Quando in un bosco ne percepisci la bellezza e diventi tutt'uno con il bosco, allora, intuitivamente, sei in armonia e in pace con le Dee e con gli Dei. Essi sono parte della nostra vera natura, la nostra Natura Profonda, e quando siamo separati dalla nostra vera natura, viviamo nella paura. Percepire questa normalità vuol dire dare un senso reale al vivere che è insito in tutte le cose.

Intraprendere la Via Romana al Divino significa iniziare un percorso di risveglio: praticando l'attenzione e la consapevolezza continua ci incamminiamo lungo una strada sapendo che ciò che conta è il cammino per sè più che la destinazione.

When you, entering a forest, perceive the beauty of the forest and you feel to be in a complete harmony with it, then, intuitively, you are in peace with the Deities. They are an essential part of our real nature, our Deep Nature, and when we are separated by our real nature we live in the fear. Perceiving such normality means giving a real sense to our lives.

Undertaking the Roman Via to the Deities implies a path to awakening: with the practice of continuing consciousness and awareness we undertake our walking knowing that taking the path is more important than the destination itself
.

mercoledì 13 maggio 2015

Traditional Symbols: the Honey Bee

"The Bee, dancing, the scented petal with desire observes"

In this ancient Etruscan inscription, with a few words of great poetic force, all the complex symbolism that concerns the Bee, in Ancient Traditional Spirituality, is described.

Here I can only provide a few brief remarks on this complex symbology.

According to the Ancient Traditions, to which the Traditional Roman Spirituality is connected, the bee has always symbolized the Soul. In particular the bees symbolize the initiated souls that, once left the body, undertake their journey back to the Universe, the Divine sphere. The soul-bee provided with wings (like birds) are freed of the "cage of the body" rejoining the entire system of forces and energies of the cosmos. The wings (supernatural organ) are a symbol of transcendence and overcoming the human material condition. In the funeral urns often it is depicted a bee flying around a vessel or the soul of the deceased began leaving the body to which, however, she could return for the desire of life.

Hence the Bee (soul) is dancing (generation) observing with desire (Eros) the scented petal (life)

These initiated souls are called "Melissae" (bees) and are connected to the underworld Goddesses (Tellus, Ceres/Demeter, Proserpine/Persephone) and Mitra. The initiated and purified soul, symbolized by the bee, it is then initiated into the Great Mysteries (priestess) as a prerequisite for a return to the divine and cosmic dimension.

Not coincidentally the ancient tombs have the appearance of hives (rather than columbaria).

Etruscan tombs


Etruscan tombs

burials from the Roman era

The bee is animal protected by the Gods and goddesses because considered pure, wise, sober animal and especially because it produces honey, sacred food involving a very complex symbolism.

The connection between the Bees and Ceres/Demeter is underlined by the presence in many rites of wheat or spelled buns associated with honey: Ceres is a divine "civilizing" force, distracting humans by the consumption of meat toward a vegetarian diet, inspiring in the humankind the decency (symbolically connected to the sober clothing). All attributes symbolically assigned also to the bees (pure souls). The bees are then connected the sober libationes or "libationes of the bees" or sacrifices that imply the use of honey without the shedding of blood or the presence of wine.

The bee is pure and "civil" animal, linked to the Earth, symbol of order and organization, an animal that eats only sweet food and drink only pure water: the bee symbolically born from the bovine body (rebirth of the soul from the body).

Nymphs and priestesses related mystery cults and the great goddesses are said Melissae (bees): the name of the first Magna Mater's priestess was Melissa who, along with her ​​sister Amalthea, raised Zeus when he was a child. The Pythia had the epithet of Melissa to the prophetic power of the bees. The same Magna Mater (venerated in Ephesus in the famous Temple with the name of Artemis) is represented in the form of Queen Bee.


The Moon is called Melissa because it presides over the generation that is the entrance of the souls in the world.

The sober and wise woman, who doesn't not practice any "excess" in food or sex, capable guarantee the order, organization and the respect of the sense of limits and decency in the family and society (Mater Familias), was named Melissa.

In Rome, the Goddess Mellona (or Mellonia) represented the consecration of honey production and was cited in the Indigitamenta.

4 commenti:

Sivadasi ha detto...

wonderful post -- thank you!

Carmelo Cannarella ha detto...

Thank you. It's not easy for me to briefly describe these issues in my mother tongue (italian) and it's even more difficult for me to do the same in english (unfortunately not very good...) I hope that the underlying essence of these topics are clear enough notwithstanding my rather evident language limits...

Sivadasi ha detto...

I find your posts easy to follow, and dare say that I think I understand the deeper meanings you are trying to portray. In any case I appreciate your efforts, as do others I am sure.

Another thought that came to mind in context of your post, is that it seems there is a [sad] symbolic significance that the bees/Melissas are being worryingly decreased in numbers... the modern impious world obviously is not a place where the sacred Melissas can thrive!

Carmelo Cannarella ha detto...

Thank you again for your kind consideration.
Surely the bees are extremely sensitive to the quality of the environment. The devastation and degrade of the environment proceed along two lines: a material and a spiritual one. The devastation of the natural resources can be carried on thanks to the devastation of the spiritual sphere depriving Nature of her inner meaning and sense.
The remarkable decrease of the bees is therefore the most visible sign of this double devastation