Madam Pele is sometimes referred to as ‘She who shapes the lands’ and if you have seen any of the footage from the Leilani Estates on the Southeast side of the Big Island - you have seen the fissures opening, the lava swallowing cars and the literal re-shaping of the land there. This is staggering to behold, but when you speak to Native Hawaiians about it - they are not surprised. Their ancestors have been living with Madam Pele for 1500 years or more - they know that she does what she does. Still, it is no small thing to have your house, your car, your garden, your farm, your entire material life swallowed up by Madam Pele - but as one local resident who lost everything in the last eruption stated “Madam Pele knows what she is doing and ultimately it ends up a blessing”.
***Please be advised that the island of Oahu (home to Honolulu, Waikiki Beach and your friends here at Private Tours Hawaii) is approximately 200 miles away from the Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii. Furthermore, only a small portion of the Big Island is being affected by the most recent volcanic activity. In regards to volcanic activity, the island of Oahu is considered to be extinct, meaning that it can no longer erupt. The last recorded volcanic eruptions on Oahu occurred some 120.000 years ago.***