Tending the Sacred Hive

Women’s Virtual Beekeeping Apprenticeship

2021

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Course Overview

The course will be divided into three thematic arcs. These arcs will be loosely informed and held by the wisdom and teachings of the Weavers, the Maidens, and the Shapeshifters. Within the Lyceum, the Sisterhood of the Hive is divided into three Sisterhoods: The Sisterhood of the Spinners, The Sisterhood of the Wise Maidens, and the Sisterhood of the Fey. We will seek to call on these Sisterhoods to inform our learning and our own interior exploration. Much of this will be personal and individual. 

These three thematic arcs will be:

January 16 - April 17 - The Sisterhood of the Spinners

April 18 - July 17 - The Sisterhood of the Wise Maidens

July 18 - Oct 16 - The Sisterhood of the Fey

Required Reading:

Each portion of the three thematic arcs will include a required reading book about bees and beekeeping. In accompaniment to these books there will also be an optional book on the sacred feminine to inspire.

Each assignment will come with some journal questions to write about and share with me and your cell. 

January 16 - April 17: The Song of Increase by Jaqueline Freeman

Optional Read: Our Lady of the Dark Country by Sylvia V. Lindsteadt

April 18 - July 17: Toward Saving the Honeybee by Gunther Hauk 

Optional Read: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

July 18 - Oct 1: Living With Bees - Tom Seeley  

Optional Read: If Women Rose Rooted by Sharon Blackie

Methods for Learning:

There are three primary ways we will be engaging with learning throughout this course:

1. Live Video Conferences - monthly
2. Online School - weekly/at your own pace
3. Student forum via facebook - continually/at your own pace

Hive Forum:

We will have a hive sisterhood forum via Facebook where you will be able to meet to share photos, questions, and homework.  While Facebook may not be the most elegant platform to gather within, it is the most well known and user-friendly. If you do not have an account, you can create a temporary account just for this course. The group itself will be private.  

Please ask to join the group here.

Hive Cell: 

You will be assigned to a cell of 6-7 women who will remain your cell throughout the entirety of the program. There will be certain assignments and group sharing done primarily within your cell. This is meant to be a place of deeper connection and learning, but that does not limit your ability to share, learn, and connect with other hive sisters. Your primary place of connection with your hive cell will be via email. Should you choose to connect beyond email, I recommend What’sApp.

Examples of things that will be shared with your cell: 

• Land observations
• Gleanings from your walks/meditations
• Hive updates 

Weekly Articles/Podcasts/Videos:

Every week you will be given a new article, podcast, or video to enjoy. They are meant to add to the themes of the month and supplement your learning. However, these are not required reading. They will be shared here on the Teaching platform and will always be the first “lecture” after the Course Overview.  

Online Learning:

Here you will find videos, pdfs, assignments and more. This is a primary tool for the course. Not all teaching material can be shared in the live sessions. The live teachings are reserved for things that are best taught in person, guest teachers, and bee shamanism practices. 

Beyond this, there will be important material shared on the teaching platform. Some of this material will be time sensitive, so be sure to include regularly checking this platform as part of your experience. 

Sessions:

The course will center around monthly 3 hour learning sessions held one Saturday a month from 10am —1pm PST/1pm — 4pm EST

There will also be a guided movement meditation on one Thursday a month to which attendance is optional. 

Lastly there will be a book group meeting for each of the required reading books as well as occasional Q&A session (all optional).

How to engage beyond attendance:

Journal - Get a dedicated journal for your non-linear work with the bee. This will be a place to write about dream experiences, land meditations, bee connections/communications and so forth. You can stick to regular note taking either in your journal or on the computer for the basic beekeeping information. 

Hive Cell - Connect with your hive cell to share your journey and your discoveries. 

Altar - As you commence this work, it may be helpful to create a dedicated altar to the the bee and the work of the hive. This can include aspects that move with you, if you travel often, such as a candle, stone, or photograph.  

Pace yourself - This work is meant to be comprehensive and engaging but not overwhelming. Please pace yourself. Take time off dreaming, reading, meditating as seems appropriate without loosing the thread. Remember that the online portal will be available for a full year after the training completes.