Something that most cultures around the world have shared is the interest and fascination with the sky. For millennia, people have gazed up to the stars and have revolved legends as well as science around them. Stargazing was not simply a pastime for ancient peoples. The ancient Hawaiian culture was no different. They used the stars as a source of their lore and "religion" as well as the source of their immense navigational abilities. These people were able to pinpoint an exact star to use as a guidance point and then travel for thousands of miles using that star as well as the sun, moon, and visible planets. Furthermore, the ancient peoples also attributed the constellations to the activities of the gods and demi-gods and myths and legends were based upon those ideas.

Hawaiian Astronomy Classifications
The ancient Hawaiians had a method of classifying the planets and the stars, and researchers initially thought their methods to closely resemble those of the ancient Greeks. However, it is now known that their methods are similar only in their terminology. The ancient Hawaiians divided the heavenly bodies into five different classes. They are known as "Kepelino, Kanalu, Kamohoula, Laukahikupua, and Kupahu". These groups were further divided into more specific classifications. The Kepelino group was divided into three sub groups. These consisted of the greater stars (the sun, the moon, and Venus), stars used for navigational purposes, and "stars of the heavens". The greater stars helped to determine time. The phases of the moon would determine the day, the sun for the time of day, and Venus was essentially used as a clock for farmers.

The stars used for navigation are those that are considered to be stationary. It is said that they hang above certain geographic locations and were used to help sailors navigate to different islands in the Pacific. There are eight main navigational stars. There is a legend behind the names of these stating that there were once eight skilled steersmen who each followed a star that landed then on the islands of Hawaii. They consequently named the stars after themselves. Several of these stars have been determined to have modern equivalents such as Mars, Jupiter, Polaris, and Gemini.

The moving stars are those that are of little use to farmers or sailors. They are the stars that can easily be determined by the fact that they seem to disappear during twilight or when the moon is not out. Their sole purpose, it is said, is to shed a little bit of light on the Earth during nighttime. It is said that they softly illuminate the sky because they are the closest to heaven.

Hawaiian Astrology
The ancient Hawaiian astrologers were revered amongst their people for their ability to read the sky and determine omens for the people. They would watch the sky carefully and make their predictions. The astrologers were brought questions about life and royalty, future predictions and even war. They would search the sky every morning for answers and relay the information to the people. It is said that they had three classifications of astrological stars. There were royal stars, people's stars, and canoe-steerer's stars.

The astrologers would determine peoples stars that would rise at daybreak throughout a certain month. They would be along the horizon during that period of time until they eventually rose two hours earlier by the end of the month and would no longer be at the horizon during the astrologer's viewing hours. This was the ascendant star and is essentially what is used to determine the "rising sign" that is commonly referred to in modern astrology. The people's stars were used to help determine planting seasons for the people. By telling which stars rose at a certain time, the people would know whether they should till the soil, plant various crops, fish for certain types of fish, and carry out other necessary activities.

By studying and understanding the precise cycle of the sun, moon, and various stars, astrologers were able to pinpoint exactly when certain events would occur. This would give the astrologers a certain supernatural quality about them that garnered admiration and respect from the Hawaiian people. Not only were they able to determine the best times to partake in agricultural activities, but they were also well versed in reading the tides, winds, and clouds. This allowed the astrologers to either give the blessing or the warning for sea travel that a mariner wished to undertake.

For thousands of years, the people of the Hawaiian Islands have depended upon the stars for many things. They relied on them in order to mark the hours, days, months, and years. They based their calendar off of the lunar cycles and thus had fourteen months as opposed to the standard twelve that we are aware of. The celestial bodies were used to determine when the best time was to plant crops, search for different types of fish, or to prepare the soil for future planting. They used the stars to determine the location of various islands to sail to. They would use the constellations to pinpoint which direction they should sail in as well as when they crossed various meridians.

However, the use of the stars was not limited only to the practical. Like many other cultures, astrologers in the Hawaiian culture used the rising stars to determine what ascending star signs are of people born within a specific time period (usually lasting a month). Certain attributes and events are said to be linked to people born under certain signs. The people of Hawaii have been using the stars for various reasons since they first set sail to settle in Hawaii. However, over the years, with the increase of technology, dependence upon the knowledge of the sky has greatly diminished. There are very few who still possess the type of knowledge that the ancient astronomers used. While there has been a reemergence of natives who are interested in continuing the legacy of Polynesian astronomy within the last 40 years, it is still considered dying wisdom within the Hawaiian culture.

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