FOUNDERS OF MA-URI®

Hemi Hoani Fox is Maori from Aotearoa-New Zealand – of half Maori (Ngati Manu, Te Kapotai) and Scottish descent. At the age of 7 his great-grandmother Hira Moewaka Kemp-Johnstone (Te Kapotai), initiated his passage into the realm of spirit and healing. She opened the appropriate channels and then left him with the challenge of finding out how to access and remember the ancient knowledge. In 1988 the Hawaiian Kahuna Abraham Kawai’i became the important key person and Challenger who gave him a brief glimpse into the ancient Hawaiian bodywork traditions. Hemi Fox was never a student of Kahu Abraham Kawai’i’s, however. In many subtle ways, he was prodded by the ‘Wairua’ (c: by spirit) in the direction of his pathway. The aboriginal elder, Guboo Ted Thomas from Australia and the Hawaiian entrepreneur George Kanehale both played their significant roles in this process. After more than 30 years of school teaching, occasional healing work and ‘ghostbusting’ jobs amongst the people of his tribe, it seemed time now to answer the call of Destiny. So he left the shores of his beloved homeland Aotearoa, left his family, his tribe and travelled to Denmark on a one-way ticket! From then on everything just started to happen in a way only Spirit understands. Knowledge came pouring through, doors opened and opportunities presented themselves and the right people appeared. The Spirit of MA-URI was eagerly awaiting conception and to be born into the world!

However, every act of creation requires the involvement of both masculine and feminine energies to produce a viable outcome or offspring. And in this respect, the creation of MA-URI was no exception; the energies of both Hemi and Katja had to come together in spiritual alignment in order for the conception and consequent birth of MA-URI to happen.

Only Destiny and the ancestors would have known that Katja Fox (née Østrup) was chosen to become the ‘mother’ and guardian of MA-URI, this ‘child of Spirit’, as well as the ‘female hull’ of the WAKA to be built, the MA-URI Institute. Her father (Danish veterinarian surgeon) and mother (hospital nurse from Danzig in Poland) had both been associated professionally with health and healing and had passed on their deep love of Nature and of other cultures to their children. It was not until 1990, though, when all the elements started to come together to outline the pathway for the future, that it dawned on Katja that these very focuses were going to be part of her destiny as well.

Conveniently equipped with an M.A. degree in English and Art History and since 1986 working as a professional ceramic artist, she was now getting herself ready for the tasks ahead. All the appropriate training and challenges were provided and in 1987 she was drawn into the whirlpool of ancient knowledge and practices through a spiritual experience that completely changed the direction and focus of her life. Furthermore, it prepared her well for the adventures yet to be revealed. The vision and training that was offered through this experience gave life and reality to a new perspective on life and a body of knowledge which turned out to be exactly what was needed for the creation and development of MA-URI Healing Arts. The spiritual message was as clear as it was challenging, ‘Now go and live it – then teach and share it!’. Within 3 years she had changed her career and family situation and in that process gained a whole new understanding and perspective on life. Ready now for new adventures, she was nudged, then dumped into this strange whirlpool of Destiny – and discovering this crazy Maori fella splashing around there with her! The ‘spirit of MA-URI’ was conceived and given birth; the ‘cradle’ for it provided in 1992 when the MA-URI Institute was formed! So, what else is there to do but smile and just give happiness free reins! Kia ora!