Product Description

Reveals for the first time the ancient tradition of bee shamanism and its secret practices and teachings

• Examines the healing and ceremonial powers of the honeybee and the hive

• Reveals bee shamanism’s system of acupuncture, which predates the Chinese systems

• Imparts teachings from the female tradition and explores the transformative powers of the magico-sexual elixirs they produce

Bee shamanism may well be the most ancient and enigmatic branch of shamanism, yet it exists throughout the world--wherever in fact the honeybee exists. Its medicinal tools are now in common usage--such as honey, pollen, propolis, and royal jelly--and even the origins of Chinese acupuncture can be traced back to the ancient practice of applying bee stings to the body’s meridians.

In this authoritative ethnography and spiritual memoir, Simon Buxton--an elder of the Path of Pollen--reveals for the first time the richness of this tradition: its subtle intelligence; its sights, sounds, and smells; and its unique ceremonies, which until now have been known only to initiates. Buxton’s footsteps were first put on the Path of Pollen at age nine when an Austrian bee shaman cured him of a near fatal bout of encephalitits. This early contact prepared him for his later meeting with an elder of the tradition who took him on as an apprentice. Following an intense initiation that opened him to the mysteries of the hive mind, the author learned over the next 13 years the practices, rituals, and tools of bee shamanism. He experienced the healing and spiritual powers of honey and other bee products, including the flying ointment used by medieval witches, as well as ritual initiations with the female members of the tradition--the Mellisae--and the application of magico-sexual “nectars” that promote longevity and ecstasy. The Shamanic Way of the Bee is a rare view into the secret wisdom of this age-old tradition.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #659430 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07-09
• Released on: 2004-07-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

Review
. . . offers ancient wisdom for the modern spirit. A truly remarkable book. -- Ken Eagle Feather, author of A Toltec Path

A fascinating story of one man's journey into the shamanic realm and ancient wisdom. -- Oriah Mountain Dreamer, author of The Invitation

An exquisitely written, powerful, and important book. Reveals for the first time a European form of shamanism and healing magic. -- Brooke Medicine Eagle, author of Buffalo Woman Comes Singing

Beautiful, lyrical and poetic...this book is an absolute must-have addition to any serious collection of shamanic wisdom. -- Sacred Hoop Magazine

Brings radiant life to an ancient shamanic path...the story and teachings are brilliant. -- Sandra Ingerman, author of Soul Retrieval

Set to revolutionise the way we see European native traditions...promises to become a future shamanic classic. -- Prediction Magazine

Review
“A fascinating story of one man's journey into the shamanic realm and ancient wisdom.”
(Oriah Mountain Dreamer, author of The Invitation )

"Simon Buxton’s unusually wondrous tale combined with his exquisite use of words brings radiant life to an ancient shamanic path: the Way of the Bee. Delve into the mystery with Buxton--the story and teachings are brilliant!”
(Sandra Ingerman, author of Soul Retrieval and Medicine for the Earth )

“. . . offers ancient wisdom for the modern spirit. A truly remarkable book.”
(Ken Eagle Feather, author of A Toltec Path )

“Simon Buxton is a man with genuine miracles to impart, taking us inside a remarkable hidden world of wonders and magic. If you buy only one book this year to help you on your path toward Truth, make sure it’s this one.”
(Ross Heaven, author of Vodou Shaman )

"This book is like having a backstage-pass into the actual secret life of bees. Bee Master, Simon Buxton, takes us on his shaman's journey that unveils a tradition that has been held sacred for thousands of years. After reading this book, I felt I had been initiated into the ancient feminine mystery of sacred sexuality.
(Tori Amos, Performing Artist )

“Every now and then there is a book that is not only well thought out but well thought of, one that dares to offer ancient wisdom for the modern spirit. Simon Buxton's The Shamanic Way of the Bee is such a book. It offers a brilliant and timeless perspective while tantalizing the reader with a splendid, eloquent, and comprehensible presentation. A leading voice in shamanism, Simon Buxton has given us a truly remarkable book, one that is destined to withstand the test of time and lead us further down an ancient path in contemporary times.”
(Ken Eagle Feather, author of A Toltec Path )

