Papatuanuku

"Ko Papatuanuku te matua o te tangata - Papatuanuku is the parent of the human race"

Papatuanuku is the foundation. She is the earth, the whenua (land), the mother of all things. She is the body in which we draw our sustenance from. She is crucial to our existence.

In the Maori Creation story, Papatuanuku and Ranginui (Sky Father) were in an eternal embrace. Darkness lay all around. Their children were tired of living this way so pushed them apart to let in the light in. Seizing this moment, the children began to explore and create offspring of their own. These were to become the many species of trees, birds, insects, sea life, winds, water ... and eventually us.

The waters of Papatuanuku reach out to all corners of her being. Her life giving veins are like roots seeping and penetrating into all things, connecting us to her always.