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Horopapera explained how the high tide affects a person’s energy: The high tide brings nourishment and good energy, while the low tide takes away tired energy, she said.
She said the two high tides of a full moon can bring good energy twice in one day, and if people were aware of this they could “harness that energy and that knowledge”.
“During the full moon, the groundwater level is high and there will be two high tides, and emotions will surface beneath the water. So how do you balance water and fire?” she said.
At these times, she uses more friction or deep tissue manipulation in her practice and may change the strokes she uses in mirimiri to “balance fire and water.”
Horopapera stressed the importance of people making their own observations about the moon’s cycles, whether in gardening, fishing or emotions, because that’s where “the magic happens.”
“It’s like watching your plants and how and when they grow,” she said.
“It is not just the individual stages of learning (maramataka) that are independent of each other that are important – it is the entire cycle that is important.”
Horopapera said the general principles of maramataka are the same in terms of months, seasons and moon phases, “but what you do during those seasons and times will vary depending on where you are (geographically).” She described it as “a philosophy and way of life.”
Connection with ancestors
Cushla Paice from Rotorua has been involved with the Ōhinemutu māra (garden) for about three years.
The head gardener of the community plot said there has been a recent modernisation and revival of knowledge about maramataka and how it can be “integrated into our lives”.
Pace said maramataka refers to connection with the mounds, plants, wildlife and “everything in the ecosystem around us, including the energy of the moon.”
“And the connection to tūpuna (ancestors) is what really matters.”
Pace said a full moon is a good time to plant seeds because plants tend to germinate best then.
The Tangaroa phase occurs shortly before the Whiro (new moon) marks the start of the new moon, and according to the researchers, this phase has the “most productive energy,” and Paice said it’s a good time to plant and sow seeds in the garden.
“Plants seem to be very sensitive to the moon and changes in the lunar cycle.
“Our tūpuna are sensitive to what’s happening in the environment and it’s our job to develop that sensitivity.”
Understanding the cycles of the energy fluctuations within the maramataka is key to working in harmony with them.
“It means going with the flow of the energy of your environment and not trying to make every day be exactly the same, because it’s not.”
The relationship between the moon, sun and earth and how they align affects energy, Pace said. She feels driven to recover that knowledge and pass it on to others.
Teachers at Welcome Bay Kindergarten have made it a habit to consult the lunar calendar during morning meetings, using it to plan meetings, activities and when to plant rice.
The calendar uses colors to indicate the phases of the moon, with blue, green, yellow, gray and red each having their own message.
“A red day can mean things aren’t going well, the energy might be a little low or flat, so we know it’s not a good day for celebration,” said teacher Larree Lesa.
The (kikorangi) blue days of the week ahead will be better, with the moon phase making it a perfect day for planting, travel and having difficult conversations.
Grey (kiwikiwi) days are slow and inefficient, Lesa says, and pushing yourself on these days would be against the energy of the moon.
“If you have an issue that needs to be dealt with, I recommend doing it on a kōwhai (yellow) day because the energy is very high then; if you want to start something new, save it for a kākāriki (green) day.”
They have learnt their lesson from not using the maramataka, and Lesa recalls that last year Matariki celebrations were held on an unfavourable day for the moon.
“Our food ended up not being fully cooked, so we learned from that,” Lesa said.
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