It is the shortest day here, and I would put my garlic in if I could make it out to the garden ! Winter is here and quite frankly the garlic will be a week late by the looks of the weather forecast! It is also the middle of Matariki celebrations (Maori New Year)...which has become more and more popular over the last few years. Matariki is the Maori name for the Pleiades star cluster also known as The Seven Sisters. The celebrations are to mark the end of the harvest and the beginning of new planting. Matariki literally means the ‘eyes of god’ (mata ariki) or ‘little eyes’ (mata riki). Some say that when Ranginui, the sky father, and Papatūānuku, the earth mother were separated by their offspring, the god of the winds, Tāwhirimātea, became angry, tearing out his eyes and hurling them into the heavens. Others say Matariki is the mother surrounded by her six daughters, Tupu-ā-nuku, Tupu-ā-rangi, Waitī, Waitā, Waipuna-ā-rangi and Ururangi. One account explains that Matariki and her daughters appear to assist the sun, Te Rā, whose winter journey from the north has left him weakened. I just love that more people are rediscovering rituals which centre on the earth, the sun, the seasons, the cycle of life and the pull of the moon.
3 comments:
that was great, thank you. it is nice to be finding southern hemisphere rituals as well down here in upside down land! and nice finding you down the big road - i grew up in hamilton and we spent a couple of years living back there a few years ago and the kids went to the waldorf school there.
Hi, I found your blog through Melanie's. I also live down under - a bit further south than you though, but not the SI. Shamefully I have only heard of Matariki this year! I'll be back reading more. I'm only just getting ready to put in a garden this coming spring.
Its nice to find there are those who blog close by...whenever I find an interesting blog it always seems to be on the otherside of the world :) Louise, we probably even know some of the same people!
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