I personally believe it was her very importance as the divinity of the hearth that kept her from myths. Home is supposed to be something stable, something that is always waiting for us to return and just offer the warm comforts. Why create exciting myths and adventures for a goddess that literally stands as the "personification" of warmth and the stability of the oikos, something that is meant to be calm and peaceful.
I literally had this conversation last night ! There isn’t a need to explain her because she is such a straight forward being . Consistent , stable and easily understood. Home . Each Hellene would have understood that concept of home and family to a degree , a shared experience that united Hellenic identity
Yes! I actually had this in my notes but ended up removing it from the final recording for time's sake. One of the theories as to why she's not the Iliad or Odyssey is because her stability and comfort lended her to not "be an exciting deity" for the story.
Thus I wonder what is their take on marriage when the divine marriage of Zeus and Hera, of which was supposed to be an example for mortal to follow, had Zeus constantly cheating on Hera and Hera attacking his lovers and children.
@@PungiFungi Sorry im super late to the game on this one but i just thought id offer my two cents: The thing about the Greek gods that a lot of people misunderstand, mostly due to our largely Christianised modern context, is that they are not meant to represent what is moral and right. They represent what is real. Aphrodite in the myths can be petty and spiteful at times because love is not always perfect, but rather can be volatile, passionate, and even illogical. What better way to reflect that? Hera and Zeus' relationship is the same way. Infidelity happens in relationships, especially when it comes to powerful men, and Hera responds the way that a goddess of marriage naturally would; by being angry and wrathful. Their marriage is not meant to be an ideal, but a product of two complex characters with self-interested tendancies.
@@jacquelineamberg8184 , yes, a rather cynical way of seeing the world. Men will cheat and women will get vengeful if they find their husbands cheating. The Ancient Greeks seemed to accept that an idealized world will never exist, and they were probably right.
I think I’ve taken Hestia’s role in day-to-day life for granted for far too long. Yesterday, my house finally received electricity after a week of power outage following Hurricane Fiona. I’m used to power outages (winter nor’easters are just a fact of life here) but never for so long. 4 days was the longest power outage I’ve ever experienced, and even then I could at least rely on a hotel room to have electricity and running water. There’s some small securities in life that I just never noticed. I can flick a light switch and know that the light will turn on. I can put a tea kettle on the stove and know it will boil. This house feels safe and warm again. I can’t believe I never noticed her presence here. In every room, in the hum of my refrigerator and the taste of a hot cup of tea. How did I not notice? She’s everywhere.
Yes Hestia!!! She is one of the primary Goddesses I worship. I too associate her with many of the domestic activities of keeping a home, and I especially associate her with disciplne. When I feel tired and worn down, I pray to Hestia for the energy and willpower to do what needs to be done. Thank you for your video!
2:21 I remember hearing once that because she was of the hearth/house there was going to be less of a chance of her having a big temple cuz she was already in everybody’s homes as being goddess of the hearth.
I keep a pillar candle on my altar dedicated to Hestia. It's always lit first and the last to be extinguished. I don't have a candle snuffer and can't leave it to burn forever, so when I blow out the candle I always pair that act by praying "Hestia, may your sacred flame always burn within me". Hearing you mention an internal hearth of sorts was very validating 😂
Great video as usual! Hestia seems the most natural and easiest God to connect to, at least for Me. As cheesey as it sounds she just feels like the warmth of My home. I also would love a video on Hera!
As a fairly new Hellenist, I've found myself struggling to connect to Hestia. When I first started practicing, even though I understood - in a technical sense at least - Her importance, always offering to Her before and after the other gods I had set up a ritual for in the first place felt like a chore, like something I did out of pure obligation because "that's the way it's done", and not out of actual reverence and appreciation for Her. Which... it feels complicated to explain, because I have loved and appreciated Her since the beginning of my spiritual journey, but the "extra" steps when giving offerings made me feel like I was forcing myself to worship Her without any real desire to do so. That being said, I think this video and the responses of others in the comments help demonstrate why I feel genuinely drawn to Her despite the complicated start. She represents Home, warmth, stability, comfort, and connection to all the other Theoi; all things I have craved to have and keep in my life for a long time. In reminding myself of these things, and devoting some of my time and attention solely to Her, I've started to overcome that feeling of grudging obligation that tainted my first interactions. (Also, a fun little aside, she happens to be my non-religious partner's favorite Greek Goddess, which is the only reason I even knew of Her before becoming a Hellenist!)
Hestia is my patron goddess. The kitchen (with gas stove) has always been my happy place. When I cook/bake/clean/socialize there, it's an act of worship, to me. I have a figurine and a spell jar on the mantle near my sink so I commune with her internally. She makes me feel what I do for my family pleases her, because it's in honor to her. Blessed Hestia.
Loving the series, amiga. Here in Brazil our group has a music to her based on her Homeric Hymn. "Hestia we light your flame/Mistress of home/Goddess of the heart/Come in one-mind with Zeus/Bringing blessings and protection" we sing it as we begin our rituals.
Hail Hestia! I live in an apartment. I usually consider the oven the equivalent of my hearth and during ritual I light a candle to represent Hestia. So that's kind of how I get around not having an actual fireplace. I think the key is to be conscientious about our homes and to think about the function of the things in our home in relation to what ancient homes were like. We might not have hearths but we have cooking places and systems that heat our homes. Hestia can reasonably be found in these things. Hail Hestia!
I honour her first and last always. For what you said in the video,I guess I could dedicate cleaning/discipline/chores activities to her. For me she is a kind goddess,i see her spiritually as the one who helps me to keep the flame of my heart alive.
