At this time of the year the Pleiades Star Cluster rises in the morning sky and signals for Māori people the start of a new year. It is a time to remember especially those who have died in the last year, to celebrate the present and look to the future. Matariki was first celebrated as a public holiday in New Zealand on June 24, 2022. This year it falls on July 14 and next year on June 28.
The website for the Society of Māori Astronomy, Research and Traditions notes that “the movements of constellations, the heliacal rising of stars, the arrival of comets, the phases of the moon and many other astronomical phenomena were noted and examined by them. This detailed astronomical knowledge resulted in Māori having a precise understanding of the seasons and helped the ancestors of the Māori people to navigate across the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean”.
For various reasons ancient people closely observed the night sky. Today in our well-lit cities we can make out only a tiny amount of what was visible to our ancestors. Many people don’t even look up anymore because there is so little to see. Besides we can see amazing images of the stars online provided by the Hubble and other space telescopes that are way more detailed that what our eyes can see. Yet there is something special about being out on a clear night away from bright lights and just contemplating the night sky.
Creator God,
Psalm 8 says “when I see the heavens, the work of your hands, the moon and the stars which you arranged, what are we that you should keep us in mind, men and women that you care for us”.
Help us to stay in touch with the natural world, to look up in wonder at the night sky and know that you our creator are ever at play in the universe, delighting to be with us.
Amen
Mānawatia a Matariki — Happy Māori New Year!
By Fr Patrick O'Shea - Lower Hutt, Aotearoa New Zealand
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