Interview with Haley of Hina Luna: Plant Dyes + Divine Lunation
As I’ve become a local here in the Pacific Northwest, I’ve managed to hunker down enough to find the absolute miracle that is natural dyes. The colors yielded by an Oregon graperoot alone is astounding. The entire plant showcases a variety of colors, not to mention the medicine offered by this plant as well. I’ve come to learn more and more about the process of natural dying, especially the history and modern application of it by the craft keepers of my own heritage. Leathers and wools of Morocco would be dyed with the pigments of the environment, mostly derived by plants. When I got to know Haley, I felt that there was something kindred about her focus and my curiosity.
I’m honored to currently carry her latest zines, Wax + Wane: On Earth + Color, as well as Wax + Wane: Keeper of the Tides. The first focuses on the magical and natural process of working respectfully with plants to create a rainbow of opportunities, while the other offers easy to follow yet in-depth wisdom pertaining to the natural cycles of the world, and that of the great moon too. If both sound excellent to you (which wouldn’t shock me) you can get the set of both zines here.
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◑ What does HINA LUNA mean, both literally as well as its deeper meaning to you?
Hina Luna is an embodiment of the art of adornment, a celebration of simple pleasures, a valuing of less is more, an exploration of our emotional relationship with color, and an active honoring of the ancestors. My art exists at the intersection of these concepts, creating talismans intended to remind us of our magic. My intention is to create a mutually nurturing relationship with our natural world — the seen + the unseen — through plant based palettes + simple, functional, quality-made beauty with which we can adorn ourselves + our sacred spaces. My art is a devotion to the concept of body + home as an altar; a mindful practice of adorning yourself + your space in visual reminders of what is sacred to you, choosing with intention that which you wish to embody, decorating with your symbols + colors of personal empowerment to inspire you on your journey. The art of adornment is a primordial, innate desire to collect + to decorate + to express our inner most self. Certain colors, symbology, + nature allies can together represent our unique stories + become magical tools to support us in this lifetime. I am inspired by my own desire to imbue everyday tasks with ceremony, like cooking a meal or getting dressed. I believe that the ways in which we choose to adorn + practice ritual + mindful presence become a celebration of who we are; a reclamation of our selves, our time + our personal magic. And while I explore these concepts, the moon is my steady muse and the namesake of this heart-work. ‘Hina’ honors the moon goddess of the place I call my home in Hawai’i and her plant body representations, and Luna is a nod to the moon spirit of my own ancestry. I find inspiration in the moon’s gentle, quiet power; a light in the darkness; ever-evolving through its phases; in communion with the waters of earth, body, and blood.
Get a copy of these new Hina Luna zines by clicking here
◑ How has your ancestry or heritage played into your craft?
I became aware of the creative presence of my ancestry about two years ago [but I have to laugh because the more I deepen into this work, I realize it’s been a significant influence all along.] At that time I was beginning my journey into researching my ancestry, with a focus on my father’s matrilineage from Italy. Part of that was studying the language, talking to my living relatives, and preparing for an ancestral pilgrimage in early March of 2020 [which heartbreakingly was cancelled three days before departure due to Covid-19].
But it was really at this anticlimactic point that I immersed myself back in to Hina Luna and consciously took my ancestors with me. In my studies prior to my would-be departure date for Italy, there were passages in books that made me cry because I felt in my bones an affirmation, a deep knowing; I saw my grandmother [who’s passed] and her way explained to me and I felt closer to her. My work with Hina Luna didn’t necessarily change because of this, but rather I just became more aware of the ethereal “why” behind my process and embraced it.
◑ Tell us about a time when magic was unquestionably present in your life.
As I’m reflecting on this wonderful question, a particular experience is really coming to the forefront. Nine years ago, right before I moved to the island, I had freshly broken a long hiatus from art making and the first piece I made was a large scale painted portrait with honeybees. Also at that time my grandfather was passing, and before he did, he predicted my living in Hawai’i. I can’t say that it was his vision that led me to my new home as other circumstances invited me here, but during those early days of my transition I was visited frequently by the honeybees and by my grandfather’s spirit. Both seemed to show up when I needed affirmation that I was on the right path. I eventually began working with the bees and tending hives which provided some much needed healing during a time of many endings and new beginnings. Nine months after my move I held my first solo art show in dedication to the honeybee, and the portrait that broke my art making hiatus hung as the centerpiece.
◑ How does the earth feel to you now versus before you began this work?
Hina Luna has encouraged a slower lifestyle. Working with natural dyes can be a very slow process — gathering the dyestuff, processing it, the stages of prepping the fiber, long soaks, and air drying. For me it’s both meditation and therapy. I process my own inner world and set intentions while I’m processing the fabrics, and conjuring out natural colors feels like the manifestation of those intentions. It’s an art practice where you can’t help but feel in awe of the natural world because it is responsible for literally every part of the process — plant, earth, water, fire, air. I feel a clearer communication line with the elements, my familiars, with the plants growing around me now, like I’m learning a new language. My gratitude for my earthly home has deepened even more since working with Hina Luna and the wellbeing of the land and its kin is of the utmost importance for me in my personal values and practices.
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Keep up with Haley and Hina Luna by following her on instagram here.