Closure & Gratitude: End of ʻIkuwā

As the moon wanes into Mauli and finally Muku (Oct 20–21), we enter the closing arc of the ʻIkuwā cycle. The noise and fire of this month soften into quiet shadows. What was stirred up now asks to be sorted, cleansed, and returned to the earth.

These nights are not for beginning, but for laying down burdens and restoring balance. Muku especially is a night of deep release — the end of one cycle, preparing us for the rebirth of the next Hilo moon.

This is the time to honor endings with reverence, to close the storm’s chapter, and to thank our kūpuna who guide us still.

✅ What to Do

Write what you are done carrying — fears, resentments, heaviness — then burn, bury, or compost it.

Clean your mental and physical space to make room for the new cycle ahead.

Offer gratitude to one kūpuna by name. Speak their name aloud, offer a small hoʻokupu (gift), or light a candle.

❌ What to Avoid

Holding on to what clearly wants to leave.

Overfilling your schedule — this is a waning time, not a waxing one.

Forgetting to pause in gratitude.

📝 Reflection Prompts

What storm passed through me, and what did it clear away?

What am I done giving my attention and energy to that needs to be released?

What is the opposite of my fears and resentments that I want to focus on more when heaviness creeps in?

“E hoʻi i ka malu o nā kūpuna — return to the shelter of your ancestors.”

Even in endings, you are not alone. Their embrace is the calm after the storm.

🌑 Transition into Welehu (Oct 22 – Nov 19)

As ʻIkuwā closes, we step into Welehu, a month of grounding.
✨ Set your intentions:

Write down 1–3 intentions for the cycle ahead.

Say them aloud.

Revisit them throughout the month whenever you feel pulled off balance.