Looking Out

The epic green of Waipa Valley, Kauai, Hawaii

Photograph copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Looking Up

The delicate mist of Waipa Valley, Kauai, Hawaii

Photograph copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Rainbow Glow

The misting rains of Kauai create an incredibly lush environment. Known as the ‘Garden Isle’ it is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands at approximately six million years old. One of the wettest spots on earth, with an annual rainfall of 460 inches (1,200 cm), is located on the east side of Mount Wai’ale’ale. This rainbow brought a warming glow to all of Anahola.

Photograph copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Mana

Mana is an indigenous Pacific islander concept of an impersonal force or quality that resides in people, animals, and inanimate objects. After stepping into a well known vortex in Wainiha (literal translation “un-friendly water”) on the North Shore of Kauai, I was fortunate/unfortunate enough to channel Mana. The word is a cognate in many Oceanic languages, including Melanesian, Polynesian, and Micronesian. In anthropological discourse, mana as a generalized concept is often understood as a precursor to formal religion. It has commonly been interpreted as “the stuff of which magic is formed,” as well as the substance of which souls are made.
Oil painting copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012