Another fucking banger of a video!! Hestia is one of my main deities that I connect with, I connect with her a lot when I bake bread to share with my friends, when I clean my space, when I spend time resting at home, and when I spend time with others who fill me with love. Also, I would love it if you would do a video on Athena or Dionysus! Cheers :-)
I've loved Hestia for decades. Wonderful to hear from another devotee. How clever of you to make the connection that she's "first and last" because sacrifices to other gods can't begin without her hearth fire and must end when that hearth fire goes out. (Back when 'blogging was a thing, I wrote a series of posts exploring what Hestia has meant to me.) I've just started working with Hekate and can't wait to watch you Hekate vlog!!
I like your concept of the hearth as "the heart" within very much and see it in exactly the same way! For me the first line of the Orphic hymn: "Queen Hestia, daughter of mighty Kronos" means something like: "I hail thee, the first and the last sparkle (daughter) of the old divine Law (Kronos), which is still here on earth between us and should be kept and maintained by us".
It's pretty interesting to see the hearth cult as another example of animism, albeit in what may have been what I might call a kind of "state animism"(?).
Hestia has been my main Goddess for about six or seven months. It's funny how you mention carrying her in your heart because this is where I first encountered Hestia. I remember my heart growing so warm and her name kept popping up everywhere. Videos about her were popping up on my RUclips suggestion without me researching her, at all. I do keep an LED candle "lit" on her altar to represent the hearth.
@@FeltheBlithe Haha, go for it! I have loved using the LED candle. After getting into candle making recently I started adding two homemade candles for her. This week, by her request, a purple one as well. I thought that would be a neat addition for her altar, and as offering.
@@SimpleMandy can I be curious and ask how you manage to connect and "hear" what she wants and what she'd like? I lit a candle for her every day but I wish I know if I was doing right or not. I am not great with energy, I just hope I am pleasing her
wow, i was just watching this as research (and thank you for the information!) got even more than i expected! the end part where you talk about your personal practice with hestia was both enlightening and super heartwarming. (puns genuinely not intended, but nevertheless acknowledged.) i just love hearing about other people's practices and what is meaningful for them. obviously some people are private about that kind of thing (as is their right, totally respect that) but i will fully admit that i am nosy* lol so i really appreciate you sharing that. (*by which i mean im curious and like to understand more about my fellow human beings to appreciate our similarities and differences and hear new perspectives to deepen my compassion for and connection to humanity... but that's a mouthful. so. let's just stick to nosy) all this to say,,, subscribed 🕯️
haha thank you for sharing all that! I'm delighted that you enjoyed the video. And I've had those feelings too while watching videos, it's one of the reasons I decided to share about my personal practice because I know how it is to be curious!
I don’t work with any other deities in my practice- spirits, yes, but not really deities- and it took me so long to realize that one of the spirits I was working with- the spirit of what I referred to as my hearth, my inner candle, my hope, my home- was Hestia, partially because of how little I work with deities. The major clues were a) she emphasized teaching me how to make myself at home wherever I went, b) feeling comforted and protected by wearing anything that could loosely be interpreted as a veil (hood, bandana, etc) and c) i always associated her with being first and last. She was the first to show up in my life, and the most ancient force in my life; and she also always seemed so young, never old or motherly like some domestic-focused spirits. At the same time, I often recognized her last- towards the end of the year, the end of a cycle (burning certainly represents an end) and I would often list fire last in correspondences (if that makes any sense) working through each element until I got to what I considered the core- fire, the hearth. I think it’s so interesting how these specific things can surface long before I ever did any research into Hestia or even knew much about her beyond the fact that she was a Greek virgin goddess of the hearth.
It's so lovely to hear other practitioners talk about Her. I had house trouble last year and immediately my mind went to Vesta as the Goddess of the House and Hearth. I am of Italian descent so I guess I just knew that was Her domain? And ever since She definitely helped getting to a safe and comtolace o can call home and from such safe foundations I could start rebuild my life. It was hard to find enough information about Her to start dedicating to Her but I am so glad I found this! Thank you!
Ugh I loved this so much. I very recently had her come to me in a dream (incredible dream tldr she was literally at my apartment bedroom door), and prior to this I picked up some little handy crafts and have had been really working on making a 'home' for myself outside of my own person since I've never really had that. It was incredible to see her in a vision and I've never had a deity come to me like this but I have mentioned it to two other practitioner friends and they're like "yeah that checks out she is the perfect deity for you to have been called by" 🥺 this video helped me so much I have a ton of notes now and want to really make her proud by continuing to work on my home and making that a warm and safe place for my loved ones as well!
What a wonderful coverage of Hestia! I must say, the hymns were spoken beautifully! I love your editing! Modern problems require modern.. philosophy! 😄 Hestia = Home = Physical = Spiritual. I'm new to Hellenistic Polytheism. Unfortunately it's been something that I've put on the back burner for over a decade in my occult studies, because I viewed it as a sort of "Greek only" philosophy, being French Canadian and Algonquin -- but boy was I wrong! Labels don't belong here. I suppose the timing was key, perhaps I'm only supposed to begin learning now? I'm currently in the process of building my Altar. I love the idea of Polytheism changing ones worldview. Whether it be emotions, weather, food, water, family, order, magic, speech, love, art, ecstasy, joy, death -- everything is assigned an archetype, a deity! Similar to how modern magicians, or wiccans, view the everyday world through a spiritual lense, whether planetary, or alchemical, emotion, ect. I'm excited to absorb this philosophy and lifestyle. You are a crucial part of my studies! I'm looking to purchase the appropriate books. Hellenistic Polytheism - Household Worship seems to be a staple that is recommended. Along with the Orphic and Homeric Hymns. What books do you recommend? 🤔 Forgive me, but you are not a fan of Mystery traditions, right? They have been a fascinating area of study for me. I would be interested to hear your take on the transformation of Dionysus, from being a minor deity only then to be later morphed into a deity based on reincarnation and the afterlife after Orpheus. ☺ If you haven't heard of the small mythology/philosophy/mystical RUclips channel "CG DAHLIN" I definitely recommend it. Other than that, what you're doing is magnificent work. I'm sure you'll be doing individual videos on each deity in the coming year, in which I am looking forward to! Thank you for another lesson!
