There is a tiny creature that scientists say is responsible for most of the food that we have on the planet, but that doesn't keep people from being terrified of it. It is the tiny bee. Such a creature that simultaneously supports all life and scares people must have pretty deep spiritual meaning right? Absolutely. Folklore and myths about bees from around the world have helped to give the bee more spiritual symbolism than it already has as a bringer of life. Find out what bees symbolize spiritually. Read on to learn what it means when you dream about certain kinds of bees and find out what powerful lessons you learn when the bee is your spirit animal.
What’s a Bee?
It is believed that the first bees appeared about 124 million years ago and bees, winged insects, originally preyed upon other insects. At some point they switched over to feeding on pollen and nectar from flowers. There are about 20,000 different types of bees and they live everywhere except Antarctica. They are known for living in colonies and working together to support the hive, some species of bees actually live a solitary life. When you are near a bee you may be able to hear a buzzing sound. That is because they beat their wings about 11,000 times in a minute to create that hum. Bees are typically very tiny, but the Wallace’s giant bee, known as the king of bees, has a wingspan of up to 2 1/2 inches. The world's smallest bee, the perdita minima is less than two millimeters long and its nest is in desert sands.
Some beekeepers report that a queen bee can survive for up to six years, but worker bees don't necessarily live as long. Drone bees average about 30 days lifespan but they can live up to 55 days. Workers can live up to six weeks and if they were born in the spring or summer, but if they're born in the autumn they can live up to 20 weeks. Why do queen bees tend to live longer? Because the workers tend to her and keep her safe. Bees pollinate plants but they don’t this on purpose. They get some of the pollen of a plant on their body as they're gathering nectar to take back to their nests, and they deposit pollen from flower to flower. The result of this is the parts from the male plant are transferred to the female plant, and the plant can fruit, flour, and reproduce. This produces food for humans and animals alike and keeps the planet blooming.
What Do Bees Symbolize?
To some people, bees symbolize pain because they can sting you, but to other people, bees symbolize things that are much more important. They are constantly working to take care of the earth and their kin and they therefore symbolize dedication. Because so many different types of bees come together to do jobs to support the hive, they symbolize teamwork. Because they gather pollen and create honey, they symbolize wealth. Since worker bees work so hard and live so short doing nothing but working, so they symbolize selflessness.
Dedication
Bees work hard every day. Some bees work every day collecting nectar from plants and other bees do nothing but tend to the queen bee. Some bees just tend to the larvae, or a baby bees. So well respected by early Muslims were bees that the Quran sad human beings should emulate honey bees to live a good life. They are thought of as Allah’s little miracles they were praised for making honey. To be as hard working and dedicated as a bee has been admired and respected by many. To read about another creature that is dedicated to its work of spinning webs, the spider, see here: Dreams About Spiders- Meaning and Symbolism
Teamwork
Bees symbolize teamwork because of how well they work together. Bees work together unquestionably to get everything done that needs to be and it doesn't seem like they ever complain. They have a perfect system worked out to make sure that everything gets done efficiently and everyone is able to do their job well, thus supporting the entire colony. So, they symbolize perfect teamwork. 130 yak sign that loves to have their team behind them as Aquarius and you can read about them here: Aquarius Zodiac Traits and Love Compatibility
Wealth
Making honey to feed the colony is a very important job. Bees seem to create a surplus no matter what, and honey therefore represents wealth. Although human beings take bee’s honey and sell it or eat it, the hive always seems to have enough to support its members. In the Bible, a land of milk and honey was written about and this represented fertility, abundance, wealth, and blessings. Honey was seen as something extra that was not necessary for life, but represented luxury and enjoyment. One Zodiac sign that loves the pleasures of life is Leo and you can read about them here: Leo Traits and Love Compatibility
Selflessness
It is said that bees are naturally selfless creatures. For honey bees in particular, female worker bees deactivate their own reproductive systems so that only the queen bee makes babies. They could leave and create a hive of their own with their own babies, but they choose not to in favor of supporting the entire population of a hive instead of a small family of their own. Worker bees keep the hive clean, feed the queen, larvae and drones, collect nectar and pollen, and they make beeswax. They live for a matter of weeks and their entire lives consist of just working. Queen bees may seem to be the most privileged bees, but all they do is give birth to babies. Bees give up their own individuality to support their entire colony and this is why they represent selflessness. One Zodiac sign that is very good at being selfless is Pisces and you can read about them here: Pisces Zodiac Traits and Love Compatibility
What Do Dreams About Bees Mean?
Dreams about bees can mean all of the things that bees symbolize, however pay attention to the details of the dream and which kind of bee you're dreaming about. That can tell you a deeper meaning that your dream reveals.
Dreams About a Bumblebee
A bumblebee’s purpose is to pollinate wildflowers and crops, not stockpile honey like some other bees do. They are very good at pollinating certain plants that other bees won't touch and are especially useful at pollinating tomatoes in greenhouses. Some people say that tomatoes are the world's most popular vegetable, and if this is true bumblebees are extremely important. Dreams about bumblebees represent doing things your own way instead of the way that the crowd prefers you to do them. So when you dream about bumblebees do your own thing and don't let anybody give you orders. One Zodiac sign that does what it feels is right regardless of what other people say is Libra and you can read about their zodiac flowers here: What is the Best Libra Flower?
