Telling the Bees: A Fairy Tale for the New Moon
What does it mean to tell the bees?
Many moons ago, magick was part of everyday life. Bees brewed honey and pollinated flowers, but they also worked as household psychopomps, fuzzy messengers that carried our stories between worlds. Back then, bees were not mere insects but divine couriers, and upon reaching important milestones, families toasted their good fortune with the hive. The buzzing might go on for days (the bees loved any excuse for a party), but once the hoopla died down, a team of pollinators would set out for lands unseen and deliver meaningful news to spirits long gone.
Today, the ritual of telling the bees appears in animistic and magickal communities, and according to Little Witch, a happy hive is a fruitful spell. Telling the bees is a simple spell that sweetens the boundaries of heart and home.
Little Witch Tales’ Telling the Bees is a fairy tale for Witches, Pagans, and whimsical folk of all ages. It's a story written for youngsters, elders, and timeless souls in between. Woven upon a lunar loom and held together by mythical threads, Telling the Bees is a tea party within the wild gardens of childhood.
Dreamt up by Kristin Lisenby and Caitlyn Barone, and edited by Sarah Justice, Telling the Bees is the first book in a 5-part series from Little Witch Tales, a collection of lunar fairy tales exploring Animist Witchcraft and Paganism through a modern lens. In this middle-grade tale, inspired by the new phase of the moon and the tradition of telling the bees, 11-year-old Little Witch RSVPs to high tea with her local hive. Madam Spider supervises as the fairies prepare an enchanted picnic and Little Witch updates the hive about what's new in the world of witches.
Because Telling the Bees is a timeless tale, we wanted it to feel that way. To give it a vintage touch that’s reminiscent of books from yesteryear, we’ve opted for a hardcover style (approximately 20 x 15 cm) wrapped in forest green faux-leather. The cover design is stamped in pink and green foil (to add a bit of whimsy), and the interior illustrations and text are displayed on 108 lb, off-white paper. If we make our first stretch goal, bonus gold foil detail will be added to the cover, as shown in the photos!
The 25+ illustrations in Telling the Bees were done 100% by hand. As a nod to vintage etchings and the nostalgic mood of Little Witch Tales, we wanted to create a book that spoke to the in-between. No matter our age or occupation, we hope that Little Witch serves as an archetype for the inner child, liminal living, and the magick that exists betwixt and between each season of life.
We offer nine tiers ranging from $12-$800 (domestic shipping included). The tiers include everything from the eBook, hardcover edition, gift bundles that include an embroidered (envelope-style) book bag, fine art print set, Madam Spider Spell Kit, and two wholesale bundles! Read through the details below and pledge your favorite.
1. Pledge $12 to receive The eBook! Quick and easy, the eBook is the fastest way to receive a copy of Telling the Bees. We expect the eBook to be available in May 2024.
2. Pledge $34 to receive The Books! Want to hold Little Witch Tales in your hands, but also keep a copy on your eReader? Choose this tier, and you’ll receive both the eBook and the hardcover book. Domestic shipping is included. $20 international shipping.
Telling the Bees Hardcover Book
eBook
3. Pledge $43 to receive the Little Witch Bundle! The Little Witch Bundle includes the eBook, hardcover book, and an 18x23cm embroidered envelope-style book bag. This carryall is perfect for protecting your book, journal, tablet, and writing utensils while on the go.
Embroidered Book Bag
Telling the Bees Hardcover Book
eBook
4. Pledge $63 to receive the Persephone Bundle! The Persephone Bundle includes everything from the Little Witch Bundle, plus a fine art print set with the poem "The Bees to Little Witch: A New Moon Invitation" and the Hares's Trinity illustration from Telling the Bees.
Embroidered Book Bag
Fine Art Print Set
Telling the Bees Hardcover Book
eBook
5. Pledge $88 to receive the Madam Spider Bundle! The Madam Spider Bundle includes everything in the Persephone Bundle, plus three wishing spells borrowed from the weaver's grimoire! The Madam Spider Spell Kit includes written instructions, a beeswax candle, bay leaves, and a set of seed paper packaged in a lush velvet pouch.
Embroidered Book Bag
Fine Art Print Set
Madam Spider Spell Kit
Telling the Bees Hardcover Book
eBook
6. If you're feeling generous, order some magick for you and your coven mates by pledging $185 for the Fairy Bundle! The Fairy Bundle includes five hardcover books, five embroidered book bags, and the eBook. Domestic shipping is included. $30 international shipping.
5 Telling the Bees Hardcover Books
5 Embroidered Book Bags
eBook
7. And for our biggest supporters (we love you so much!), gather some magick for you and nine of your coven mates by pledging $340 for the Queen Bee Bundle! The Queen Bee Bundle includes ten hardcover books, ten embroidered envelope-style book bags, and the eBook! Domestic shipping is included. $40 international shipping.
10 Telling the Bees Hardcover Books
10 Embroidered Book Bags
eBook
8. If you’re a witchy shop or independent bookstore, pledge $140 to receive The Wholesale Bundle for Small Shops! The Wholesale Bundle for Small Shops includes ten copies of the hardcover book. Domestic shipping is included. Please send us a message for international requests.
9. And lastly, if you’re a BIG shop or bookstore, pledge $800 to receive the Wholesale Bundle for Big Shops! The Wholesale Bundle for Big Shops includes fifty hardcover books and fifty embroidered book bags. Domestic shipping is FREE with this tier.
For all tiers and bundles, if you'd like to order extra copies of the book, velvet bag, or print set to keep or share, use Kickstarter’s add-on feature to include as many extras as you’d like.
Plus, did you know that for every 100 books we sell, Pointy Hat Press will donate 10 books to a local library or bookish organization?
Plus, the more pledges we receive, the more perks you'll get!
BONUS FOIL COLORS - 6500
If we receive $6500 in pledges for Telling the Bees, in addition to dark green and pink stamping, we will include gold foil detail on the cover of the book, as pictured in all of our photos.
COLORED END PAGES - $7000
And once we reach $7000 in pledges, the pink end pages will be upgraded to a custom pattern featuring featuring bee and pentagram imagery from the book!
RIBBON BOOKMARK - $8000
$8000 in pledges guarantees that a pink ribbon bookmark will be added to each book!
GILDED PAGE EDGES - $10,000
And once we reach our final stretch goal of $10,000 in pledges, Telling the Bees will be enchanted with gilded page edges, shapeshifting into the gilded, gothic book of our dreams!
By pre-ordering a copy of the book today, you're helping bring the first print run of 1000 hardcover books into the world and into our hands, as well as bookstores, libraries, and your favorite small shops!
All updates about Telling the Bees will be shared via our Kickstarter page. You can also keep an eye on @littlewitchbooks Instragram and our newsletter for up-to-date info.