Autumn is approaching here in Bergen. The nights are arriving earlier, the air is crisper and the other night I caught the scent of a log fire. The rains and the winds have arrived, the berries are ripening and the leaves are slowly turning yellow.
I love it – the changing of the seasons is mystical and magical to me. On a clear night soon I will look into the deep, blue heavens and see stars looking back. There is a particular time of year when you can really see how deep the sky is, how far the moon is and how the light changes the blue sky to velvet. It’s the most beautiful thing.
With the autumn storms come also the onset of seasonal chills and colds. Would you believe it, I love that too. Hot soup, medicinal toddy, my heat pack and a good book – to me this is just as good as a day lazing on the beach.
I’d like to share a little protective ritual with you – it’s a seasonal ritual that I love.
Every autumn I buy some good organic raw honey, locally sourced. I think it’s always better to procure local honey, because it supports local enterprise and many people find that local honey gives better protection against allergies.
Buying local honey also gives me the opportunity to talk with the beekeeper and even visit the hives. When I get back home with my jars of honey, I wait for dusk to approach, and I make a cup of herbal tea. Then I get comfortable in my chair with a jar of honey and a spoon.
As darkness approaches, I open the lid and inhale the sweet scent of honey. I think of the honey as a golden elixir of life, and think of how I would like it to support me through the long, dark Norwegian winters.
I see myself being comfortable, warm, happy, fit and strong. I see myself making soothing honey toddies, honey cakes and I see healthy breakfasts with berries, yoghurt and lashings of honey, or porridge with honey glistening on the top.
I think of the honey as a magic potion that protects me from illness and exhaustion. As I take a spoonful and slowly let it dissolve in my mouth, I give thanks for the richness and blessings it gives me.
As darkness falls around me, I drink my tea and taste the sweet, soft honey and feel the presence of the divine feminine. I see the honey as a manifestation of the goddess, and of her love.
The love, strength and blessing of the goddess flow through me as I put the lid on my jar of honey and place it in the cupboard.
Honey is associated with the goddess, probably because a hive is organised around one central queen. When using the honey that the goddess bestows on us, we are honouring her and the divine feminine.
Honey heals in so many ways, and keeping bees is for some beekeepers a spiritual act. Burning beeswax candles releases the sweet scent into the room, and can be used in sensual ritual settings.
If you have seen or read the Secret Life of Bees, you will have got a glimpse of the magic of honey. Perhaps you’ve got your own honey ritual? I’d love to hear about it!
Finding the community of Cycle Harmony has made a huge difference to me. I am delighted to be writing to you from the Red Tent and hope to share thoughts and experiences you recognise, or find useful to ponder upon. I look forward to working with you all in exploring what it is to be women, and hope to hear from you. ~ Vild
Loved the article. had to have some greek yogurt with honey, after reading it 🙂
I have indeed – I love it 🙂
Thanks for your feedback, ladies, and so glad to hear my honey ritual resonates with you 🙂 I can imagine that Canadian winter nights are pretty cold, Judith! Do you ever use honey in your bath?
As a matter of fact, I do!
Have you tried it? The water taste so sweet 😉
Oh Vild…
As I was reading, I could imagine myself in that cozy *home* warmth that you described so lovingly… During those glacial canadian winter nights, I like taking a warm bath and than slip under a blanket on the couch, sipping herbal tea and listening to soothing music.
I also find great magic in honey. The golden colour, the thick texture, the work of the bees behind that sweet nectar… It all reminds me that the energy spent to make something great is a series of small and simple actions.
Thank you so much for that gentle ritual!
Dear Vild, I love your honey ritual! I haven’t yet to experience getting honey from a local beekeeper. But I’ve always loved bees. I’m often the one fighting them to smell the flowers lol ；） Thank you for sharing your beautiful ritual!