Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars that signal the beginning of a new year.
In Aotearoa, it will be celebrated as a holiday on the 14th July 2023. It is an opportunity for all people to come together and reflect on the year that has passed, celebrate the present, and plan for the future.
We have created this wall hanging with the stars laser cut out and the names laser engraved to expose the bamboo beneath the paint.
Matariki is marked by the rising of a star cluster of the same name, which appears in Aotearoa skies in midwinter. The Matariki cluster – also known as Pleiades and the Seven Sisters – has about 500 stars, however, only about seven are visible to the naked eye.
In Māori tradition, there are nine stars with different meanings – Matariki and her eight children.
As the stories of Matariki differ between different iwi and hapu groups, so do the spelling of the stars' names. Note that some spellings use hyphens and others do not.
Sizes Choose from 20cm, 30cm or our large 60cm.
Delivery Please order prior to Saturday the 18th of June to receive your wall hanging in time for Matariki.
All care is taken, but each piece is created from design to dispatch. Colours and Bamboo grains may vary from photos.
Importance of each Matariki star
1. Matariki (Alcyone)
• The star that signifies reflection of time past.
• Represents a connection to the environment and heralds a time for people to gather together.
• A symbol of hope and encourages your connection with the environment and with each other.
2. Pōhutukawa (Sterope/Asterope)
• The star that cradles the memories of those loved ones that we have lost.
• A symbol of connection to the past and to the ancestors who have gone before us.
• Look upon this star and remember and acknowledge those who have led you on the path you are on.
3. Waitī (Maia)
• The star that shines for all sources of fresh water and the life within.
4. Waitā (Taygeta)
• The star that symbolises all sources of salt water as well as those that dwell within it.
• Respect, preserve and protect our coasts and oceans and the ocean dwellers for they are a great taonga.
5. Waipuna-ā-rangi (Electra)
• The star associated with life-giving rain in all forms.
6. Tupu-ā-nuku (Pleione)
• The star with an interest of all that grows in the ground that can be harvested, gathered and used as sustenance.
• Well-nourished, and sustaining soil is essential to all that grows.
7. Tupu-ā-rangi (Atlas)
• I am the star that is linked with the trees, forests, fruits, berries and birds.
• Associated with the realm of Tānemahuta.
• Your role in their preservation is to act as kaitiaki.
8. Ururangi (Merope)
• Closely tied with te whānau puhi (the wind family)
• She encourages you to get to know this family well, embrace its strength and prepare for any challenges it creates.
9. Hiwa-i-te-rangi (Celaeno)
• The star to be wished upon.
• The youngest star of the nine and represents the hopes and aspirations to be carried forth to the coming year.
• Hold fast to your dreams and aspirations and focus on those pathways that will lead you in those directions.