“Simon Buxton's much-awaited debut is set to revolutionize the way we see European native traditions. This is a compelling read with elegantly chosen words that convey complex spiritual truths in a beautifully simple way. The Shamanic Way of the Bee promises to become a shamanic classic.”
(Prediction magazine )

"As Simon remarks in his fascinating and inspirational book, sometimes we have no choice but to lie still, so that we may become a speck in the universe and drink in the nature of the world. I call my soul to be present, to witness the power of European shamanism and my friend’s journey with the honeybee. Ometeotl."
(Elena Avila, MSN, RN, Curandera/Aztec shaman healer and author of Woman Who Glows in the Dark )

“Written in a beautiful, lyrical and poetic way, with personal vignettes, anecdote and sacred teachings which, in a way, are reminiscent of the Sufi tradition but with the hard edge of realism characteristic of the Keltic Way--the Way of the Hero--this book is an absolute must-have addition to any serious collection of shamanic wisdom.”
(Sacred Hoop magazine )

“We search the exotic and distant for transformative secrets, well-being and healing. But are we perceptive enough to receive the gifts from the humblest of our own gardens? No matter. Simon Buxton has walked this path, from the primordial to the present, and freely grants us the exquisite treasures contained within The Shamanic Way of the Bee.”
(Professor S. R. Harrop, Chairman of the Anthropology Department, University of Kent, England )

"This book is an absolute must-have addition to any serious collection of shamanic wisdom."
(Sacred Hoop magazine, May 2004 )

"This book will become the starting point for future generations of people interested in practically exploring bee shamanism."
(Prediction, September 2004 )

“An exquisitely written, powerful, and important book. Reveals for the first time a European form of shamanism and healing magic that arises lucidly and sweetly from the natural world immediately around us--the extraordinary details of which we so often overlook.”
(

Brooke Medicine Eagle, author of Buffalo Woman Comes Singing and The Last Ghost Dance

)

". . . engaging and revealing, and exposes a secret tradition few outsiders have heretofore been privy to."
(Patrick Brennan, Fate, Nov, 2004 )

"...a rare book that reminds us that we are surrounded by magic, that even the most mundane aspect of our world overflows with magic....Simon Buxton joins the ranks of my favorite shamans and my favorite writers with this groundbreaking book." (

Michael Peter Langevin, Magical Blend, March, 2005

)

". . . superbly written and powerfully engaging. Buxton is a gifted storyteller, a discerning writer and exceedingly sensitive to the synchronous patterns that link inner and outer worlds."
(Dawn Brunke, Alaska Wellness, Jan 2006 )

From the Back Cover
SHAMANISM / PERSONAL GROWTH

“A fascinating story of one man’s journey into the shamanic realm and ancient wisdom.”
Oriah Mountain Dreamer, author of The Invitation

“An exquisitely written, powerful, and important book. It reveals for the first time a European form of shamanism and healing magic that arises lucidly and sweetly from the natural world immediately around us--the extraordinary details of which we so often overlook.”
Brooke Medicine Eagle, author of Buffalo Woman Comes Singing

“We search the exotic and distant for transformative secrets, well-being and healing. But are we perceptive enough to receive the gifts from the humblest of our own gardens? No matter. Simon Buxton has walked this path, from the primordial to the present, and freely grants us the exquisite treasures contained within The Shamanic Way of the Bee.”
S. R. Harrop, chairman of the department of anthropology, University of Kent, England

“Written in a beautiful, lyrical and poetic way, with personal vignettes, anecdotes, and sacred teachings which, in a way, are reminiscent of the Sufi tradition but with the hard edge of realism characteristic of the Keltic Way--the Way of the Hero. This book is an absolute must-have addition to any serious collection of shamanic wisdom.”
Sacred Hoop magazine

Bee shamanism may well be the most ancient and enigmatic form of shamanism, existing throughout the world wherever the honeybee is found. Its medicinal tools--such as honey, pollen, propolis, and royal jelly--are now in common use, and even the origins of Chinese acupuncture may be traced to the ancient practice of applying bee stings to the body’s meridians.

