Guerlain #WomenforBees Project Led by Angelina Jolie in Yucatan for 2023 AOC Eye

Bees have been a focus of artistry at Guerlain since 1853, when they inspired the brand’s Bee Bottle.

The jewel-like creatures are captivating enough as precious bits of live jewelry darting through the air and pollinating flowers.

Today, we understand the perilous plight of bees in our global ecosystem. The smart pollinators are linked directly to the global food supply in critical ways that are far more essential to human wellness than their existence as nature’s beauty symbols.

At Guerlain, protecting bees reflects the French beauty and fragrance brand’s commitment to sustainability.

Angelina Jolie covered the March 2021 issue of British Vogue, with photographer Craig McDean capturing Jolie and her six children at her historic Los Angeles estate tucked away in the historic Laughlin Park quiet corner of Los Feliz.

British Vogue EIC Edward Enninful interviewed the actor, activist, supermom on many topics — including her Guerlain-financed work to develop women worldwide as beekeepers.

The partnership between Guerlain and UNESCO launched in early 2020, with the training of beekeepers with more than 50 hives based in Ethiopia, Rwanda, Cambodia and China. The five-year project has a goal of training 88 beekeepers from 44 biospheres maintaining 4.400 beehives, after which the partnership can be renewed.

In 2023, the program expanded to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, in collaboration with the Fundación Selva Maya and Maroma, a Belmond Hotel.

When LVMH bought Belmond Hotels in December 2018, my personal plea to Bernard Arnault was to save the elephants.

The bees are every bit as precious, and there is a unique synergy between elephants and bees much explored on AOC.

Sacred architecture at the revitalized Maroma Resort and SPa re-opening August 3, 2023.

To learn that the new LVMH Belmond Maroma Resort and Spa, re-opening August 3, 2023 is also a co-sponsor of the #WomenforBees project, gives Maroma a sense of purpose that has deep roots in ancient practices and traditions.

Reading Maroma’s IG description of its “place” is quite breathtaking and a tribute to LVMH’s approach to 21st century values in creating brand identity with real integrity and an embrace of ancient wisdom.

Maroma is a space of enchanting natural refinement, where ancient mysteries meet modern revelations. Our hotel is based on higher design—infinite and larger than the place itself. It was created originally by true believers of the Sacred Geometry, who aligned our white stucco buildings with the surrounding energy fields.

The ancient Mayan civilization, which thrived in the tropical forests of Central America, had a rich history of beekeeping. Long before Europeans introduced honey bees to the Americas, Mayan beekeepers harvested honey from the log nests of stingless bees native to the region. These skilled beekeepers utilized honey for various purposes, including as a sweetener, an antibiotic, an ingredient in their version of mead, and even as a form of commercial currency.

In the next video from March 2023, Angelina is meeting with women interested in beekeeping in the Yucatan.

“The Madrid Codex”, one of the few surviving books of the ancient Maya, contains illustrations of male and female deities harvesting and collecting honey, as well as conducting various rituals associated with beekeeping.

Writing this post in full and understanding the respect that LVMH is giving to ancient wisdom and practices — writing about sacred geometry and the energy fields involved with the design of Maroma — had great impact on me.

To see a conglomerate the size of LVMH honor these traditions is a bit overwhelming. I continue to process the many ways that LVMH is touching our lives in the world of luxury. If I am any example as an advocate, they are touching people deeply.

AOC is humbly thrilled to update readers about this ongoing Guerlain project Women for Bees, lead by a true light of the universe, Dame Angelina Jolie. ~ Anne