Dreams About a Honey Bee
It is said that without the western honey bees, human beings would starve. Cherries, blueberries, and apples are 90% dependent on being pollinated by honey bees and a famous saying goes that “ If bees disappeared off the face of the earth man would only have four years left to live. ” This might be true. Honey bees represent dependence. If you have a dream about honey bees doing things for you you're being told by the universe to reach out for help and to accept it. One Zodiac sign that's always ready to lend a helping hand is Cancer and you can read about them here: Cancer Zodiac Traits and Love Compatibility
Dreams About Being a Beekeeper
Dreams about being a beekeeper signify doing your part as a member of a team. It also signifies protection on the job. If you have a dream that you are a beekeeper, your job is very important to everybody who you work with and without you, the entire team will fail. Do not overwork yourself, make sure to delegate tasks when you can, and never doubt your own importance. One of the ways to be connected to someone is as a Twin Flame and you can read about that here: What’s a Twin Flame?
Dreams About a Carpenter Bee
Carpenter bees are unusual. They burrow into wood and other hard plant material that is quite often dead instead of building a hive like some bees do. Some carpenter bees are solitary while others form small hives. Carpenter bees are resourceful, unique, and true to themselves. When you dream about carpenter bees, you are being called to do things differently than the norm. Don't ever let anybody talk you into compromising who you are or your own unique way of doing things. To read about dream interpretations see here: Your Guide to Dreams and Interpretation of Them
Dreams About a Queen Bee
Queen bees rule the roost, but this is done through a life of sacrifice. They know that to lead is to serve and when you dream about queen bees that's what you're being called to do. You may lose a part of yourself when you lead in this way, but it is who you were born to be. To read more about dreams, see here: Your Guide to Dream Meanings
Dreams About a Large Black Bee
To some people, black is a terrifying color, but some people know that black is protective. It is in the darkness that we can hide from those who would seek to harm us, and we discover our own strengths while we are in the darkenss of our own despair. Black bees in dreams symbolize that you are being protected, perhaps by the ancestors. They will always watch over you no matter what.
Dreams About a Bee Sting
Stings can be painful, but thankfully, bees are not aggressive and only sting to protect themselves. If you dream about being stung by bees, pay attention to what territory you're in during your waking hours. You might be unintentionally trespassing on someone else’s peace and your dream is warning you to stay away. One creature that does not sting, but can bite, is the snake and you can read about them here: Dreaming of Snakes- Meaning and Symbolism
Dreams About Killer Bees
Killer bees really do kill. They are more defensive than other bee species and chase those who disturb them farther. They really can kill you if they sting you enough. However, this is just a protective mechanism. When you dream about killer bees you are being told to protect yourself, as aggressively as you need to. Don't worry about offending anybody who seeks to harm you when you dream about killer bees, because it’s time to protect yourself. To read more about dream interpretations see here: Your Dream Bible and Dream Analysis Guide
The Bee Spirit Animal
How can you tell if the bee is your spirit animal? If they surround you and land on you but never sting, they're probably your spirit animal. If you feel an unexplainable kinship with bees, and you're more at peace with them than you are with any other type of animal then they are your spirit animal. If you can tell how a bee is feeling when it is around you, then the bee is your spirit animal. When the bee is your spirit animal it teaches you all if it's spiritual gifts and gives you the power to be a hard-working team member and to be industrious enough to meet all of your goals. They teach you that sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the greater good, and any time you spend working towards good goals is never wasted. Another creature that might be your spirit animal is the coyote and you can read about it here: Coyote Spiritual Meaning/ Their Symbolism and Lore
Do Bees Need Our Help?
Friends of the Earth estimate that 40% of wild pollinators are facing extinction and that beekeepers report losing 45% of their bee colonies. Why is this happening? Pesticide use, the abuse of fossil fuels, and big agriculture are all driving factors that are killing bees. While we can’t make fossil fuel use completely go away, there are things that you can do to help protect bees. Only use bee friendly products at home which means do not use synthetic pesticides which might be designed to kill other insects but also kill bees. Make a pollinator friendly garden so that bees can have a safe place in a pesticide free environment. Provide a water feature for them so that they have much needed refreshment. You can also commit to only buying food products that are grown or raised without bee harming substances. For more information on how to help bees see here: The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Bees might be tiny, and seem insignificant to some people, but they're actually one of the most beneficial and powerful creatures on the planet. Beyond helping to feed us and keep nearly every species alive, bees hold deep spiritual meaning. They symbolize teamwork, wealth, dedication, and selflessness. When you dream about bees they bring you powerful messages, and when they are your spirit animal, they help you to learn your own power. May all of your encounters with the bees be spiritually meaningful and may they bring you many blessings. So Be It.
About the Author: Lady Saoirse has studied magic and lore for most of her life but started walking her own Magical Path after being spiritually reborn in the desert. Today she is a High Priestess for The Temple of the Goddess, she is a psychic advisor and spiritual counselor, she shares her gifts as a Psychic and Content Writer for Spiritual Blossom. She has written for Mysticsense and PaganPagesOrg emag.
