tethered to our own star

Last weekend was the first gathering of Ariella Daly’s 10-month natural beekeeping apprenticeship for women. I’m incredibly grateful to be learning from Ariella and her deep wisdom of bees and the European old-world goddess traditions and myths that surround beekeeping.

We learned in class that in one of these old-world goddess traditions, they believed that when a baby is born, it is tethered to a star in the sky by a golden thread.

After class, I shared this story with my family, and my 10-year-old daughter, Matilda, grew quiet for a moment, thinking it over, and then said, “I wonder who is tethered to the North Star, probably Harriet Tubman”.

This is why I’ve chosen to learn with Ariella.

Beekeeping, for me, is so much more than the physical practice of tending to our bee sisters (though I am so excited to be learning how to care for bees in a natural, regenerative, and respectful way). It is also a spiritual practice. An ancient one. A practice that invites listening, humility, patience, and relationship.

It feels like a thread connecting me back through time—to my ancestors in the Mediterranean, who likely also tended bees, who lived in closer rhythm with seasons, land, and the unseen worlds that move alongside our own.

Beekeeping carries mystery, myth, wonder, and presence. It asks us to slow down. To pay attention. To remember that we are not separate from the natural world, but deeply entangled with it.

The above video is of the honeybees gathering nectar from the salvia in my vegetable garden last spring.

What a gift it is to step into a sacred relationship with the bees.

As I embark on this 10-month apprenticeship, I feel myself softening, remembering, and opening. I’m beaming with joy, in awe of this unfolding process, and over the moon with excitement to welcome bees onto our land this spring.

May we each remember the golden thread that tethers us to our own star—and may we learn to live in a way that honors that connection.

1 - Join me and my 10-year-old daughter, Matilda, for a mother-daughter-led sound bath THIS Sunday, January 18, from 2 to 3 pm at NOWyoga. This immersive experience blends spiritual and somatic practices with a rich variety of instruments, singing, and soundscapes. Together, these elements create space for expanded consciousness, introspection, and connection with your mind, body, and spirit. You’ll leave the sound bath with a quieted mind, open heart, and a profound sense of connection to yourself and the world around you. Register for the sound bath.

2 - Speaking of sound baths, you can now view my upcoming public sound bath schedule on my website. I’ll be back this semester at UVA’s Contemplative Commons for a bunch of free, open-to-the-public sound baths on Fridays from 1 to 2 pm. Check it out.

3 - My family and I have been using Spikenard Farm’s honeybee salve all the time this winter. It is made with honeybee propolis, wax, and herbs all grown and gathered at Spikenard Farm and Honeybee Sanctuary in Floyd, VA. I can’t recommend it enough! Check it out.

4 - I love all of Rainbo’s potent and high-quality adaptogenic mushrooms, especially their 11:11 tincture. Great for keeping you and your immune system well this winter! You can get 15% OFF everything using code WAVERLY. Check it out.

5 - For a long while, I’ve been donating a percentage of all proceeds from this Substack newsletter, as well as from my medicine ceremony and microdosing work, to the Indigenous Medicine Conservation Fund. I invite you to join me if you are also involved with or participating in any kind of medicine work. Check it out.

With love and gratitude,

Waverly

♡