Oh I love learning about Mystery traditions! I just don't focus on them as primary sources because they aren't necessarily helpful when sussing out the common religion. As for books, I'd suggest looking at the description of my Q&A video where I list recommended readings, websites, RUclipsrs, etc, etc. I'll add Dionysos to my list, certainly a fascinating character. And thank you for your thoughtful comment 😊
Hestia immediately called to me from day 1 and I defi understand why 😊 Home is the most important thing to me. I love her so much 😊 Shame there's such little about her, especially images, I'd love to have images of her everywhere. But the statues I've seen of her are so beautiful that it makes up for it 😍 She's my main deity, my most special lady 😊 and I also feel her everpresent. I feel as if she's constantly close, protecting me 😢 she makes me feel so loved *edit* Must mention that my own very personal interpretation of Hestia routing from the significance of the hearth back then is that she's the goddess of home and community. She protects the individual home and also the greater community as the hearth was ablaze in each community not just inside the home. The hearth was warmth and comfort, especially in the cold moments of the year, fire is warmth and warmth is comfort and safety. Now in modern days and depending on where you live, fireplaces aren't really a thing and depending on where you livez heating too. Where I live if anything you have an AC but heaters depends on if your house is particularly cold, the individual and if anything it's in the bathroom to not freeze after a shower 😅 My heater is a tiny fan that emits warm air and barely ever on even in winter 😂 So I find her in the comfort of the home, in it's liveliness, in the bedsheets and blankets keeping me warm during colder days, in the sense of feeling safe and protected at home. I didn't have that detailed of a meaning before towards her but she called on me so hard in my first WEEK of practicing last year and ever since I've slowly just started to find her in my day to day life inside the home and sometimes outside of it too in these things so that's why my personal interpretation is what it is, it's like if either I found her or she showed herself to me through this.
This is amazing! Do you have any advice of offerings or meditations to communicate with Her? I lit a candle for her on my fireplace every day but I am not great with energy so I can only hope what I do pleases Her
@@activistwitch I try to remember to offer my first and last bite of my meals (I can't physically offer so I just say it's in her honor and an offering) and always call her when lighting a candle or insense and always call her when blowing out a candle. Other than that I just chat sometimes during the day like just letting her know she's in my thoughts. I also veil in her honor with a bandana almost daily, 90% of the time I leave the house.
This is so interesting and well presented! I found deep connection to the esoteric meaning of Virgo. A sign ruled by Mercury (Hermes) but is represented by the Virgin (Priestesses of Vesta)
Personally, I bought one of those space heaters with the backlight/appearance of a fireplace and use that as my representation of Hestia, and include her first in all my libation offerings. Having even a small spot of warmness (I found a unit that can display the flame effect even without heat) makes me feel more connected than any statue or standard candle would do, and so far at least Hestia hasn't smited me! :)
Oh wow I have got the same and use it the same way! When o was looking for a new place I promised to get a hearth representation even from a doll house to honour her and then the place I found had an empty fireplace I could put an electric one in!!!
thank you for the vid! I am a vestal virgin by dedication (also asterroid vesta is conjunct my north node in astrology so its always been a part of my life). so great to continue learning about her and hestia
great video! i adore Héstia very dearly but lately I feel I've been lacking in my connection to Her, and it seems like this video reignited a flame inside me to carry on on my devotional path! thank you so much!
This was so informative and well presented. Very engaging. I've just come across Hestia, trying as I am to "sacralize" my life; and to think, a deity of hearth. Requests for future topics: The Graces The Muses Hypnos Again, wonderful video. First rate.
I really like you. I find you very "real" and I love your memey editing. I just watched your Q&A, too, and was particularly interested in your answer to Hellenic vs Heathen. I'm German and (though I'm not folkish), I think feeling a desire to reconnect with ancestry (esp as the children of North American immigrants, who don't have such strong ties to their culture) is very common. I had also practiced very novice-y as Hellenic a few years ago. Now that my life is more stable, I'm looking back into spirituality. but it was this video that made me go light a candle and (bc I don't have any incense) burn some bay leaves and pour out some oil for Hestia. Haven't prayed or honoured the Theoi in like 3yrs, but I forgot how much I loved Hestia as a patron of hearth and home. I hadn't actually heard of the modern epitaph Of Electricity before! Honestly, I love modern epitaphs, bc I feel they're a very concrete way to modernize ancient practice. For a next diety, why not Hera or Demeter? I really connected to what you said about #girlboss #modern myth retellings always villainizing the goddesses, especially ones that are so true.
