Ngāti Mahuhiri – Te Whā o Mahuru

Mahuru is the fourth month of the Māori calendar and marks the coming warmer seasons leading into summer when plants are starting to grow again. In the Gregorian calendar, the first of September marks the beginning of spring whereas it has been Mahuru since Whiro rose on August 28.

In the Gregorian calendar, the months are based on gods, goddesses, rulers and numbers and September comes from the Latin name Septem, meaning seven. The oldest known Roman calendar had only 10 months and September was the seventh month. Hepetema is the Māori ingoa (name) for September.

There are two ‘seasons’ in the Māori year – Hine Rāumati and Hine Takurua – the two wāhine of Tamanuiterā (the great Sky Father). So, as Tamanuiterā returns to his ‘summer’ wahine, Hine Rāumati, we feel the shift to the warmer weather. Mahuru is also known as Te Whā o Mahuru, referring to it being the fourth month or Te Ahunga o Uruao, referring to the new generation of whitebait.

Traditionally, Māori would look to the environment for tohu (signs) which would indicate the change of seasons and, depending on the area they resided in, the tohu would be different. The signs included events such as the start of the whitebait season, the blooming of certain flowers or the migratory birds that start arriving to their summer residence.

Tohu o te rangi (signs in the sky): In Mahuru a new star, Te Kakau (Regulus) rises. You can also see the stars Whakāhu Kerekere and Whakāhu Rangi (Castor and Pollux) in the eastern sky.

Tohu o te moana (signs in the ocean): This is the whitebait season so you will see whitebait in our waterways during this period.

Tohu o te whenua (signs in the land): There are several tohu on land – one is the pīpīwharauroa bird (shining cuckoo), which can be heard singing in the trees. Another tohu is the ripening of red berries.

Practical activities to do this Mahuru could be:
• Prepare your gardens and tools ready for the month ahead
• Reflect on the past four months and plan ahead
• Reset your space at home, school or work
• If looking to move house or change jobs, weigh up the pros and cons and plan accordingly

Living (or working) by the Maramataka (Māori lunar calendar) helps our team plan ahead and action accordingly. For instance, there are dates within the month that are better for holding hui (meetings) or for strategic planning and report writing. If you would like more information and resources to help you in your workplace or to learn to live/work by the Maramataka, please feel free to contact our team.

Ngā mihi nui