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‘IKUWĀ (‘IKUĀ) – First new moon after Māhoe Hope, ending with Muku. Makahiki season will begin this month. Rain, thunder and lightning and high winds. Preparation for makahiki that starts when Pleiades, makali‘i rises and is visible over the Eastern horizon. Makali‘i remains visible for the next six months. Fishing for o‘opu, hinana, hihiwai and ‘opae. Plant kalo for the wet season.

Kilo in your ahupuaʻa to get more in depth

Sources

Prince Kūhiō Hawaiian Civic Club Moon Calendar; https://archive.hokulea.com; http://kohalacenter.org Kalei Nu‘uhiwa; http://wpcouncil.org; http://nupepa-hawaii.com; Nā Inoa Hōkū: Hawaiian and Pacific Star Names by Johnson, Mahelona, Ruggles

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*Stay up to date with changes throughout the anahulu (additions or if we’ve run out of stock) by checking back in with this issue on our newsletter’s webpage - updated daily https://gathercore.beehiiv.com

Piko o Wākea - Autumnal Equinox

Piko o Wākea this Hilo moon, Monday 9/22. We encourage ʻai pono - can you eat only foods grown sustainably in Hawaiʻi for the day? Can you eat foods that you know the ʻāina it came from? Some ideas: ʻulu, kalo, lūʻau, cassava, ʻuala, niu, maiʻa, puaʻa, limu, citrus, mango, lilikoʻi, starfruit, squash, cassava, melon, cucumber, radish, lettuce, bok choy, and lots of other locally grown options. https://kumukahi.org/units/na-kanaka/mauli-ola/ai-pono , https://www.seasonalfoodguide.org/hawaii/late-september If you aren’t able this time, what can you do to prepare for Ao Polohiwa a Kanaloa - Winter Solstice, and Piko o Wakea - Spring Equinox? How can we incorporate more locally grown foods into our everyday lives? What other practices can cultivate reverence through this time of equilibrium for you?

Shifting into ʻIkuwā, the last Mahina of Kauwela (dry season). Making extra time to prepare for Welehu, Hoʻoilo (wet season), Makahiki, Lono season, and all the holiday hustlin’ of gift giving and gatherings. Both slowing down and working harder, in different ways. We’ll be closing an hour earlier Sunday-Tuesday to mālama at home and get product ready for these busy months, but come check us out and keep us in mind as you start your holiday shopping. Let’s shop local, eat local this year & every year; and give zero-waste gifts from ʻāina as much as we can.

Despite the work that comes with this time of year, especially for us small business owners; don’t forget the seasonal shifts that encourage us to have moments of slow down, rest, gratitude, reflection, and celebration with loved ones. Mahalo nui always to our farmers, cultivators, and mahiʻai that provide people with locally grown abundance. What canoe crop dishes are you bringing to gatherings? What plants are you harvesting for wreaths, lei, decorations, and containers?

Everyone getting excited for the cooler, darker season? Did you know during Hoʻoilo the full moons lowest tides are at night? Nighttime tidepoolin’ incoming + good times for night planting. One more moon cycle left in Kauwela!

Below are some resources on Piko o Wākea and Papahulilani.

Astronomy in Hawaiʻi by Rubellite K. Johnson hawaiifreepress.com

Journal Prompts

1. How can we incorporate more locally grown foods into our everyday lives? What other practices can cultivate reverence through this time of equilibrium for you?

2. What can you recognize as being in balance in your life?

3. What is ending and what is beginning? What is in completion and what is starting new?

4. What have you been working towards that will soon bring abundance into fruition?

5. How can you prepare now to give meaningful gifts to loved ones this holiday season and reduce waste?

6. Where can you direct your attention to best support your family, friends, and community members? Where can you ask for support?

7. How can I cultivate a comfortable, festive home?

8. What do I need to do to successfully complete the things I’m working towards now?

Video of the Mahina

In Issue Hoʻonui the video is announced; Issue Poepoe reminder to watch; & Issue Hōʻemi shares reflections, context, and notes by Chase Mawae.

Can email [email protected] with comments

Song of the Anahulu

Dreams Come True by Elan Atias

Selections by Māwae - vinyl DJ available for events. Contact @braddahmawae on Instagram or [email protected] for inquiries.

