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The Path of Pollen/'Bee shamanism'

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jergonsacha:
Regulars here will know that I have a 'bee in my bonnet' about a UK fraud called Simon Buxton who refers to himself as a "bee shaman" and claims to have been initiated into a secret European society called the Path of Pollen.

His book The Shamanic Way of the Bee claims to describe his initiation into this cult but was ripped to shreds by Shaman's Drum magazine which devoted a 10-page editorial to exposing his 'Path of Pollen' and other claims and practices as not only lies but DANGEROUS lies.

I have been looking in to the so-called Path of Pollen, but the only reference I can find to it is not a European secret tradition, but the words of a NAVAJO song: "By This Song I Walk" - see http://parentseyes.arizona.edu/wordsandplace/bythissongiwalk.html

The words are full of "pollen" references and these lines in particular caught my eye:

"This song is for traveling. When one travels, he should sing this. One should have corn pollen at all times. We travel by means of corn pollen. Pollen is our body. Medicine men say, 'I walk the path of pollen'. The songs were created at White House Ruins."

I don't know where White House Ruins are but I bet they're nowhere near Europe or especially to Cornwall, UK, where Buxton runs his sham-anic organisation The Sacred Trust (sic) which, on his website, he calls "the home of the Path of Pollen".

Can any of the scholars here shed further light on this Navajo song/tradition and/or on any 'European bee shamanism/Cornish Path of Pollen' they may have heard of?

Thanks.

walking-soft:
Have been gone for the holidays to TN and NC and am glad to be back on site. I have e mailed a Navajo friend concerning this "song" and the word "pollen" will post when I receive. Will help research on this topic.
                                   Joyce A.

educatedindian:
This reminds me a bit of a Beauty Way song.

Corn pollen is used in lots of traditions in the southwest, Navajo, Hopi, Zuni. Some of the Pueblos use blue corn pollen. Warriors/soldiers carry it for protection, and it's used in ceremonies for blessings and to give thanks. It's also used in Kinaalda by both Apaches and Navajos, when a girl becomes a woman.

These are nothing at all like Buxton's silly claims. It has nothing to do with bees being regarded as sacred (no more so than any other living thing). It's because corn has a central part in the lives of so many tribes.

Natonabah is a very highly respected healer and elder, I should add. Teaches at Navajo Community College.
http://oncampus.richmond.edu/~rnelson/233/natonabah.html

JS, do you have a link to the Shaman's Drum article?

jergonsacha:
Hello educatedindian

I don't have a link to the Shaman's Drum editorial on Buxton's book, but this link goes to back issues if anyone wants to purchase a copy of issue 64 where the editor Timothy White dedicates a 10 page editorial to it, amongst other things calling it a fraud and warning readers away from its practices: http://www.shamansdrum.org/Pages/BackIssues.html

Timothy White is quite approachable and if anyone wants to contact him for further information on Buxton's ludicrous book or White's views on it, the email is drum@shamansdrum.org

Sorry I cant be of more help.

jergonsacha:
Another interesting development regarding the so-called path of pollen:

http://www.psychosislane.com/bee.html

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