Today was our first national holiday to celebrate Matariki, the Māori new year. It will be different every year based on the rising of Matariki, the star cluster also known as Pleiades, which marks the start of it. But it will always be on a Friday to support connection with whanau (family) and community.

Before dawn, I joined a friend down at our local beach for a Hakawātea (cleansing ceremony), with karakia (prayer) and waiata (song) organised by a local marae.  

The intention was:

– to celebrate Matariki being recognised as a public holiday, 

– to mark the end of covid restrictions

– to clear away the burdens we shouldered during the pandemic and 

– to bring us together again as a community.

At 6am the wind was coming straight in off the sea, the waves were crashing and the clouds were all around us.. except for a narrow strip of sky where the waning moon, surrounded by a rare alignment of planets shone above us. 

We were invited forward to say a prayer. We were encouraged to be positive, any complaints to be kept for our council or our government. We prayed for an hour. Some in Māori, some in English, some with song, one group even sung Turn, Turn, Turn, the old Byrds song from the 1960’s. Some prayed to God, some prayed to other gods. And then there was food to share. It was about community and connection, and it was an awesome start to the day. 

As Matariki is a time to honour our ancestors, I put together a playlist of the ten songs we played at Dad’s funeral two years ago, including One Pair of Hands by Elvis, Absent Friends by Mike Denver, 100 Children by Kamahl (a song from the 1970’s about caring for the environment for our children), Take Me Home Country Road, and Sing, Sing a Song by the Carpenters.

Committed to full immersion, I headed into town to meet friends at a range of Matariki events at the Auckland Art Gallery. We also enjoyed the Heavenly Beings: Icons of the Christian Orthodox World exhibition. A paradox if ever there was one. 

Tonight, I am joining a Matariki ritual on Zoom, hosted by Juliet Batten, author of Celebrating the Southern Seasons amongst others. The intention is: 

– to connect with the different elements of nature, as signalled by each of the stars in the Matariki constellation and

– to honour our connection to our indigenous roots across different cultures and ancestries.

I have a bowl of leaves, petals and herbs ready as requested.

Out of curiosity, I researched a little about Yule, a common ritual of our pagan ancestors. This “occurs during the winter solstice and is an ancient pagan holiday known for rituals and traditions that celebrate nature and setting one’s intentions for the coming season.”

“When we approach things with great reverence, great things decide to approach us.”
~ John O’Donoghue

We are at a crossroads in our country’s history. And with crossroads, comes discomfort. There is much labelling going on; based on race, on gender, on religion, even on profession and financial status. 

Remember the Maori principles of:
– manaakitanga (care, respect, and kindness to others and ourselves)
– kaitiakitanga (love for our world)
– whanaungatanga (empathy and connection between people) and
– tino rangatiratanga (the pursuit of what is right, self-determination).

When we are in conflict, it is always helpful to first identify where there is alignment. 

What I see is that these values and rituals are common to most of us, and many of our ancestors. Sometimes we just need to be reminded. Maybe Matariki is the day for all of us to remember that.

“To whoever is listening, I pray that we see each other in our humaness, that we create a space for everyone’s voices to be heard, and that we find a way to live together in peace and harmony in this beautiful country and in the world.
Amen”