It’s been a hard week, and many of us could do with some kindness and good news. Let’s take a moment to remember Matariki. What would Standardistas and other politically progressive people like to see for the coming year?
Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades. Puaka is the principle star down South (aka Rigel in the Orion system). Both are celebrated when they first reappear in the winter sky, usually at the corresponding new moon, and mark the start of the Māori new year (this year’s new moon was June 6th).
In traditional cultures mid winter is a time to come together, tell stories, share understandings, and make plans for the coming year. It’s natural to spend less time out there doing, and more time in here contemplating, sharing, and preparing for the busier times ahead.
What would Standardistas (authors, commenters and readers) like to see for the coming year? By this time next year we will be gearing up for the election campaign. We will be another year along the path of climate change. We will have had another year of fighting and delighting each other on all things political. What have we learned from the year past, and what do we hope for going forward?
Matariki also comes after the harvest season has finished, when the food stores are more bountiful. What are the things we are grateful for, where we feel we have done well and built something good?
Many places in NZ now have Matariki and Puaka festivals, often over the whole month.
And something for the astronomy geeks.
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