A bee with a story-to-tell

You’re probably thinking “a bee with story-to-tell how does that work? Well, they actually can! Not in the sense that they narrate a story through the spoken word. Instead, they communicate with each-other through various methods. In fact, honey bees communicate through dance.

Dance | the language of the honey bee

Communicating through the language of dance, the female worker bee preforms a “waggle dance” aka figure of eight pattern when informing other bees of a nearby food or resources such as nectar or pollen, water and tree resin which the bees use to make propolis.

The honey bee during this dance releases a body odor called a pheromone which signals to the rest of the colony where to find the source.

Sound plays a huge part of the way with which foraging bees communicate, bees use sound to communicate convey specific messages. Bees generate sound through movement of their wing’s, rapid wing beating is usually the buzzing sound you hear.

Ever watched a bee interact with another bee?

Notice how they touch using their antennae and bodies, this type of behaviour is another form of communication. By physically touching on another, they can send out various cues and signals. Think of it as express mail, with the message quickly filtrating through the colony.

While caring for the queen, worker bees touch the queen bee at least once a day, these bees then transmit the queen bee pheromone to other bees within the colony. This interaction ensures the colonies inter-connectedness and influences the colonies overall behaviour.

Honey bee dance style explained

• As the name suggests, the waggle waggle dance is when the female bee returns to the hive and amongst the other bees begins to walk around whilst waggling her bee-hind from side to side, repeatedly.
• The figure of eight is a movement that they preform which is literally in the shape of a figure of 8.

Their unique form of dance language is their efficient means of sharing information within the colony.

A bee with a story- to-tell

There is another type of bee I would like to introduce you to. Another bee with a story-to tell. A unique collaborative story where health and wellbeing take centre stage through artistic expression. Now that I’ve got your attention, here it goes

Meet the Botanique Massage Bar!

Its a moisturising massage balm enriched with botanical oils, chosen for their blood circulation abilities. A natural muscle relaxant helping to ease body tension. Psst it’s not a soap! It’s a Botanique Massage Bar a balm in a bar form.

The starting point

There is nothing ordinary about the story of this bee, in fact it began with commissioning Marjorie Jones: sculptor, artist and my mum-in-law to create the bee.

Hand carving the bee out of clay, building the free form of the bee by adding layers of clay, moulding and shaping her, yes, it’s a Queen bee.

Firing the bee

Then came the firing of the clay bee. Marjorie’s firing process turned the raw clay into ceramic, through high-temperature heating. Firing is done in a kiln to harden the clay. Once cooled the final ceramic art sculpture of the bee is complete.

From ceramic to the Queen bee, we know today

This is where my herbalist and resourceful skills stepped in. To make the Botanique Massage Bar a reality I had the ceramic bee turned into moulds. Making repeating the bar an easy task. Pouring our botanical oils blended with beeswax into each mould.

What is a Botanique Massage Bar? 

It is a moisturising massage balm, which can be applied or massaged onto anywhere on the body. Botanique Massage Bar embodies natures inspiration through artistic expression and

form. 100% hand-crafted. Like the honey bee that draws on all her senses to communicate to the rest of the bee colony so does the “Queen Bee” of the Botanique Massage Bar share a sensory experience, one which awakens or soothes the body through our skin, vital for a healthy body and mind.

Now let’s go a little deeper into the practicalities behind the Bee from the Botanique Massage Bar and why we created her. I envisioned this offering to be a self-care tool for body massage work, you don’t have to wait for your partner to offer that massage, it may never come! Give yourself a healing massage using the Botanique Massage Bar. It’s the best language of love you can give to your body.

Secondly the “Bee shape” conveys a message of much needed conservation. Highlighting the importance of the bees, honouring them and creating awareness around why society needs to revere bees. Learn more here about mindful bee-keeping practices, defining our approach hyperlink to blog

How to use it?

Warm bar in hands, massage directly onto body, the bar will soften. Massage pressure points gently or harder if you prefer, temples, neck, shoulders and back, relieving body tension whilst receiving skin nourishment. The shape of the bar makes it an ideal massage tool to melt away tension!

Use the moisturising massage balm in massage-bodywork. Let us show you how – Watch & Learn Here on Facebook or Watch & Learn Here on Instagram the shape of the bar makes it a dual purpose, massage tool for:

Massage benefits:

• Supports lymphatic drainage
• Fascia tension release
• Reduces hand fatigue

Now that you have learnt what the massage bar is and how to use it through better understanding.

Are you ready to experience the Botanique Massage Bar? She can’t wait to meet you and share her language of wellbeing. See I told you she was a bee with a story-to tell

Chow for now