In this authoritative account, Simon Buxton, an elder of the Path of Pollen, reveals for the first time the richness of this tradition: its subtle intelligence; its sights, sounds, and smells; and its unique ceremonies, which until now have been known only to initiates. Buxton unknowingly took his first steps on the Path of Pollen at age nine, when an Austrian bee shaman cured him of a near-fatal bout of encephalitis. This early contact prepared him for a later meeting with an elder of the tradition who took him on as an apprentice. Following an intense initiation that opened him to the mysteries of the hive mind, the author learned the practices, rituals, and tools of bee shamanism. He experienced the healing and spiritual powers of honey, pollen, and other bee products, including a “flying ointment” used by medieval witches, as well as ritual initiations with the female members of the tradition--the Melissae--and the application of psycho-sexual “nektars” that promote longevity and ecstasy. The Shamanic Way of the Bee is a rare view into the secret wisdom of this age-old tradition.

SIMON BUXTON is a beekeeper, the British faculty for Dr. Michael Harner’s Foundation for Shamanic Studies, and the founder/ director of The Sacred Trust, a U.K.-based educational organization dedicated to the teaching of practical shamanism for the modern world. He lives in England and teaches internationally

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Customer Reviews

Bee Initiated
It's extremely rare to witness a true initiatory rite of passage, but this book is a sustained account of just that, and in an area that has never been revealed to those outside the tradition. The erudition and anthropology supporting the account is solid, but it's more than that. It's a personal account of the author's experiences as a boy and a young man, who endures the surprises and awe of true initiation. This makes it a personable read. Simon Buxton is not only an elder of the shamanic bee cultus; he's a born storyteller with the ear of a poet. Once he grounds you in the material events of ordinary reality, he begins the cross-over through the veil into extra-ordinary events. It's important that his poetic skill is strong because those events need a strong metaphoric tongue to tell them. Indeed, the reader needs a developed sense of metaphor to perceive the truths at the heart of these mysteries. Yes, it's as much a challenge for the reader as it must have been a test of the writer to bring them out. A first reading grasps the narrative. A second reading perceives the myth. A third reading gets to the spirit. Such depth in a book, I've not seen in a long time. If you can hold all three levels in one reading, bravo!

Authentic and Courageous
This is an exciting story of a classic shamanic initiation and training, crafted with beautiful language. It is a dignified work: radiating love for the tradition the author has re-discovered, and respect for his teachers. It is soulful, and funny. It continually surprises, so it will not safely keep any assumptions about shamanism -- what it is, who it belongs to, how it is experienced -- tidy and unchanged. Further, the book stands up to multiple readings. Like bones magically acquiring flesh in a fairy tale, it contains some wonderful enchantment, only released with time and reflection.

I have studied the distaff (women's) line of the Path of Pollen teachings under the guidance of The Sacred Trust's faculty for three years. The work has been experiential: ecstatic and strenuous, smashing our accustomed fortifications as we face shifts in perception, spontaneous healing, and deepening wisdom. Just as happens in the book; my health has improved, my body has changed, my skills have expanded. For those who would rather keep their shamanism theoretical -- something that happens `over there' or `back then,' the physicality of this tradition is likely the most provocative thing about Buxton's book.

Buxton illustrates that the way to rediscovering the wisdom of the elders is paved with challenges to our beliefs, to our laziness, to our sexuality, to our benumbed self-importance. Spirits craft our teachings, which are delivered to us by our teachers in ordinary reality. Shamanic trainings cannot be other than utterly world-rocking, as Buxton describes them. If we knew what was going to happen, we would brace ourselves, refuse to participate. If one is shocked into disbelief by certain passages in this book, then the appropriate response is to excavate that reaction. That is what a human being with spiritual courage would do. Across the world, it is what shamanic seekers do every day.

The Shamanic Way of the Bee is both wise and strong enough to carry your astonishment. Accept its' challenge, and read it.

Bee-utiful and touching
For the past two years I have been making a documentary on the disappearance of the bees; early on in my research i came across Simon Buxton's book and was completely taken in by the story. I found the writing to be eloquent and poetic. And the content to be informative and metaphorical. I was looking for the spiritual aspect of the bee and I found it. I thank Simon for introducing me to the magic behind the bees. I was taken in by his journey and transformed by it as well. I learned about the sacred femine in relation to the bees, the sacred geometry of the hive and the oracal shamanic tradition known as The Path of Pollen. I hightly recommend this bee-utiful