Akua, 'Aumakua & Awaiku in Old Hawaii
A hui hou © Martyn Carruthers 1997-2012

Online Huna & Ho'oponopono

Deified Ancestors & Ancestral Angels of Old Hawaii

Hawaiian Spirituality . Awaiku . Ho'oponopono . Huna, Healing and Ohana

You don't need to be on Hawai'i long to hear unusual stories. And if you stay with native Hawaiians rather than in tourist hotels, you may be confronted with the old ways rather quickly. Many native Hawaiian people whom I have met enjoy talking story about the old days - and may even demonstrate what they are talking about.

Ancient Hawaiian mysticism and healing include many akua - gods, 'aumakua - ancestral guardian spirits and awaiku - angels. Many Hawaiians believed that aumakua would guard people, animals, fishes and plants and protect 'ohana (families and villages). Descriptions of akua were often consistent between districts and islands, while descriptions of 'aumakua differed between villages and families.

Unlike akua and awaiku, 'aumakua were ancestors. They were often associated with specific animals or plants (kinolau) and many native Hawaiians will avoid eating, hurting or even insulting plants and animals favored by their aumakua. Examples of 'aumakua kinolau are the shark (mano), turtle (honu) and owl (pueo). 'Aumakua were said to punish such acts of filial disrespect by bringing illness upon the transgressors - illness which we can help people resolve with appropriate ho'oponopono.

Uncle George Naope was a hula kumu - a master of hula dance, pule chants and mele songs as well as a well-known entertainer. I would not have called him a healer, although he had many native Hawaiian healer friends and knew a lot about their methods. Uncle George Naope was the teacher and close friend of my close friend - Kawika David Blaikie.

I learned much about 'aumakua during talks with Hawaiian people. I enjoyed meeting Uncle George Naope, usually at the Makai Bar of the Keauhou Beach Resort in Kailua-Kona in the early 90's. I was trying to deepen my understanding of the psychology underlying traditional Hawaiian healing.

Your `aumakua may support you outside of your everyday awareness. They may warn you, help you, and even heal you if asked. Pay close attention to everything around you, especially in natural places. Meditate on apparent coincidences and seek the underlying causes of unusual events.

Uncle George Naope told me many fascinating stories. I particularly enjoyed his tales about the volcano goddess Pele (e.g. stopping a wall of hot lava near Hilo). I spent many evenings at the Makai Bar with Uncle George, with the background sound of Pacific surf, trying to take notes unobtrusively.

Hawaiian 'Aumakua

I first read about 'aumakua in the books of Max Freedom Long, who equated 'aumakua to something he called a High Self. But Max Long wrote that he never met a kahuna and the Hawaiian reality is very different. (Long's ideas seem to be mostly from New Thought ideas of the 1920's and 30's, which were based on the work of Phineas Quimby.)

'Aumakua are au (far traveling) makua (ancestors) ... ancestral spirits. Some native Hawaiians from the Ka'u District of Big Island consider Pele, the volcano goddess, to be an ancestor - and hence 'aumakua. If Pele is your aumakua, you can ask her for favors and protection. Elsewhere in Hawaii, Pele is a respected akua - a sometimes-dangerous goddess who lives in Kilauea (Volcanoes Park).

'Aumakua were deified ancestral spirits which dwelled in the Pö, a timeless eternity which has existed before the universe was created, and to which spirits of the dead return. I often think of 'aumakua as family guardian angels who can assist or discipline their descendents. 'Aumakua had both male and female elements and, like awaiku, could teach people through illness - not necessarily gently.

The practice of dedicating the dead to become guardian spirits of a family aumakua was not known in the earliest period of the settling of these islands (Hawaiian Mythology, Martha Beckwith).

However, relationships with 'aumakua require responsibility and obligations (kuleana). If you connect with your 'aumakua, you will feel a need to to live your highest values and live a sustainable lifestyle - and guilt or shame if you do not. Your sense of life is a useful barometer of your connection.

'Aumakua and awaiku can help people heal black bags (ele'ele eke) in their bodies - dark regions that appear to represent unresolved trauma and relationship disappointments - the locations of black bags in your body often correspond to the Hawaiian chakras - and to chronic disease symptoms.

