Healing rites
Hooponopono
The Hawaiian practice of setting things right within a family, led by an elder, through talk, prayer, and forgiveness.
Presented by ClearTrust Customs described as customs, free to read.
Hooponopono, Hawaiian for setting right, is a traditional way of mending relationships in a family, led by a respected elder or a kahuna lapaau, with prayer, truthful speech and forgiveness. The family sits together, and the process is believed to remove the entanglements, hihia, that cause trouble and illness.
This is an outline of a custom, said as belief and practice. It is not instruction, it does not say that the rite works, and it is not medical advice.
What goes into it
- Elder or kahunaGestureLeads the session.
- Opening prayerWordCalls on God and ancestors.
- Family circleSpaceAll involved are present.
- Truthful speechWordEach person speaks in turn.
- Shared mealOfferingCloses the matter.
- Gesture
- Word
- Space
- Offering
Each part has an equal wedge. The ring shows what goes into the rite, not how much. Colour is the part's role.
The steps, drawn
Each drawing shows the kind of act in that step. Details differ from place to place, family to family and practitioner to practitioner.
Step 1: Gather The family asks an elder to lead a session. Step 2: Speak An opening prayer is said. Step 3: Circle Each person speaks in turn without being interrupted. Step 4: Bind Forgiveness is asked and given and the matter is agreed closed. Step 5: Offer A shared meal is eaten. Step 6: Close A closing prayer is said.
The steps
A session opens with prayer, the issue is stated, each person speaks without interruption and the group works through the problem until it is resolved. A closing prayer and a shared meal end the matter. Once closed, the quarrel is not raised again.
Modern versions
In the 1970s Mary Kawena Pukui, a Hawaiian scholar, described the practice in detail. Later, a simplified self-help technique with four phrases spread across the world, with books and seminars. Hawaiian cultural practitioners say that this version differs from the family practice and that it is often sold for profit.
Use today
Some Hawaiian courts, social workers and health centres use hooponopono in a family setting. It is a Hawaiian cultural practice and not a clinical therapy.
What it is for
- Mending relationships
- Easing family conflict
Who does it
Related entries
Also part of it, and being written: Ho'oponopono (The practice.), Mary Kawena Pukui (The scholar who recorded it.), Kahuna (The Hawaiian expert.).
Sources and further reading
Original text and drawings by the EveryJaadu desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Closed or sacred detail is left out. If we have something wrong, tell us.