Aloha Daughters of the Goddess;
Summer is approaching, have you felt the Sun kiss your face and the heat warm your shoulders? It’s a time to gather and celebrate our Sacred Sisterhood as we enjoy the sweet fruits from the Spring harvest and the light that lengthens our days.
Celebrate Vesta
Roman Goddess of the Hearth, Ceremonies & Fire,
& one of the Sacred Flames of our Temple
Thursday, June 7th, 2018
Waning Moon in Aries, Sun in Gemini
Concord locale, directions given upon RSVP
$30 per ritual/$15 first time visit
Vesta is a Goddess represented by a burning pot of oil, Her symbol a chevron with flame. But She is not the Goddess of fire; rather, She is Goddess expressing Herself as fire. She is an elemental force that must be tended, within and without, and tending that flame becomes one of the closest things to an organic religion in existence.
Vesta is one of the oldest Italian Goddesses, with Her cult going back to seventh century B. C.. She was later adopted by the state as one of the twelve most important Goddesses and Gods, also known as the Dii Consentes. Her Temple in Rome housed the “eternal Flame” or the hearth, and many legal documents. She was a protector of not just people’s homes but also of the land.
Vesta’s Flame, the third of our Temple Sacred Flames, began its burning glory on June 3, 2004, one year to the day of the creation of Juno’s Flame. With this flame we connect our Temple’s energy to the Roman Vestal Virgins’. Women were allowed to play little role in the public religious life of Rome. The most notable of several exceptions to this rule were the Vestal Virgins. They kept Vesta’s Sacred Flame burning for hundreds of years in Rome, each serving the Goddess in Her Temple for 30 years: 10 years to learn the Vestals path, 10 years to tend the Temple, and ten years to teach the path to others.
Vesta, Roman Goddess of our Temple’s Sacred Flames, is calling Her daughters to gather in Her name. She is the Goddess of our hearths, homes, and hearts as She is the Fire and the Flame. Vesta’s holy animal is the donkey and Her plant is the thistle. She is also sacred to bakers and millers. In the past She was not commonly depicted in images, being that She is found in the Flame itself. Though when She is, Vesta is often seen as holding a kettle and fresh cut flowers. Light a candle, a campfire, a stove—and there She is.
For the altar, please bring a red candle and/or your Vesta Sacred Flame if you are a Flame Tender, and images of Her and Her animals. If you are a Vesta Flame Tender, please take some time before we meet to clean your candle so that it does honor to Vesta.
Please see our participation page for more information on attending our ceremonies.