(see Honey, bisects)Stinging you: An unpleasant experience that literally left a “stinger” behind, often of an emotional nature.
At the hive: Community and socialization; knowing your place and function within a specific group; harmonious teamwork.
Flying from flower to flower: Gathering life’s nectar, enjoying sweetness wherever it may be found. Alternatively, a fickle nature.
Buzzing: A message; the ancients felt that bees carried missives direct from the gods themselves.
The priestesses of Delphi were called “Melissae,” which means bees, and they were often given honey cakes as an offering in payment for their visionary talents.
Hornet s nest: Trouble just waiting to happen. Don’t aggravate this situation or you will get stung.
In China, dreaming of a bee swarm is a lucky omen.
A ghostly visitor. Both Pliny and Aristotle believed that good souls could reincarnate as a bee.
The spirit of the Muse. In Greece, eloquent people were believed to have been touched on the lips by the Birds of the Muses (bees), including Sophocles, Plato, and Virgil.
Flying down a chimney—omen of death of figurative or literal nature.
In medieval Bestiaries, an emblem of honor.
In the Koran, the symbol of faithfulness, intelligence, and wisdom.
Folkloric: A portent of forthcoming profits, especially in your trade.
Queen bees represent the ancient Mother Goddess, and as such can symbolize your own mother, your maternal instincts, or your feminine nature.