The priestesses of the ancient Greek goddess Demeter were called Melissae. The ancient Greek word, Melissa, means bee. The job of the priestess was to open access to the goddess and to preside over her rituals and festivities. The greatest of her rituals were The Eleusinian Mysteries, a nine day festival that took place at the harvest to deliver Demeter's secrets of agriculture. 

Each year, thousands of people flocked to Eleusis, a small town just outside Athens, to be initiated into the Mysteries which also promised a  better experience in this life and after death. 

Historians will tell you that people only began to understand pollination around the 19th century...but how can that be true? When Demeter's festival of agriculture was run by shapeshifting shamans who called themselves bees? 

"Meeting The Melissae" is more than just a book to me. It took four long years to write, much of which I spent close to madness in Persephone's shadowy realm. Just as bees turn up and decide to move in, invited or not, this book did the same, gatecrashing what should have been a book about the herbal medicine of Melissae officinalis plant, Lemon Balm. 

Meeting The Melissae changed my whole world view. It made me a stronger, more caring and imaginative person, but perhaps best of all for me, it rid me of my almost chronic imposter syndrome. 

Today, we recognise the financial value of bees, adding billions of pounds into the economy each year, through their honey, beeswax and crop pollination. But as a spirit animal, the bees are capable of so much more. Creating extraordinarily rich communities they are loved, yet simultaneously respectfully feared, able as they are, to sting. Incredibly intelligent and capable of one of the ancient world's key indicators of divinity: their males are born of virgin births. And of course, perhaps most the magical of all, they are the creatrixes of golden alchemy, the food of the gods, ambrosia nectar, honey. 

For thousands of years, women across the Mediterranean recognised these things, watched them intently and sought to emulate the essentially matriarchal society at home. The Grecian city state was the Polis, and everything the Melissae did was seen as pro-polis, providing an insulating and innoculating service to the colony. 

To follow the Melissae was to control agriculture, perhaps to control birth and to protect the Polis when the men were away at war.  For Melissae are most assuredly simultaneously gloriously beautiful, but also fully armed, ready to attack. 

Please join me on the launch day of Meeting The Melissae, for more bee wisdom and a celebration of, finally, being able to taste the spiritual gold of the bee.

Note: There are two of these events on Friday to try to accomodate time zone differences. There will be opportunities to ask questions, which will make the two events different, but essentially, they are the same. 

You can find the link to book onto the 7pm one here: https://www.thesecrethealer.co.uk/event-details-registration/7pm-book-launch-for-meeting-the-melissae-the-ancient-bee-priestesses-of-demeter

Link to pre-order your copy of the book: https://www.amazon.com/Meeting-Melissae-Ancient-Priestesses-Demeter/dp/1803412496/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3UGH33O958B8S&keywords=meeting+the+melissae+elizabeth+ashley&qid=1691910904&sprefix=meeting+the+melissae+elizabeth+ashley%2Caps%2C62&sr=8-1