The New Moon & Maui's Fish Hook
A Pacific Islander Perspective of the New Moon and Month Ahead
November 30, 2024: New Moon conjunct Antares
The second to last new Moon of the year occurs today, November 30, 2024. Themes that are activated when the Moon is new, act as a blueprint for the entire 30-day lunation cycle. To decipher the possible themes we could experience over the next month, we look to any celestial bodies that align with the new Moon. There just so happens to be a powerful star that takes center stage.
This new Moon aligns with Antares, the alpha star of the Scorpius constellation. Antares is Greek, and means Rival of Ares. Ares is the Greek God of War. This star may have been given this name because it glows red, which mirrors the red hue of the planet Mars, named after the Roman deity equivalent to Ares. There are many mainstream astrological interpretations of Antares. The majority state that when this star gets activated, extreme conflict, obsession, and competition arise. Although there may be relevance to these translations, they do not resonate for me. I believe they don’t fully encompass all of the wisdom that Antares holds.
In the following write up, I offer my interpretations of Scorpius, Antares, and what this new Moon signifies. My viewpoint stems from my Polynesian ancestry and a personal 4-year journey I have been on connecting with the Scorpius constellation. Let’s dive in.
An Alternate Perspective: Maui’s Fish Hook
Antares is the brightest star in Scorpius. In astronomy, Scorpius is seen as a scorpion, and Antares is considered its heart. Scorpius is viewed differently by Pacific Island cultures, however. In the Pacific, this constellation has practical, mythological, and spiritual significance that goes back thousands of years to the times of ancient Polynesian navigators, now known as Wayfinders. Wayfinders were able to successfully navigate thousands of miles of open ocean in seafaring va’a (canoes) to find and travel between islands without the use of instrumentation. Their exceptional navigational abilities were founded on observation, memorization, and their undeniable connection to the natural world.
A technique that helped with the memorization of stars was attributing cultural myths to constellations, and one such myth transforms Scorpius into Maui’s Fish Hook. Maui is an important mythological figure found throughout Polynesia. He takes on many forms depending on the myth, but in some stories, he is called Maui, the Land Raiser/Land Puller. When Maui takes on the role of Land Raiser, it is said that he uses his magical fish hook to pull islands up from the depths of the sea.
When I first became aware that Scorpius was known as Maui’s Fish Hook, I went on a hunt to find more information. During my investigation, I came across a podcast called the Tongan Legends Podcast. In the episode linked, Dr. Tevita Ka’ili, a Tongan professor at BYU Hawai’i, shares the importance of the Maui’s Fish Hook constellation in myth and navigation from a Tongan perspective. As he spoke, it was like I was transported into a va’a with my ancient voyaging ancestors. The vision was so vivid and visceral, it felt like a memory rooted in my bones.
The following is the vision I experienced, told like story. My hope is that it helps you to activate your own inner navigator, a definitive theme of this new Moon, and entire lunation cycle.
Imagine you are an ancient Wayfinder in a va’a surrounded by endless ocean and a clear night sky filled with bright stars. One constellation stands out among the rest because it is shaped like a hook. It reminds you of stories you’ve heard since you were a child of the magical fish hook Maui uses to raise islands. Trusting the stories and your relationship with Maui, you orient your va’a to this constellation and sail toward it. The journey is long, but you stay the course. These stars are your guide. Then, one night, Maui’s Fish Hook is rising into the sky, and you finally see it. Land. But something special happens now. Due to the angle you are at on the open ocean, as this constellation rises, it looks like Maui has come to life and is reaching down from the heavens with his celestial fish hook, and raising the islands you see in front of you, straight up from the ocean floor. Relief floods your body. You know in an instant, not only have you found land, you have found home.
Lehua Kona: Signs of Life are Blooming, Can You See Them?
In Hawaiian, one of the names for Antares is Lehua Kona, meaning Southern Lehua Blossom. The red Lehua flower is striking, especially seen amongst the backdrop of pitch black lava fields. Similar to how Antares was named after Mars due to their red glows, the Lehua Kona name may have been chosen because this star emulates Lehua’s brilliant red.
The name Lehua Kona effectively transforms the meaning of Antares. Where this star has been associated with scorpion goddesses and war gods for eons, new meanings bloom. The ‘Ōhi’a Lehua tree is endemic to Hawai’i, and grows directly from lava rock. Due to this capability, ‘Ōhi’a Lehua is the first plant to grow on fresh lava flows.
Fascinatingly, ‘Ōhi’a Lehua’s ability to grow mirrors what Scorpius represents in astrology. Scorpius is associated with facing our fears, death, rebirth, transfiguration, and underworld journeys. If you have ever seen massive lava fields, the midnight colored rock appears to stretch into the horizon. At first glance, these far-reaching fields seem barren, which can mimic certain stages that arise while traversing our own underworlds, aka healing from trauma. However, once we make the choice to face these difficult experiences, and put in the work to shift our relationship to the pain, ‘Ōhi’a Lehua starts to take root. When this happens, our volcanic underworld terrain becomes dotted with red Lehua flowers. A sign that our once desolate landscape is coming back to life.
As this new Moon aligns with Lehua Kona, we are being invited to tap into our resilience, adaptability, and strength. We are also reminded that no matter where we are on the journey through our personal and collective underworlds, we have what it takes to face what is uncomfortable and transform.
Remembering Our Origins
Another theme that this new Moon and Lehua Kona illuminates comes from the actual positioning of Maui’s Fish Hook in the living sky. It is located in the Great Rift of the Milky Way. The Milky Way band we see acts like a window into our own galaxy and beyond. The Great Rift is where new stars are born.
This shows that Maui’s Fish Hook and Lehua Kona are not only connected to this earthly plane, but to the entire galaxy. In fact, it looks like the hook of Maui’s Fish Hook goes directly into the southern most part of the Great Rift. To me, this represents Maui taking his magical hook and raising not land, but our consciousness straight from the depths of the Milky Way Galaxy. This is a powerful reminder that our origins are earthly and cosmic. The trick is not to favor one over the other.
This new Moon/Maui’s Fish Hook/Milky Way activation shows that downloads and epiphanies are heightened at this time. When this happens, frequent dreams could become a normal occurrence. Paying attention to any vivid dreams you have over the next month, especially in regards to your own ancestral lineage or past life experiences, could bring powerful insights to you now.
Revealing What is Hidden
Finally, when Maui’s Fish Hook gets activated in astrology, it is a sign to me that we are in a time of deep unveiling. What was once hidden, will now come to the forefront. This is a theme that expands beyond this lunation cycle and into 2025. Oftentimes, when things are brought to light, it can initiate a period of disruption and upheaval. Although this may give rise to intensity and discomfort, I have learned that the Fish Hook of Maui reveals what we are ready to face (despite beliefs to the contrary). Ultimately, this new Moon and the astrology of the rest of the year, invites us to call in our ancestors, orient our va’a to our guiding stars, tune into our inner Wayfinders, and trust that we know how to navigate these times of great revelation and change.
Natasha Kealoha Astrology Website
For details about the astrological readings I offer, please visit my website at www.natashakastrology.com.
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