This illustration came to me in a vision that directly spoke of my path and journey aswell as my identity as half Māori half British. It also was then followed by the kōrero brought about by Dr Rangi Mātāmua's comments on Te Marama in relation to our emotions and the evolving knowledge surrounding that and concepts such as low and high energy. Below is my vision and the initial message followed by my whakaaro on how the moon relates to use on an emotional level. 
 
My vision
Im far from opposed to turning to Te Taiao for support when times are hard and after a rough morning during my ikura times were hard. One green + lotus petal spliff later I was given a vision about myself. It was myself being cradled by the moon and its wairua. Below me were my own hands holding us up and underneth that were eyes that peered out from the swirling depths of Te Kore. 
 
Instantly I knew it to be presenting as a tarot card. A tohu on its own of the future. The hands were the two towers, the eyes were the wolf and the dog and the swirls of Te Kore that surrounded them were the water and crayfish. 
 
It spoke to me of tuning into my subconscious mind and facing the past fears that keep me from moving forward. It asks me to trust in myself and the universe and to listen to the cycles of my body reflected in the cycles of the moon. Understand who I am. Embrace all parts of me. I am my own leader and guide. I have all that I need to make a path forward. 
 
________________________
 
This piece was finished as the kōrero of Dr Rangi Mātāmua started to spread. And to that my thoughts are:
 
Tbh i think the moon DOES care about our feelings. And maybe we don't all feel happy on this day or sad on this one, but there are deeply embedded notions that we can feel different on different phases... and its not a whakaaro that comes from one person selling new age philosophy - its a collective energy. A collective mana wāhine experience. And its valid.
 
We are of Te Taiao just as much as the tides and therefore if we are of nature, we can be influenced by Te Marama like the rest of nature. I echo and tautoko forever_vincent on Instagram who said - history teaches us that knowledge never ever stands still and that the process of our tūpuna to learn, adapt, and hand down knowledge for the next generation to add to, shouldn't stop with us.
 
1839 was for sure not the peak of Māori culture, its achievements or its contributions to the world. We aren't stagnant - we are alive. We aren't of the past - we are now. New Maramataka knowledge might not be traditional today but nothing ever is. Till it is. 
 
About a month before I was given this vision, incidentally also during my ikura, I drew the last image. A quick sketch with the pink, yellow and orange sharpies I had on hand. I had no clue what it meant yet but still - my hands were needed. As was a woman with flowing hair and Te Marama. Now I know. It was the seed of this Te Marama illustration planting itself in my head. That little mini sketch is also included as they belong together.
 
Specs:
Paper: Stella Matt drawing paper by Hahnemühle Fine Art
Medium: Black ink
Size: A3 (29.7 cm × 42.0 cm)
 
Note:
This is a perfectly imperfect human illustration. There are indents from the pencil draft, an ink splotch by the moon and lines that vary in weight. You are not just buying an item. You are buying a story. You are buying passion. You are buying a little piece of my soul (not really but you get my drift).
 
This is a total one off with no prints or reproductions of any kind.