From earth mother, Papatūānuku, who sustains and nurtures us to the goddess of peace, Hinepūtehue, who transformed pain into beauty, these are the atua wāhine, the Māori goddesses who make up the world around us: earth, fire, water, the moon and more.
Author Hana Tapiata (Te Arawa, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Porou, Waikato, Pākehā) draws on whakataukī (proverbs) and pūrākau (traditional stories) to illustrate how the energy and wisdom of 17 atua wāhine can help us navigate life.
The book focusses on four themes - ways to make sense of the world, wāhine as the creative source, natural cycles, and self-determination while being guided by ancestral wisdom.
Tapiata focusses each chapter on a particular atua wāhine, beginning with an introduction to them. She then applies personal experiences or interpretations of their stories before offering up a space to wānanga or workshop each atua. Tapiata poses questions to readers to guide them to a deeper understanding of themselves through each atua wāhine. Readers are invited to reflect and apply the knowledge that has been shared and at times it can be quite confronting.
Tapiata includes a glossary, while also offering up a note on language, complementary reading and a list of other atua wāhine to guide readers deeper on the journey.
The more I read, the more I enjoyed this precious pukapuka. I began to see atua wāhine that I already knew in new ways, while also learning about so many more that I'd either heard about in passing or had never heard their names before. It is a book that will leave you hungry for more, but one that is best appreciated slowly - give yourself time to sit and explore each atua wāhine, rather than 'reading' it like a chapter book.
It's a beautiful book physically too, with a shimmering gold kōwhaiwhai dancing across the cover. It is repeated throughout the book, with the artwork echoing the potential to unfold and grow.
While it is obviously a book of and for women, it is for everyone. It is full of wisdom and stories, each weaving together to form a renewed perspective and understanding.
Atua Wāhine is a beautiful book that is revealing, insightful and a precious offering of wisdom for any kete.
Reviewer: Rebekah Lyell
HarperCollins Publishers