.:. Aloha! My name is Melissa Honeybee and I am honored that you have come to explore Bee Blessed Botanicals .:.
.:. The Heart of the Hive .:.
It all began one day when I was tending a Honeybee hive in Hawai’i. I heard a couple of the honeybees speak directly to me. They whispered, “trim up the Soursop Tree that is growing too close to the hive, give us better airflow, and receive and share the medicine from the Soursop Leaves with the people who most need it." At that moment, I was unaware that the Soursop Leaf was such a potent herbal medicine. It was the bees whom first gifted me the wisdom.
That was the beginning of me listening deeper to the hum of the hive and the honeybees who buzzed around me. They showed me which plants to tune into and guided (and continue to guide) me to listen further to our plant allies that were and are speaking so loudly!
.:. A Little About Me .:.
I am a CommUnity-Oriented, Cross-Pollinating and Bridge-Building Visionary; a Folk Herbalist and an ‘Āina (land) Alchemist; a Manager and Consultant for Apothecaries; a Passionate Ally to the Plant World; an Inspired WebWeaver; an Event Producer and a CommUnity Organizer.
I am also a curious Earth Adventurer and have always found myself at home in the wild amongst the trees, ferns and mosses. I deeply value living close to the earth, as sustainable and off-grid as possible. I have been studying and learning from nature my entire life and I buzz with an abundance of passion, excitement and inspiration pumping through my veins!
I hear the medicine of the earth speak to me everywhere I go!
I am deeply focused on listening to how I can most be of service to the plants as our allies, while giving offerings and singing gratitude songs along the way.
It is my prayer that I may be an active reminder to the plants and ecosystems (as a tendril of the human collective) that there are many of us striving to do our best by honoring them and walking in right relation with the earth.
By being in reciprocity and in a symbiotic relationship with the plants, we are helping to bring balance into the world. We do this by being mindful of our actions, offering reverence for the land and listening before we harvest.
If the plants share with me that they want to be made available to support the people, then (and only then) do I harvest them. Instead of taking from our plant allies, I receive from them what they wish to give. I lovingly and ethically wildcraft and sustainably harvest while continuing to tune in and listen to how the plants want to be alchemized into bioavailable medicine for the people.
I am inspired about supporting the Nuevo- Aloha- Cascadia- High Desert- Everglades- Sierra Nevada Bridge (New Mexico, Cascadia Pacific NorthWest, Arizona High Desert SouthWest, Florida Everglades and Northern California).
My passion is to build apothecaries wherever my travels take me. As a hands-on learner, I have studied, explored and practiced Lā'au Lapa’au (Traditional Hawaiian Plant Medicine) for 14 years in Moku 'O Keawe (Hawai'i Island); have lived and worked with Medicine-Makers in Hawai'i Island, Maui Island, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, California, Colorado and Florida. I have completed three amazing Mobile Apothecary journeys (throughout Cascadia PNW, the High Desert, High Mountain Desert and Sierra Nevadas). I continue to collaborate with numerous herbalists throughout many ecosystems and also tend my familial roots near the Everglades in Florida.
I Give Thanks to all of the ancestors who have come before me and to all of the teachers who have inspired and guided me in the plant and honeybee world! A special shout out to all the PLANTS themselves who continue to be my most profound teachers and bless me on the journey!
Māhalo nui (thank you very much) to all of you who have supported Bee Blessed Botanicals and me on this path. May all who receive these co-creations feel the deep love and respect for the plants, which are infused into every aspect of herbal medicine-making for Bee Blessed Botanicals. May you feel the depth of blessings and healing in knowing that these plant allies want to support your mind, body & spirit. May they assist you in feeling a closer connection to Earth. I am honored to be part of the journey with you!
With Aloha,
Melissa Honeybee
Infinite Gratitude for Emma Marie Whelan for creating the amazing Bee Blessed Botanicals logo!!
Check out more of her incredible art at: www.etsy.com/shop/EmmaMarieArtistry and on InstaGram @emmamarie.artistry