I think that most folk will realise by now that our honeybees are struggling. CCD is a phrase that is on everyone's lips; it stands for Colony Collapse Disorder. Scientists and beekeepers as yet don't really have the answer to what is actually causing it. What they do know however is that our bees are dying at an alarming rate.

Various mites, viruses, and fungal infections have always troubled bees and the prolific use of pesticides has always been a hazard for them.

Many think that the bees are suffering from nutritional stress as their natural food supplies are diminishing and migratory stress has also become problematic for some as they are confined and transported long distances to ensure the pollination of farm crops and orchards.

Although a large proportion of beekeepers have reported hive losses, America seems hardest hit with a third of all honeybee hives wiped out.

Apart from all this the bees are now under additional threat from the Asian Hornet. These hornets have been a great problem for some time in countries like Spain and France, but in the last few years more and more are being discovered in Britian. Beekeepers are becoming very alarmed at the rate the hornets are spreading. One hornet can wipe out a complete hive in just a few hours and it's not just bees that are threatened, the Asian hornet attacks all flying insects. If left unchecked it could decimate all our pollinators.

Last year I had the unpleasant experience of seeing a European Hornet ( not as aggressive as the Asian one ) attack one of our bees as it was trying to get back into it's hive. It tore off it's head and then it's wings all so it could steal the honey from the bee's honey sac. It was most distressing.

As many people as possible are being to asked to download the " Asian Hornet Watch " app which makes it easy to identify and report any sightings.If you'd like more information about how to identify the Asian Hornet and how you can protect the bees go to www.bbka.org.uk

Albert Einstein was quoted as saying "If the bee were to disappear off the planet, mankind has only 4years left"

And many hold the view that "bees are the canary in the coal mine" the bees predicament is a warning to us all.

If you'd like more information about the problems our bees are facing I can recommend an excellent book A WORLD WITHOUT BEES by ALISON BENJAMIN & BRIAN McCALLUM

So while the scientists, bee experts and governments worldwide are battling away to get to the bottom of this great dilemma, what can we do to help the bees? On a practical level we can


In Ancient times bees were seen as a CELESTIAL CREATURE that filled the gap between mankind and the Divine. I believe that bees hold for the planet the power of alchemy and change and that we can assist them now on a spiritual level by including them in our prayers and meditations. The following is a Green Ray meditation that I use in my classes. It involves connecting with the Green Ray and feeding its energies into the template energy of the bee.

Close your eyes, take a deep releasing breath, let go of any tensions you may be holding in your body. Relax your shoulders; melt into your chair and just listen to the sound of my voice.

Take yourself out to a place in nature, a favourite spot that's quiet, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. A green place, where there's towering oaks and graceful willows. With flowering hedgerows and ancient apple trees, who's crooked boughs are smothered with an abundance of pink and white flowers. Smell the perfume - simply heavenly

You look around for a place to rest, over there by that old tree stump the one covered in ivy. The grassy mound in front of the old stonewall will make a fine seat.

You sit, resting your back against the wall and let your fingers run through the herbs growing at the base of the wall, lavender, mint, thyme, and rosemary. Breath after breath of their heavenly perfumes you inhale. Your eyelids feel heavy, it would be so easy to sleep now

so peaceful so quiet, perfect bliss

But wait

you sit with a start

not a sound, not one sound

All these beautiful flower but no humming? No buzzing? not one bee

not one single bee.

So its true

you'd heard that that the bees were in trouble - how you wished you'd done more to help them.

"It's not too late you know" - this voice you recognise coming to you in your moment of sadness, great friend of the forest, the ever present GREEN MAN "Connect with the Power of the Green" he says "and send the Green Ray to our struggling friends. I'll show you how" Readily you agree and await his instructions

"Firstly call upon the Archangels Uriel and Sandalphon and the elemental beings around you and ask for their help in sending the Green Ray. Also, ask for assistance from the Cherubim and Seraphin to connect you to the template energy of the bees (short pause)

See this template appearing before you, a huge, great honeycomb of golden light and with the assistance of our angelic and elemental friends we can now begin to help regenerate the blueprint of the bees.

So connect now to the energy of the Green Ray, to this great Earth energy. Let your consciousness drift down your legs, down through the soles of your feet and into the Earth.

Deeper, down deeper reaching far below until you find that pool of green energy. Feel it

touch it

connect with it and now breath deeply and draw this green delight, this green magic, this Green Ray up into your body. Each breath taking it higher and higher

tingling, buzzing and exciting your cells and rejuvenating the whole of your body

Finally the ray settles in your heart centre

Focus again on the honeycomb of light that stands before you and begin to feed the Green Ray energy into this bee template. Send the Ray as an Emerald green rainbow, from your heart, along with your love to the honeycomb, to the bee consciousness, then watch the changes taking place within.

With the love, light and green energy pouring forth from your heart and the hearts of others, the honeycomb expands and pulsates. And as the Green Ray enters each individual hexagonal chamber, they begin to vibrate and glow with a luminescent green gold light that grows brighter and brighter until this light is casting rays across the globe

As your watch, mini honeycombs of light are breaking away from the giant comb and as you continue pumping the Green Rays energy into these combs, they too start to expand and grow brighter and brighter and more vibrant

Bees begin to appear around the honey combs, a few at first but then more and more until there's hundreds, then thousands

all strong, vibrant and healthy, buzzing noisily, thanking you for your assistance and your love. They won't forget"

The Green Man's voice echoes thru your mind

"You have done well, know that you can call on the Green Ray whenever you choose to assist the bees in this way but for now let it drain from your body and return to its Emerald Fire deep within Mother Earth." (short pause)

You open your eyes, the Green Man has gone, but all is not so still and quite

there is a hum, a buzz, a hive of activity

our friends have returned, you smile. What a perfect day!