This one-of-a-kind handmade rosary was inspired by the divine feminine energy of the bee. Across many cultures, bees have been associated with goddesses, community, communication, creativity and intuition. 

The following goddesses have been associated with bees:

•            Greek Priestesses of the goddesses Artemis and Demeter: were known as Melissa (Mellonia meaning bee).

•            Brigid: A Celtic goddess who was connected to bees that brought her their sweet nectar from the otherworld; Bees were seen as divine messengers bridging the human world with mystical spiritual realms carrying not just nectar/honey but also sacred wisdom and guidance.

•            Neith: An Egyptian goddess who was associated with bees; she was known for wearing a gossamer veil that looked like the wing of a bee; her main temple was known as the house of the bees.

•            Bhramari: A Hindu goddess of bees who was affiliated with Mahadevi, Lakshmi, and Parvati; She is said to dwell in the heart chakra, where she hums and buzzes just like a honey bee. In Hindu, bees are symbols of divine creativity and devotion.

•            Beyla: Norse goddess of bees and fertility with a strong connection to the earth.

•            Austeja: Baltic goddess of bees.

•            Venus: Bees were associated with her because their labour is the indirect fertilisation of flowers, all of which come under the dominion of Venus.

Bees and the sacred feminine

•            The queen bee's role of nurturing and sustaining the hive is seen as a reflection of the nurturing spirit of women.

•            The worker bees' collective power is seen as a reflection of the power of women coming together to create community and something greater than themselves.

•            Bees' strong connection to intuition is seen as a reflection of women's ability to tap into their inner wisdom

Bee symbolism in art and culture

•            Bee and honey imagery are often found on goddess statues and adornments worn by her priestesses

•            Honey has long been used as an offering in rituals and ceremonies

•            Honey is a symbol of savouring the sweetness of life and embracing the joy that life offers

This rosary contains 122 beads:

-              60 hand prepared beads made from roses

-              37 bumblebee jasper crystal beads

-              19 amber prayer beads from 19th century England

-              4 spiral gold beads

-              2 gold bee beads

Process:

The rose beads are lovingly made using a slow, intentional process. The roses used in this necklace are a mix of pink and red roses that were held in sacred space in my altars and women’s circles in January and February 2025.

The rose petals were blended with sacred water from St Nectan’s Glen Waterfall in Cornwall and the White Spring in Glastonbury, before cleansing the pulp using gentle heat.

Once cooled, I drained the clay of liquid and used this dye to colour altar cloths. I smoothed out the clay and allowed it to sit for a few days, before rolling it out into beads and then baking them.

This rosary was months – if not centuries - in the making. It is infused with love, ritual and ceremony - and the divine feminine spirit of the land in the UK. 

The rosary can be worn, placed in an altar and/or used for prayer/intention setting.

Each rosary comes with a bonus small handmade altar cloth, goddess card and crystal.

**The word rosary refers to the garlands that were traditionally woven from roses and offered to the Virgin Mary in the springtime. But long before Mary, those same garlands were made as offerings to other goddesses by many other names. Roses were offered to Venus, the Roman goddess of love and fertility, whose emblem was also a circle with a cross pendant. Before that, they were offered to Isis, the Great Mother of the ancient Mediterranean world. The rosary is an enduring, multi-cultural symbol of the divine feminine and our own connection to the divinity within us.