Mānawatia a Matariki! Happy Māori New Year.
<p>The appearance of the star cluster Matariki, or the Pleiades, or Subaru, depending on where you’re from; marks the beginning of the Māori year. Here in the Southern Hemisphere we’re in the depths of Winter. Traditionally this was a time to enjoy the harvested fruits of tribal labour, to gather with loved ones, thank the gods for the past year, and farewell with love those who had passed on. Each star in the Matariki cluster personifies an aspect of <em>te taiao, </em>the natural world, and is named accordingly. The position and relative brightness of each star allowed <em>tohunga</em> — expert traditional practitioners of science — to predict planting, fishing and weather conditions for the year ahead. All in all, an important time.</p>
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