The Wisdom of the Hive: What Honeybees Can Teach Us about Collective Wellbeing

We’ve all heard the refrain to save the bees, but what if the bees can save us? Beloved equity educators, authors, and beekeepers Michelle Cassandra Johnson and Amy Burtaine invite us to contemplate this question deeply. By looking at bees as teachers, the authors draw us into an examination of our relationship with each other and the world at large. Honeybees illustrate communal interdependence, attunement to nature, coexistence with darkness, and so much more – lessons worthy of emulating within our own human world. In times marked by turmoil and uncertainty, honeybees offer a powerful example of how to turn toward each other, to deeply commit to creating conditions for survival of all beings, and to build a future where all can thrive. As Michelle and Amy write, “We won’t survive unless we remember our interconnectedness to all beings and change our ways of being – how we are to ourselves, one another, and the planet.” Weaving their expertise in nature-based shamanistic practices, beekeeping, Buddhism, and spirituality, the authors guide us through stories, meditations, reflection questions, and nature-based practices to help us bring the wisdom of the hive to our own lives and bodies. With each chapter, we learn more about the life of a honeybee, our own life, and our relationship to the collective as a part of an ever-changing ecosystem.