Hestia - Part 3

Here are my responses to the last ten questions of the Thirty Days of Devotion Challenge.

I also added one question of my own: is there an aspect of this deity that you have neglected or failed to learn from?

XX. Art that reminds you of this deity

The Pre-Raphaelites seem to have focused on more glamorous goddesses, but this painting of two young women tending the household altar reminds me of Hestia.

John William Waterhouse

The painting is titled, Household Gods, and the artist intended to represent Rachel and Leia. (Really?)

XXI. Music that makes you think of this deity

There's a particular rendition of Pachelbel's Cannon that makes holiday meals feel very magical.

Lisa Thiel’s music (only the collections from the early 1980s) and Loreena McKennitt's music are both perfect for hearth tending. (Sometimes John Denver works, too.)

XXII. A quote, a poem, or piece of writing that you think this deity resonates strongly with

What words would Hestia resonate with? She might like Cold Mountain, but I'll have to think about this some more.

Ancient Greek texts to her or about her seldom resonate with me. However, here are two passages that I like:

Zeus, the mighty lord, holding the reins of a winged chariot, leads the way in heaven, ordering all and taking care of all; and there follows him the array of gods and demigods, marshalled in eleven bands; Hestia alone abides at home in the house of heaven; of the rest they who are reckoned among the princely twelve march in their appointed order. - Phaedrus by Plato

Hestia, in the high dwellings of all, both deathless gods and men who walk on earth, you have gained an everlasting abode and highest honour: glorious is your portion and your right. For without you mortals hold no banquet—where one does not duly pour sweet wine in offering to Hestia both first and last. And you, Argeiphontes [Hermes], son of Zeus and Maia... be favourable and help us, you and Hestia, the worshipful and dear. Come and dwell in this glorious house in friendship together; for you two, well knowing the noble actions of men, aid their wisdom and their strength. Hail, Daughter of Kronos, and you also, Hermes. - Homeric Hymn 24 to Hestia (trans. Evelyn-White) 7th - 4th century B.C.

I also like this contemporary prayer to Hestia, even though I don't see her as a protector of the home.


Lady.
Protectress of men.
Lady of the flames.
Eternal and divine lady.
Bless me with your presence!
(iskios.com)

Online, I found a quote about Hestia that comes from a contemporary novel written for teenagers. I think a goddess of the hearth might say this if she valued herself and the home she provides others.

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, by Rick Riordan

XXIII. Your own composition – a piece of writing about or for this deity

This a piece that I hurriedly wrote before a phone ritual that a friend and I did. It says things I’d never thought before. Is it what I hope she might do for me or what I recall that she did for me in the past?

Hestia is an archetype very near to my heart. She offers me safety and creativity, work, and rest. She reflects, but she is not a hermit. I can be myself in her sanctuary and, knowing myself, I am stronger when I go out in the world. She has friends and allies who can help and guide me when I leave her temple.

The smoke of her fire carries my prayers into the worlds. Her sisters visit, bringing their light and wisdom, too. She is the place of retreat and renewal even for the gods and goddesses. She is close to the F&SoL; blessing flows through her temple. She is the temple.

She is not an enclosed contemplative. She plans and works, and her activity is grounded in strength. Like the squirrel, she lays aside stores for winter; she also gathers favorite treats for guests and loved ones who may visit. She offers a healing space for the sick, nurturing space for the weary, and a sense of love for the lonely.

Grow strong in her garden. Then go out in the world, but always remember her. Offer her your best gifts. If you pray to gods, your first prayer and your first offering should go to her, lady of the hearth, goddess who is first and last, woman centered within herself.

XXIV. A time when this deity has helped you

In the past, I didn't think of Hestia as a real being outside of myself, so I never asked her for anything. If there is a goddess Hestia and if she has helped me, her assistance has gone unappreciated.

However, she may have helped me very recently. At one time, I was a decent cook, but I've lost that ability somehow. Even the simplest things confound me. Then, a week ago, I offered to make a lasagne for a friend because her mother had just died. Chaos ensued, but in the end, because I was doing it for love, the lasagne turned out fine. (In fact, her husband called it "insanely good.")

Robin Wood Tarot

XXV. A time when this deity has refused to help

My inner Hestia is gone. Once, I could make the shabbiest room pretty. People loved being in my home.

I discovered her absence after all my foundations had been shaken but before I realized they had been destroyed. All attempts to rebuild have failed.

Home once meant offering warmth to others and nurturing myself. Now it is only a cold, dark hiding place, with no Hermes to hold my hand when I step out the door or as I try to navigate the world beyond it.

XXVI. How has your relationship with this deity changed over time?

Hestia used to be a comfort and perhaps a source of strength. The loss of her traits feels like a betrayal—as if I've betrayed myself for not being who I used to be.

XXVII. Worst misconception about this deity that you have encountered

I’ve encountered nothing egregious or offensive. A saleswoman tried to sell me statue of Cybele, saying it was Hestia who would “drum and dance through the house.”

XXVIII. Something you wish you knew about this deity but don’t currently

I'd like to know her rather than know about her. (Encountering and engaging a deity is something Rhyd Wildermuth or Anomalous Thracian could do; unfortunately, I probably can't.)

XXIX. Any interesting or unusual UPG to share?

(UPG) She is a goddess of magic. One kind is the everyday magic of transforming a house into a temple. Another kind should be ordinary and every day. Doing her work puts you in a state that helps with intuition and divination. Seriously: dust your house or rearrange your altar before pulling out your tarot cards. It will help. A lot.

XXX. Any suggestions for others just starting to learn about this deity?

None, but I'm willing to hear some.

31. My question: Is there an aspect of this deity that you have neglected or failed to learn from?



Uncredited contemporary art at www.diannelaramee.ca

She is Stillness in Action.

I've felt her stillness when deeply engaged in a project. However, I've never asked for her to help me meditate and reach that quiet place that people say can be found in meditation.

Spiritual pursuits are within her realm. Jean Shinoda Bolen wrote that "Hestian women" often enter religious orders and the community runs smoothly with them attentively and unobtrusively doing their work. Hestia's love is expressed with restraint and she neglects nothing that matters but, like the many-armed divinities of India, inwardly she remains still and her introversion is directed godward.

Home is the place where Hestia is most felt, but perhaps she points to a more inward center, a place of inner stillness where one might encounter the F&SoL.

An Orphic hymn to Hestia states, "In thee the gods have fixed their dwelling place, strong, stable basis of the mortal race."


If I sought that inner stillness with Hestia’s help, I believe I would find it.

_________
F&SoL = Force and Source of Life (term coined by Mary Belmore)

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Hestia, Part 1      (Hestia, Part 2)      Hestia, Part 3

Thanks to Rhyd for introducing me to the Thirty Days of Devotion Challenge. Here are links to his posts:

Arianrhod, questions 1, 2, & 3
Arianhrod, questions 4 & 5
Arianrhod, questions 6, 7, & 9
Arianrhod, questions 10 & 11
Arianrhod, questions 12 & 13
Arianrhod, questions 17, 18, & 19

Edit: Since I finished the Challenge, I've written several more pieces about Hestia. One is about the The Fool card in the tarot and another is about Hestia becoming a goddess of a larger community. Most recently, I wrote this candle lighting prayer to Hestia.