In the night skies, pōhutukawa is also one of the stars of the Matariki cluster. It carries the weight of remembrance, guiding the spirits of our loved ones beyond the veil. In this way the tree offers us both a psychological and spiritual companion in times of grief — a reminder that farewells are not an ending but a returning to the embrace of the ancestors. For many whānau, the sight of its flowering branches brings solace, a sacred marker of continuity between the living and the departed. Pohutukawa He Whetū is an acknowledgement of the LifeStar, and how we use it as a vehicle for mourning and grieving.