Song of Increase ─ Listening to the Wisdom of Honeybees for Kinder Beekeeping and a Better World

The most joyful emanation produced by a colony of bees is known as the “song of increase”—an ecstatic chorus declaring the hive’s readiness to depart an outgrown home in order to flourish elsewhere.Song of Increase takes us inside the world of the honeybee to glean the wisdom of these fascinating creatures with whom humanity has shared a sacred bond for millennia.

Readers won’t find in these pages the latest tricks for getting the most honey from your bees. “Our way is one of kind observation,” explains Jacqueline Freeman, “where we create supportive homes and fields for bees to live in and tend the heartfelt relationships we form by being together.” Focusing on the hidden aspects of apiculture that lead us naturally to more sustainable practices, she illuminates the unity consciousness that guides every action in the colony—and how this profound awareness can influence the way we see both ourselves and the natural world. Each chapter presents a wealth of information about the life of bees, including Freeman’s personal insights and direct teachings received from the bees themselves.