Signified by the Matariki cluster of stars reappearing in our night sky, this is a time to reflect on the past year, celebrate the present, and plan for the year ahead. A celebration of the beginning of the Māori New Year.
Historically, the stars were closely tied to planting and harvesting. If the stars appeared clear and bright, it signified an abundant season ahead.
A time of celebration, thinking about the year ahead and of course reflecting on what's past and celebrating the success. It's important to have these check points and set our intentions to move forward. This was traditionally a time the crops were harvested so another cause for celebration. I often think of my work as planting seeds and watching them grow. It helps me manage my impatience too!
In our modern society we can be so quick to move on to the next thing we often forget to pause and acknowledge how far we’ve come, to celebrate the wins along the way. Without doing this we can feel like we’re always striving and never arriving so it leaves us feeling like there’s always something we’ve not done yet, at the expense of acknowledging how far we’ve come.
I’m guilty of this too and can find myself wanting more, to do better, to chase down goals. It’s why it’s so important to celebrate the milestones along the way and to remember like the seeds our flowers take a while to bloom. We can’t have instant success as much as the impatient part of our high achiever drive demands it. We have to tend to the seed, water it, nurture the dream and eventually there will be a harvest.
Reflecting on how far we’ve come feels like a harvest sometimes. It’s also a great time to consider what new seeds we’d like to plant. What are we focusing on (the grass is always greener where we water it remember) and what we give our energy and focus to will grow – regardless if it’s positive or negative. It can be a beautiful bloom of our dreams or the weeds of our insecurities, what are we feeding?
So as we enjoy the additional public holiday this celebration has afforded us let’s also consider the why behind the words. A celebration of the Māori new year, matariki brings a focus on remembering those who have died, celebrating the present, and looking ahead to the future.
So my question for you is what does this mean to you? What are you harvesting and celebrating. What seeds have you planted, what are you nurturing and how are they growing?