Profoundly peaceful is how I would describe this moment. After having zig zagged through mountain passes to Taumarunui, New Zealand feasting on some of the most sumptuous scenery I’ve ever seen, my soul feels fed. Bad by U2 is playing from my husbands travel playlist, my children are quietly doing homework in our rented RV and home for two weeks and all around me is silence. The not a soul in sight kind of silence.
Every story, legend, and myth you’ve read about Gaia feels as though they’ve played out here. Across all cultures and religions this place feels like a crossroads, an intersection of something profound and spiritual. Freedom camping nestled in the warm embrace of mother nature in some secluded spot between farms, is my idea of bliss.
I’ve felt this sense of awe many times in my lifetime. It’s the reason people seek solitude in nature. From the back roads of British Columbia to the mountains of New Zealand, if you wait patiently enough you feel the breath of the tree of life. Mother nature, the wind and earthly spirits speak to you.
Rabbits are playing in the field across the gravel road and I exhale a sigh full of gratitude. My husband teases me from time to time because I tend to “happy cry”. Beauty in all forms inspires a well of emotions in me.
If you’ve read my posts you’ll know that I have really vivid dreams or what feel like memories. This vacation is ripe with déja vu and synchronicity.
In stillness, I think we all have an inner voice that speaks to us. Opportunities, places and people call us. What if God were nothing more than the pulsating energy that binds us. That somewhere in our DNA, our cells feel our connection to each other and the earth. In those awestruck moments when you feel the pulse of all life like a web and want to weep at the beauty of it, we truly live and love.
Here, fully present and emotionally naked, I feel profoundly loved, by my family and my fellow man. It’s a gift I would pass on to every single person I encountered if I could. If you could take the pain and loneliness of others and gift them with the purity of a moment fully embodied, fleshed out and lived, wouldn’t you? So we could all cherish the gift of what it means to be human and be painfully, vibrantly alive.
“Wide awake, I’m not sleeping” — U2
Life can be monotonous. If you’re lucky it’s punctuated by the profound. Days roll by and time can be a fickle bitch if you don’t choose to live consciously. Wide awake is how I try to live but it’s not always achievable. Taking in that breath and embracing a moment, even the mundane, always brings me a sense of peace.
From namaste to kia ora (a traditional Maori greeting), cultural traditions and mythology have a very similar feeling across the globe. I want to honor the hospitality I’ve felt here by delving into some of the Maori legends that resonate with me. Thank you for perspective, wonderful memories and a renewed sense of kinship with my fellow man.
“Kia ora is a warm and welcoming greeting you’ll hear throughout New Zealand and comes from the indigenous Māori language, te reo.
In its simplest form, kia ora means hello. But these two little words signify more than just a passing greeting. In its literal sense, ‘’ora” refers to a state of living, or being alive. By using using ‘kia’ , it changes it from a noun to a verb, so rather than ‘alive’ it is ‘living’. So when you say kia ora to someone, you are wishing the essence of life upon them.
Although the words’ origins are steeped in history, kia ora is used as an informal greeting throughout New Zealand. You will hear everyone from the Prime Minister to the local shopkeeper using it in day-to-day conversation. ” — Kia ora
Cultural symbols and greetings have always fascinated me. From yin and yang to the simple act of covering ones’ head in reverencec. Our collective humanity is steeped in gestures that have become common place.
Stories can be metaphors for life. The idea of the mountains as entities with temperaments and long lived histories is a nod to our past. The myth of Mt Taranki satisfies my inner closet romantic and history buff. Stretching my old brain keeps me young so I thought I’d share the beauty of this legend.
“Mt Taranaki is a spiritually important landmark for Māori, and Māori pa (fortified villages) dotted throughout the region tell stories of the region’s culture and history.
In a time long ago, eight personified mountains were born from the landscape. There lived seven males — Tongariro, Taranaki, Ruapehu, Ngaruahoe, Tarawera, Tauhara and Patauaki — and one female, Pihanga. Their catch cry as children was “We will always be together, and nothing will ever separate us!”
As millenia passed, the boy mountains grew into powerful male warriors while Pihanga blossomed into a comely fern-covered mist maiden, who each of them desired for a wife.
“Choose!” cried Tongariro “You must choose!”
“I cannot,” replied Pihanga. “I love you all equally.”
“Then we will battle, and the victor will be your husband,” declared Tongariro.
One by one, the mountains came up against Tongariro and one by one they were defeated. Finally, only Taranaki was left to face the powerful Tongariro. Their battle was spectacularly violent as each mountain was evenly matched.
The battle raged on for months until a burning Pihanga cried out “Stop!” as she lay close to death in her scorched and blackened cloak of fern. Rather than lose her, Taranaki conceded defeat — and so Pihanga became Tongariro’s wife. — Legend of Taranaki
The universe has been enveloping my family in it’s warm embrace this past week. Here’s to hoping the weather Gods and the universe will favor us, opening a window to hike the Tongariro crossing. Fingers crossed…
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Go forth break bread: Pumpkin and beetroot salad
I had this at the HBC cafe near Cathedral Cove with the best sandwich I think I’ve ever had! Food is my friend.
My dream soundtrack added “Take me to church” by Hozier. I think I may have a tiny crush on you, New Zealand. ♥️
