Kahuna of Light: The World of Hawaiian Spirituality

Get an old-timer going, and stories of the past will come tumbling out for hours on end. These are really the stories of our past in that they tie us to our tradition. In Kahunas of Light: The World of Hawaiian Spirituality Moke Kupihea tells stories like an old-timer but with more polish. The stories of his past are the stories of his spirituality--of his ancestors on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, of his deep relationship with the land, and of the kahunas of his youth who shared their wisdom. Stories are the way Kupihea reconstructs the crumbling edifice of Hawaiian religiousness, linking generations through the ancient notion of the aumakua, or ancestral spirit. Although plodding at times, and often lacking a vigorous narrative movement, Kupihea reveals the meaningful days of his youth spent exploring cliff-side caves, rowing canoes in secluded streams, and coming face to face with the luminous spirit guides. He says that we can reclaim our past and our spirit--and shares how he has done just that. --Brian Bruya