Color of the day: Amber Incense of the day: Basil Incense of the day: Basil Today marks the Hawaiian New Year, called Makahiki. According to myth, Po (Chaos) created Wakea (Father Sky) and Papa (Mother Earth). Wakea and Papa then created the Akua, or the gods and goddesses. Makahiki celebrates this act of creation. Traditional activities now include family feasts, storytelling, and outdoor games such as dart sliding. A new year festival in any culture is a time of renewal, and the Hawaiian tradition places an especially strong emphasis on people's connection to the land. Make some time today to bond with the land where you live. Go outside to your yard or to a nearby park. Sit on the ground. Touch your bare feet or hands to the soil, then say: Birth to death, Death to birth, I belong to the earth. Death to birth, Birth to death, I bless her with my breath. Let the land's power fill you and strengthen your connection to the earth, until you feel wholly and completely renewed. |