Simon Buxton and Bee Shamanism

RE: Simon Buxton and Bee Shamanism

yup, did hear/read of a few reviews and it got well panned by many in the shamanic community.....general concensus was it being a figment of his imagination with no real basis in history shamanic or otherwise, not read it myself so cant really comment further but who knows he may be on to something, bees have been held in high esteem/sacred by many cultures...,
IIRC i did get a group mail from him/sacred trust asking for viewpoints b4 the book was published i think [dont recall exactly] but i do remember thinking it was more cheeky than a box of monkeys....i mean if you are sole authoring/profiting from a book then do your own research/legwork matey .:eek::D

RE: Simon Buxton and Bee Shamanism

Hi, The Shamanic Way of the Bee - quite simply the most wonderful book I have read for a few years.I couldnt put it down, yet I had to read a few pages and then digest the meanings, it is more than a novel. It inspired a poem from me - The Betwixt and Between Time on this site... I have read since that some in the shamanic community did not exactly agree with it - it is for each of usto decide for ourselves tho, I have touched on shamanism a little it does hold something for me - this book is very well worth the read, so much so that I felt I had to email Simon Buxtonto pass on a message to say how grateful I was that he had written it.

There has been much mentioned of the Bee Masters in history in many different cultures, and of thecurative abilities of the bees,their venom, and the products of the hive, to help with health and wellbeing - a mutual repect and the love between the bees and their keepers/masters is surely worth writing of. Simons own journey around this is fascinating.

jules
x

RE: Simon Buxton and Bee Shamanism

i read the book too, but it didnt grab me, i think it appeals to some people and not to others. a good friend of mine spent lots of time with Simon and has assured me that even though parts of the book are bizzare, dramatic and even unbelievable at times, Simon himself is a genuine, caring individual. Hope that helps. He is part of the sacred trust in the UK.

RE: Simon Buxton and Bee Shamanism

Thanks for three very different replies!
Wolfen. What makes people think he made it all up? And if he did, why would he do that?

RE: Simon Buxton and Bee Shamanism

ORIGINAL: RMc

Thanks for three very different replies!
Wolfen. What makes people think he made it all up? And if he did, why would he do that?

well you know what people are like....they can be very anti towards anyone who thinks outside of the box and its saddenning that it even occurs within the shamanic community......which is very un-shaman like as they SHOULD be thinking outside of the box IMO...

bee medicine is powerful stuff for sure as i have been researcing into it this year.

RE: Simon Buxton and Bee Shamanism

so what have you researched and found on bees?

the subject interests me a lot....

RE: Simon Buxton and Bee Shamanism

I am currently researching into Beekeeping for an MA in Environmental Anthropology and hope to take it on to a PhD level. Simon Buxton has agreed to help in any way that he can. Some years ago I trained in shamanism with him and can confirm that he is a humble, intellegent and genuine bloke who I would think was unlikely to fabricate stuff just to earn a quid.

I have had a number of experiences akin to those of which Simon speaks, and find it confusing that people from Shamanic circles should imply that they are fabricated as they must have knowledge of such things themselves. In my experience many people who train in shamanism are a little too concerned with what such a label can do to boost their own ego, whilst at the same time they are still controlled by the Western scientific perspective that if they can't prove it, then it isn't so. I suspect that the mere fact that this is an area of shamanism which has rarely been documented makes them think 'how come we didn't know about this before, well I am discovering that due to insects being seen as the lowest life form, there are many interesting, but little known facts associated with bees and it seems logical to me that the pain and effects of bee venom would almost cetainly lend themselves to the inducement of altered states of awareness. Surely when Bees have been proved to be around since prehistory, and when so many ancient shamanic practices are based upon near death experiences, it is inevitable that ancient human practices would include such an available source of access to other realms, to say nothing of the positive energy that can be gleaned from a creature who can produce such a wealth of healing substances.

If you are interested in the healing powers of bees and bee products take a search into Bee Accupuncture, this is where accupuncture began and it is currently being practiced in a few places in britain, I particularly know of one centre which is not far from me in Wales.

RE: Simon Buxton and Bee Shamanism

ORIGINAL: Nightshade

I am currently researching into Beekeeping for an MA in Environmental Anthropology and hope to take it on to a PhD level. Simon Buxton has agreed to help in any way that he can. Some years ago I trained in shamanism with him and can confirm that he is a humble, intellegent and genuine bloke who I would think was unlikely to fabricate stuff just to earn a quid.

