It’s a widely known fact that the world would struggle to exist if it wasn’t for bees. These busy little insects are fantastic pollinators, which ensures that we have lots of food, and that plants can survive. But the humble bee is often used to represent different things in different cultures.
Today, we’re going to take a deep dive into what a bee symbolizes. We’re going to be looking at their meaning as a spirit animal, as a totem animal, as a power animal, what it means if you see a bee in your dreams, what a bee tattoo represents, what spiritual meanings bees have, what bees represent in the zodiac and astrology, as well as any cultural significance that bees have.
There’s a lot more to this precious little insect than there first appears! So let’s take a look at the symbolism of bees and what more lurks behind that fuzzy exterior.
Bees Symbolism & Meaning
There are lots of things that bees are used to symbolize.
One of the main things that bees symbolize is hard work, industry, as well as a strong work ethic. This is of course down to the fact that every hive thrives on the work of each and every bee. Each and every bee serves a purpose, collecting pollen, creating honey, looking after bee larvae, and tending to the queen bee’s needs.
These are highly productive little insects, so it’s hardly a surprise that they are often used to represent this excellent moral quality.
Fertility
Interestingly, bees are often used to represent fertility in Hinduism. This is thought to come from the tale of how Vishnu created a spring from one of his own footprints. From this spring flowed ample amounts of mead – which is made from honey. It was said that anyone who drank from this mead spring would be granted fertility.
Selflessness
Bees can also be used to represent selflessness. The humble bee works hard for the good of the hive, and doesn’t particularly spare much thought for their own gains. So bees can also be used to represent their selflessness and how they always work for the good of others.
Wisdom
In several different cultures across the globe, bees are often seen as a sign of wisdom. In certain religions such as Christianity and Judaism, the bee is seen to be a symbol of wisdom and many of the great values that we as people are meant to hold dear.
Bees Spirit Animal
If you see the bee as your spirit animal, then this is trying to convey a powerful message to you. The bee of course symbolizes hard work and working towards the greater good. So if you see the bee as your spirit animal, this could be telling you that you need to pay attention to your work and life balance.
Just as it’s important to work hard, you will also want to reap the benefits from your hard work. So ensuring that you also socialize with others and get the balance right between work and play will be essential.
Choosing the bee as your totem animal is always a lucky decision to make. This is because bees represent many positive things, and this can encourage you to make positive choices in your everyday life. Bees have been used to symbolize productivity, prosperity, fertility, vitality, and health.
Selecting the bee as your totem animal can ensure that you find your work fulfilling, or help you to make the right decisions so that you can find a fulfilling job role that suits you.
Bee Power Animal
Using the bee as your power animal can be an effective way to enact some positive changes in your life. The bee can be used to help you achieve the goals that you are striving for. These could be to help you work both smart as well as hard. You can also use the bee as a power animal to attract the right people to you so that you can work more effectively.
Choosing the bee as your power animal can also help you to encourage more prosperity and productivity in your life. You can use the bee as your power animal to create a healthier environment for yourself and those around you.
Bee Dreams
Dreams are always such a complex thing to try and decode. If you see bees in your dreams, the meanings could vary depending on the type of bee that you are seeing. It could also differ depending on the situation in your dream.
Have you noticed any positive or negative feelings when you see these bees in your dream? This can help you to work out exactly what it means to see the bees while you’re dreaming.
On the whole, bees are seen to be a highly positive symbol because of what they represent. Dreaming of bees in a positive light could show that you are craving more prosperity, health, and vitality in your life.
If you see bees trying to sting you in your dream, this could be your subconscious trying to tell you that you need to make a positive change in your life to see this vitality manifest itself. You may need to readjust your priorities so that positive things can come to the fore and negative things can fall by the wayside.
Bees can also be seen to represent good luck and vast riches in your dreams. This is of course because of how hard they work and the dedication that they show towards their job.
Once you have deciphered your emotions in the dream when you see the bees, this should help you to better identify what they mean and represent in your dreamscape.
If you notice any negative emotions in your dream in regards to the bees, this could be an indication of illness or war. This is of course because bees are able to swarm and attack any threats to their hive.
Tattoos are such personal things, that you will of course want to choose something that means a lot to you or represents your values. You may be thinking of a bee tattoo. But what exactly does this represent?
Hard Worker
Selecting a bee for your tattoo could of course mean that you are a hard worker and value teamwork. You enjoy working towards a positive cause that has positive impacts on others, and not necessarily for yourself.
