Papatuanuku

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

'Earth Mother' Papatuanuku is the foundation. She is the land — the whenua — the source and sustainer of all life. From her body, we draw nourishment. From her breath, we are sustained. She is essential to our existence.

In the Maori creation story, Papatuanuku and Ranginui (Sky Father) were locked in a loving, eternal embrace. In the darkness between them, their children grew restless. Longing for space and light, the children pushed their parents apart — and in that moment, light poured into the world. With the veil lifted, they began to explore, create, and offer life. From their many unions came the untold forms of being — trees, birds, insects, sea creatures, winds, waters... and eventually, us.

The life-giving waters of Papatuanuku reach into every corner of her being — and ours. Her veins flow like roots, seeping, stretching, penetrating all things. Through them, she connects us. She is us; we are her.