beekeeping equipment you will
spend around $130 for the whole set up.
PROS
Topbar is perfect for someone who only wants to keep a few hives. My teacher makes his
living beekeeping with several hundred hives. So large or small scale works fine.
Total investment of around $130 buys:
Wood for hive body $30
Hive tool $4-7
Veil $13
Smoker $36
Sieves for extraction $6
Potato masher $2
Honey gate $16
2 pails $6
Gloves $5-16
(Dadant 2009)
- You are giving your bees a natural environment where they can build their hive to
suit their needs (more on this later).
- There is nothing heavy to lift.
- A hive will only need an average of 10 minutes care a week during nectar flow.
- No chemicals are used.
- There is no supplemental feeding.
- No winter storage of supers (the part of a Langstroth hive that holds honeycomb)
is needed.
- No queen excluder is required. An excluder keeps the queen from straying into
the supers and laying eggs.
- There are fewer disturbances to the bees when checking the hive.
CONS
- Langstroth hives produce about 25% more honey because they harvest less wax.
- The box design is easier for transport of multiple hives on pallets.
- Once supers are added the hives are usually maintenance free until honey harvest.
- Standardized parts make everything fully interchangeable between hives and from
other apiaries.
- You are more likely to find a mentor because most beekeepers use Lang. hives.
The main difficulty I have with Langstroth hives is the cost. Look in any beekeeping
catalogue and you will find yourself spending around $800 to get started. Buying
additional hives is around $150 assembled. This is not touching on costs for repair,
replacement, chemical treatments and supplemental feeding, all of which are the norm
with these hives. Even buying used will set you back a lot. Unlike topbar hives, you will
always be dependent on a bee supply house for materials.
WHY NATURAL/ORGANIC BEEKEEPING
Basically, we no longer have any other intelligent choice. There are much larger issues
that could be touched on here regarding the now obvious shortcomings of our Western
paradigm. Simply put we have pushed and abused Nature beyond boundaries that she will
tolerate. The only good thing about all the environmental problems arising today is that
one can speak about these shortcomings and discuss alternatives and some people will
actually listen.
Every time you put a chemical into a hive to deal with a problem you are not solving it,
you are intensifying it. You are simply creating a more intense final reckoning, and
creating a host of “collateral damage.” Antibiotics are astoundingly useful, but their
overuse has led to superbugs. Beekeepers regularly dose their hives with antibiotics even
when there is no infection present in the hive. Current bee research has shown that a
bee’s digestive tract contains some of the same bacteria that we have. So antibiotics play
havoc with the bees’ intestines and are absorbed by the wax that holds the brood. Not a
great idea.
Every time you put a miticide into a hive to kill a pest like varroa (see Chapter…) you are
simply killing off the weaker parasites and leaving the strongest. It’s Darwinism at its
best. These chemicals further weaken the bees’ reproductive capacity and general vitality.
So you get a super pest with a weakened host to prey on. Instead of using chemicals to
“solve” a problem, we need to breed a better bee and learn how to supply them with an
environment they can thrive in.
The problem with an organic approach is that in putting the needs of the bees first you
can have periods where the type of productivity you may wish for will be lacking. This is
not good for business and doesn’t fit the Western economic model, which is predicated
on endless growth. In the human body endless growth is seen only in infection and
cancer. Both are, of course, deadly. In pursuing our system of “stewardship” we are
visiting a similar fate on the environment that we depend on. There are still some people
who will dispute this judgement, but the facts are staring us in the face.
So now is time to take stock and work out new ways of moving forward founded on the
strength, weaknesses, and vagaries of natural systems. Nothing else is sustainable.