Absolutely in LOVE with this entire explanation and discussion of Hestia/Vesta! You did such a wonderful job of researching your material and presenting it clearly while also including your own personal examinations and beliefs. Wonderful video!
your videos are so comforting to watch :). I wanted to make a video request - could you do a video on Hades please? There's not a lot of well researched videos on him around xx
This was a lovely video. Out of all the Gods, Hestia was the one I connected to the most. It took me a while to accept it because of the idea that women have to be domestic and stuff (I'm AFAB but not cis) but I really am like that. If I financially could, I'd become a stay-home partner for my beloved but alas, capitalism exists. I want to get more into cooking for myself and to honour the peace of mind Hestia brings me ❤ it really is wonderful to provide a nice and cozy home for others and yourself, makes you share all your warmth 😊 Edit: I also try to honour Hestia by making myself - or my heart, as you mentioned - a hearth: I like to be there for my friends and beloved ones in a way that feels like a safe space for them, even if no one else does ❤ I was like this before knowing about the Gods, so I'm guessing Hestia has been guiding me all my life! That's just how I feel
I was thinking about lost languages and words and concepts that have gone missing because of that so I had the urge to look up a word in the dictionary: vestigial which led me to vestal virgins which led me to virgins consecrated in the name of Vesta which led me to the Greek goddess Hestia which led me here I wish I had an ancient dictionary I’m sure the Webster’s one I have is watered down In my Webster’s it defines hearth a few ways 1 A. A brick, stone, or concrete are in front of a fireplace B. The floor of a fireplace C. The lowest section of a furnace; esp: the section of a furnace on which the ore or metal is exposed to the flame or heat 2. HOME 3. A vital or creative center
Hi! thank yo uvery much for the video. Idk if you read comments to old videos but just in case - this was really important for me personally. I learned a lot and I hope I'll be able to change some things in my life. and the thing you said about hearth in the heart made me thingk really deep and finally cry, because I learned a lot of things about myself once I assumed that the wayu I tret my home is logical consequesnce of how I treat myself. thank you.
I would love to see this video you alluded to about the 12 Olympians being different than we think of them. I don't think I've come across that before, and it sounds really interesting!
I'm trying to learn more about Hestia at the recommendation of a friend when I told her I'm trying to buy a house. The one we have our eyes on has a little nook in the kitchen that I would place a little alter to Hestia if we're to get the house.
Top notch video,thank you; I have a battery powered candle going in my kitchen next to her offering "pig", a Portugese ceramic spirit roaster for sausages.
The fact that her hair has everflowing oil implies to me that she is a kindler and firetending diety. Fire is her gift to humanity, especially fire of the home and of worship. But I am not so keen to separate her from the fire she loves so much.
It signifies her beauty and her high status, as by "oil" the poets were probably referring to perfume. Alcohol-based perfumes have only been around since the 50s; for the vast majority of our history, scents have been through incense and oils. The wealthy were soaked head-to-toe with fragrant oils, because whoo boy, did it sink. Since Hestia naturally produces said oils from her hair, she is always sweet-swelling, an aspect of her divinity.
In thracian mythology, which unfortunately is almost completely lost, we have a Mother goddess who's domain is vast namely: hearth, magic, fertility and hunt. She basically encompasses Hestia, Hecate, Aphrodite and Artemis all in one. It is said that the hearth was very very important to ancient thracians but again we have almost nothing to go about.
Hestia means also home except from hearth and the word is still used nowadays with both meanings. She symbolized the unity of people who lived together either in a house or in a town or the connection of newborn cities built away from the main city with the hometown. This is another meaning which is still used, the hometown or in general the center of an activity. Also the stove is still called hestia. There are still actions that Greeks do which resemble the ritual the ancient Greeks did for the worship of Goddess Hestia. They still burn a candle in olive oil and they try to keep the fire on continuously but nowadays is dedicated to the God of Christianity. In addition, Greeks still consider important the existence of home made food on hestia, meaning the stove. They think that the unity of family is around the table and the food which is eaten together. So yes hestia had the meaning of homey mostly and still has it till now.
It is interesting that some of the most ancient references of Loki are of him as the god of the hearth, and in his history too there is a gaping void where his worship should be. Both seem to have been ubiquitous throughout their cultures. Perhaps these hearth deities had their altars and offerings so obviously and consistently offered by the hearth in every building and home that there was no need or appropriateness for additional structure? Any other thoughts? Anyone else see similarities?
While they share similarities perhaps in being hearth deities, luckily Hestia has a lot more scholarship. I'd definitely be curious how heathens might see this!
Could you please do a video on Pontus, or talk about him in a video? I’ve tried to research him but there’s very little I can find about him so I’d love to hear your thoughts about him. If not that’s totally understandable, just figured id ask :-) also, I love your videos and have been binge watching them for the past few days, so keep up the good work :-)
I'm not sure if she was traditionally evoked for protection, really just any image or calling in of the god was considered protection in the classical age
By my own searching I have developed a very animistic and panentheistic (I think) form of polytheism, where fallible gods seek to maintain order in the universe. On top of that I have always held a respect for Hestia both from my education containing Greek as well as the anime DanMachi, and named her as a god of my home, and is one of the gods that I worship. It is nice to hear that she is also seen as animistic as this fits in nicely with my ideas, as I don't see deities as living beings with stories and myths, contrasting other gods like Zeus who seem to have daily adventures. She has always seemed very kind and orderly which is how I see deities as. I will continue to worship the god of home Hestia, named in honour after the Greek goddess, as although they may have many similarities, they are not identical.
I have a wax warmer in the shape of an elephant on my alter to Hestia. I turn it on when I'm cleaning or just feel like it and dedicate the smell and light from it to her!