I have had a number of experiences akin to those of which Simon speaks, and find it confusing that people from Shamanic circles should imply that they are fabricated as they must have knowledge of such things themselves. In my experience many people who train in shamanism are a little too concerned with what such a label can do to boost their own ego, whilst at the same time they are still controlled by the Western scientific perspective that if they can't prove it, then it isn't so. I suspect that the mere fact that this is an area of shamanism which has rarely been documented makes them think 'how come we didn't know about this before, well I am discovering that due to insects being seen as the lowest life form, there are many interesting, but little known facts associated with bees and it seems logical to me that the pain and effects of bee venom would almost cetainly lend themselves to the inducement of altered states of awareness. Surely when Bees have been proved to be around since prehistory, and when so many ancient shamanic practices are based upon near death experiences, it is inevitable that ancient human practices would include such an available source of access to other realms, to say nothing of the positive energy that can be gleaned from a creature who can produce such a wealth of healing substances.

If you are interested in the healing powers of bees and bee products take a search into Bee Accupuncture, this is where accupuncture began and it is currently being practiced in a few places in britain, I particularly know of one centre which is not far from me in Wales.

never met simon but he sounds like a good bloke by all accounts......does bee acupunture involve killing the bees?......as a bee without its sting dies:(

RE: Simon Buxton and Bee Shamanism

Hi Nightshade,

Bees are fascinating, highly skilled creatures. Your MA subject sounds like great fun.

One small part of your post caught my eye ... the Western scientific perspective that if they can't prove it, then it isn't so. I read some years ago that aeronautical enginers can prove that the bee's body and wing structure is such that it cannot fly! The last timeI saw one, it was managing very well.

with love and light,
Sue.

RE: Simon Buxton and Bee Shamanism

Yes, bee's did use to die as a result of bee accupunture, and to some extent still do, but I will find out more about that when I interview the people concerned with such a practice. My understanding at present, is that on the whole bees are flown at a glass screen which they sting against depositing venom which can be collected for later use. This does not kill the bees as it is the barbs on the sting catching on the pierced flesh which causes it to be broken from the bees body and therefore causes death. However, neither practice seems too healthy for the bees, so I have yet to decide what my view on such a practice is.

Oh and I think it is bumble bees who cannot officially fly, but I believe that the scientists discovered that they forgot to allow for the thistle-down factor, i.e: the trapped wind between the body fluff which gives floatability.

RE: Simon Buxton and Bee Shamanism

well ive had a chance to read the book now.....infact in one day as i was so gripped.....bizarre stuff!....or should that be bee-zarr:D....if ive lernt anything from shamanism its that its as bizarre as it gets ....the book isvery reminisent of castinadas work which leaves most with a feeling that its so strange that it must be fiction....well they do say truth is stranger than fiction .., i will certainly bee looking deeper into it as it comfirmed much from my own teachings/understandings.....good teachers always leave you feeling hungry for more;) , PS. have emailed you nightshade.

I have read this book too. While I found it fascinating, beautifully-written and obviously heartfelt, I could not personally relate to it as a spiritual path for myself. But that's okay. I have met Simon, knew him for years, many years ago. He's passionate about the things he gets into, and although I have no knowledge of this Bee-Shaman path myself, I am pretty sure he has!
Between worlds, we experience things, and are taught things that are very real and true, but if described to a third party, would sound like they had to be fiction! No-one else would be inclined to believe our otherworld experiences, but we know they happened!
Gosh! If I dared to ever tell the story of my everyday life no-one would believe it! Never mind my betwixt-and-between experiences!
I have not had contact with Simon for many years, but I know he is still the same spirit. And whatever the details of his book are, he is true, and very very deep.

Beelore

Hi,

I've also read Simon's fascinating book. As well as being a beekeeper (both honey and bumble) I run a website which collects and collates folklore and mythology regarding bees worldwide. I'm always looking for any info regarding bee folklore for the site, please feel free to contact me if you have any info that isn't already represented there.

I have come across tantalising hints regarding an ancient British tradition of healing revolving around bees that I believe is different from that detailed by Simon and would love to hear from anyone who has any information regarding any forms of bee healing.

Today i found an injured bee hobbling around on my carpet, it had somehow injured his wings and was unable to fly. Any ideas what this could have meant??

May have been a wing deformity caused by Varroa - but then, how would it fly into your house?

Sometimes they get caught in nets, spiders webs etc and tha can have an effect on the wings,if they are damaged.

