Athena Macmillan: Kiwi Witch

WINTER SOLSTICE IN AOTEAROA

Winter Solstice is the longest night of the year. However it is not the coldest. I always find it ironic that even as the days finally start getting longer again, the coldest winter weather is yet to arrive.

This is a time when nature stands still. It holds an energy of deepening and withdrawing while shadows shape the land. Night closes in early, deciduous trees are bare and the days are short.

There is still a little activity in the native flora of our forests. Puriri flowers are abundant, attracting tuis, bellbirds and silvereyes. Kohekohe shows off its long sprays of white flowers and whauwhaupaku (five finger) releases a beautiful scent from clusters of tiny flowers.

The Winter Solstice heralds Matariki, or the Maori new year, when Matariki or the Pleiades star system rises in the East at Dawn. The literal meaning of Matariki is "little eyes" referring to the appearance of this cluster of stars. The story of Matariki is that the God Tane became jealous of a particular very bright star in the sky, so he smashed that star into pieces and flung them across the sky, coming to rest as "little eyes", fascinating people with how they sparkle ever since.

Matariki also translates as "eyes of God", and the stars are regarded as homes of the Gods and a place where souls returned after death.
The first sighting of Matariki on the Winter Solstice would be an emotional moment, with Maori women singing laments for those who had died followed by a three day festival of songs, dances and feasting. The songs would refer to the sadness people felt when looking at Matariki, for this was where their passed loved ones went after leaving the earth.

The brightest star of Matariki, Takurua, Bringer of Cold, or Sirius was the herald of frost and snow to begin in earnest. If Takurua shone brightly, it was said to be a sign of severe frost to come.

For Maori, winter was not just a journey of withdrawal and renewal, but also for hunting, gathering and the season for war. With young men freed from attending crops, the would go on raiding parties or avenge wrongs. Tumatauenga, the god of war, was the god of this season.

Correspondences

The Altar

Sun and Stars, particularly representations of the Matariki constellation
Miro Berries and images of Kereru, or Tui
Candles - white, deep green and red
Greenery such as holly or flowering native trees such as whauwhaupaku (five finger)
Pine branches and cones
Images or symbols of Hine-raumati, goddess of the land

Food

Roast chicken, turkey or goose
Sun food - oranges, mandarins, round cakes
Mulled wine, hot punch, cider, warm spicy grape juice, ginger tea
Food preserved by old methods - nuts, dried apricots, dried or salted fish and meats, sun dried tomatoes, grains
Fruit cake decorated with sun and stars

Colors

Crimson red for life, vitality, bonding
Evergreen for life, nature and prosperity through winter
Pearly White for winter
Gold to represent the sun’s rebirth

Crystals

Clear Quartz to help amplify the good energy
Angel Aura Quartz to help lift everyone’s spirits
Red Tourmaline for harmony, love, balance
Fluorite for balancing, grounding and harmonising
Pounamu to connect with earth and nature

Herbs and Plants

Ginger
Currants
Holly
Mistletoe
Cinnamon
Pine
Peppermint
Spearmint
Cranberries
Pomegranate
Cedar
Nutmeg
Chestnut

Activities

Hold feasts for family and friends
Watch the dawn sky for matariki's appearance
Singing circles and dances
Drumming up the sun
Kite making, fire processions, bonfires, music, festivities
Exchange gifts
Plant garlic
Visit a cave
Take rest, learn old traditions, study genealogy/whakapapa

Symbolic Actions

Light candles and celebrate the return of the light
Blow up yellow balloons to represent the returning sun
Light sparklers for Matariki
Pass out mandarins to peel and taste the sun's energy

Inner Focus

What is birthing in you or your community?
What are you kindling in yourself?
How can you support this reawakening?
In what way might you acknowledge your ancestors?

In the morning, add a dash of cinnamon to your coffee! Not only does it taste amazing, but it gives you happiness and protection for the rest of your day.

SAMHAIN IN AOTEAROA

By the end of April the light is receding, nights are drawing in sooner, leaves have fallen to the ground, and there is a definitely chill to the air as evening falls.

In the Southern Hemisphere we tend to 'play act' Halloween, having imported the commercial aspects straight from the Northern Hemisphere in October - but Samhain on April 30 has the potential to be one of the most powerful of our seasonal festivals. To restore the real meaning of Samhain, we need to celebrate it when nature appears to be dying and the time of darkness is upon us. All the more poignant is that in Aotearoa we honor our fallen soldiers as a country in NZ and Australia on ANZAC day, April 25; just five days before Samhain.

This is the time when the cattle that had not been slaughtered for meat, were brought in for wintering over and people prepared themselves for the bitter cold and scarcity of winter. Hens had ceased to lay eggs, and all the harvest had been collected.

For Maori, this marked the end of the Kumara harvest, though other foods started coming into season such as taro, fern root, gourds and cabbage tree suckers. As such, the emphasis of gathering shifted more to the bush than agriculture, and thus into the domain of Tane, the God of the Forest.

The Kiore, the NZ rat, was also an important food source. Unlike the European rats later introduced, the Kiore was a creature of clean habits and had a mainly berry and nut diet. It was a companion animal revered in waiata and carvings, and considered to be a descendant of the Goddess Pani.

This was the time when people face their fears about aging, death and decay - who would be carried away over the harsh winter months? Many people today, without really knowing why, still fear the coming of winter and so they reject the great power this season evokes.

In Goddess based traditions, this is when the Goddess enters her crone phase, and Maori tikanga recognised this in venerating the Kuia or aging woman of the tribe, for her wisdom and power by presenting her with gifts and sacrifices.

Consider the forest and the hunting season of the ancient Maori who at this time ventured into the realm of Tane in search of Kiore and birds to hunt. This could be a time to make a night journey into the forest, listening to the sounds of the wild creatures around you, taking time alone and facing the dark. Remember the Kiore who is the night creature of the underground and so remember what lies in our own underground, our own depths, to be faced in this season of coming darkness.

Additional ideas and correspondences for celebrating Samhain in Aotearoa might include:

Altar: Black cloth, symbols of Kuia (Wise Women), Kawakawa leaves, images of darkness and all things underground, images of the Kiore, harakeke seeds, taro, apples sliced in half to reveal the seeds within, bones, divination tools

Foods: Pumpkin and Kumara Soup, soul cakes, haggis, apples, cider, pumpkin pie, feijoa

Deities: Hecate, The Morrigan, Persephone, Hades, Osiris, Freyja, Anubis, Tane, Pani, any death/underworld gods or “crone” goddesses

Activites: Honor the Grandmothers/Kuia by sending a card, letter or gift;
Gather as a family around a fire to tell stories of the ancestors and old traditions;
Place a symbol for Matariki (the Pleiades star system) under a veil or in a container to represent Matariki's disappearance beneath the horizon;
Practice divination and/or spirit work;
Night journey outside to sit in darkness and face and name your fears;
Recognise and leave offerings those in your ancestry who have fought and perhaps fallen in the War

Inner Focus: What fears do you carry into the darkness?
What resources do you carry into the darkness to face your fears?
Contemplate the sacrifice of those gone before, in both times of war and peace. What is seeking to die or be released in your own life?
What lies in your shadows awaiting recognition?

Athena Macmillan: Kiwi Witch updated their information in their About section.