Hi! I'm starting in this path and I want to know if I have to honor her, cause I don't really feel connect to this home conception :( But all the time I see people starting and ending their praying/rituals with her... But it feels wrong to me if I do this just cause "I have to" 🤡
I don't think you should honor a deity because you feel like you ~have~ to but you have a couple options, you could keep it simple yet traditional. Traditionally, many prayers were just worded with "to Hestia first and last", I don't think there' anything wrong with saying that piece even if you don't want to be close to her-and who know, she might surprise you 😉 Or you could cut that out and stick to the deities you do feel called to. I think it's also important to remember that Hestia is not just the literal hearth of OUR home but also the hearth of Mount Olympos, I see all offerings going in part to her because of this, whether or not they are dedicated to her. She is the divine spark and often the center of our inner temples. However, you don't have to honor her or worship her to acknowledge her place in the pantheon. As an example, I don't presently worship Zeus, however, I acknowledge his very important place in the religion and know that when I make an offering "to all the gods" that includes him. I hope this makes sense! Feel free to ask anything else
thanks! and hmm, usually signs you should try to interpret what they mean to you! you don't have to wait for a sign either, you can reach out to the gods yourself 🧡
i have a doubt: i live in an apartment and i don't have a garden, can i have an altar for chthonic deities in a flowerpot? sorry for the english, i'm from brazil and i love your channel
You could totally do a flowerpot! That's a really creative idea. Although many people just have their chthonic altars on a lower shelf or on the ground
she sounds very old-european to me.. it´s always the same three spirits, fire, hearth and doorway.. and then their mother (because four is the actual magic number). europeans and indo-europeans you know.. the older languages might be gone but people remain (except basque maybe, isn´t that considered old-european).
also in uralic languages tia is a place of something (like a place of hut or place where the reindeers are, also spelled sija). so with that logic it would be the place of Hes, or more commonly known here as Hessu (popular first name). or not, maybe just boring IE :)
it´s Es or Äs, the name of the goddess originally, maybe, probably (or at least something short like that, the oldest words are always very short). not that names matter much, because in real folk religions people would make their own names, especially for something as intimite as house deities. you wouldn´t use the "patron´s name", that´s the last thing you would use.. why there´s no "temples" either because it´s what people actually worshipped. yes? äsh? ash? haste? hesitate? if match in greek maybe something there.
I love it! I also honor her in the same manner, mostly via candles. To treat fire like this feels sacred, and homey… and makes me feel like a part of something ancient…. Like books and tea. Once again, I can really relate to the way you articulate and create humor :) thanks for being a nerd bird 💚👊🏼 Edit: I’m better than that, typo wise… Woah… haha!
I personally believe it was her very importance as the divinity of the hearth that kept her from myths. Home is supposed to be something stable, something that is always waiting for us to return and just offer the warm comforts. Why create exciting myths and adventures for a goddess that literally stands as the "personification" of warmth and the stability of the oikos, something that is meant to be calm and peaceful.
I literally had this conversation last night ! There isn’t a need to explain her because she is such a straight forward being . Consistent , stable and easily understood. Home . Each Hellene would have understood that concept of home and family to a degree , a shared experience that united Hellenic identity
Yes! I actually had this in my notes but ended up removing it from the final recording for time's sake. One of the theories as to why she's not the Iliad or Odyssey is because her stability and comfort lended her to not "be an exciting deity" for the story.
Thus I wonder what is their take on marriage when the divine marriage of Zeus and Hera, of which was supposed to be an example for mortal to follow, had Zeus constantly cheating on Hera and Hera attacking his lovers and children.
@@PungiFungi Sorry im super late to the game on this one but i just thought id offer my two cents:
The thing about the Greek gods that a lot of people misunderstand, mostly due to our largely Christianised modern context, is that they are not meant to represent what is moral and right. They represent what is real. Aphrodite in the myths can be petty and spiteful at times because love is not always perfect, but rather can be volatile, passionate, and even illogical. What better way to reflect that? Hera and Zeus' relationship is the same way. Infidelity happens in relationships, especially when it comes to powerful men, and Hera responds the way that a goddess of marriage naturally would; by being angry and wrathful. Their marriage is not meant to be an ideal, but a product of two complex characters with self-interested tendancies.
@@jacquelineamberg8184 , yes, a rather cynical way of seeing the world. Men will cheat and women will get vengeful if they find their husbands cheating. The Ancient Greeks seemed to accept that an idealized world will never exist, and they were probably right.
I think I’ve taken Hestia’s role in day-to-day life for granted for far too long. Yesterday, my house finally received electricity after a week of power outage following Hurricane Fiona. I’m used to power outages (winter nor’easters are just a fact of life here) but never for so long. 4 days was the longest power outage I’ve ever experienced, and even then I could at least rely on a hotel room to have electricity and running water. There’s some small securities in life that I just never noticed. I can flick a light switch and know that the light will turn on. I can put a tea kettle on the stove and know it will boil. This house feels safe and warm again. I can’t believe I never noticed her presence here. In every room, in the hum of my refrigerator and the taste of a hot cup of tea. How did I not notice? She’s everywhere.
"In the hum of my refrigerator and the taste of a hot cup of tea." This is such a lovely description of her presence!!
There is no such person as Hestia.
Yes Hestia!!! She is one of the primary Goddesses I worship. I too associate her with many of the domestic activities of keeping a home, and I especially associate her with disciplne. When I feel tired and worn down, I pray to Hestia for the energy and willpower to do what needs to be done. Thank you for your video!
I really appreciate your idea about the relationship between Hestia and discipline. I will absolutely be keeping this in mind.
Pray to Jesus, not to false gods.
2:21 I remember hearing once that because she was of the hearth/house there was going to be less of a chance of her having a big temple cuz she was already in everybody’s homes as being goddess of the hearth.
