...A medicine story for Ka Piko o Wakea (the Autumnal Equinox) a good time for ceremony
by Yvonne Mokihana Calizar

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Siblings

Raven did as his daughter asked. Stan wrapped Shine in the patchworked skirt and lifted her into him. For a few moments she met his eyes, but hers were still milky and unfocused. Once on his feet Dumpling stroked the girl's face looked in the direction of the Twins and saw that Aka had her brother enfolded in her arms; her arms turning to wings.

The sun seemed to pause. The sky brightened slowly. On the Tall One stretched horizontal to the bay the two siblings wrapped themselves into the feathered space of reassembling. Not here, not there the offspring of two very different Beings knew to unstitch for awhile. Aka handed her brother the vial. "Ma made this for you. Hypericum Perforatum for sadness." In their Raven forms the dose of St. Joan's wort was at least doubly potent. From his vantage point Jacob the Surveyor meddled for the second time. As Skeena loosened the stopper, pink liquid splashed, spilling a portion. Skeena drank the rest.

The Advocate spoke silently but loud enough for Rabbit to hear. "So, is that bit of remedy enough for that boy? Didn't his mother mean for him to have all of it?" Rabbit asked. Jacob had been a steward at these borders for a very very long time. He was often silent in his duties but he missed nothing. "Sometimes a mother will misjudge the potency of her own gifts. Sometimes less is more, they forget that." Rabbit trusted his sidekick, but wondered whether there was enough of the remedy to do the job. Together Rabbit and Jacob watched.

Minoaka had asked for enough time to comfort her twin, between them the memories of Raven and the Border Witch ran like salt water and fresh. The multiple messages dosed them, Skeena relaxed and for awhile they were eggs again listening to all the stories, all the songs. The history forward and back opened up.  Aka chanted. She called on her Ancestors to refresh their world. She chanted a traditional 'oli.
Na ‘Aumakua mai ka la hiki a ka la kau!Mai ka ho’oku’i a ka halawaiNa ‘Aumakua ia Kahinakua, ia Kahina’aloIa ka’a ‘akau i ka lani‘O kiha i ka lani‘Owe i ka laniNunulu i ka laniKaholo i ka laniEia na pulapula a ‘oukou ‘o ka 'ohana Raven WawaeE malama ‘oukou ia makouE ulu i ka laniE ulu i ka honuaE ulu i ka pae’aina o Hawai’i a me ke'ia moku SalishE ho mai i ka ‘ikeE ho mai i ka ikaikaE ho mai i ke akamaiE ho mai i ka maopopo ponoE ho mai i ka ‘ike papaluaE ho mai i ka mana.‘Amama ua noa.


What does Aka's chant reveal? (click to find out)
Na ‘Aumakua
Adapted from Hawaiian Antiquities by David Malo






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