Atua Wāhine: The Ancient Wisdom of Māori Goddesses

In our bustling, busy world, Hana Tapiata’s Atua Wāhine is a calm and cosy nook. Her book collects the ancient wisdom of Māori goddesses and applies it to the modern world, hoping to help us navigate daily challenges by following in the footsteps of our ancestors.

Tapiata draws on whakataukī (proverbs) and pūrākau (stories) to compile the energy and wisdom of 17 atua wāhine (goddesses). Through these, she eloquently and sensitively gives voice to their teachings, unlocking ancestral lessons. After recounting the stories and whakapapa of each Māori goddess, Tapiata applies the messages intrinsic within each pūrākau to her own life experiences and modern society followed by posing a series of questions and exercises the reader can use to apply this newfound knowledge in their own lifestyle.

Atua Wāhine becomes thus an exploration of self-awareness that fosters an approach to life rooted in tradition by guiding the reader through cycles of change and reframing ancient interpretations of the world to fit our modern systems and practices. This is where Tapiata’s writing is at its strongest. In collecting the story from an abstract place and condensing it down into a much more accessible space, she makes it relatable and applicable. She transforms ancestral knowledge into something not only essential for the future, but necessary for understanding the past and key to making the most of the present.

First and foremost a celebration and a tribute to women, Atua Wāhine is also for tāne (men), irakē (gender queer persons), and whānau. Tapiata makes a point to acknowledge the lack of focus dedicated to goddesses and acknowledges the sometimes demonised perspective through which they are depicted. My favourite passages are those in which she reframes a pūrākau to paint a more positive portrait of a villainised female figure. These moments are thoughtful, powerful, and essential to her goal of applying traditional stories to present practices.

Nuanced and nurturing, sensitive and strong, Atua Wāhine offers us a new perspective through which to perceive the world, while grounding us in the ancient knowledge of our ancestors.