Posts Tagged "kava ceremonies"

Ceremonial Plant Medicines

Posted by on Nov 14, 2010 in The Mind of Makaira | 5 comments

Ceremonial Plant Medicines

I just wanted to write about a little something that has been on my mind for the past few weeks. It seems to me like indigenous cultures have very different ideas and methods of using plants and medicines than people in many Western countries. For us here in Hawaii, as well as for people in Fiji, the Philippines, and other countries that have used kava for thousands of years, kava is undeniably linked to ceremony. Even when I drink kava outside of a ceremonial setting, I always think about the many amazing ceremonies that I have taken part in as a worship of this marvelous plant and the...

Read More

Songs of Kava

Posted by on May 9, 2010 in The Mind of Makaira | 0 comments

Songs of Kava

Aloha! Today a good friend of mine sent me a link to a short radio piece that aired on public radio a few years ago. It was so beautiful that I had to share it with all of you. This piece really made me think about all of the amazing kava ceremonies I’ve participated in, both here in Hawaii and in other parts of the world, and all of the beautiful experiences kava has allowed me to have! This is a recording made by a man named David Fanshawe, an ethnomusicologist who recorded the sacred songs of peoples all over the world in the ’60s and ’70s! He managed to record tons of...

Read More

Spin The Kava!

Posted by on Feb 18, 2009 in The Mind of Makaira | 0 comments

Spin The Kava!

Aloha! I hope that everyone out there had a happy Valentine’s Day. Forgive the belated nature of my well wishes to you. I’ve been so busy traveling and also with the farm, I am surprised that I have any time to write, much less a social life. Over the years, I never celebrated Valentine’s Day in the traditional, romantic way as most people do; it is my mother’s birthday. That’s why the day has always been significant and special to me. However, this year’s Valentine’s Day was indeed a very memorable occasion for other reasons. All of my single...

Read More

Kava – It’s Not Just For Drinking Anymore!

Posted by on Feb 5, 2009 in The Mind of Makaira | 1 comment

Kava – It’s Not Just For Drinking Anymore!

Aloha! I recently went to a friend’s dinner party that had an all-kava theme. As you can imagine, it was an amazing evening filled with relaxed conversation, good company, laughter; and kava, of course! For most people, using kava for anything other than drinking is unimaginable. My friend who hosted the party is a chef who recently traveled the Pacific Islands, trying out local specialties made with kava and then came home to Hawaii and recreated some of the kava-based dishes she had sampled in her travels. They were an amazing treat! Kava-seared tuna and kava ice cream – can...

Read More

Kava Creates Community

Posted by on Jan 12, 2009 in The Mind of Makaira | 0 comments

Kava Creates Community

Aloha everyone! Over the weekend, the ‘Awa Development Council of Hawaii hosted the Hawai’i Pacific Islands Kava Festival with the theme of “I Maluhia ka Honua,” when translated to English means “So the world may be at peace.” ‘Amen to that. The festival celebrated ‘Awa – or kava – as the sacred plant of Hawaii and Polynesia, and it demonstrated just how kava has played an important, central role in the resurgence of Hawaiian cultural practices. In addition to kava being available to drink at the festival, there were Hawaiian...

Read More