Natural Impressions

Hele me kahau 'oli

2010-07-18T13:04:00.000-10:00

Hele me kahau 'oli -- go with joy

Aloha kaua - Settlement of the Hawaiian Islands

2010-07-18T12:24:00.003-10:00

Aloha,

I recorded this excerpt several years ago in one of my personal journals and now I am very happy to say I have found the original source again.

This is a wonderful informative website if you have an interest in Kanaka Maoli - Hawaiian culture pre-contact and present. We are working hard to preserve and perpetuate Hawaiian culture, language, sacred Hula, chanting, oli, and mele for our children and our children's children. Hawaiians have always had an enormous impact on the world's culture.

My quote is an excerpt from The Settlement of Polynesia Part 1, the authorship is credited to Dennis Kawaharada and is published at this link
Polynesian Voyaging Society

Here is an additional quote from the same source to add interest to a discussion forum titled "What is cultural impact and how is it measured":

The Polynesian Settlement of the Pacific

"The Polynesian migration to Hawai'i was part of one of the most remarkable achievements of humanity: the discovery and settlement of the remote, widely scattered islands of the central Pacific. The migration began before the birth of Christ. While Europeans were sailing close to the coastlines of continents before developing navigational instruments that would allow them to venture onto the open ocean, voyagers from Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Marqueses Islands began to settle islands in an ocean area of over 10 million square miles. The settlement took a thousand years to complete and involved finding and fixing in mind the position of islands, sometimes less than a mile in diameter on which the highest landmark was a coconut tree. By the time European explorers entered the Pacific Ocean in the 16th century almost all the habitable islands had been settled for hundreds of years.

The voyaging was all the more remarkable in that it was done in canoes built with tools of stone, bone, and coral. The canoes are navigated without instruments by expert seafarers who depend on their observations of the ocean and sky and traditional knowledge of the patterns of nature for clues to the direction and location of islands. The canoe hulls are dug out from tree trunks with adzes or made from planks sewn together with a cordage of coconut fiber twisted into strands and braided for strength. Cracks and seams are sealed with coconut fibers and sap from Ulu (Breadfruit) or other trees. An outrigger is attached to a single hull for greater stability on the ocean; two hulls are lashed together with crossbeams and a deck added between the hulls to create double canoes capable of voyaging long distances.

The canoes are paddled when there is no wind and sailed when there is; the sails are woven from coconut or pandanus leaves. These vessels are seaworthy enough to make voyages of over 2,000 miles along the longest sea roads of Polynesia, such as the mighty ocean channel between Hawai'i and Tahiti." end quote

Here is a photograph of an Adze

Information Source Wikipedia and other resources "In central Europe, adzes made by knapping flint are known from the late Mesolithic onwards ("Scheibenbeile"). Polished adzes and axes made of ground stone, such as amphibolite, basalt or Jadeite are typical for the Neolithic period. Shoe-last adzes or celts, named for their typical shape, are found in the Linearbandkeramic and Rössen cultures of the early Neolithic. Adzes were also made and used by prehistoric southeast Asian cultures, especially in the Mekong River basin. An adze (pronounced /ˈædz/) is a tool used for smoothing rough-cut wood in hand woodworking. Generally, the user stands astride a board or log and swings the adze downwards towards his feet, chipping off pieces of wood, moving backwards as he goes and leaving a relatively smooth surface behind. Adzes are most often used for squaring up logs, or for hollowing out timber. Prehistoric Māori adzes from New Zealand, used for wood carving, were made from nephrite, also known as jade. At the same time on Henderson Island, a small coral island in eastern Polynesia lacking any rock other than limestone, locals may have fashioned giant clamshells into adzes." Another source states: "Imagine a world with no knives or cutting blades made out of metal. This is the world of the Hawaiians. The primary tool for cutting, chopping, forming and shaping was the stone adze (adz). On a grand scale the adze was used for cutting trees and shaping canoes. On a smaller scale, the adze was used to carve idols, shape calabash bowls and cut plant material. The Bishop Museum has adzes in their collection from almost two feet down to an inch. Adzes are made from dense basalt. The finest some say are made at the Mauna Kea quarry on the Island of Hawaii. This preserved area shows evidence of large-scale quarry, which had permanent workers. Mauna Kea black adzes are among the most prized. Their cutting edge could be razor sharp."

"The Hawaiian Adze is unique among Pacific cultures and is called a hafted adze. The adze would be fastened to a special handle that would enable the user to swing it in a cutting motion. Sometime the adze would be fastened at the end of a stick and used like a chisel. Other adze were in fact fashioned like chisels and hit with a stone. Along with the Poi Pounder, the adze is Kanaka Maoli - Hawaiian's most important stone implement."

This is an image of a beautiful hand crafted double hulled canoe
This is a composite of three of my portrait-vertical photographs of the beautiful hand crafted Mo'olele Double Hulled Canoe at Hui O Wa'a Kaulua Lahaina Maui Hawai'i, taken with permission.

"To keep track of their position at sea during long sea voyages, the navigators used a system of dead reckoning "memorizing the distance and direction traveled until the destination was reached. Finding islands before they could actually be seen was also part of the art of navigation. Voyagers followed the flight of land-dwelling birds that fished at sea as these birds flew from the direction of islands in the morning or returned in the evenings. The navigators also watched for changes in swell patterns, clouds piled up over land, reflections on clouds from lagoons, and drifting land vegetation.

When European explorers found the islands of Polynesia, the common ancestry of the Polynesians was evidentÑthe inhabitants of widely separated islands looked alike, spoke alike, and had similar cultural practices. Their manufactured products such as fishooks, trolling lures, adzes, and ornaments also revealed similarities. And they had the same basic stock of domesticated plants and animals.

The peoples of Polynesia came from a common ancestral group that developed a distinctive fishing and farming culture in the islands of Tonga and Samoa.

While dates constantly change with new archaeological discoveries, the general sequence for the settlement of Polynesia has been relatively well established (Dates represent earliest archaeological finds; they almost certainly do not represent the earliest presence of human beings.):

--Hunters and gatherers inhabited Australia and New Guinea by 50,000 years ago.

--Around 1600-1200 B.C., a cultural complex called Lapita (identified by a distinctive pottery and named after a site in New Caledonia) spread from New Guinea in Melanesia as far east as Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga. Polynesian culture developed at the eastern edge of this region (i.e., in Samoa and Tonga).

--Around 300 B.C. or earlier, seafarers from Samoa and Tonga discovered and settled islands to the eastÑthe Cook Islands, Tahiti-nui, Tuamotus, and Hiva (Marquesas Islands).

--Around 300 A.D. or earlier, voyagers from central or eastern Polynesia, possibly from Hiva, discovered and settled Easter Island.

--Around 400 A.D. or earlier, voyagers from the the Cook Islands, Tahiti-nui, and /or Hiva settled Hawai'i.

--Around 1000 A.D. or earlier, voyagers from the Society and/or the Cook Islands settled Aotearoa (New Zealand).

The ethnobotanical evidence reflects this progression of settlement from the Western Pacific islands, through central Polynesia (the Cook Islands, Society Islands, and Hiva), and then to Hawai'i. Of the 72 plants identified as having been transported to Polynesia by people, 41-45 are found in the Cook Islands, the Society Islands, and Hiva; 29 are found in Hawai'i, including taro, breadfruit, sugar cane, bamboo, ti, yam, banana, 'awa, paper mulberry, kukui, coconut, gourd, sweet potato, and mountain apple. The settlers also brought the pig, dog, chicken, and rat along with them. The transport of plants and domesticated animals on voyaging canoes suggests that the early settlers planned to colonize Hawai'i, after having discovered its location.

