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Wawata - Moon Dreaming: Daily wisdom guided by Hina, the Māori moon
Hina, the Maori moon goddess, has 30 different faces to help illuminate life’s lessons - a different face and a different energy for each day of the month. And with her changing light, new insights are revealed.
This book gives us the chance to connect to the ancient wisdom of the old people, who reach forward into our lives, with each of the moon’s names as their offerings. Their reminders are a source of strength in our strange modern world, where we have been stripped of much of the connection and relationships we need for our wellbeing through successive lockdowns. We now see just how important these things are!
This book leads you through a full cycle of the moon, to consider 30 aspects of life. And lessons we thought we had learned come back around with each month's cycle and remind us of deeper layers and blind spots. And when we do find a growing awareness of place and harmony, there is a sense of release. A new kind of freedom starts to emerge, soothing our modern-day pain and suffering.
This book is designed to open up our moon dreams, for a deeper affectionate connection with ourselves and others.
This book gives us the chance to connect to the ancient wisdom of the old people, who reach forward into our lives, with each of the moon’s names as their offerings. Their reminders are a source of strength in our strange modern world, where we have been stripped of much of the connection and relationships we need for our wellbeing through successive lockdowns. We now see just how important these things are!
This book leads you through a full cycle of the moon, to consider 30 aspects of life. And lessons we thought we had learned come back around with each month's cycle and remind us of deeper layers and blind spots. And when we do find a growing awareness of place and harmony, there is a sense of release. A new kind of freedom starts to emerge, soothing our modern-day pain and suffering.
This book is designed to open up our moon dreams, for a deeper affectionate connection with ourselves and others.
Kindle Edition
Published October 5, 2022
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316 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
dnf
August 5, 2023Dr Hinemoa Elder is inspiring, but this was not my book. DNF at p 58
January 5, 2023
As a wāhine from Te Hiku o Te Ika & total fangirl of Dr Hinemoa Elder my review may potentially be very biased *you’ve been warned* but I absolutely LOVED this pukapuka. The maramataka (Māori lunar calendar) is something I’ve been wanting to learn more about and I think Dr Hinemoa Elder has been incredibly thoughtful in how she has compiled this resource of matauranga Māori & te reo Māori in a way that is not only palatable to everyone (Māori & Pākehā), but accessible and applicable! I found it to be especially applicable to wāhine -with reference to her own life experiences as a Māori wahine, Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist and also including stories of our tūpuna wāhine -it goes beyond when’s the best time to fish and plant your mara kai. I particularly enjoyed the stories of Riria, Kae & Tinirau and of course the riveting kōrero between Hinepuariari & Rongomaiwahine about Kahungunu (iykyk 😂).
The chapters are cleverly structured like a kapa haka bracket & offer whakaaro for each of the 30 faces of Hina, our atua wāhine of the moon (according to the iwi of the Far North). Wawata is more than just a book -it is a taonga and a great resource for those wanting to learn more about the maramataka according to the iwi of the Far North and/or immerse themselves in Te Ao Māori. This is a book I will treasure and refer back to during the different faces of Hina and it has inspired me to further read and research our maramataka. Ngā mihi Dr Hinemoa Elder 💕
The chapters are cleverly structured like a kapa haka bracket & offer whakaaro for each of the 30 faces of Hina, our atua wāhine of the moon (according to the iwi of the Far North). Wawata is more than just a book -it is a taonga and a great resource for those wanting to learn more about the maramataka according to the iwi of the Far North and/or immerse themselves in Te Ao Māori. This is a book I will treasure and refer back to during the different faces of Hina and it has inspired me to further read and research our maramataka. Ngā mihi Dr Hinemoa Elder 💕
June 13, 2023
4.5⭐️
I highly recommend this on audio. Hinemoa Elder’s voice is so soothing to listen to.
I highly recommend this on audio. Hinemoa Elder’s voice is so soothing to listen to.
November 6, 2023
I really enjoyed this book and liked the concept of a personal health and well-being Maramataka
October 19, 2022
Another beautiful gift of a book by Dr Hinemoa Elder. I adored Aroha and Wawata is another must read for anyone immersing themselves in te ao Māori.
Wawata follows the 30 phases of Hina the Māori moon, providing the reader with insights and learnings they can impart on their day as they move through each of the phases. But more importantly, impart these beliefs into their life’s practice through Hina’s subtle teachings, opening your eyes to what’s right in front of you.
This book has a positive female health narrative throughout. By weaving many of her own personal stories into her pages, Dr Hinemoa leads the reader into a deeper understanding of this ancient Māori wisdom by visualising a modern woman, and soon enough themselves, throughout.