Exhausted bees

I find bees which are exhausted. Maybe they have been stuck in a window, or something. It's so easy to help them. Just put a tiny bit of honey right in front of them and they will straight away start drinking it. Then about 5 minutes later their energy comes up and they fly off.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU GIVE BEE'S HONEY

This is because of contamination and cross infection - most honey is imported, and can carry spores of Foul Brood, American Foul Brood or some other disease. This sort of behaviour has contributed to the wipe out of colonies in our and other countries.

If you have to give the bee something, then sugar water is perfectly acceptable, so long as it is white sugar.

(Oh gosh!) Thank you for telling me that. I did not realise it was dangerous. Of course it makes sense. I am very sorry to have given bees honey before, now I think about what you said. I'll give them the white sugar-water now. I would not like to think I had been so stupid as to endanger them.

Simon Buxton's book

I finished reading Simon Buxton's book The Shamanic Way of the Bee some time ago. I found some interesting bits in it, but I must admit to not being entirely convinced by it, and if it is a genuine path that he was initiated rather than something he has made up (which I doubt), I don't think its my path (although I have had some similar experiences to some of those he describes, in my many years as a witch, through initiations and trance work)
.
I just somehow doubt that an organised British/European Bee Shamanism has continued through the ages up to the present time. And if it has, how come no-one else apart from Simon Buxton has ever written about it? Seems very unlikely to me. And where is this Island of Belladonna where all the bee shamans gather to take their hives to produce the hallucinogenic honey?

The use of halluncinogenic and poisononous honey honey is documented in ancient times and in present times though. I do believe that some of the practices he outlines have ben used in Shamanism - e.g bees stings (see also Brian Bates excellent book the Way of Wyrd where the Anglo Saxon shamn introduces the Christian to the Wyrd Sisters in the form of a swarm of bees who sting him and give him visions).

But as for the living in a hexagonol basket for 21 days eating only pollen - possible I suppose if you have no job, no responsibilities and someone looking after you, but seems unlikely, and perhaps more an idea of how ihings could be done, sijilar to Brian Bates book which was based on lots of research, but he doesn't claim it to be a true story.

I also didn't really think there was much actuall teaching in Simon Buxton's book. It didn't really tell me about the spiritual nature of bees or how to communicate with them. It was just a description of his various initiations and hallucinations/visions.

The bit where he has to kill a deer as part of his initiation I felt particulary unnecessary, and the liberal use of pollen to smother the deer, and it being thrown about everywhere, to me seems like its taking something the bees have worked very hard to produce to do things that the bees wouldn't necesarily (in my opinion) approve of (e.g. killing a Stag). Also, the confusion of Pan with Cernunnos throughout the book is a bit odd - they may have similar aspect but are different God forms. Pan was God of bees, but a Goat -foot God, not a Stag.

I've also been reading Rudolf Steiner's lectures on bees, where he says that bees don't just symbolise love, but embody love. This is more my idea of the spiritual nature of bees, though some of Steiner's explanation of things are rather weird and far fetched too.

Bee Shamanism

Chris 77 - I would very much like to know more abou the other schools of Bee Shamanism you have discovered, and also to view your website. I am also gathering as much as I can about bee nythology, folklore, spirituality. I also do a Blog Journeying with Bees, on which I will be dexcribing my journeying into beekeeping as well as working with bees in a spiritually.
Karin

I read Simon Buxton's book a couple of years ago, as it was recommended to me by a Reiki practitioner I was seeing at the time.

I must admit, I struggled with that book. It was initially intersting, but the became just too far-fetch and just...weird. I remember mentioning this to the lady who had recommended it and she said that a lot of it is symobolism which might take a while to make sense.

I too found the bit about the deer hard to swallow and I had to actually skip those pages - I'm a vegetarian and I can't bear reading about any animal cruelty, I don't care if it's part of a shamanic ritual or not (my boyfriend even censors TV shows if he thinks there are scenes that could upset me!).

I don't think Simon Buxton made everything up, and I'm sure his intentions are good. I don't think someone would wake up one day and think, 'let's write a whole loads of cobblers on shamanism and bees'. But maybe it's the kind of book that will only appeal to a small fraction of people. I didn't find any great teachings within it, although I do feel more compassionate about bees (although I already was anyway). I hate seeing exhausted bees on the pavement sometimes. Now that I've come across this thread I will try to rescue them and try the sugar water trick.

I ended up rushing through the end of the book and then I gave it to charity, hoping that it would find its way to the right person who will appreciate it more.

Those who enjoyed the way of the bee might also like the original book from which much of Buxton's appears to be plagiarised.