The Settlement of Hawai'i

Hawai'i, which contains the largest islands in Polynesia outside of Aotearoa, must have appeared particularly rich in land and resources to its discoverers. The tradition of Hawai'iloa records the event as follows: "[The voyagers] went ashore and found the land fertile and pleasant, filled with 'awa, coconut trees, and so on, and Hawai'iloa, the chief, gave that land his name. Here they dwelt a long time and when their canoe was filled with vegetable food and fish, they returned to their native country with the intention of returning to Hawai'i-nei, which they preferred to their own country." (Fornander, Vol. 6, 278; other traditions suggest that 'awa and coconut were brought by those who settle Hawai'i.)

Scholars believe that early settlers of Hawai'i came predominantly from Hiva (Marquesas). The argument for a Hivan homeland is based in part on linguistic and biological evidence: "Indeed, the close relationship between the Hawaiian and Marquesan languages as well as between the physical populations constitutes strong and mutually corroborative evidence that the early Hawaiians came from the Marquesas" (Kirch 64).

The Marquesan language has been grouped under the category Proto Central Eastern Polynesian, along with Hawaiian, Tahitian, Tuamotuan, Rarotongan, and Maori. Vocabulary comparisons seem to indicate that the dialect of the Southern Marquesan Islands (Hiva Oa, Tahuata, Fatu Hiva), is the closest relative of Hawaiian language (Green 1966)"

Information credit Dennis Kawaharada The Settlement of Hawai'i

Ho'oponopono

2010-07-14T15:39:00.000-10:00

Beyond Traditional Means: Ho'oponopono

An interview with ...
Morrnah Simeona and Dr. Stan Hew Len

by Deborah King

"We can appeal to Divinity who knows our personal blueprint, for healing of all thoughts and memories that are holding us back at this time," softly shares Morrnah Simeona. "It is a matter of going beyond traditional means of accessing knowledge about ourselves."

The process that Morrnah refers to is based on the ancient Hawaiian method of stress reduction (release) and problem solving called Ho'oponopono. The word Ho'oponopono means to make right, to rectify an error. Morrnah is Hawaiian Kahuna Lapa'au. Kahuna means "keeper of the secret" and Lapa'au means "a specialist in healing." She was chosen to be a kahuna while still a small child and received her gift of healing at the age of three. She is the daughter of a member of the court of Queen Liliuokalani, the last sovereign of the Hawaiian Islands. The process that is now brought forth is a modernization of an ancient spiritual cleansing ritual. It has proven so effective that she has been invited to teach this method at the United Nations, the World Health Organization and at institutions of healing throughout the world.

How does Ho'oponopono work? Morrnah explains, "We are the sum total of our experiences, which is to say that we are burdened by our pasts. When we experience stress or fear in our lives, if we would look carefully, we would find that the cause is actually a memory. It is the emotions which are tied to these memories which affect us now. The subconscious associates an action or person in the present with something that happened in the past. When this occurs, emotions are activated and stress is produced."

She continues, "The main purpose of this process is to discover the Divinity within oneself. The Ho'oponopono is a profound gift which allows one to develop a working relationship with the Divinity within and learn to ask that in each moment, our errors in thought, word, deed or action be cleansed. The process is essentially about freedom, complete freedom from the past."

Every memory of every experience, since the first moment of our creation, eons ago, is recorded as a thought form which is stored in the etheric realm. This incredible recorder/computer is also known as the subconscious, unihipili or child aspect within us. The inner child is very real and comprises one part of the Self. The other aspects are the mother, also known as the uhane or rational mind and the father, the superconscious or Spiritual aspect. The three comprise the inner family, which, in partnership with The Divine Creator, makes up one's Self I-Dentity. Every human being in creation, every plant, atom and molecule has these three selves and yet each blueprint is completely different.

The most important task for people is to find his or her true identity and place in the Universe. This process allows that understanding to become available.

The purpose of Ho'oponopono is to: 1) Connect with the Divinity within on a moment-to-moment basis; 2) To ask that movement and all it contains, be cleansed. Only the Divinity can do that. Only the Divinity can erase or correct memories and thought forms. Since the Divinity created us, only the Divinity knows what is going on with a person.

In this system, there is no need to analyze, solve, manage or cope with problems. Since the Divinity created everything, you can just go directly to Him and ask that it be corrected and cleansed.

In the area of problem solving: the world is a reflection of what is happening inside us. If you are experiencing upset or imbalance, the place to look is inside yourself, not outside at the object you perceive as causing your problem. Every stress, imbalance or illness can be corrected just by working on yourself. It is important to mention that this system is fundamentally different from other forms of Ho'oponopono. In traditional methods, everyone who is involved in a problem needs to be physically present and work it out together. In Morrnah's system everything can be handled by you and the Divinity. You don't need to go one inch outside yourself for answers or help. There is no one who can give you any more relevant information than you can get by going within yourself.

Morrnah especially recommends Ho'oponopono for those in the healing profession: "It is important to clear Karmic patterns with your clients before you start working with them, so that you don't activate old stuff between you. Perhaps you shouldn't be working with that person at all. Only the Divinity knows. If you work with a person and it isn't your business, you can take on the person's entire problem and everything associated with it. This can cause burnout. The Ho'oponopono gives the tools to prevent that from happening."

Morrnah wished for our Western society that everyone would do things to reduce the stress. "Western people have great difficulty in putting the intellect behind. It is difficult for the Western mind to get a grasp of a Higher Being because in traditional Western churches, the Higher Beings are not made evident." She continues, "Western man has gone to the extremes with his intellectualism it divides and keeps people separate. Man then becomes a destroyer because he manages and copes rather than letting the perpetuating force of the Divinity flow through him for right action."

KA MALUHIA O KA "I"

2010-07-14T15:34:00.000-10:00

THE PEACE OF " I "
KA MALUHIA O KA "I"

Peace be with you, All My Peace,
O ka Maluhia no me oe, Ku'u Maluhia a pau loa,

The Peace that is " I ", the Peace that is "I am".
Ka Maluhia o ka "I", owau no ka Maluhia,

The Peace for always, now and forever and evermore.
Ka Maluhia no na wa a pau, no ke'ia wa a mau a mau loa aku.

My Peace " I " give to you, My Peace " I " leave with you,
Ha'awi aku wau I ku'u Maluhia ia oe, waiho aku wau I ku'u Maluhia me oe,

Not the world's Peace, but, only My Peace,
The Peace of " I ".
A'ole ka Maluhia o ke ao aka ka'u Maluhia wale no,
Ka Maluhia o ka"I".

Owau no ka I

2010-07-14T15:31:00.000-10:00

"I" AM THE "I"
OWAU NO KA "I"

"I" come forth from the void into light
Pua mai au mai ka po iloko o ka malamalama

"I" am the breath that nurtures life
Owau no ka ha, ka mauli ola

"I" am that emptiness, that hollowness beyond all consciousness
Owau no ka poho, ke ka'ele mawaho a'e o no ike apau

The "I", the Id, the All
KA I, Ke Kino Iho, na Mea Apau

"I" draw my bow of rainbows across the waters
Ka a'e au i ku'u pi'o o na anuenue mawaho a'e o na kai a pau

The continuum of minds with matters
Ka ho'omaumau o na mana'oame na mea a pau

"I" am the incoming and outgoing of breath
Owau no ka "Ho", a me ka "Ha"

The invisible, untouchable breeze
He huna ka makani nahenahe,

The undefinable atom of creation
Ka "Hua" huna o Kumulipo.

"I" am the "I"

Owau no ka "I"

Honua'ula Maui Hawai'i - Aloha Kakou - Malama da 'Aina - Say No to Development - Keep it Hawaiian

2010-06-21T13:00:00.003-10:00

Aloha kakou,

We have been so busy enjoying a photo shoot and luau with Randy Jay Braun and many of his students from an international community.

We enjoyed our ohana Father's day luau yesterday on Kama'ole III Beach. It was such a beautiful day in Kihei and our Mo'opuna enjoyed playing in the ocean. The water was the most amazing shades of aquamarine, jade and blues. It was postcard perfect.

Today we are enjoying talk story with Solomon Kahalewai "Bully" Ho'opai, our dearest friend, my husband's lifelong friend since small kid time in Hana. What he calls "Hana buttah days". You know, 'Ainokea :))

There is also 'Aikea, we subscribe to both :))

Bully is here with us at our home upcountry visiting us from Hana and this evening we are attending a Hawaiian Protocol ceremony on Honua'ula along with Daniel Kanahele, Ke'eaumoku Kapu, with other friends and acquaintances, along with the "land owner" I am told.

The official Honua'ula website states :

"The project area has been studied in detail by the project archeologist with the result being the identification of a number of sites proposed for preservation and interpretation. Both the State Department of Land and Natural Resources Historic Preservation Division and the Cultural Resources Commission have reviewed and approved the plan to provide for the cultural sites identified. A highly respected cultural team have been involved in the cultural identity process for the project and will continue to provide the direction necessary to appropriately address cultural issues within the project."

It also states:

"The original project plan included a single large commercial district. After listening to the public and their concerns relative to the type and character of such a use area the project team deleted the original concept in favour of a reduced footprint and placement of the commercial uses withint the VMX/Multi-Family District."

We disagree completely with this project. My husband's name is Jacob Mau. Honua'ula, along with Makena, Wailea, Ahihi Kinau, Kaupo, Nu'u, Kipahulu, along with many other Moku on Maui is all our family land. We protest any development of this land for it in fact belongs to the Kanaka.

My husband's name is Jacob Mau.

Jacob Mau and Bully Ho'opai are Na Kupuna O Maui, respected and much loved Hawaiian Elders on Maui, they are Kanaka Maoli, indigineous Hawaiian, born on this island in 1939. If we were living on Maui in precontact times, Jacob and Bully would be reigning warrior chiefs. And this project development plan is on family land.

We say no to this Honua'ula project. We adamantly oppose any building or development within this A'apua'a of Mau family 'aina or any other A'apua'a while Jacob and Bully and all our brothers and sisters and ohana are still trying to claim land to which they rightfully own through Royal Patent. The Royal patents are land awards by Ali'i Kamehameha, Kamehameha the Great, the last great reigning Chief and Warrior King, Ko Hawaii Pae 'Aina. Jacob Mau and Bully Ho'opai are direct descendants of Ali'i Kamehameha, it is recorded in their geneology.

We are trying to contact our ohana, many of the names on my husband's geneology and we are attempting to notify them of these proposals so that we make work together to protest any changes on the land. We want to postpone any development projects only to be considered and specifically only approved by the Ohana after the land, cultural, mineral and water rights are settled with all the Hawaiian families on this island who hold an interest in this land, and there are plenty.

Mahalo nui loa. Aloha E mälama pono kakou

Sharon

Pā kōnane i ka lani, ke kai a honua Honua, e Hōkū

2010-06-17T18:11:00.003-10:00

Pā kōnane i ka lani, ke kai a honua Honua, e Hōkū

http://www.tiki-records.com/tr/music/hoku.html

Hōkūleʻa au, i ka lani
Ala i ka pō hoʻomaha i ke ao
Nohona i ka pō me ke ao
Pā mai ka lama i ka lani

Hōkūleʻa au, i ke kai
He waʻa kaulua ʻo Hawaiʻi
Holo puni i ka pakipika
Pā mai ka lama i ke kai

Hui:
Hōkūleʻa Hōkūloa Hōkūpaʻa
Nā hōkū i ka lani, ke kai a honua
Hōkūleʻa Hōkūloa Hōkūpaʻa
Pā kōnane i ka lani, ke kai a honua
Honua, e hoku

Hōkūleʻa au, i ka honua
Ka hōʻailona o ka Lahui
Aloha mākou i kou mana
Pā mai ka lama i ka honua

Hui:

I am Hōkūleʻa in the heavens
Wakening in the nite resting in the day
Existing nite and day
Shining radiantly in the heaven

I am Hōkūleʻa in the sea
A double hull canoe of Hawaiʻi
Traveling throughout the pacific
Shining torch on the sea

Chorus:
Hōkūleʻa Hōkūloa Hōkūpaʻa
The stars in the sky, sea and earth
Hōkūleʻa Hōkūloa Hōkūpaʻa
Shine your brilliance in the sky, sea & earth

I am Hōkūleʻa on the earth
The symbol of the Hawaiian nation
We love your spirit
Shining light on the earth

Kue: The Hui Aloha Aina Anti-Annexation Petitions, 1897-1898

2010-06-14T11:38:00.001-10:00

Kue: The Hui Aloha Aina Anti-Annexation Petitions, 1897-1898

http://libweb.hawaii.edu/digicoll/annexation/petition.html

Maui, Women [Lahaina, Wailuku, Waihe'e, Waiehu, Waikapu, Honua'ula, Makawao, Hana, Honokohau]

http://libweb.hawaii.edu/digicoll/annexation/petition/pet122.html

Maui, Men [Lahaina, Wailuku, Waihe'e, Waiehu, Waikapu, Honua'ula, Makawao, Hana, Honokohau]

http://libweb.hawaii.edu/digicoll/annexation/petition/pet613.html

The organization of the petitions is based on the publication: Kue: The Hui Aloha Aina Anti-Annexation Petitions, 1897-1898, compiled by Nalani Minton and Noenoe K.Silva. (UHM Library KZ245.H3 M56 1998).

The copy of the petitions used for this project was provided courtesy of the Bishop Museum Archives.

Noenoe Silva explains the anti-annexation petitions filed with the United States government by organizations in the Hawaiian Islands:

http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/24/153.html

1898 Hui Aloha `Aina petition published
http://www.hawaiihistory.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=ig.page&PageID=355&returntoname=Short%20Stories&returntopageid=460

Wild Wonders of Europe - The Blog!

2010-06-04T10:05:00.000-10:00

Wild Wonders of Europe - The Blog!

E ala mai 'o loko i ke kuhohonu o ke Aloha

2010-05-31T11:58:00.000-10:00

E ala mai 'o loko i ke kuhohonu o ke Aloha

"Every morning the world is created.
Under the orange sticks of the sun
the heaped ashes of the night turn into leaves again
and fasten themselves to the high branches
and the ponds appear like black cloth
on which are painted islands of summer lilies.

If it is your nature to be happy
you will swim away along the soft trails for hours,
your imagination alighting everywhere.
And if your spirit carries within it
the thorn that is heavier than lead
if it's all you can do to keep on trudging,
there is still somewhere deep within you
a beast shouting that the earth is exactly what it wanted ,
each pond with its blazing lilies
is a prayer heard and answered lavishly,
every morning,
whether or not you have ever dared to be happy,
whether or not you have ever dared to pray."

~ from Dream Work by Mary Oliver

Sunset on the luxurious golden sands of Kama'ole Beach Maui Hawai'i

Papahanaumoku (Earth Mother)

2010-05-30T20:46:00.001-10:00

"....Scientists on a research ship in the gulf are discovering huge underwater oil plumes up to 10 miles long... One plume was 10 miles long, three miles wide, and 300 feet thick."

Aloha kaua, "one plume", and who knows how many plumes there are. An oil plume is described on Wikipedia as follows:

"The Deepwater Horizon oil spill, also called the BP Oil Spill, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill or the Macondo blowout,[3][4][5][6] is a massive ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, now considered the largest offshore spill in U.S. history.[7] The spill stems from a sea floor oil gusher that started with an oil well blowout on April 20, 2010. The blowout caused a catastrophic explosion on the Deepwater Horizon offshore oil drilling platform that was situated about 40 miles (64 km) southeast of the Louisiana coast in the Macondo Prospect oil field. The explosion killed 11 platform workers and injured 17 others; another 98 people survived without serious physical injury.[8]

The gusher originates from a deepwater oil well 5,000 feet (1,500 m) below the ocean surface. Estimates of the amount of oil being discharged range from BP's current estimate of over 5,000 barrels (210,000 US gallons; 790,000 litres) to as much as 100,000 barrels (4,200,000 US gallons; 16,000,000 litres) of crude oil per day. The exact spill flow rate is uncertain – in part because BP has refused to allow independent scientists to perform accurate measurements – and is a matter of ongoing debate.[9] In addition, the proportion of natural gas in the mixture is not known. The resulting oil slick covers a surface area of at least 2,500 square miles (6,500 km2), with the exact size and location of the slick fluctuating from day to day depending on weather conditions.[10] Scientists have also discovered immense underwater plumes of oil not visible from the surface.[9]

The preliminary best estimate that was released on May 27 by the semi-official Flow Rate Technical Group put the volume of oil flowing from the blown-out well at 12,000 to 19,000 barrels (500,000 to 800,000 US gallons; 1,900,000 to 3,000,000 litres) per day, which had amounted to between 440,000 and 700,000 barrels (18,000,000 and 29,000,000 US gallons; 70,000,000 and 111,000,000 litres) as of that date.[11] Based on those figures, the Deepwater Horizon spill is believed to have surpassed the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill as the largest ever in U.S. territorial waters; however, it is still outranked in the larger Gulf of Mexico by the 1979 Ixtoc I oil spill.

Experts fear that due to factors such as petroleum toxicity and oxygen depletion, the spill will result in an environmental disaster, damaging the Gulf of Mexico fishing industry, the Gulf Coast tourism industry, and the habitat of hundreds of bird species.[12][13] Crews are working to block off bays and estuaries, using anchored barriers, floating containment booms, and sand-filled barricades along shorelines. There are a variety of ongoing efforts, both short and long term, to contain the leak and stop spilling additional oil into the Gulf.

BP (formerly British Petroleum) is the operator and principal developer of the Macondo Prospect, which was thought to hold as much as 50 million barrels (7.9×10^6 m3) of oil prior to the blowout (by BP's own estimate).[14] The Deepwater Horizon drilling platform had been leased by BP from its owner, Transocean Ltd.[15] The U.S. Government has named BP as the responsible party in the incident, and officials have said the company will be held accountable for all cleanup costs resulting from the oil spill.[16][17] BP has accepted responsibility for the oil spill and the cleanup costs, but indicated they were not at fault because the platform was run by Transocean personnel.[18] The Deepwater Horizon blowout is the third serious incident at a BP-operated site in the United States in the last five years, following the Texas City Refinery explosion in 2005 and the Prudhoe Bay oil spill in 2006. These previous incidents, attributed to lapses in safety and maintenance, have contributed to the damage to BP's reputation and market valuation since the spill.[19][20] "

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/05/16/oil-leak-what-does-the-discovery-of-oil-plumes-mean/#ixzz0pTwQmDL6

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/05/16/oil-leak-what-does-the-discovery-of-oil-plumes-mean/#ixzz0pTwDTRR7

Underwater oil plumes

"University of California Berkeley engineering professor Robert Bea argued there was "an equal amount that could be subsurface", subsurface oil being "near impossible to track".[101] On May 13, tarballs began washing up on the shores of three Louisiana parishes and were possibly originating from the oil leak.[102] A couple days later, tarballs began washing up on beaches in Key West, Florida.[103] On May 15, researchers from the University of Southern Mississippi, aboard the research vessel RV Pelican, identified oil plumes in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, including one as large as 10 miles (16 km) long, 3 miles (4.8 km) wide and 300 feet (91 m) thick in spots. The shallowest oil plume the group detected was at about 2,300 feet (700 m), while the deepest was near the seafloor at about 4,200 feet (1,300 m). Other researchers from the University of Georgia have found that the oil may occupy multiple layers. The undetermined amount of hydrocarbons in these underwater plumes may explain why satellite images of the ocean surface have calculated a flow rate of only 5,000 barrels (210,000 US gal) a day, whereas studies of video of the gushing oil well have variously calculated that it could be flowing at a rate of 25,000–80,000 barrels (1,100,000–3,400,000 USgal) a day.[9] On May 27, marine scientists discovered a second oil plume, stretching 22 miles (35 km) from the leaking wellhead toward Mobile Bay, Alabama. The oil has dissolved into the water and is no longer visible, and researchers say they are worried these undersea plumes may be the result of the use of chemical dispersants to break up the oil ." [104]

"Marine biologist Rick Steiner said that the likelihood of extensive undersea plumes of oil droplets should have been anticipated from the moment the spill began, given that such an effect from deepwater blowouts had been predicted in the scientific literature for more than a decade and had been confirmed in a test off the coast of Norway. He criticized the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for not setting up an extensive sampling program to map and characterize the plumes in the first days of the spill." [105]

end quote - information source: Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deepwater_Horizon_oil_spill
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deepwater_Horizon_oil_spill#Underwater_oil_plumes

"The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico, exits through the Strait of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean. The process of western intensification causes the Gulf Stream to be a northward accelerating current offshore the east coast of North America. At about 40°0′N 30°0′W / 40°N 30°W / 40; -30, it splits in two, with the northern stream crossing to northern Europe and the southern stream recirculating off West Africa. The Gulf Stream influences the climate of the east coast of North America from Florida to Newfoundland, and the west coast of Europe. Although there has been recent debate, there is consensus that the climate of Western Europe and Northern Europe is warmer than it would otherwise be due to the North Atlantic drift, one of the branches from the tail of the Gulf Stream. It is part of the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre. Its presence has led to the development of strong cyclones of all types, both within the atmosphere and within the ocean."

end quote - information source: Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_Stream
________________________________________________________________

To everyone reading this as I speak from my na'au, from the depths of my heart and voice my concerns, we are all connected, all races, all countries, all cultures of every nation on every continent and island and atoll, and for those of us here on the Hawaiian islands, we may be geographically separated by the vast, deep and beautiful expansive Pacific Ocean, but it is only a matter of time when we will see the devastating negative impact here as well. Thank God the Humpback Whales have already migrated back to Alaska waters to their summer home. How could we send a message to the magnificent Whales to protect themselves when we don't speak the same language?

A global ecological disaster is an inadequate description for this tragedy. It is quite literally like the end of the world as we know it today and I am filled with a formidable sense of dread and deep foreboding for what may happen to our planet. Our planet is our only home in this universe. And if something happens to destroy our planet, we literally have no where to go. We cannot escape the inevitable destruction and how can we possibly save our precious animals, plant life and sea creatures?

The far reaching devastating effects, damage and loss of human life as well of thousands of waterfowl, sea creatures, marine invertebrates, bivalves, aquatic biota and many forms of life are already irreversible as this crude oil is literally choking the planet. Who would have ever guessed that these companies cannot stop this oil from poisoning our precious oceans and creating such an enduring destructive force on our wildlife, our precious sea creatures and coastal regions, marsh, shore and wetlands, eventually affecting the rivers, deltas and fresh water streams as well for generations to come.

The worst is yet to come and it is already so monumentally terrible and destructive it is beyond comprehension.

I am absolutely stunned that it hasn't be stopped and continues to gush crude oil into our oceans day by day minute by minute second by second, it is so horrific a thought to consider. The NASA Terra Satellite image on Wikipedia and the newscasts online of the spreading sense of doom and despair in the gulf is terrifying and makes me weep.

"Tragic loss of deep sea life"...
It is beyond tragic, it is beyond despair and impossible for me to wrap my mind around the devastation they have caused with their negligence. This is not going to be isolated within the Gulf of Mexico. It will affect all the surrounding countries as well as the Atlantic and as it moves through the gulf streams it will devastate the entire planet, and if there is a hurricane as we enter the annual season, there will be no hope. It is like an enormous slap in the face to our precious planet earth.

As I make my appeal to the Gods of Life and all living creatures and Creation
I send this request through the gateway of the rising sun at Ha'eha'e, the easternmost point in the Hawaiian islands

Akua, the supreme God
Keawe
and his son
Kane, the father of living creatures
Ku, the god of war
Kanaloa, the god of the land of departed spirits
Lono, the god of growing things. Kane, Ku and Lono are considered to have created the heavens, earth, the sun, moon, stars, spirits, mankind, and basically everything in existence
Hina, who presides over women
Laka, goddess of hula
Ku'ula, the god of fisherman
Pele, who presides over volcanoes
Poliahu, the snow goddess
Puna, the dragon goddess
Kauhuhu, the shark god of Moloka'i
http://www.nativehawaii.com/legends/shark_god.php

There are many Polynesian gods, higher gods, lesser gods, sorcery gods, children of the gods who possess supernatural powers, gods who are guardians and protectors, personal gods, and of course, Aumakua and ancestors watch over their living families. Ancient Hawaiian life and culture is here alive today and we are blessed with plenty Mana (spiritual power) by our spiritual beliefs, our religions, our kuleana, duties and responsibilities, and traditions. Legends provide us a window into the past, into an ancient culture and way of life."
http://www.nativehawaii.com/hawaiianlegends.html

information source about.com
http://gohawaii.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&zTi=1&sdn=gohawaii&cdn=travel&tm=19&f=00&tt=14&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.paulwaters.com/gods.htm

There are many Polynesian gods and deities and similar spiritual beliefs of other cultures around the world as well and I call on all the Gods and deities of every culture:

Please hear our cries and sacred omens, hear our ancient oracles, hear our prayers and listen to our hearts and our chants, as we ask for help to protect the life of our planet.

He wai e ola - the water of life

Alohe e Malama pono,

Sharon Mau

http://sharonmau.blogspot.com/

He ho`oheno kê `ike aku
Ke kai moana nui lâ
Nui ke aloha e hi`ipoi nei
Me ke `ala o ka lîpoa

http://www.huapala.org/Ka/Ka_Uluwehi_O_Ke_Kai.html

Papahanaumoku (Earth Mother)
Amy Ku‘uleialoha Stillman & Daniel Ho (Daniel Ho Creations, ASCAP)
The concept of earth mother is lovingly nurtured by indigenous peoples the world over.
It’s quite simple, really; when we care for the a‘ina, the a‘ina cares for us.

‘Ae, he mele no Papahanaumoku Na mauna, waihona o ka ‘ikena Na kahawai, hapaina o ka wai ola Papahanaumoku, Papahanaumoku Nana e hanai ia kakou a pau Na kakou e hehi malie i ka la‘i Papahanaumoku, Papahanaumoku Nana e hi‘ipoi i na iwi o na kupuna Nana e ho‘ai i ka na‘au o kakou Papahanaumoku, Papahanaumoku Mana‘olana hemolele no na kama ‘Ike i ka nani ke ao nei o kakou Papahanaumoku, Papahanaumoku

Our hope for our children, To see the beauty of our world Earth Mother
A song for Earth Mother
Translation: A song for Earth Mother Mountains, repository of knowledge Streams, carrying the water of life Earth Mother, Earth Mother She feeds us all We step lightly in the calm Earth Mother,

Earth Mother

She cradles the bones of the ancestors

She feeds us

Earth Mother,

Earth Mother

A hope for our children

To see the beauty of our world

Earth Mother,
Earth Mother

__________________________________________________________
"In an age when we are often preoccupied with me and what is mine, kuleana is one of the most important words in the world.

We are often told that rights come with certain responsibilities. Kuleana reminds us that these are, in fact, one and the same. A right is a responsibility. An obligation is a privilege.

When we neglect our kuleana — when we covet our rights and property while ignoring our responsibilities and concerns — bad things happen."
http://www.kanuhawaii.org/kanu/kuleana/

2010-05-28T12:33:00.003-10:00

♪♫•¨•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•¨•♫♪ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♪♫•¨•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•¨•♫♪

Earth Song

I heard the spring wind whisper
Above the brushwood fire,
The world is made forever
Of transport and desire.
I am the breath of being,
The primal urge of things;
I am the whirl of star dust,
I am the lift of wings.

I am the splendid impulse
That comes before the thought,
The joy and exaltation
Wherein the life is caught.
Across the sleeping furrows
I call the buried seed,
And blade and bud and blossom
Awaken at my need.

Within the dying ashes
I blow the sacred spark,
And make the hearts of lovers
To leap against the dark.
I heard the spring light whisper
Above the dancing stream,
The world is made forever
In likeness of a dream.

I am the law of planets,
I am the guide of man;
The evening and the morning
Are fashioned to my plan.
I tint the dawn with crimson,
I tinge the sea with blue;
My track is in the desert,
My trail is in the dew.

I paint the hills with colour,
And in my magic dome
I light the star of evening
To steer the traveller home.
Within the house of being,
I feed the lamp of truth
With tales of ancient wisdom
And prophecies of youth.

I heard the spring rain murmur
Above the roadside flower,
The world is made forever
In melody and power.
I keep the rhythmic measure
That marks the steps of time,
And all my toil is fashioned
To symmetry and rhyme.

I plow the untilled upland,
I ripe the seeding grass,
And fill the leafy forest
With music as I pass.

I hew the raw, rough granite
To loveliness of line,
And when my work is finished,
Behold, it is divine!

I am the master-builder
In whom the ages trust.
I lift the lost perfection
To blossom from the dust.

Then Earth to them made answer,
As with a slow refrain
Born of the blended voices
Of wind and sun and rain,

This is the law of being
That links the threefold chain:

The life we give to beauty
Returns to us again.
poetry by: Bliss Carman (1861-1929)

Copyright Sharon Mau 2010
ourjrny
The Heart Within the Art
All rights reserved

Lee DeWyze Wins American Idol!

2010-05-27T12:39:00.000-10:00

Top 3: Lee DeWyze - Lee dewyze

2010-05-27T02:00:00.000-10:00

Top 3: Lee DeWyze - Lee dewyze

Lee DeWyze - "Predicament" Wuli Records

2010-05-26T23:58:00.000-10:00

Lee DeWyze - Finale - Beautiful Day (3rd song and Finale Single)

2010-05-26T21:57:00.000-10:00

Lee Dewyze - Hallelujah (Studio Recording)

2010-05-23T13:01:00.000-10:00

Lee DeWyze - Hallelujah (2nd song) [American Idol 9 - Top 3] 05/18/10

2010-05-23T12:46:00.000-10:00

2010-05-22T12:24:00.001-10:00

Aloha kaua

2010-05-17T10:20:00.001-10:00

Aloha mai no, aloha aku.
When love is given, love is returned.

This is Aloha

E ho’omaika’i O la’a kea me ke aloha pau ole
Blessings of sacred light and everlasting love

Earth Voices

2010-05-14T21:54:00.003-10:00

Earth Voices

If the Earth were only a few feet in diameter, floating a few feet above a field somewhere, people would come from everywhere to marvel at it.

People would walk around it, marveling at its big pools of water, its little pools and the water flowing between the pools.

People would marvel at the bumps on it, and the holes in it, and they would marvel at the very thin layer of gas surrounding it and the water suspended in the gas.

The people would marvel at all the creatures walking around the surface of the ball, and at the creatures in the water. The people would declare it precious because it was the only one, and they would protect it so that it would not be hurt.

The ball would be the greatest wonder known, and people would come to behold it, to be healed, to gain knowledge, to know beauty and to wonder how it could be.

People would love it, and defend it with their lives, because they would somehow know that their lives, their own roundness, could be nothing without it. If the Earth were only a few feet in diameter - Author unknown
quoted from Paul Winter's "Earth Voices of a Planet" İ1990, Earth Music Productions

ourjrny
The Heart Within the Art
Copyright © Sharon Mau 2010

My images do not belong to the public domain. No form of reproduction, including copying or saving of digital image files, or the alteration or manipulation of said image is authorized unless accompanied by a written sales and/or licensing agreement issued by Sharon Mau
All rights reserved

Aloha kakou e komo mai

2010-05-13T00:10:00.002-10:00

♪♫•¨•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•¨•♫♪ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♪♫•¨•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•¨•♫♪
Aloha kakou e komo mai. I live on the beautiful tropical island of ihikapalaumaewa, more commonly known as Maui Hawai’i

Paradise on Earth
E hana me ka ha`aha`a

i aloha `ia nö ia home
Ia home luakaha a ka malihini
Beloved is this home
This home so delightful to visitors
E aloha ae ana nö au
I ka makani kaulana o ka `âina
A`u e ho`oheno nei
Ka makani kâ`ili aloha
I love the famous wind of this land
Mine to cherish
The wind named Love
excerpts from The Kipahulu Zephyr – by Matthew Kane
Source: King’s Blue Book, Copyright 1916

“In the silence, I turn to you.
My inner heart, my inner mind knows the truth
I am whole, complete in every way
I am love, greeting all I meet with open arms
I am silence, rich with simplicity
In the silence, I remember these words:
Let all who come to me feel my spirit touching their soul
I Am Who I Am
I am the light of peace.
I am the breath of Spirit.
I am the strength of a thousand horses.
I am the courage of a new day.
I am the love of a child.
I am who I am.” ~ Journey with Spirit

Sharon Mau’s Daily Om Profile
View my video, listen to some of my favourite music here on Ourjrny’s YouTube channel and leave a comment, I love feedback

The following link is for my new profile on
My portfolios are a work in progress, so please check back soon for updates as I prepare to publish my work.

“Love is a portion of the soul itself, and it is of the same nature as the celestial breathing of the atmosphere of paradise.” ~ Victor Hugo ~

Photographer, Artist, Journalist, Traveler, Wife, Mother, Teacher, Student, Sister, Daughter, Lover, Healer, Friend...

My Portfolios are a work in progress; please check back often for updates

“Your life and my life flow into each other as wave flows into wave, and unless there is peace and joy and freedom for you, there can be no real peace or joy or freedom for me. To see reality:—Not as we expect it to be, but as it is. It is to see that unless we live for each other, and in, and through each other, we do not really live very satisfactorily. There can really be life, only where there really is. In just this sense, love.” by Frederick Buechner

My Fine Art America Gallery

This is My Symphony Sunset Alaska Mousepad from Zazzle.com

2010-05-13T00:02:00.000-10:00

This image is dedicated to my beloved identical twin sister Karon ( stzar ), one half my heart and soul!
I love you Karon!

"Arising from her jewelled bower,
Dawn steps from out the flaming sky,
And in her hand are hopes that flower,
And at her feet the hours that die.
And ere the darkest shadows fall,
Sweet Evening comes from twilight lands,
And pours her peace upon us all,
And touches us with healing hands." ~ Poetry by L.D.

~ ~ ~ "What is Love ~ Love is the scent with the lotus born.
It is the silent choirs of petals Singing the winter's harmony of uniform beauty.
Love is the song of the soul, singing to God.
It is the balanced rhythmic dance of planets - sun and moon lit
In the sky hall festooned with fleecy clouds
Around the sovereign Silent Will.

It is the thirst of the rose to drink the sunrays
And blush red with life.
Tis the promptings of the mother earth
To feed her milk to the tender, thirsty roots,
And to nurse all life.

It is the urge of the sun
To keep all things alive.
Love is the unseen craving of the Mother Divine
That took the protecting father form,
And that feeds helpless mouths
With milk of mother's tenderness.
It is the babies' sweetness,
Coaxing the rain of parental sympathy
To shower upon them.

It is the lover's unenslaved surrender to the beloved
To serve and solace.
It is the elixir of friendship,
Reviving broken and bruised souls.
It is the martyr's zeal to shed his blood
For the well-beloved fatherland.
It is the ineffable, silent call of the heart to another heart.
It is the God-drunk poet's heartaches For every creature's groans.

Love is to enjoy the family rose of petal-beings,
And thence to move to spacious fields
Passing by portals of social, national, international sympathy,
On to the limitless Cosmic Home
To gaze with looks of wonderment,
And to serve all that lives, still or moving.
This is to know what love is.

He knows who lives it.
Love is evolution's ameliorative call
To the far-strayed sons To return to Perfection's home.
It is the call of the beauty robed ones
To worship the great Beauty.

It is the call of God
Through silent intelligences
And starburst of feelings.

Love is the Heaven Toward which the flowers, rivers, nations, atoms, creatures you and I
Are rushing by the straight path of action right,
Or winding laboriously on error's path,
All to reach haven there at last." ~ From: Songs of the Soul, by Paramahansa Yogananda

This is My Symphony Sunset Alaska Mousepad from Zazzle.com

New custom Business Card designs available

2010-05-12T10:38:00.001-10:00

View my new customizable business cards. I can create a custom business card especially for you using any of my photographs and digital art. Visit me on my Zazzle store and drop me a comment, let me know which image you would like to use and I will create a template designed especially for you. Here are a few examples of my most recent products in business card design.

ENIGMA - SITTING ON THE MOON

2010-05-09T23:39:00.000-10:00

The World is Your Mirror

2010-05-09T10:50:00.002-10:00

“The good you find in others, is in you too.
The faults you find in others, are your faults as well.
After all, to recognize something you must know it.
The possibilities you see in others, are possible for you as well.
The beauty you see around you, is your beauty.
The world around you is a reflection, a mirror
showing you the person you are.
To change your world, you must change yourself.
To blame and complain will only make matters worse.
Whatever you care about, is your responsibility.
What you see in others, shows you yourself.
See the best in others,
and you will be your best.
Give to others,
and you give to yourself.
Appreciate beauty,
and you will be beautiful.
Admire creativity,
and you will be creative.
Love,
and you will be loved.
Seek to understand,
and you will be understood.
Listen,
and your voice will be heard.
Teach,
and you will learn.” ~ Author Unknown

Aloha e Malama pono,

Sharon Mau

_Ourjrny
_{The Heart Within the Art}
_{All rights reserved universewide}

Journey with Spirit

Lee Dewyze - The Boxer (American Idol Season 9 - Top 7) 04/20/10

2010-05-08T08:01:00.000-10:00

Enigma - Following The Sun

2010-05-08T07:38:00.000-10:00

marvellous hula dance / O KE AHI LONOMAKUA

2010-05-07T22:58:00.000-10:00

Hawaiian Chant

2010-05-07T22:48:00.000-10:00

These Islands

2010-05-07T22:46:00.000-10:00

Aloha kaua, I wish you a bright and shiny day :))

2010-05-06T09:38:00.000-10:00

"Metaphysics is an aspect of spirituality that concerns the study of the nature of being, existence, time, space, and causality. It bridges the gap between science and faith. By studying metaphysical spirituality you can explore the development and enrichment of your own philosophy of true being." AIHT

Prayer is the key of the morning and the bolt of the evening ~ Mahatma Gandhi

E ala mai 'o loko i ke kuhohonu o ke Aloha

2010-05-03T23:09:00.001-10:00

Sunset on the luxurious golden sands of Kama'ole Beach Maui Hawai'i

Whatever We Focus On Becomes Our Reality

2010-05-01T22:34:00.000-10:00

'Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.' ~ Chief Seattle, 1855

These Islands - Danny Couch lyrics

2010-05-01T10:12:00.000-10:00

Greeting Card Sale Aurora Borealis The Northern Lights Interior Alaska - FAA

2010-04-28T21:01:00.001-10:00

Sold 28 April 2010 Mahalo to the anonymous buyer, thank you so much :))

Aurora Borealis The Northern Lights Interior Alaska

Product:

Greeting Card: Single

Size:

5" x 7"

Paper:

Glossy

Hau`oli la hanau - Happy Birthday Jacob Mau

2010-04-27T10:01:00.008-10:00

Aloha kaua, Aloha mai e, you are all invited (at your own expense) to join us in celebrating Na Kupuna 'o Maui Jacob Mau's 71st Birthday Party today at 1830 at

The Old Lähaina Lüau

Lahaina Maui Hawai'i

Jacob's birthday is tomorrow yet we are celebrating his life and love and legacy today.

To all our ohana and friends, your presence here in a comment with birthday wishes for Jacob is most welcome :))

My husband ~ Jacob Mau ~ Aloha wau ia ‘oe Hau`oli la Hanau Maui
Hau`oli La Makuakane iakopa

With deepest respect, we share our mana’o with you.

Today's Date: 27 Apelila 2010

Hau`oli la Hanau
Nau wale no, He makana nau
Ia iho ke Aloha iakopa

A`u e ho`oheno nei, mea Aloha
Nâ ke Akua e mâlama mai iâ `oe, e ku’u aloha.
He aloha pili `ia e ke onaona.
A`u e ho`oheno nei, Ku`u ipo henoheno Iakopa
Pau `ole ke aloha ê.
Aloha wau ia ‘oe
I love you Jacob

“APELILA
(April)
(Welo)
April was the last of the 6 months in the Ho’o-ilo, or Winter, period of ancient times, which ran from August through April.

The earth’s magic is a gift of wonder.

Never abandon your dreams.

Memories dwell within the soul.

This land is the gathering place of the winds.

In the sound of the ocean, I can hear my ancestors calling.

A ho’okupu, a gift from the heart, enriches the giver.

In the family, ohana, lies the renewal of the past.

I am the child of many cultures—in me grows the hope of the future.

I am a part of the land, ka aina. The soil is my flesh, the mountains my bones.

My voice is the voice of the wind, ka makani; my dance is the dance of the waves.

I am reborn in the image of my fathers and mothers.

The spirit of the land guides me in every choice that I must make.

This land is born of fire and ocean and wind.

In my mind is the fire of knowledge; in my blood run the currents of the ocean; in the wind do I hear the song of my spirit.

The rumble of the volcano is like the beating of a great heart.

The gift of knowledge is never diminished.

In the neverending cycles of the land is my spirit renewed.

Hawai’i is the place where rainbows are born.

The land was created in the joining of fire and water.

At the meeting of the land and the sea, that is where all life begins.

Ancient kings walk the mountains at night.

In the secret places of the land are found the answers to life’s mysteries.

My parents taught me the ways of the future; I teach my children the ways of the past.

I walk the land in perfect innocence, a child of yesterday.

Here, every day is a beginning, every night a remembering.

The owl, Pueo, protects me as I walk the forest at night.

The song of my spirit is blessed by the winds.

In the heart of the mountain burns the fire of new life.

The earth’s fire, a wave’s caress, the never-ceasing kiss of the wind ~ of these things is my island born.

The morning dew baptizes the grass; a thousand glistening beads reflect the rays of the rising sun.

I am the wild spirit that greets the dawning of this day.

I see the thread of mana which passes from me to all those I hold dear ~ we are family ~ we are ohana.

If I feel hunger or thirst, the land will provide; if my spirit is troubled, the wind and the sea will comfort me; if I am afraid, ‘Io will protect me.

Each morning is a celebration of beginnings.

The stars, na hoku, guide me at night ~ they show me the way to my destiny.

