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There are somewhere around 20,000 species of bees on Earth, and they are on every continent except the Antarctica. This fact made me wonder – What do bees do in the winter?  Honeybees which are social and live in hives have evolved a behavior called clustering. This behavior gets them and their queen through the winter.

Once the outside temperature drops to 55 degrees F, inside the hive the Honeybees huddle around the queen shivering and fluttering their wings to create heat.  At the core of the cluster temperatures range anywhere in the 80’s. The bees continually rotate their position so no bee gets to cold.  As the temperature falls the cluster becomes tighter and tighter.  The  bees live on the honey they have collected in the hive through out the summer. For Bumblebees, also social, the whole hive dies in the fall except for the Queen.  Her  fattened self digs a burrow, hides out for the winter and in the spring lays a whole new hive.

Solitary bees have evolved  two ways to make it through the winter. Either the female  lays her eggs in a nest full of pollen and nectar and seals it up for the winter.  Then she and the male die leaving  their eggs to hatch into larva and eat through the larder she has provided through the winter.   Or other both genders of solitary bee,  like the carpenter bee and other burrowing bees, find a nice dry place to cocoon away until spring.  These bees’ nests are underground, in your wood pile or they hollow out reeds and stems of dying plants.  So if you see a hole in your firewood about bee size don’t burn up that piece, or leave a few large stem plants to die off  in your garden for the winter, to give these bees a winter condo.

The photos in this article are photographed by Sam Droege a wildlife biologists.    See his series of photos he calls Eye Candy which shows the amazing diversity of  bee.   Below are just a few.

P.S. Remember signs with an * it’s a big week for you.  And please share.

*Aries – Star

Last week the Death card asked you some hard questions like:  What cycles are you starting up again? What ideas or projects do you want to store and work on next year?  What do you want to let die or finish before spring?  The Star card continues the theme of introspection by adding the questions:  What do you need to heal, so you can move in to 2019 with a lighter load? And if you could hope for an outcome what would it be?

 

Taurus – Three of Wands

Last week the Strength card had you assess the hows and whys of your internal struggle to get things done.  This week the Three of Wands wants you to continue pondering those questions, but also would like you planning your focuses for the winter season.  What three things would you like to get done that will carry you into the spring of 2019?

 

*Gemini – Tower

The Tower shows up when outside forces are about to shake your foundations.  For some of you the lesson will be around how you ride the waves of change that you have no control over.  For others this is just a tiny tremor, a warning, to get your “house” in order.  Either way this week is about checking out the foundations in your life, like health, relationships, monetary savings or any place you feel not so good about, and seeing if they are resilient enough to go through a metaphorical lighting storm/tsunami/earthquake.

 

Cancer – Two of Swords

You got another two card so balance and harmony are still in play this week.  The past two week’s Temperance is reminding you that harmony is not all good or bad but a combination that gives an overall pleasing effect. Then the Two of Wands added how would this harmony actual play out? Now the Two of Swords has you choosing a path that is balanced and harmonious. The lesson is less about the act of choosing, for either road will take you to your destination.  This week is more about which journey will balance that good and bad to create a pleasing and interesting trip.

 

*Leo – Hermit

The Hermit suggests that the best way to deal with the coming week is to stand back and gain perspective the bigger picture.  This can look as simple as turning off all technology devices and listen to the wind and your inner voice.  Or can look as complex as pulling yourself so far away from your daily life that you can look at it from the higher place where your soul and mind reside.  Ultimately either way, silence and distance will bring you more insight than being part of the maddening crowd.  The only challenge this card has is that you should tell people that you are “dropping out” so they don’t send out search parties ruining your perfect retreat.

 

Virgo – Eight of Wands

Last week the Hanged Man challenged you to question Who am I in two ways.  One way was spending time with yourself internally contemplating on your existence, or choosing literally or figuratively different paths experiencing the eternal especially ones out of your ordinary existence. No wonder you need another week and a little help to journey from the Eight of Wands with this question. This card comes when the Universe wants to help with information.  This week look for messages to aid you answering this question.  They will come in the form of synchronicity and direct question & answer between you and the Universe.

 

Libra – Two of Cups

The Two of Cups is the card of relationships. This week your challenge is how to create more love and kindness in your world.  Start with your loved ones and then open your arms to the rest of the World.

 

*Scorpio – Lovers

The Lovers is the card of collaboration.  This week collaboration is not only your challenge but your goal.  The more you work with others the more divine and original the outcome.   This can look as simple as making holiday cookies with a friend or as complex as creating a new person, a new project, art, or music.  The challenge is finding that sweet spot of sharing and listening.

 

Sagittarius – Ace of Wands

Last week the Magician was asking you to bring the divine down using your unique self as a conduit, and challenging you to create something that also benefits others. That card was a karmic card for you all meaning 2019 can be pretty amazing in the creation department.  The only down side to all that creative energy is that it needs to be focused. Remember this alchemy is like harnessing lightning.  Well lucky you, the Ace of Wands gives you another week to hone your metaphorical lightening rod, so continue to take this week to experiment with the what, when, and how of your creations for 2019.

 

Capricorn – Two of Pentacles

The Two of Pentacles is the card of practicing balance in your material plane; think of it like juggling with eggs and adding other items as you go. The best is starting with two projects, todos, work flow items and juggle those on Monday then add an orange on Tuesday and get good at juggling the three before you add a knife.  The challenge is realizing you might get better results juggling the egg and one other item really well, than trying to juggle an egg and five other items – for the yolk will be on you.

 

Aquarius – Four of Pentacles

All the fours cards mean that you need more stability in your life.  The Four of Pentacles would like you to focus on making your material plane more stable.  This can look like adding some money to savings, shoring up your health, or at work keeping your head down and just doing the work.  This week is about working smarter not harder.

 

Pisces – Ten of Cups

Last week, the Chariot herald that change was in the air and you are in total control of it.  It challenge you make sure you had a direction so you could use the Chariot’s momentum to move you forward into the future that you not only desire but you create.  The Ten of Cups continues that theme of finding your path but it challenges you this week by remembering you that to truly take a new path you need to follow your bliss.

 

May light be on you, around you, and within you,

Nina