“Golden Dakini” by A. Andrew Gonzalez

“Hestia’s themes are religious devotion, home, wishes, manifestation, kinship, unity and beginnings. Her symbols are fire (oven) and sparks. The Greek Goddess of household affairs, Hestia watches over our cookery today to help manifest family unity and ensure tasty outcomes. As the hearth Goddess, She provides the spiritual energy necessary to keep our faith sure and the inner fires burning bright. Greek art did not try to portray this Goddess, because She was considered the beginning – the source from which all else was ignited and set in motion.

Getting its name from the annual Yule-pudding making that takes place in many homes around this time of year, Stir-up Sunday is also a time in the Christian Church to motivate determined faith.  So, why not blend the best of both worlds?  Invoke Hestia’s blessing in your kitchen and make some pudding for the whole family (or a gathering of friends). Have each person present stir the pudding clockwise for a few minutes as they focus on a wish. By next year at this time, the wish should manifest.

Light a candle this morning to welcome Hestia’s unity and energy into your home. Or, carry matches in your pocket so the spark of this Goddess can ignite in any situation where it’s needed.  Throughout the day, when you need more commitment to your beliefs, just light one match to invoke Hestia’s aid.”

(Patricia Telesco, “365 Goddess: a daily guide to the magic and inspiration of the goddess”.)

Patricia Monaghan explained: “There were never statues of this most ancient Greek Goddess, for She took no human form. Hestia was seen only in the fire of the hearth, living in the center of every home, an honored guest and helpful to Her hosts. As the hearth Goddess, Hestia symbolized family unity; by extension, as Goddess of the public hearth, She embodied the social contract. At this ever-burning public hearth, the prytaneion, She bore the name of Prytantis; there first fruits, water, oil, wine and year-old cows were sacrified to Her.

“Hestia in Light” by ~El-Sharra

According to Greek legend, Hestia was the firstborn of the Olympian Goddesses. Her antiquity is attested by the Greek proverb ‘Start with Hestia,’ meaning ‘Begin things at the beginning.’ In the beginning of Her worship, matrilineal succession seems to have been the rule, and traces of it survived in the custom of classical Greece whereby a new home was not considered established until a woman brought fire from Her mother’s hearth to light Her own. In the same way, Greek colonists brought fire from the mother city’s public hearth to assure the cohesion of their new communities” (p. 152).

With the winter months upon us, Hestia’s presence in your home can bring you many blessings.  She reminds you that if you’ve neglected your home, it’s time to shift more energy to your home life. Are you working too hard at making a living that you can’t enjoy your hearth?

Your home is where you can recharge your energy, a place for you relax and be yourself. Take some time today to tidy up your place and burn some sage to cleanse the emotional space. If you have a fire-place light a fire, or a candle will do, and welcome Hestia into your home. [1]

ASSOCIATIONS:

General: Hearth, home, living flame, architecture, bowl, veils, pantry, and keys.

Animals: Donkey (ass) and pigs.

Plants: Angel’s trumpet (Datura), California poppy, goldenrod, hollyhock, purple coneflower, yarrow.

Perfumes/Scents: Angelica, iris, lavender, and peony.

Gems and Metals: Amethyst, garnet, gold, silver and brass.

Colors: Gold, dark rose, lavender, silver, and black.        [2]

Her Roman equivalent is Vesta.

 

 

 

Sources:

Dailygoddesstarot.blogspot.com, “Goddess Tarot: Hestia“.

Goddessgift.com, “Goddess Symbols of Hestia“.

Monaghan, Patricia. The New Book of Goddesses and Heroines, “Hestia”.

 

 

Suggested Links:

Auralia. Orderwhitemoon.org, “Hestia“.

Dailygoddesstarot.blogspot.com, “Goddess Tarot: Hestia“.

Goddess-guide.com, “Hestia“.

Goddess-power.com, “Goddess Archetype Hestia“. (This one has a fun quiz attached to it so determine what your Goddess archetype is)

Goddessgift.com, “Hestia, Greek Goddess of Hearth and Home“.

Inanna.virtualave.net, “Hestia“.

Revel, Anita. igoddess.com, “Hestia: Easy to be“.

Theoi.com, “Hestia“.

Wikipedia, “Hestia“.