The Propolis Envelope

The blessings of a fully propolised, sealed hive interior with propolis-filled air for the well-being of the bees and co-evolution with their ecosystem.

Annelieke journeyed with the bees and shares her fascination in this article.

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It is late Summer, I sit next to my companion hive “Amrita”. Since this colony arrived last Spring, a dark circle appeared around her entrance. This is propolis, forming a softly radiating circle around the hive entrance. I often see bees making “meditative”, repetitive movements around their hive entrance, intuiting that it serves energetic clearing and protection. This hive is insulated with a thick layer of natural cork, easy to propolise, making this physical dimension of their collective work visible to my human eyes.

I let myself transport into her hive body. I am enveloped in a warm, humid atmosphere that immediately connects me with the Hive Being. Bathing in a smell that soothes my nervous system, which then opens my heart. Connecting more deeply with the significance of the warmth of the “body” of the colony as one organism.

“Sonic Purification Lodge”

Thousands of wings work together, orchestrating the flow of body-warm hive air. The warmth allows the air to be filled with tiny, humid particles. The humming sound of the bees fills my ears. Their song changes the water structure in the hive on a molecular level: Hexagonal, medicinal, and precious carrier of an alchemic blend of substances received from plants, fungi and other nature beings absorbed from the propolised hive interior.

It gives me the association of entering a collective ceremony of thanksgiving and taking care of collective wellbeing. For a short while, I become a bee in their “sonic purification lodge”. My body becomes “vibrational”. I am hummm, in resonance…

Protecting, Balancing, Healing within the Intelligence of Life

I am shown that the water filled hive air, saturated with medicine when warm, bridges the physical and etheric realms inside and outside the hive. What I receive from the Hive Being, translates in my words: “It needs both air and water, vibrations and particles, for the whispers of the cosmos, the medicine gifts accumulated in our propolis, to cohere. Our hive air serves as a medium where our current state finds resonance with the knowing and life force from the other kingdoms and worlds. Physical protection, healing, balancing, happens in this greater intelligence. Our auric field is imbued with propolis medicine. With every flight and visit, we share this radiance through the ethers and attune our interactions with our physical reality anew. Our forms and ways unfold, adapt (and) evolve in a Symphony with All Life.”

Inspiration for Hive Design

So much guidance from the bees coming together just in the conditions that are beneficial for their hive air! I am in awe and realise that many factors can be supported by hive design. If the hive air is humid without enough propolis infusion, moulds, bacteria and viruses would rapidly become a stress factor for the colony, and cause sickness. If air in the hive moves too fast, even a thickly propolised nest space will not become saturated with propolis medicine. I already get some ideas for improving our bee friendly hives that support the bees to maintain their collective, warm colony and air temperature stable and filled with propolis medicine.

Gratitude

My heart is glowing. In the time I am sitting here next to the hive, the bees have taken me from where I was to a new appreciation of their magic weaving and a deepened relationship with nature’s ways. I thank them for expanding my senses, stretching my notion of relatedness, co-creation, and the inspiration I received for coming winter’s bee nest making.