Ancient wisdom for the modern world, and in the case of this book in particular, for the modern woman.
Wawata follows the 30 phases of Hina the Māori moon, providing the reader with insights and learnings they can impart on their day as they move through each of the phases. But more importantly, impart these beliefs into their life’s practice through Hina’s subtle teachings, opening your eyes to what’s right in front of you.
This book has a positive female health narrative throughout. By weaving many of her own personal stories into her pages, Dr Hinemoa leads the reader into a deeper understanding of this ancient Māori wisdom by visualising a modern woman, and soon enough themselves, throughout.
Ancient wisdom for the modern world, and in the case of this book in particular, for the modern woman.
August 3, 2024
I used this alongside Waitohu and I absolutely loved it.
July 13, 2023
Loved it! It has a lot of information so I will probably read it again. If you’re looking to understand the Māori Luna calendar and the meaning behind each Luna phase this is great.
July 29, 2024
Dr Hinemoa Elder is a New Zealand youth forensic psychiatrist. She has written Aroha Moari Wisdom for a contented life lived in harmony with our planet. The next in her series is Wawata Moon Dreaming, daily wisdom guided by Hina the Maaori moon.
I loved Aroha so was excited to read this book when I saw it in the library. It is based on the monthly Maaori moon calendar. Elders aimed to explore how Hina's energies can help us better understand the tides of our emotions.
She achieved that aim. It is a very personal book and an open invitation to learn and understand Maaori culture. It is a book that would serve me repeatedly and is worth re-reading. I often catch myself thinking about the stories and suggestions when I least expect them, which is the mark of a good book.
As a pakeha, it is an invitation into a Polynesian worldview. Some of those thoughts were very different from what I'm used to. That's not a bad thing but it did make it a challenging read for me. As I kept reading it got easier. I found Aroha more accessible but I am more in need of the life lessons of that book. This is a good book to give people who love broad reads, want to reclaim positive Maaori female leadership and energy, philosophers and someone who think outside the box.
I loved Aroha so was excited to read this book when I saw it in the library. It is based on the monthly Maaori moon calendar. Elders aimed to explore how Hina's energies can help us better understand the tides of our emotions.
She achieved that aim. It is a very personal book and an open invitation to learn and understand Maaori culture. It is a book that would serve me repeatedly and is worth re-reading. I often catch myself thinking about the stories and suggestions when I least expect them, which is the mark of a good book.
As a pakeha, it is an invitation into a Polynesian worldview. Some of those thoughts were very different from what I'm used to. That's not a bad thing but it did make it a challenging read for me. As I kept reading it got easier. I found Aroha more accessible but I am more in need of the life lessons of that book. This is a good book to give people who love broad reads, want to reclaim positive Maaori female leadership and energy, philosophers and someone who think outside the box.
January 1, 2023
I have been trying to read as much about the Maramataka as possible. This book holds generous reflections of how the author works with the Maramataka that is both so personal and relatable/applicable to my own life.
This book goes beyond whether it’s a good day to fish etc. and really encourages you to think deeply and find more understanding of yourself and the world around you.
As someone who did not grow up in Te Ao Māori but is trying to find my way back this book feels like a knowledgable Aunty passing on valuable kōrero I can’t find in my own whānau.
This book goes beyond whether it’s a good day to fish etc. and really encourages you to think deeply and find more understanding of yourself and the world around you.
As someone who did not grow up in Te Ao Māori but is trying to find my way back this book feels like a knowledgable Aunty passing on valuable kōrero I can’t find in my own whānau.
November 19, 2025
perhaps women will find this more appealing as a lot of Elders entries are focused on appreciating her womb, vagina and menstrual cycle - not exactly connecting strongly with me.
The actual moon and māori focus however is very interesting so this made for a good read.
The actual moon and māori focus however is very interesting so this made for a good read.
January 7, 2023
Loved reading this book. Lots of learning and reconnecting to my culture
February 5, 2023
Beautifully written as someone that advocates in this space of Mātauranga. A very personal approach from Hinemoa on the korero tuku iho she has been privileged to be given through her whānau and given with real personal perspectives of its translation.
June 17, 2023
Beautifully written, shared with kindness. Lovely on audiobook
Read
September 8, 2024Dnf, just wasn't for me
February 14, 2024
Could listen to Dr Elder all day, she speaks Maori beautifully and has written something very personal so that we may learn and grow from her insights. Would recommend listening in conjunction with reading actual book (I listened and read the digital so would recommend the actual book to reflect more for own personal situation and because the mandela and artwork is better).
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews