20/05/2025
Korekore phase, not Korekore ways 🛐💭
At first glance, the Korekore moon phases can feel like empty space, void of energy, stripped of movement, unproductive. On the land and sea, they are notorious for being quiet, unyielding, and still. And in a world that often demands constant motion, it's easy to misread Korekore as koretake 'useless', unworthy, a waste of time.
But our tūpuna knew better.
They understood that Korekore was not a time of absence, but of preparation. A sacred pause. A time to return to the margins and tend to the threads that hold the bigger picture together.
In the Korekore phase, the line between physical labour and spiritual practice becomes thin. Nets are untangled not just for the catch, but for clarity. Hooks are carved with intent, bait prepared with foresight, wood for the smoker gathered with care. All of it done in quiet anticipation of the Tangaroa moons to come, for when the tides turn the abundance will rise.
These are also the moons of Iō Matua Kore, the origin beyond origins. So while your hands tend the small things, your heart tends to the unseen. Karakia flows more easily here. Faith is not just held its restored.
And for my whānau, Korekore is spent together. We slow down, breathe a little deeper, and make time for the things that often fall away in busier phases. Connective kōrero, shared kai, simple presence. It’s not what we do, but how we do it: with intention, with connection, with aroha. When the words of our tamariki are spoken with presence and lifted in karakia, they return home, carried straight to the hearts of Mum and Dad, where they were always meant to rest.
Stillness is preparation. Emptiness is potential.
Korekore is not without value. It is the phase that teaches us to ready ourselves for what’s next.
So no, it’s not Korekore ways, this is the Korekore phase. And in it, everything essential is quietly coming together.
-The Maramataka Mum 🌙✨☀️
