Our tūpuna (ancestors) spent thousands of years observing the environment. They watched the rise and fall of the moon, the ebb and flow of the tide, alongside other environmental tohu (cues, signs) to understand the best days for planting, fishing and harvesting. It was understood these factors also had an effect on a person’s energy levels, behaviour and frame of mind (mood).
This information was passed down from generation to generation through the practice of Maramataka. Traditionally, Maramataka has no months, only ngā wā o te tau (phases) which are moved through according to the tohu, which change all the time.
It is thought we are perhaps living in the first generation that Maramataka has not been widely practised. Healthy Families Waitākere, alongside a number of other Healthy Families sites, is working alongside the community to revive this traditional practice and bring in into everyday life.
Today, Maramataka is being weaved into people’s particular ways of living and work practice, where they’ve adapted this practice to align to the Gregorian calendar. Healthy Families Waitākere is pleased to share with you all a local west-coast Maramataka calendar, updated monthly and available for download below. This calendar highlights best days for planning, getting active, reflection, alongside many other activities.
This Maramataka calendar is aligned to the west coast, if you are on the east coast you’ll need to edit it so that Rakaunui falls on the day of the full moon.