The will of my ancestral spirit, my ‘aumakua, speaks in all that I say or do.” ~ _This is a wonderful excerpt from the Hawaiian Book of Days

Hawaiian Values
Ho’ohana Passion for worthwhile work. Intention

‘Imi ola Mission and Vision

Ho’omau Perseverance and Persistence

Kūlia i ka nu‘u Achievement and Excellence

Ho’okipa Hospitality and Service

Ohana Family and Community

Lōkahi Harmony, Unity and Collaboration

Kākou Inclusiveness and Synergy

Kuleana Responsibility and Accountability

‘ike loa Knowledge, Wisdom, and Learning

Ha’aha’a Humility and Open-mindedness

Ho’ohanohano Dignity and Respect

Alaka’i Leadership and Initiative

Mālama Caring, Empathy, Stewardship

Mahalo Living in Thankfulness

Nānā i ke kumu Authenticity and Truth

Pono Righteous, Balance and Rightness

Ka lā hiki ola Hope and Promise

Aloha Love, Virtue and Inner Spirit

Aloha kaua my beloved family and dearest friends :)))

2010-04-25T10:00:00.003-10:00

I wish you all a sparkling day with much love and Aloha ;)))

Aloha ~ Aia ‘ike lihi o ka ‘aina

2010-04-24T09:37:00.011-10:00

♪♫•¨•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•¨•♫♪ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♪♫•¨•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•¨•♫♪

Aloha kakou e komo mai. I live on the beautiful tropical island of ihikapalaumaewa, more commonly known as Maui Hawai’i

Paradise on Earth
E hana me ka ha`aha`a

i aloha `ia nö ia home
Ia home luakaha a ka malihini
Beloved is this home
This home so delightful to visitors
E aloha ae ana nö au
I ka makani kaulana o ka `âina
A`u e ho`oheno nei
Ka makani kâ`ili aloha
I love the famous wind of this land
Mine to cherish
The wind named Love
excerpts from The Kipahulu Zephyr – by Matthew Kane
Source: King’s Blue Book, Copyright 1916

“In the silence, I turn to you.
My inner heart, my inner mind knows the truth
I am whole, complete in every way
I am love, greeting all I meet with open arms
I am silence, rich with simplicity
In the silence, I remember these words:
Let all who come to me feel my spirit touching their soul
I Am Who I Am
I am the light of peace.
I am the breath of Spirit.
I am the strength of a thousand horses.
I am the courage of a new day.
I am the love of a child.
I am who I am.” ~ Journey with Spirit

Sharon Mau’s Daily Om Profile
View my video, listen to some of my favourite music here on Ourjrny’s YouTube channel and leave a comment, I love feedback

The following link is for my new profile on
My portfolios are a work in progress, so please check back soon for updates as I prepare to publish my work.

“Love is a portion of the soul itself, and it is of the same nature as the celestial breathing of the atmosphere of paradise.” ~ Victor Hugo ~

Photographer, Artist, Journalist, Traveler, Wife, Mother, Teacher, Student, Sister, Daughter, Lover, Healer, Friend...

My Portfolios are a work in progress; please check back often for updates

“Your life and my life flow into each other as wave flows into wave, and unless there is peace and joy and freedom for you, there can be no real peace or joy or freedom for me. To see reality:—Not as we expect it to be, but as it is. It is to see that unless we live for each other, and in, and through each other, we do not really live very satisfactorily. There can really be life, only where there really is. In just this sense, love.” by Frederick Buechner

My Fine Art America Gallery

Merrie Monarch 2007 - Na Pua Me Kealoha - Kane Kahiko

2010-04-24T08:53:00.000-10:00

Halau Na Pua Me Kealoha Hula Kahiko Competition

2010-04-24T08:48:00.000-10:00

Native Hawaiians

2010-04-24T08:42:00.000-10:00

'O ke aka ka 'oukou

2010-04-23T08:04:00.052-10:00

'O ke aka ka 'oukou

Aloha kaua,

My name is Sharon Mau and I live on the beautiful tropical island of Maui with my beloved husband Jacob.

You are invited to post a comment. I would love to hear from you.
This is my personal blog and here we may speak openly.

You may also follow me on Twitter

http://twitter.com/sharonmau

This is the safe zone where we may speak openly about anything you wish to discuss.

I believe in freedom of speech.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights article 19
http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/
Article 19.
"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through the media and regardless of frontiers."

Respect is one of the primary and most important fundamental factors in any personal or professional relationship.

New Groups:
Alaska ~ Beyond Your Dreams
All Countries ~ Wetlands, Ponds, Lakes and Rivers
Americas ~ Rural, Urban, Wild, Free
Dimensions
Forests
Hawai’i ~ Aloha Na’au
Impressionist Art
Jolly Olde Saint Nicholas
Atmospheric Optics
Polynesian Connection
Hibiscus
Sensational Sun
Plumeria
Still Life Fine Art and Food Photography
Reflections of Beauty

We are human beings. We are people, not robots with automated responses, most of us are not attorneys, and none of us are perfect. We all have feelings and emotions and everyone has their own opinion on what is fair, ethical, right, moral and reasonable.

I am currently publishing my work here:

Sharon Mau Photography on Fine Art America

as well as here:

Sharon Mau Photography on The Untapped Source
I look forward to hearing from you and seeing my family and true friends around the other websites. Mahalo for your visit and the opportunity to share my mana’o with you, it means so much to me. Kukakuka ~ Let's Talk Story

“You are ….
beyond the body, mind, and personality
beyond all experience and the experiencer thereof …
beyond the world and its perceiver
beyond existence and its absence
beyond all assertions and denials.
Be still and awaken to the realization of who you are.
Truth comes to an innocent mind as a blessing and a sacrament. Truth is a holy thing because it liberates thought from itself and illumines the human heart from the inside out.
I am a window. Look through me, not at me.
Don’t try to find yourself or define yourself through what you do; instead, seek only to express your highest knowing of what you are through what you do.
By being nothing you are everything.
By wanting nothing, you are eternally filled with grace.
No person or event has the power to make you happy or unhappy.
You want me to speak of love, and so I will.
But the Love of which I can speak costs me all my coins of illusion and so I cannot compromise its virtues nor quibble over its price.
This Love is Divine Nectar
a wine found only at the innermost table.
It has seen endless days of rain and sun and harvest.
It has been made wise and mellow by the passing of time
and its refined taste is uncompromising to those who prefer their wine young and overly sweet.
Although at times you may appear to be swept away by its dizzying effects
you will find that you have the clarity of a diamond
and the reflexes of a falcon.
You will remain capable of compassion and ruthless decisiveness alike.
In one hand you will hold a feather
and in the other
a sword.
Drink of the wine of this Love
and your life will change.
Instead of being the gatherer
of Divine Light
you will be its shine.
It will be the end of you
and the beginning.” From The Innermost Table by Adyashanti

There is no such thing as integrating truth into an illusion

This is Aloha

'a'ole pilikia

'O ke aka ka 'oukou

Beauty is Eternally Free Pinback Button from Zazzle.com

2010-04-15T23:32:00.000-10:00

Beauty is Eternally Free Pinback Button from Zazzle.com

Sharon Mau Zazzle Products

2010-04-15T22:59:00.007-10:00

Make a personalized gift at Zazzle.

2009-01-21T09:04:00.007-10:00

2009-01-12T01:35:00.000-10:00

Kauila and the Sea Turtles of Punalu`u

Hawaiian legend, as recorded by historian Mary Puku`i, describes a mystical turtle named Kauila that makes her home at Punalu`u in the magnificent district of Ka`u. Kauila is the daughter of two different kinds of supernatural sea turtles that come to Punalu`u long ago. Kauila was born from a special egg resembling a piece of kauila wood buried by her mother in the warm black sand. Before returning to the sea, Kauila`s parents dug into the earth and created a freshwater spring named "Ka wai hu o Kauila--The rising water of Kauila."
Kauila was empowered with the ability to change herself from a turtle into human form. During the daytime Kauila would play with the children along the shoreline and keep watch over them. When Kauila wanted to sleep in her home underwater, she transformed herself back into a turtle. The people of Ka`u loved Kauila as the guardian of their children and also for her spring that gave them pure drinking water.