I want to start by saying that while I grew up in Hawaii, I am not Native Hawaiian by heritage. I am not trained in Native Hawaiian spirituality, I don’t know the language, but I was exposed to both of those things as a part of just being a child here. Also, as you know, I am not “trained” in very much at all. My spiritual journey has been something guided by intuition and messages I receive from my Spirit Team. So as I write about my recent experiences on the Big Island of Hawaii, I ask that those of you who are trained and know better look at my story with an open heart. I don’t claim to know anything. But the things I did, I did with the utmost respect. And the Intelligences with whom I communicate have either asked me to be in this role — or have accepted me (albeit, maybe not openly) as a messenger in these events.

Also, this is going to be a really long, so I’m splitting this into more than one post.

Preparing for Departure

Okay, all that disclaimer stuff aside… last week I went to the Big Island to attend the Merrie Monarch Festival — essentially, the Super Bowl of hula. I watch at least part of it every year on TV and often get chills when the dancers call out to the Gods and Goddesses during their hula kahiko (the traditional style of dance) and you know that the deities are listening.

Tickets are hard to get. And when I felt the call to attend the event, Lahi also did, and we figured that if the powers that be really want us to be there, we’ll get tickets on the first year we try. We did.

When I found out we’d gotten the tickets, I was sure that we weren’t just going to be going there just to witness the amazing hula– that both Lahi and I would be tasked with doing various things for different deities.

I set about my preparations, although all the Universe told me at first was that I had to sew something to wear to the festival and that I’d have to make something for my hair. While talking to one of my coworkers, who is from Hawaii Island, about what would be the right thing to wear, I had a vision of a pueo, a Native Hawaiian owl, flying through the air and looking at me. I figured this meant I was supposed to find or make an outfit that honored this sacred animal — I was wrong.

Mana Cards

Later that week (a few weeks before the trip), I met up with my sister, Marisa, to belatedly celebrate my birthday. The gift she gave me? A deck of Mana Cards: The Power of Hawaiian Wisdom. On the front of the box? A pueo flying through the air and looking at me. And I realized, OH! I’m not supposed to dress like an owl. I’m supposed to do something that has to do with this deck. I panicked. How was I supposed to learn how to use this deck in just a few weeks — I’ve never been good at reading cards. Marisa said that something, someone… was telling her to get the cards for me. She thought it might be Hanuman, which didn’t make sense to me… but she kept saying H… H… like Hanuman, but not. I knew instantly that she meant Haumea, mother of the Goddess Pele and daughter of Na Wahine. I asked and she confirmed. Haumea asked her to get this for me.

Okay, I was getting some direction about what I might be doing on the Big Island.

Float

A week before our trip, I decided I needed more clarity and went to check out Dream Float Hawaii‘s new tank. It’s HUGE and really gave me the space to invite in more beings in to share their messages with me. And who came to visit me in her full, beautiful, powerful glory? Na Wahine.

Here’s what she told me:

• I must go to the volcano.
• I must make two hoʻokupu (offerings)
  • When I asked her whether I’d be making an offering to Pele and Hiʻiaka, her granddaughters, Haumea’s daughters — she said no
• I must chant in Hawaiian when making the hoʻokupu
  • When I asked her which chant, she said that the book that came with the Mana Cards holds the answer
  • When I asked her whether the chant should be for Pele and Hiʻiaka, she said I’ll know which chant needs to be done
• I must visit a Moʻo Wahine (Hawaiian dragon — Meheanu was the last one I visited)
  • When I asked which one, she said to do the research and I’ll know

Separately, I also knew that at some point, I had to make my way to Puʻu Honua O Honaunau, the sacred City of Refuge, which has been calling to me for the last year or so.

Incidentally (or not so incidentally), my friend Titus, who is from Hilo on the Big Island, was also there for a float in the other tank. He floated at the same time as I did and came out with his own messages for me, as well as answered some questions I had about the messages I’d received in the tank.

I asked what he usually includes as part of making hoʻokupu: he said ti leaf, fruit from his yard, and water from Wailuku River. I asked where he had made his original offering to Na Wahine. And he told me that while I was in Hilo, to keep my ears open for the opportunity to learn about hoʻoponopono from the disciple of Aunty M______. I say Aunty M because I’m not really sure if he told me “Aunty Mary” or “Aunty Margaret.”

Hoʻoponopono

I originally thought that he had said Aunty Mary — who when I did more research was Aunty Mary Pukui who is famous for her role in the preservation of the Hawaiian language and culture — and who has family members who were priestesses in the Pele line. And who established a lot of what is understood about hoʻoponopono. Seemed to fit.

He came back and told me he actually meant Aunty Margaret Machado, who was a healer and was the reason why the ancient Hawaiian art of lomilomi has spread the way it has. She also had followers that taught hoʻoponopono. Hmmmm.

More on exactly what hoʻoponopono is in the next entry.

I didn’t get any more information than this before my departure. I did try to do research and found no additional details that helped to guide my preparation. I packed the cards and the clothing I had made (a shirt that featured the lehua blossom — sacred to Hiʻiaka and Pele) and a belt. And I was off at the crack of dawn to catch a plane to the Big Island of Hawaii, to attend the Merrie Monarch Festival and to chant something and give something to someone for some reason, somewhere.

Sounded exciting, if not a little vague.

But in the end, everything made sense.

More to come.