Nature
Bee tattoos can also be used to represent being in tune with nature. They are of course vital to the ecosystems, and the world as we know it wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for these hard working pollinators. Choosing a bee as your tattoo could mean that you highly respect the Earth and world around you, and are conscious of your impact on it.
Bees Spiritual Meaning
The bee is such a rich animal when it comes to spiritual meanings. There are so many different spiritual meanings for bees dotted across different cultures, but the core values always remain the same.
Bees are often used to represent hard work and prosperity. They are dedicated to working for the good of the hive, and pay no thought to how they can gain as individuals. Because of these many great qualities, several cultures have often adopted the bee into their lore.
Because of the structure of the hive – with the queen bee as the head of operations – they are often used to represent fertility and feminine values. They can also be used to symbolize how your hard work can pay off in the grand scheme of things.
These fascinating insects can also be seen as a symbol of wisdom, which is an excellent spiritual value to hold dear. If you strive to embody this spiritual meaning, it will have good effects on those around you and ensure that you are able to prosper in your day to day life.
Bees In Astrology And Zodiac Signs
Interestingly, bees are also associated with the Virgo astrology sign. This is because Virgos have many of the great qualities associated with bees. These include diligence, hard work, and putting others before themselves. As a result, they often find their efforts rewarded tenfold.
Bee Native American Symbolism
Native Americans tend to associate bees with serving their community as well as with honesty. They would often wear masks decorated with black and gold stripes so as to match the markings of the bee.
Bee Celtic Symbolism
It was often thought by Celts that bees were a messenger between the worlds. They believed that these winged insects were able to travel between the human realm and the realm of the Gods in order to exchange messages. It was believed that bees would communicate the wishes of the Gods this way to the Celts.
Bees were also seen by Celts as a symbol of impressive wisdom, particularly in Celtic mythology.
Christianity is another place where bees have a rich meaning in terms of symbolism.
It is thought by Christians that the bee represents Christ himself, and especially his forgiveness towards those who wronged him. Because bees are known to be hard workers, this is thought to symbolize the values that Christ holds dear. It is also thought that the bee’s stinger represents Christ’s justice.
Christianity also believes that bees symbolize wisdom. There are many references to this in the bible, to show Christians the values that they should hold dear. In fact, there are ample references to bees in general in the bible. These are often used to represent industry and prosperity alongside wisdom.
There are several meanings for the bee in the far East.
Bees And Hinduism
As we have discussed a little above, in Hinduism, bees are believed to represent fertility as well as rebirth. In fact, several Hindu Gods are often shown with bees. For example, Krishna often has a bee on his forehead, whereas Vishnu appears on a lotus flower with a bee.
Bees And China
Because of how hard bees work, they are often seen as symbols of advancing businesses in China. They are also used to represent prosperity in Chinese art, especially if they appear with a butterfly or a monkey. If the bee appears alongside bamboo, this is often used to represent abundance.
In Polynesian culture, bees are seen to be voyagers. Just as the ancestors of the Polynesian people traveled oceans using the sun to guide them, they believe that bees use the sun to help them navigate between plants and the hive.
In South African culture, seeing a swarm of bees is taken to be a good sign. This is because the Pedi culture believes that a bee swarm represents your ancestors attempting to bring you and all the family some good luck.
Bees often appeared in Greek mythology throughout history. One of the forms of the Greek goddess Artemis was said to be a bee goddess, who approved of the use of honey in rituals. Honey was also considered to be a divine food of the Gods.
Bees Symbolism Meanings
Productivity
Hard work
Fertility
Selflessness
Feminine values
Team player
In tune with nature
Wisdom
In Summary
So there you have it! Bees are often used to represent several different things. The main things that bees are used to represent are hard work, prosperity, health, vitality, fertility, feminine values, selflessness, being a team player, and being in tune with the world around you. Bees are notorious hard workers, working to collect pollen and nectar to create the honey that the hive needs to survive.
There are many positive symbols that bees are associated with, which you can take inspiration from to infuse into your day to day life.
Diane has always been interested in spirituality and self-improvement. She is a happy and outgoing person. She started her spiritual journey with Chandra while looking for tools to bring positivity to their lives. She boosts her mind with self-care and affirmations. However, she also knows what crystals to wear based on her feelings. She also practices the law of attraction.
