IO'S CREATION #803 - WHATUKURA AND MĀREIKURA: SPIRITUAL HELPERS WHO MANAGE THE WORLD

The hidden helpers

When we think about the creation of the universe, it is easy to imagine Io working all by himself in the quiet of the night. But our old people in the North taught us that the management of this "Woven Universe" is actually a big team effort. Io brought into being a vast host of spirits to help look after everything he made. These spirits act like the hands and eyes of the Creator in our physical world.

Among these helpers are the Whatukura, who are male spirits, and the Māreikura, who are female spirits. They live in the heavens just below Io and work as his personal assistants. They are not just sitting around in the clouds; they are the high-level managers of the spiritual physics that keep our world running smoothly every day.

The biblical connection

When we look at the teachings of the Bible, we see this same team described in a very similar way. The writers often spoke about different ranks of spiritual beings like principalities, authorities, and powers. These are just different names for the same Whatukura and Māreikura that our ancestors knew about.

Ihu (Yeshua's name in the Paipera Tapu) confirmed that these spiritual helpers are very real and deeply involved in our lives. He showed us that they are always connected to the source of all life.

"Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 18:10, NKJV)

"Kia tūpato kei whakahawea koutou ki tētahi o ēnei mea nohinohi; ko taku kupu hoki tēnei ki a koutou, Ko ō rātou anahera i te rangi e titiro tonu ana ki te mata o tōku Matua i te rangi." (Translated from the original Greek: hoi angeloi autōn en ouranois dia pantos blepousi to prosōpon tou patros mou)

Spiritual constructors at work

To make sense of this through a scientific lens, we can think of these spirits as "constructors." In modern science, a constructor is something that can perform a specific task over and over again without being used up or changed itself. These spiritual helpers act as the master builders who oversee the guardians of nature, known as the Poutiriao.

Their job is to make sure that the life force, or mauri, of every mountain, river, and forest stays in balance. They provide the structural strength that prevents the world from falling into chaos or "entropy." They are the reason the sun rises every morning and the tides come in and go out. They ensure that the ongoing act of creation remains ordered and full of life.

A partnership for peace

Knowing about these helpers changes how we feel when we are out working on the land in Taitokerau. It reminds us that we are never truly alone in our mahi. When we act as kaitiaki, guardians of our environment, we are actually stepping into a partnership with these heavenly beings.

Wairua Tapu gives us the gifts we need to collaborate with this spiritual team. Our goal is to use our mana to help bring about a state of abundance and flourishing life for our whānau. When we look after our household and our whenua with love and care, we are joining in with a divine system of management that has existed since the very first strand of the universe was woven together.