Monday Meditation: Jupiter and The Bee

As the planet Jupiter stations direct today, the focus of this meditation is on the god as he is portrayed in a Greek story written by Aesop.

A BEE from Mount Hymettus, the queen of the hive, ascended to Olympus to present Jupiter some honey fresh from her combs. Jupiter, delighted with the offering of honey, promised to give whatever she should ask.  She therefore besought him, saying,

"Give me, I pray thee, a sting, that if any mortal shall approach to take my honey, I may kill him."  Jupiter was much displeased, for he loved the race of man, but could not refuse the request because of his promise.  He thus answered the Bee:  "You shall

have your request, but it will be at the peril of your own life. For if you use your sting, it shall remain in the wound you make, and then you will die from the loss of it."  ~Aesop's Fables

Aesop's Moral: "He who prays hard against his neighbor, brings a curse upon himself." or "Evil wishes, like chickens, come home to roost."

Consider the following:

The bee in the story may be misunderstood. Like most villains, she has her own side to this. She was less forgiving of humans than Jupiter. Let's face it. He's a god. He can afford more benevolence than the bee who is in the trenches every day with these thieves.  She wanted to protect her people. She might have been a little on the selfish side from Jupiter's viewpoint, but that's food for her tribe, and humans can find other sources of food themselves; her people can't. From Jupiter's perspective, he loves human beings, and she's put him in an awkward position, so he had to even the playing field.

Protecting what you love and cherish usually requires a cost. While the moral of Aesop's story might be to not curse your enemies, it could be seen as "evaluate what you cherish and be sure it's worth the price."

Are you wasting precious energy and time on things that no longer serve you? Are you fighting with the gods (insert your idea of deity or non-deity here) or yourself in letting go of that thing? Are you willing to give up your life for it? Is it worth focusing on?

Choose your battles wisely.  Not every conflict deserves a your involvement. Not everything protected (including  'sacred cows') is worth the price paid for it. Sometimes, humans tend to no longer want something, but if another person pays attention to it, it suddenly becomes precious again.

The bee in Aesop's story is now forced to choose her battles wisely, because she will lose her life when she stings.

It's worth considering...


Sláinte (to your good health)!

   Kallan is a writer, adventurer, bibliophile, and baking enthusiast who         loves learning, science, religion, philosophy, geography, anthropology,       politics, peppermint, her children and grandchildren, friends and friends   who are family, being outdoors, animals,  walking, hiking, and the earth.