New Zealand Winter Solstice

Feeds:: Posts; Comments

New Zealand Winter Solstice

August 4, 2012 by irenamarie

Te Kohanga, Birthplace of the Gods…a Winter Solstice natural dolmen circle. Back home in Wisconsin was a sweltering drought. New Zealand in winter….time to delve deep, reflect, measure the stars, do some writing, some re-thinking, some heart connecting.It was winter, right? Time to run through the rain, write in the journal for hours, obsess on keeping the wood stove going, look up at the Milky Way. Here at Te Kohanga, you can feel the birth of the South Island…the guardianship of the ancient ones. This is one of the Waitaha sacred places.

Went ‘Down Under’ with Nate, my friend and travel companion. Nate’s a pretty mean cook. And great fun to travel around with. We thought about co-creating a tea house business on the South Island, but something shifted over the solstice….no worries.

The Fourth of July in New Zealand….we walked the Cape Foulwind track and hung out on the West Coast for a few days. Have you ever seen a real astrolabe? I had not, until walking along an unpopulated remote track on the West Coast, and found an astrolabe in a box in the middle of nowhere. \

Actually, this is where it was…

Astrolabe…..

astrolabe (

-l

)

An ancient instrument used widely in medieval times by navigators and astronomers to determine latitude, longitude, and time of day. The device employed a disk with 360 degrees marked on its circumference. Users took readings from an indicator that pivoted around the center of the suspended device like the hand of a clock. The astrolabe was replaced by the sextant in the 18th century.

And here it is:

astrolabe [ˈæstrəˌleɪb]

(Mathematics & Measurements / Navigation) (Astronomy) (Engineering / Tools) an instrument used by early astronomers to measure the altitude of stars and planets and also as a navigational aid. It consists of a graduated circular disc with a movable sighting device Compare sextant

[via Old French and Medieval Latin from Greek, from astrolabos (adj), literally: star-taking, from astron star +lambanein to take]

Star-Taking!….yes. I think that’s what we were doing down in New Zealand on the Fourth of July. So we wandered on, and found a café on a beach at the end of a deserted road. It was sunset, and the colors were other-worldly. I wasn’t aware that this was the 4th of July, and I don’t think Nate had a clue either. We were in that traveling space of no time. We were star-taking. So we ate some fish and chips that night.

Nate on the beach, 4th of July…..

Went on down to Whitecliffs to stay with Makere, dear friend and Waitaha elder. We hung out at her place for a few days of rest and heart connecting. Wonderful! Rivers, fire, rain, cooking meals together, playing with Mr. Bear, catching up with Waitaha folk.

Makere (in front) and me on bridge to contemplate a sacred river.

And with Waitaha artist Rua Pick. Rua was very patiently trying to teach me to play an albatross bone flute he had made. I didn’t succeed very well. I tried.

Here is one of Rua’s beautiful works. This one is called “Lineage of Tangaroa”. Note the dragonfly!

Then on to Christchurch, to my friend Eva’s in Governors Bay. Look who was waiting for us at the front door!

Eva’s pets….Toot Boy the peacock, and Evie the horse. It was a challenge to get in the front door. But once we did, it was heavenly.

We spent four days with Eva attending a workshop where we studied and experienced these things……

The Ancient Flower of Life

and Metatron’s cube………………….

Wow! This was pretty mystical stuff.

We took Eva to dinner at the Lotus Heart to have a vegan meal at the best restaurant in Christchurch (in my vegan opinion). Here’s Nate and Eva at the lovely new Lotus Heart…..