This email is currently circulating from one of the ‘melissae’ (sic) – i.e. a lady who has invested time and money with Buxton to become an initiate of the tradition it pretends. I record her comments here verbatim:

"I was drawn to undertake Path of Pollen workshops and trainings having read The Shamanic Way of the Bee and taken it on trust that the book is, as it claims, an authentic account of the author's initiation into the Path of Pollen. What I have recently discovered has shaken that trust considerably and left me wondering if I have been a) duped and b) exploited.

"As you will see, it appears that significant passages in The Shamanic Way of the Bee (TSWOTB), including whole paragraphs, appear to have been lifted virtually word-for-word from the much earlier essays of the late P.L. Travers, who is best known as the author of Mary Poppins but was also a lifelong student of and writer upon myth and fairy tales. Worse still, these key passages are variously presented as either the dialogue between Bridge and Twig in TSWOTB and also the first person narrative. There is no indication that use of the passages in question was authorised by P.L.Travers or her estate and P.L.Travers' work is not acknowledged either in footnotes or the bibliography at the back of TSWOTB.

"Some people may not care whether or not there is any truth in TSWOTB or if it is simply one man's eloquent modern fantasy, but to me at least there is something deeply unethical about passing another's words off as one's own and it raises serious questions about the authenticity of the Path of Pollen as a whole. I present some of the evidence below for you to make up your own minds.

"The P.L Travers work I quote from is "What The Bee Knows - Reflections on Myth Symbol and Story, foreword by David Applebaum, Codhill Press edition 2010

"P.L. Travers, What The Bee Knows (WTBK) (from the essay entitled What The Bee Knows, first published in Parabola magazine, New York 1981) page 81: "For the Bee has at all times and places been the symbol of life - life as immortality. In the Celtic languages, the Cornish 'beu' the Irish 'beo', the Welsh 'byw', can all be translated as 'alive' or 'living'; the Greek 'bios' has been mentioned above and is the French 'abeille' not akin to these? So, the Bee stands for - or is a manifestation of - the fundamental verb 'to be'. 'I am, thou art, he is', it declares, as it goes humming past. ... No wonder then that mythologically the bee is a ritual creature of a host of lordly ones... To anyone capable of suspending for a moment the cavortings of the rational mind, of accepting myth for what it is - not lie but the very veritable truth - it needs no great inward effort to act upon such advice. It's a matter, merely, of listening."

"Pp30-31 The Shamanic Way of the Bee (closing paragraphs of Bridge's first knowledge lecture): "The Bee Master knows the bee as the most remarkable of creatures, a social alchemist and truly nature's most astonishing being," he reflected before displaying his discreet passion for language and linguistics. It has at all times and places been the symbol of life - life as immortality. In the Celtic language, the Cornish 'beu' the Irish 'beo' and the Welsh 'byw', can all be translated as 'alive' or 'living'. The Greek word bios should also be mentioned. So, the Bee stands for - or is a manifestation of - the fundamental verb 'to be'. 'I am, thou art, he is', it declares, as it goes humming by.. if we look to myth the bee is the ritual creature of a host of lordly ones. To anyone capable for a moment of suspending the cavortings of the rational mind, of accepting myth for what it is - not a story or a lie or a corruption of the facts, but the very essence of truth - it should need no great inward effort to access their significance." His eyes bore into me, testing to see if I had yet understood. Then he spoke again, very slowly: "It is a matter, merely, of listening."

"P.L. Travers, (WTBK) p86: "When does the old year end?" asks a child. "On the first stroke of midnight", he is told. "And the new year - when does it begin?" "On the last stroke of midnight." " Well then, what happens in between?" The question, once asked, required an answer from those who know what the Druids knew. Long after I had written down this story, I listened to a radio reporter who was describing the ceremonies of an African tribe at the end of their lunar - or solar? -year. At a given moment, it appeared, the chanting and the drumming ceased as the gods invisibly withdrew. For a few seconds - twelve perhaps - absolute silence reigned. Then the drums broke out again in triumph as the gods as the gods invisibly returned with the new year in their arms. 'And' the reporter added 'though I do not ask you to believe it, I can vouch for the fact that my tape recorder, for those few moments of sacred silence, without a touch of my hand, stopped spinning"

"p35-36 TSWOB: "The end of the year falls exactly at the beginning of the first stroke of midnight on December 31, and the new year begins as the last stroke ends. But what happens in between?... ... In answer to Bridge's question, I told him a story I had heard as a child that had stayed with me over the years. A correspondent for the BBC World Service was describing the ceremonies of an African tribal people at the end of their lunar cycle. At a given moment, the chanting and drumming ceased as the gods and deities invisibly withdrew from the world... ... For just a few moments, absolute silence reigned in Africa as the gods withdrew. Then the drums broke out again in triumph as the spirits invisibly returned, cradling the new year in their arms. The reason I had recalled the story was that the reporter, a modern western man, had added that though he did not expect his listeners to believe him, he would vouch that during the few moments of sacred silence, his tape recorder had completely stopped working."