Hub Happenings

Stay tuned for October events and other seasonal offerings at Onomea Hub.

Community Happenings

• Kupukupu Unfurling: Laulima Nature Center Art Exhibition & Fundraiser is seeking donated artwork celebrating Hawaiian species. Submissions open Sept. 1st-30th. 

• East Hawaiʻi Cultural Center - Displacement: Art of Surviving. Exhibit on View until Sept. 26th. Explores how two artists, Willie Baronet and Franciszek Orlowski, examine the question: What would you say to the next unhoused person you encounter on the street? It features photos from Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae, the sanctuary community founded by Aunty Twinkle. https://ehcc.org/content/displacement-art-surviving

• Art After Dark Kona Legends & Lore on Fri October. 17th Artists Wanted! Dm @artafterdarkkona on Instagram to join

• 2026 Hawaiʻi Regional Scholastic Art Awards Applications open Oct. 1st - Dec. 12th. Find more info at artandwriting.org 

• Hawaiʻi FoundHer 2026 Business Accelerator Programs applications are open from Sept. 15th-Oct. 17th. A business accelerator for Native Hawaiian, Asian, and Pacific Islander women founders. https://www.foundher.org

• Exploring Hawaiʻi Livestock 6 week series Sept. 23rd-Oct. 28th. Register at gofarmhawaii.org 

• Small Business Development Holomua Workshop Series w/ INPEACE Hawaiʻi on Tues Sept. 30th, 10am-11:30pm online via Zoom. Register at inpeace.org/events

• Birdtober ‘25 throughout the month of October. 31 days. 31 native Hawaiian birds. 31 creative prompts. Draw, paint, craft, photograph, write, or design digitally - ANY medium counts. Full participation will earn you a free set of Hawaiian Honeycreeper cards. Find more info at instagram.com/birdsnotmosquitos 

• Hawaiʻi Island Festival of Birds: Haʻakula Manu on Sat Oct. 4th, 9am-5:30pm at the Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo. Presentations for all ages, conservation org booths, local artists and crafters, family activities, and more! Find info, schedule, and tickets at birdfesthawaii.org 

• Hale O Lono Workday every 2nd Saturday of the month. Oct. 11th, 2025. 9am-11:30am. Join them in connecting with ʻāina through traditional Hawaiian fishpond management in Keaukaha. More info at instagram.com/hale_o_lonoand edithkanakaolefoundation.org/sites Potluck encouraged. Recommended to bring tabis, gloves, sunscreen, and water.

• Kāhuli Festival 2025: Ke Kani Nei Ka Pūpū on Sat Oct. 18th, 10am-3pm. 1st annual conservation festival celebrating native biodiversity in Puʻukapu, Waimea. Bring your own fork - no plastic utensils will be provided with your mea ʻai. Educational booths, hula & mele, food, makeke. bishopmuseum.org 

• Hawaiʻi Farmers Union 15th Annual Convention at Kahaluʻu Ma Kai in Kona on Sat Oct. 25th. Annual meeting & elections on Sun Oct. 26th. Find more info and register at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoA3F0reTVfcXEc1BoD7rYFHffuZXXWVhcJk_SdHtmmF2ruA/viewform

• Lauhala Workshops: Lauhala Love x Island Nation on Sat Oct. 25th, 10:15am-12:45pm. Ulana, culture, community. Learn the cultural tradition of lauhala weaving with Naomi of Lauhala Love while creating your own pieces to cherish and wear. Purchase tickets at kawaihona.com 

• The Kohala Center is hiring an ʻĀina Operations Manager at Keawewai. Join their stewardship team in Kohala. Apply at https://kohalacenter.org/aina-ops-mgr-keawewai-202508

• Onomea Country Market is a distribution location for Hawaiʻi Farm-To-Car by Hoʻōla Farms; an online farmers market for local produce, meat, eggs, cheese, baked goods, value-added products, and more. SNAP/EBT accepted. Shop online Friday-Monday and pickup on Wednesdays from 3pm-5pm at the Pepeʻekeo location. https://hoolafarms.org/hawaii-farm-to-car/

Follow this link https://linktr.ee/gathercore to make submissions for Community Happenings and/or Maker Spotlights.