Words by Hella Coenen
Over the last few weeks, we and all of nature have been challenged, to say the least, by the continuous wind. The lower North Island is known for being windy but this Spring has been ‘next level’ because there have been lots of low pressure systems over the Southern Ocean.
It kind of makes sense to have wind in autumn in the Northern Hemisphere; it helps the seeds to spread and clears the stagnant air after summer. But here it’s spring, and we don’t have seeds yet, only tender blossoms, new growth, plants and germinating seeds that can snap and dry out quickly? There’s only one thing I can thank the wind for, I did not have to climb the pine-nut trees but could pick a whole basket of cones off the ground!
Is this a message from Tawhirimatea that it’s time to bring male and female aspects together again as equals and live more in coherence with nature, more peacefully?
As the myths tells us:
Tāwhirimātea, the god of the winds and the storms lived between the embrace of Ranginui and Papatūānuku as did the other children of his whānau. He liked living close to his parents. He could talk to his mother, and get advice from his father when he needed to. But the other children, his siblings, had had enough, they wanted to live in the light. A meeting was called and the majority of the children decided that their parents had to be separated. Tāwhirimātea disagreed.
“How dare you! How dare you think of hurting our parents in such a way. They fed you, nurtured and raised you, and now you reward them with this?”
Sometimes Tāwhirimātea is content to listen to advice from his parents and forgive his siblings. On those days the weather is fine, clear and calm. But sometimes he is reminded of the pain his parents endured when they were separated, and the longing they still have for each other. On those days he sends tornadoes, hurricanes, and cyclones to hound the descendants of those that betrayed him.
The day before the storm Jane drew the biggest tree at Ruamāhanga Farm; a eucalyptus … now a new shape thanks to the big wind.