"P.L.Travers WTBK p86: "Anyone used to yoga practice experiences the ritual pause between the outgoing and the indrawn breath. Between one breathtime and the next, between one lifetime and the next, something waits for a moment."

"p37 The Shamanic Way of the Bee "... the Bee Master continued. He reminded me that in meditation working with the breath, there is usually a ritual pause between the outgoing and incoming breath. "Between one breath and the next, between one lifetime and the next, something waits for a moment...."

"P.L Travers WTBK p11: "The homeland of myth, the country which in the old Russian stories is called East of the sun and West of the moon, and for which there is no known map"

"TSWOTB p98 "To my surprise and delight, on this occasion Bridge continued to elaborate: "The Melissae are women who live in a country that is east of the sun and west of the moon for which there is no known map."

"P.L. Travers WTBK P267 From the essay "About The Sleeping Beauty" "The Thirteenth Wise Woman stands as a guardian of the threshold, the paradoxical adversary without whose presence no threshold can be passed."

"p102. TSWOTB "Early next morning, I wandered into the garden and found an austere presence dressed in black, awaiting my arrival before the Gate of Transition. She was as the Thirteenth Wise Woman who stands as guardian of the threshold, the paradoxical adversary without whose presence no threshold may be passed"

Well, go fly a kite! 🙂

I picked up on the 'path of pollen' after it was mentioned to me by a friend some years ago. I have had a lifelong familiarity with mystery traditions and was intrigued. However based simply on my own knowledge and experience of spirituality, teachers,indigenous cultures and alleged 'secret knowledge', I couldn't help but be left with a plastic taste in my mouth with regards to The Shamanic Way of the Bee.

I do not make any accusations of falsehood at anyone because I have no evidence, but I do like to get to the bottom of things and my findings so far have not convinced me of the authenticity of the bee tradition as presented by Buxton.

He was interviewed online -

I found his manner of speaking to be not straightforward and somewhat evasive, so was no further convinced. The below quote also bothered me.

.."women and men are considered to be of equal metaphysical status, with the emphasis on co-empowerment rather than co-dependency. The Grail - The Chalice - The Creatrix - The Hive - The Flower - The Life Givers and Life Bringers: woman is seen as a bodily manifestation of all of these things and within this tradition she identifies with specific divine female role models, through which is awakened her innate divinity; free from shame and fear, fully empowered and openly rejoicing in her femaleness. The male energy is primarily solar-phallic; the blast of lightning, the sting of venom, the priapic, forest-dwelling horned Pan, Guardian of the Animals and keeper of the sacred fires who knows the mystery of being both hunter and hunted. He is also the Magician and King, where magic and courtly love are tempered with the primal urge which commenced with the Big Bang."

In the above quote I see strong undertones of.....the stereotypical western male mind. There are many patriarchal stereotypes ingrained here and the role of woman is arguably reducible to 'childbearer and pleasure giver", while the male is the shining phallus, running about in the wild woods like Pan, lighting fires (the female fire keeper is more predominant in the indigenous/traditional cultures I have come across), tempering his primal urge, you can see where this is going..... Also, notice the man is King. Let's not forget that bit.

I have not 'got to the bottom' of this story, so I repeat I make no accusations. I am merely left doubtful due to what I have seen and heard so far. I am also highly suspicious of anyone who charges significant sums of money for spiritual teaching as I have never come across a convincing teacher of integrity who wanted more than the price of a meal or an equivalent favour for passing on knowledge, if indeed they wanted to pass it on, which many don't feel the need to as such traditions tend to be more about place and community rather than self-centered empowerment.

There is a culture of secrecy around teachings in neo-shamanic circles which usually can only be broken once you have attended x amount of workshops at several hundred pounds each. If there is a surviving, ancient European, bee-centered, shamanic tradition sanctioning the use of its teachings in this way, my guess is that tradition has probably lost it's way. In the interview I linked to, Simon Buxton mentions 'elders' in this tradition, he says he himself acts as an 'Emissary'. Given that so many enquiring minds seem to be in some doubt about 'Path of Pollen' and the evidence for charlatanism looks fairly strong - perhaps the wrong Emissary has been chosen. If those elders do indeed exist, perhaps it is time for them to speak out.