"Inviting Hestia in to make her hearth in your heart." Such a beautiful idea! I got all emotional when I heard that. Wonderful video :)
I keep a pillar candle on my altar dedicated to Hestia. It's always lit first and the last to be extinguished. I don't have a candle snuffer and can't leave it to burn forever, so when I blow out the candle I always pair that act by praying "Hestia, may your sacred flame always burn within me". Hearing you mention an internal hearth of sorts was very validating 😂
I love that!
This is such a great dedication, I will get and add it to my evening salutations to her!
Great video as usual! Hestia seems the most natural and easiest God to connect to, at least for Me. As cheesey as it sounds she just feels like the warmth of My home. I also would love a video on Hera!
I'll add Hera to my list!
As a fairly new Hellenist, I've found myself struggling to connect to Hestia. When I first started practicing, even though I understood - in a technical sense at least - Her importance, always offering to Her before and after the other gods I had set up a ritual for in the first place felt like a chore, like something I did out of pure obligation because "that's the way it's done", and not out of actual reverence and appreciation for Her. Which... it feels complicated to explain, because I have loved and appreciated Her since the beginning of my spiritual journey, but the "extra" steps when giving offerings made me feel like I was forcing myself to worship Her without any real desire to do so.
That being said, I think this video and the responses of others in the comments help demonstrate why I feel genuinely drawn to Her despite the complicated start. She represents Home, warmth, stability, comfort, and connection to all the other Theoi; all things I have craved to have and keep in my life for a long time. In reminding myself of these things, and devoting some of my time and attention solely to Her, I've started to overcome that feeling of grudging obligation that tainted my first interactions.
(Also, a fun little aside, she happens to be my non-religious partner's favorite Greek Goddess, which is the only reason I even knew of Her before becoming a Hellenist!)
Hestia is my patron goddess. The kitchen (with gas stove) has always been my happy place. When I cook/bake/clean/socialize there, it's an act of worship, to me. I have a figurine and a spell jar on the mantle near my sink so I commune with her internally. She makes me feel what I do for my family pleases her, because it's in honor to her. Blessed Hestia.
I dunno why I rarely connect to any goddesses but her energy feels so cozy and safe…
She reminds me of cozy winter nights spent with my family
me too! she's such a cozy goddess
Loving the series, amiga.
Here in Brazil our group has a music to her based on her Homeric Hymn. "Hestia we light your flame/Mistress of home/Goddess of the heart/Come in one-mind with Zeus/Bringing blessings and protection" we sing it as we begin our rituals.
Hail Hestia!
I live in an apartment. I usually consider the oven the equivalent of my hearth and during ritual I light a candle to represent Hestia. So that's kind of how I get around not having an actual fireplace. I think the key is to be conscientious about our homes and to think about the function of the things in our home in relation to what ancient homes were like. We might not have hearths but we have cooking places and systems that heat our homes. Hestia can reasonably be found in these things.
Hail Hestia!
Agreed! thanks for the insight
I honour her first and last always. For what you said in the video,I guess I could dedicate cleaning/discipline/chores activities to her.
For me she is a kind goddess,i see her spiritually as the one who helps me to keep the flame of my heart alive.
I see her that way as well 🧡
Your dress in this video is so cute!
Thank you! 😊
Another fucking banger of a video!! Hestia is one of my main deities that I connect with, I connect with her a lot when I bake bread to share with my friends, when I clean my space, when I spend time resting at home, and when I spend time with others who fill me with love.
Also, I would love it if you would do a video on Athena or Dionysus! Cheers :-)
I'll add both of them to my list!
I've loved Hestia for decades. Wonderful to hear from another devotee. How clever of you to make the connection that she's "first and last" because sacrifices to other gods can't begin without her hearth fire and must end when that hearth fire goes out. (Back when 'blogging was a thing, I wrote a series of posts exploring what Hestia has meant to me.) I've just started working with Hekate and can't wait to watch you Hekate vlog!!
yay! It's so wonderful to hear from folks who have loved her for many many years
I like your concept of the hearth as "the heart" within very much and see it in exactly the same way! For me the first line of the Orphic hymn: "Queen Hestia, daughter of mighty Kronos" means something like: "I hail thee, the first and the last sparkle (daughter) of the old divine Law (Kronos), which is still here on earth between us and should be kept and maintained by us".
It's pretty interesting to see the hearth cult as another example of animism, albeit in what may have been what I might call a kind of "state animism"(?).
Hestia is definitely the first goddess in the Hellenic pantheon that I felt was reaching out to me. Great video!
HESTIA!! Got to love her but she does not get enough of my attention.
Hestia has been my main Goddess for about six or seven months. It's funny how you mention carrying her in your heart because this is where I first encountered Hestia. I remember my heart growing so warm and her name kept popping up everywhere. Videos about her were popping up on my RUclips suggestion without me researching her, at all. I do keep an LED candle "lit" on her altar to represent the hearth.
Love that idea! We are blessed with electric candles that can "burn" forever. I might steal this idea 🤔😂 It seems a wonderful way to honor her
@@FeltheBlithe Haha, go for it! I have loved using the LED candle. After getting into candle making recently I started adding two homemade candles for her. This week, by her request, a purple one as well. I thought that would be a neat addition for her altar, and as offering.
@@SimpleMandy can I be curious and ask how you manage to connect and "hear" what she wants and what she'd like? I lit a candle for her every day but I wish I know if I was doing right or not. I am not great with energy, I just hope I am pleasing her
wow, i was just watching this as research (and thank you for the information!)
got even more than i expected! the end part where you talk about your personal practice with hestia was both enlightening and super heartwarming. (puns genuinely not intended, but nevertheless acknowledged.)
i just love hearing about other people's practices and what is meaningful for them.
obviously some people are private about that kind of thing (as is their right, totally respect that)
but i will fully admit that i am nosy* lol so i really appreciate you sharing that.
