Blessed Bees * last updated April 23, 2003

Shabbat

Shabbat ha Kallah.
Shabbat ha Malkah.
Shabbat ha Menucha.
Shabbat Shalom.

Bride. Queen. State of Rest. These things are Shabbat.

As a Jewitch, I began ritually invoking Shabbat as a priestess three years ago. It is an entirely solitary ritual, small, personal and intense. I use the tools of traditional Shabbat - the wine, the kiddush cup, the candles, the covered eyes, the spice box, the braided candle, the songs. And I use tools of my witchcraft.

I associate her with the honeybee. I'm not entirely sure why. Perhaps it's the tradition of eating apples dipped in honey on Rosh Hashona. She is the Bride of God. She is the people of Israel. As a hive of bees is one entity and many, so is Shabbat. She the Queen.

Some interesting links

Jewitchery
Excerpts from "The Hebrew Goddess"
Perfumes and spices in Jewish tradition
The Myth of Matriarchy in Recent Writings on Jewish Women's Spirituality
The Feminine Element In Divinity