“Hestia shook her head. "I am here because when all else fails, when all the other mighty gods have gone off to war, I am all that's left. Home. Hearth. I am the last Olympian” ― The Last Olympian
The Greek Goddess of the Hearth, is easy to figure out; hearth = heart = heart of the home. It is not by chance that we feel most at home in the kitchen, around our stove, not disturbed by anyone, and at a place of our own. Yes, the kitchen is the one place we feel like is Our Space. A Hestia woman is one who needs no one to make her feel complete and knows that is a delusion, of course. When we reach our Elder years, we are often on our own and there is peace, of a kind, in that. Yes, a lonely, longing, kind of peace, sometimes, but it is what it is and we find ways to simple BE in that.
Most of us, by then, have been serving others. And, suddenly, we find ourselves no longer needing to put others in the center of our beings. We have needed some time to ourselves. Now we have it. Now is the time we do service for ourselves by finding that peace and developing a rich inner life instead.
Hestia is a goddess who did not go to war with anyone. She is the one who kept the home fires glowing and warm and cozy and inviting and healing. She was someone you come home to. She was so beloved that she was guarded by vestal virgins. She worked on her inner self and did everything she could to illuminate her inner fire. She was ‘at home’ with herself.
The moon begins to wane. This is her time. She prepares herself to be the wise woman. She tended her fire, which was a huge responsibility because fire is sacred and survival, in those times, as well as now, means survival. Her body was her temple. She was completer, without ego, without attachments that were not good for her fire, she was grounded and centered, her inner sanctity was the fire of her soul that burned warm, bright, and perfectly at peace. We should desire that, of course and we should develop that as we age, in preparation for the fire that is all we need to tend.
She reminds us to get in touch with what we value, what we are passionate about, what we find meaningful to us. We should study people, listen to. This month might have been a month of chaos to us and she reminds us to stay out of chaos. We do not need that. When you feel it, clear your mind, draw inward, attend to your own concerns. Seek tranquility.
Keeping our home and hearth is not a big job. We should feel honored to be able to do so. When we cannot, seek someone who can help, and enjoy it when you are able to. There is no need to rush. Live purposefully. Stay present. Consider your own thoughts and feelings. Baking, making meals is a ritual. Have you thought of it as that? Even if you are only cooking for one or two or just yourself, present the food in beautiful ways. Prepare new and healthily delicious meals for yourself. Pay attention to your body needs. If you are in harmony, your home is harmony. Your kitchen and dining area are sacred places and spaces. Add light; candles, electronic candles. Add table decorations for the month. Use your best china. Buy dollar store napkins that fit the month. Be hospital but choosy who you let into your home.
It is still as if an alter is being prepared in a sacred space. There is something nurturing about doing work that may not seem very important, but it is very special to enter any space that has been cared for in this way. Not only light and warmth are being offered, but also food and hospitality, and a sense of family. Hestia warms the heart, nourishes the soul, and makes others feel welcome.
I putout a burden basket that I crocheted years ago. I place a few rocks close to it. A small sign is added that says:” Place the symbolic stone of your burdens you are carrying with you, in the basket. Thank you!” is beside it. I have not put it out for two years, you know, covid. But, when things completely open up, I will place it there again, by my door.
Prepare yourself to know contentment, to expect contentment. Be emotionally warm; be warm-hearted. Be serene.
When we learn about the goddesses, we can intuitively recognize aspects of them in ourselves. No one is exactly one. Being over sixty years of age means we are moving into our Elderhood, our Hestia, in a Crone form. Refuse to be drawn back into the chaos of earlier years. We are not going that way.
May Hestia teach you, may you become her. Blessed Be!
©Carol Desjarlais 10.26.21
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