(*by which i mean im curious and like to understand more about my fellow human beings to appreciate our similarities and differences and hear new perspectives to deepen my compassion for and connection to humanity... but that's a mouthful. so. let's just stick to nosy)
all this to say,,,
subscribed 🕯️
haha thank you for sharing all that! I'm delighted that you enjoyed the video. And I've had those feelings too while watching videos, it's one of the reasons I decided to share about my personal practice because I know how it is to be curious!
I don't have any experience with her but to me she sounds like a goddess of life and civilization.
oooo that's an interesting outlook on her! thanks for sharing
I don’t work with any other deities in my practice- spirits, yes, but not really deities- and it took me so long to realize that one of the spirits I was working with- the spirit of what I referred to as my hearth, my inner candle, my hope, my home- was Hestia, partially because of how little I work with deities. The major clues were a) she emphasized teaching me how to make myself at home wherever I went, b) feeling comforted and protected by wearing anything that could loosely be interpreted as a veil (hood, bandana, etc) and c) i always associated her with being first and last. She was the first to show up in my life, and the most ancient force in my life; and she also always seemed so young, never old or motherly like some domestic-focused spirits. At the same time, I often recognized her last- towards the end of the year, the end of a cycle (burning certainly represents an end) and I would often list fire last in correspondences (if that makes any sense) working through each element until I got to what I considered the core- fire, the hearth. I think it’s so interesting how these specific things can surface long before I ever did any research into Hestia or even knew much about her beyond the fact that she was a Greek virgin goddess of the hearth.
I'm so glad you had that experience with her! I like that description: your inner candle, your hope.
It's so lovely to hear other practitioners talk about Her. I had house trouble last year and immediately my mind went to Vesta as the Goddess of the House and Hearth. I am of Italian descent so I guess I just knew that was Her domain? And ever since She definitely helped getting to a safe and comtolace o can call home and from such safe foundations I could start rebuild my life. It was hard to find enough information about Her to start dedicating to Her but I am so glad I found this! Thank you!
Hestia and Vesta are truly wonderful! thanks for your kind words 🧡
Ugh I loved this so much. I very recently had her come to me in a dream (incredible dream tldr she was literally at my apartment bedroom door), and prior to this I picked up some little handy crafts and have had been really working on making a 'home' for myself outside of my own person since I've never really had that. It was incredible to see her in a vision and I've never had a deity come to me like this but I have mentioned it to two other practitioner friends and they're like "yeah that checks out she is the perfect deity for you to have been called by" 🥺 this video helped me so much I have a ton of notes now and want to really make her proud by continuing to work on my home and making that a warm and safe place for my loved ones as well!
That dream sounds so amazing! I'm glad you had that experience with her. She's really wonderful.
I appreciate that this was both well researched and shared how you actually work with her
Thanks! I always find it helpful when people include insights into their personal practices, so I thought I'd do the same
What a wonderful coverage of Hestia! I must say, the hymns were spoken beautifully! I love your editing!
Modern problems require modern.. philosophy! 😄 Hestia = Home = Physical = Spiritual.
I'm new to Hellenistic Polytheism. Unfortunately it's been something that I've put on the back burner for over a decade in my occult studies, because I viewed it as a sort of "Greek only" philosophy, being French Canadian and Algonquin -- but boy was I wrong! Labels don't belong here. I suppose the timing was key, perhaps I'm only supposed to begin learning now? I'm currently in the process of building my Altar.
I love the idea of Polytheism changing ones worldview. Whether it be emotions, weather, food, water, family, order, magic, speech, love, art, ecstasy, joy, death -- everything is assigned an archetype, a deity! Similar to how modern magicians, or wiccans, view the everyday world through a spiritual lense, whether planetary, or alchemical, emotion, ect.
I'm excited to absorb this philosophy and lifestyle. You are a crucial part of my studies! I'm looking to purchase the appropriate books. Hellenistic Polytheism - Household Worship seems to be a staple that is recommended. Along with the Orphic and Homeric Hymns. What books do you recommend? 🤔
Forgive me, but you are not a fan of Mystery traditions, right? They have been a fascinating area of study for me.
I would be interested to hear your take on the transformation of Dionysus, from being a minor deity only then to be later morphed into a deity based on reincarnation and the afterlife after Orpheus. ☺ If you haven't heard of the small mythology/philosophy/mystical RUclips channel "CG DAHLIN" I definitely recommend it.
Other than that, what you're doing is magnificent work. I'm sure you'll be doing individual videos on each deity in the coming year, in which I am looking forward to!
Thank you for another lesson!
