This listing is for one jar of Blackberry Blossom Raw Honey, from The heART of Ritual.
 
Brendan's bee friends have really outdone themselves again, seriously! Last year these wonderous creatures fed on Hawthorn Blossom nectar (which was a most delicious honey), and the year before they fed on Blackberry Blossom nectar which I have to say I was totally smitten with, not just because of its incredible taste, colour and consistency, but equally because of the lore associated with Blackberries and the energetic signature this plant embues though this honey.  I contacted Brendan early on in the summer to ask after the bees, how they overwintered and are getting on in general, and even though he said it was a bad summer for Hawthorn Blossoms this year, it was a great one for Blackberry, and sure enough, by early July when we next spoke, the Blackberry Blossom honey was flowing. I called him the week before I drove to Ireland in October to ask if there was any chance they (the bees, and him) were willing to part with some of this magical food, and I've been lucky enough to purchase a few jars of this liquid gold from them.
 
I am sharing what little I received with those of you who truly care for these treasures and will not ruin it by heating it or using it in baking or hot drinks - it needs to be inJoyed in it pure raw state, exactly as it is. I recommend one generous teaspoon daily, but once you taste it you might end up eating the entire jar immediately!
 
Blackberries are considered sacred to the goddess Brigid, and they were often used in her honor during the festival of Imbolc. This early February celebration marked the beginning of spring, and blackberry brambles, with their promise of future fruit, symbolized renewal and the cycle of life. In late Autumn, Blackberries were gathered as food offerings to appease the 'wee folk', who might otherwise get up to some unwanted mischief. There are old customs and traditions of crafting talismans from Bramble vines (with thorns) to use as protective amulets which would dispel negativity, protect the homestead and livestock, and deflect negative spells and invocations. All in all, the lore and symbolism surrounding this plant relates with 'thorn medicine' - establishing healthy boundaries, invoking protection, and establishing wisdom and discernment.
 
ABOUT BRENDAN'S BEES
This raw honey is from a wonderful native bee husband (and beekeeping teacher) that I met in West Cork, who loves and cares for 25 hives in and around the mountains of Bantry Bay. I was lucky enough to receive an invitation to visit his home where he showed me his 'honey room', the space in which he gathers the combs and extracts the honey by hand. I was tickled by the fact that he leaves a window open in the room at all times for the bees to fly in and out as they please, something that I found deeply touching. I love this very natural method of working harmoniously with the bees and how he extracts the honey from the comb, he even removes a small part of the comb from each frame and returns the rest to the hive for the bees to build upon again. His lifes work with bees is so intimate and respectful and the bees reciprocate!