Pele Blessings Halau 'O Lomilomi

Kehau Hori, lifelong Kona resident, is opening a new business called Pele Blessings “Halau O Lomilomi”. The halau will be located at 74-5615 Luhia St. A1B, in Kailua-Kona’s old Industrial Area. The first scheduled class session is July 5-August 16, 2010. Upon completion students will have earned 150 hours of academic coursework which will then qualify them for the State of Hawaii’s Apprenticeship program. Kehau intends to emphasize her background in Hawaiian spirituality and culture in her teachings. Her first spiritual kumu (teachers) were her Hawaiian maternal grandmother, Martina Kekuewa Fuentevilla and mother, Emma Hori. Her grandmother was the family healer using oli (Hawaiian Prayer-Chant) and la’au lapa’au (medicinal Hawaiian plants) which she handed down to Kehau. Martina was born in North Kohala and raised in one of the last Hawaiian grass huts on Painted Church Road in Honaunau. After Martina’s passing, the sharing of traditions continued through her mother, Emma. Kehau was fortunate to have studied and apprenticed under the guidance of Aunty Margaret Machado in 1997. As an apprentice, Kehau was often selected by Aunty Margaret to work on her privately giving her special instructions on specific areas or conditions. “I felt truly blessed by Aunty to receive her personal guidance and wisdom. I feel as if her spirit is with me whenever I need her.” Kehau honors the Goddess Pele by naming her company Pele Blessings; her grandmother taught her that Tutu Pele is our ohana and spiritual family guide. Kehau deeply appreciates Pele’s influences in her life and feels that she is continuing to open the path for her life calling. She would love to share Pele’s wisdom to all who would like to learn.