It seems that 'aumakua can open those black bags and liberate trapped younger selves and other people's emotions, helping you accept and integrate lost or younger versions of yourself - also heal emotional problems and disease symptoms. 'Aumakua could be called with gifts of mana (energy), by a kupuna (elder) or by a kahuna (expert); they often communicate during dreams and meditation.

Many religions monopolize talking to dead people ... you should only talk to their founders.
Another point of view is that an occasional chat with a dead ancestor is just good manners.

Deified ancestors could be invited to festivities as respected advisors. Their descendents could seek their help in meditation, hakalau and during ho'oponopono. 'Aumakua could solve family problems and heal sickness ... and punish family members ... sometimes with disease. Be careful and courteous.

Compare Aumakua of Hawaii with 'Oromatua of Tahiti

The respectful relationships between the Hawaiians and their aumakua can be contrasted with the dread with which the Tahitians regarded oromatua. Ellis wrote in his Polynesian Researches in 1825, that oromatua "were never invoked but by sorcerers, who implored their aid for the destruction of an enemy, or the injury of some person whom they were hired to destroy."

In Tahiti, ‘oromatua were described as disembodied spirits of famous rulers and warriors. Small stone, wood or coral images called ti‘i were used by Tahitian sorcerers, especially pua wood from a temple (marae). These were possessed by demons (varua-ino), disembodied evil spirits ('oromatua-‘ai-aru) and long-toothed spirits (‘oramatua-niho-roroa). These bound spirits were kept in a special marae under which slept the magicians who acted as their adoptive parents, and used them for curses.

Contacting Aumakua

Many Westerners seem to have minimal contact with their dead ancestors and ancestral spirits. Hawaiian mysticism includes helping people communicate with their deceased ancestors to reestablish their lineage and family connectedness. Why not find your ancestors and recreate connections (aka) between you and them? Let this be a basis of pule 'ohana (family prayer).

Major spirits (akua) were called first, then ‘aumakua, then a supplicant identifies himself or herself by name and requests some blessing. In old Hawaii, such prayers required offerings - a chant of summoning was followed by special offerings for male and female lineage aumakua. One Hawaiian chant of summoning began:

Special offerings are appropriate when connecting to aumakua. Aumakua can be given mana (power) and be asked to change whatever troubles the family. An old Hawaiian chant to call male lineage aumakua began by calling Kane (a supreme male god) and ended:

An ancient chant to call a female aumakua ended:

Do you want to learn old Hawaiian healing arts by experience, rather than by books or New Age lectures? Communicating with 'aumakua is part of Hawaiian shamanism. We can help you find and communicate with your aumakua in our workshop Bringing Down the Sun. See kahuna training.

Mahalo ke aumakua!

Hawaiian Spirituality . Ho'oponopono . Huna, Healing and Ohana . Kumulipo . Soulwork

E komo mai. Welcome. Come to Hawaii and re-connect to your Aumakua. Learn the old chants with us under the trees by Kealakekua Bay. Swim with us at Waipio valley. Walk with us into volcano craters in Volcano Park. Let us ride the winds together at Ka Lae. Meditate with us deep inside a lava tube.

Consider helping us bring these old teachings and healing magic to your part of the world.

Consider coming to Hawaii. Our classrooms are the beaches, forests and volcanoes. We can help you find in Hawaii a journey of a lifetime. Meet us in South Kona and come to the most beautiful, most sacred (and most haunted) places on Big Island. MORE

Huna Kalani . Soul Mentorship . Pu'uhonua & Lono . Awaiku

We offer experiential introductions to old Hawaiian mysticism and healing, in Hawaii and elsewhere. Experience for yourself the beauty and power of old Hawaii and expand your horizons. Explore this old healing magic ... and the roots of the systemic magic of our systemic coaching.

Plagiarism is theft. © Martyn Carruthers, 1997-2012 All rights reserved

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Plagiarism is theft. Copyright © Martyn Carruthers 1996-2012 All rights reserved. Soulwork Systemic Coaching was primarily developed by Martyn Carruthers
to help people dissolve emotional blocks and improve relationships to achieve their goals. These concepts and strategies are for general knowledge only. Consult a physician about medical conditions and before changing medical treatment. Don't steal intellectual property ... get permission to post, publish or teach Martyn's work.