CELEBRATING THE SOUTHERN SEASONS: RITUALS FOR AOTEAROA ~ JULIET BATTEN
‘We meet at the sacred place of ritual . . . the roots of the oak touch the roots of the pohutukawa in sacred soil. And from here . . . we may begin the healing that makes productive and creative relationship possible [between Maori and Pakeha]’.
This pioneering book has now become a classic. It brings together Maori, European and Christian traditions, and suggests ways for celebrating the seasonal festivals in Aotearoa, so that all traditions are honoured and included.
Since the book’s first publication, Matariki, the New Year celebration at Winter Solstice, has undergone a massive resurgence – and other seasonal festivities are springing up all over the country.
In the tenth anniversary edition of this unique work, author Juliet Batten sheds more light on customs, symbols and meanings attached to seasonal changes. She reports not only on forms of celebration that New Zealanders have inherited and found but also on those we have devised and adapted. And she suggests readings, myths and stories to enrich our high days and holidays, strengthening the book’s role as a valuable resource.
Format: Paperback (235mm X 152mm) 272 pages
First published 1995; this revised edition 2005.
~
Juliet Batten, a teacher and artist as well as a psychotherapist and writer, has worked extensively on seasonal celebrations and ceremonies, leading rituals throughout New Zealand. This revised edition of Celebrating the Southern Seasons follows her award-winning fifth book A Cup of Sunlight: discovering the sacred in everyday life.