There are times when I feel half a world away, living as I do in Aotearoa/NZ, in a different time zone and season cycle, given the bias is toward the Northern Hemisphere for seasonal celebrations. The thing I appreciate about our Lorian seasonal celebrations is that I feel included, we honor the whole of Gaia, both hemispheres together.
As we approach this September Equinox, I was preparing by focussing on the time of balance and the equality of day and night time, on that moment between the shifting of light and seasons. Then with the super full Moon we have just experienced here, I realized we all have the same moon cycle wherever we are on Gaia. Our planetary rhythms dance in and out of wholeness itself!
In my small town of Pukerua Bay on the Southwest coast of the North Island here in Aotearoa/NZ (that sentence just reminded me of the way I composed my address as a child, ending with New Zealand, Southern Hemisphere, The World :), I have been involved in a community garden/food forest on a local council reserve for the past six years. Recently I was asked if I would be willing to lead the development of a Rongoa Maori garden (medicinal). Since I am not Maori myself, I feel the need to fully understand Tikanga Maori (cultural practice) as we proceed. I realise it is a perfect opportunity to align my personal Incarnational Spirituality practice with Tikanga Maori and introduce it in that form with the others involved in this new development.
For years I have planted and harvested according to the phases of the Moon and have quite recently expanded my awareness of Maramataka, a way of tracking the influences of the Moon each month not only for gardening and fishing but also for awareness of our physical energies for self-care and interactions with nature. Maramataka is far more than a calendar, it is a holistic way of life for Maori people. It demonstrates their respect for the land, sea, and sky, as well as their dedication to living in harmony with nature. Through Maramataka, Maori comprehend the interconnectedness of all life, and the importance of preserving and safeguarding the environment.
Looking forward to our Equinox celebration in September, we too will focus on planting and harvesting. This is where our hemispheric intentions differ and balance each other. What did you plant in the spring that is emerging now in the Fall? In the South we are preparing for the sowing of our seeds, looking toward that which we wish to harvest.
The energy of the Equinox connects the planting and the harvest. I invite you to consider how you draw upon and nurture the Equinox energies in your planting and harvesting to keep the connection between hopes and vision and what emerges, that connection that continues to revitalize both vision and the result.
Me, I am now off to a crop swap in our local community to enjoy and share the seeds of our harvest. See you soon for the Equinox.
Arohanui,
Ara
For the last three years, each season at the equinox or solstice point we have been gathering in our online Commons to celebrate Gaian Festivals of Wholeness and honor the rhythms that guide Earth's life. We call them Gaian Festivals of Wholeness because with a community spread around the world, we feel it important to not only honor the seasonal energies in our own locations, but to celebrate the balance of influences between summer and winter, spring and autumn that flow through our planet. You are invited to join on September 22 at 1 pm PT when we will come together to celebrate the Spring and Fall Equinox. All members of the Commons receive the link to join in, but If you are not a member of the Commons please email freyas@lorian.org to receive the Zoom link and join us, you are welcome! Come join the celebrations.