Matariki


Cultures who came from the north brought their calendar with them, so the New Year which had been celebrated in the middle of winter became a summer celebration here in the Southern Hemisphere. BUT - the indigenous peoples also had a calendar. As with  the Europeans, the Māori New Year Festival fell in the middle of winter. From time immemorial humanity has used the stars to mark time and for navigation. Matariki or Māori new year was signalled by the stars - in this case a cluster which rose in the winter. This cluster can be seen in many parts of the world at other times and other cultures have given it names in their languages. Did you know Matariki appears in the Bible? There it uses the Greek name, Pleiades. “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loose the cords of Orion?" Job 38:31


 We now know that Matariki contains hundreds of stars but there are only 9 visible to the naked eye and in Māori mātauranga each of those are named and have a significance. When one's life is run according to sun, moon, stars and seasons it has a different rhythm. In today's industrial technologically-driven society we have lost those rhythms, Matariki gives us an opportunity to reclaim them. The middle of winter with it's short days, when the earth is resting is a good time to reflect. Matariki's stars can help guide our reflection. 

 

Pōhutukawa is the star that serves as a reminder of those who have passed on, encouraging us to take the time to remember them and acknowledge their impact on our lives. 

Tupuānuku is the star connected with everything that grows in the ground to be harvested or gathered for food.

Tupuārangi is the star associated with food sources that come from the sky, such as birds, or fruit and berries from trees

Waitī is connected with all freshwater bodies and the food sources sustained by those waters. Waitī watches over freshwater environments such as awa (rivers), roto (lakes), kūkūwai (wetlands), and waipuna (springs).

Waitā represents the ocean and the seafood that can be harvested from it. This star encourages us to respect our coasts, oceans and marine life. 

Waipuna-ā-Rangi is connected with rain, hail and snow.

Ururangi is connected with the various winds.

Hiwa-i-te-Rangi is a wishing star, helping us to realise our hopes and aspirations for the coming year. 

The final star is Matariki, it's the name of the star cluster as a whole and a specific star, which signifies reflection, hope, our connection to the environment and the health and wellbeing of people. 

Matariki is a time to look back with sadness and gratitude, look forward with hope and look around at our environment with gratitude and respect. Matariki is a time to meditate on what it means for us and our world to flourish. How will you celebrate Matariki this year? 

"And God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.” And it was so." Gen 1:14-15

The psalmist prayed "When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars that you have established; ..." and went on to reflect about humanity. Above all we are grateful to our gracious Creator God for the beauty of the stars and for all they can teach us.

 

 

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