Oh I love learning about Mystery traditions! I just don't focus on them as primary sources because they aren't necessarily helpful when sussing out the common religion. As for books, I'd suggest looking at the description of my Q&A video where I list recommended readings, websites, RUclipsrs, etc, etc. I'll add Dionysos to my list, certainly a fascinating character. And thank you for your thoughtful comment 😊
Perfect timing!! I just began worshipping Hestia and I LOVE your videos! 💗
Hestia immediately called to me from day 1 and I defi understand why 😊 Home is the most important thing to me. I love her so much 😊 Shame there's such little about her, especially images, I'd love to have images of her everywhere. But the statues I've seen of her are so beautiful that it makes up for it 😍 She's my main deity, my most special lady 😊 and I also feel her everpresent. I feel as if she's constantly close, protecting me 😢 she makes me feel so loved
*edit*
Must mention that my own very personal interpretation of Hestia routing from the significance of the hearth back then is that she's the goddess of home and community. She protects the individual home and also the greater community as the hearth was ablaze in each community not just inside the home. The hearth was warmth and comfort, especially in the cold moments of the year, fire is warmth and warmth is comfort and safety. Now in modern days and depending on where you live, fireplaces aren't really a thing and depending on where you livez heating too. Where I live if anything you have an AC but heaters depends on if your house is particularly cold, the individual and if anything it's in the bathroom to not freeze after a shower 😅
My heater is a tiny fan that emits warm air and barely ever on even in winter 😂 So I find her in the comfort of the home, in it's liveliness, in the bedsheets and blankets keeping me warm during colder days, in the sense of feeling safe and protected at home.
I didn't have that detailed of a meaning before towards her but she called on me so hard in my first WEEK of practicing last year and ever since I've slowly just started to find her in my day to day life inside the home and sometimes outside of it too in these things so that's why my personal interpretation is what it is, it's like if either I found her or she showed herself to me through this.
This is amazing! Do you have any advice of offerings or meditations to communicate with Her? I lit a candle for her on my fireplace every day but I am not great with energy so I can only hope what I do pleases Her
@@activistwitch I try to remember to offer my first and last bite of my meals (I can't physically offer so I just say it's in her honor and an offering) and always call her when lighting a candle or insense and always call her when blowing out a candle. Other than that I just chat sometimes during the day like just letting her know she's in my thoughts.
I also veil in her honor with a bandana almost daily, 90% of the time I leave the house.
this is such a beautiful experience with her! thank you for sharing 🧡
I feel her guidance when I’m doing things. I feel her spark igniting within me whenever I need a boost of creativity
I love Vesta she is all nice things.
Thank you for using the word is and not was.
This is so interesting and well presented! I found deep connection to the esoteric meaning of Virgo. A sign ruled by Mercury (Hermes) but is represented by the Virgin (Priestesses of Vesta)
Personally, I bought one of those space heaters with the backlight/appearance of a fireplace and use that as my representation of Hestia, and include her first in all my libation offerings. Having even a small spot of warmness (I found a unit that can display the flame effect even without heat) makes me feel more connected than any statue or standard candle would do, and so far at least Hestia hasn't smited me! :)
Oh wow I have got the same and use it the same way! When o was looking for a new place I promised to get a hearth representation even from a doll house to honour her and then the place I found had an empty fireplace I could put an electric one in!!!
love that idea!! thanks for sharing
home is where the hearth is!
thank you for the vid! I am a vestal virgin by dedication (also asterroid vesta is conjunct my north node in astrology so its always been a part of my life). so great to continue learning about her and hestia
great video! i adore Héstia very dearly but lately I feel I've been lacking in my connection to Her, and it seems like this video reignited a flame inside me to carry on on my devotional path! thank you so much!
Its a very interesting, informative and knowledgeable video. Please continue such works .............My Greetings from Nepal!!!
This was so informative and well presented. Very engaging. I've just come across Hestia, trying as I am to "sacralize" my life; and to think, a deity of hearth.
Requests for future topics:
The Graces
The Muses
Hypnos
Again, wonderful video. First rate.
Thank you for the suggestions! I'll add them to my list
I really like you. I find you very "real" and I love your memey editing.
I just watched your Q&A, too, and was particularly interested in your answer to Hellenic vs Heathen. I'm German and (though I'm not folkish), I think feeling a desire to reconnect with ancestry (esp as the children of North American immigrants, who don't have such strong ties to their culture) is very common. I had also practiced very novice-y as Hellenic a few years ago. Now that my life is more stable, I'm looking back into spirituality. but it was this video that made me go light a candle and (bc I don't have any incense) burn some bay leaves and pour out some oil for Hestia. Haven't prayed or honoured the Theoi in like 3yrs, but I forgot how much I loved Hestia as a patron of hearth and home. I hadn't actually heard of the modern epitaph Of Electricity before! Honestly, I love modern epitaphs, bc I feel they're a very concrete way to modernize ancient practice.
For a next diety, why not Hera or Demeter? I really connected to what you said about #girlboss #modern myth retellings always villainizing the goddesses, especially ones that are so true.
Agree with you there about Hera and Demeter! Hera is actually next on my list! And I'm so happy to hear that! I'm glad my words inspired you so 😊
Absolutely in LOVE with this entire explanation and discussion of Hestia/Vesta! You did such a wonderful job of researching your material and presenting it clearly while also including your own personal examinations and beliefs. Wonderful video!
your videos are so comforting to watch :). I wanted to make a video request - could you do a video on Hades please? There's not a lot of well researched videos on him around xx
Oouu! Just received the notification! I'm so excited to watch this after work! 😊
This was a lovely video. Out of all the Gods, Hestia was the one I connected to the most. It took me a while to accept it because of the idea that women have to be domestic and stuff (I'm AFAB but not cis) but I really am like that. If I financially could, I'd become a stay-home partner for my beloved but alas, capitalism exists. I want to get more into cooking for myself and to honour the peace of mind Hestia brings me ❤ it really is wonderful to provide a nice and cozy home for others and yourself, makes you share all your warmth 😊
Edit: I also try to honour Hestia by making myself - or my heart, as you mentioned - a hearth: I like to be there for my friends and beloved ones in a way that feels like a safe space for them, even if no one else does ❤ I was like this before knowing about the Gods, so I'm guessing Hestia has been guiding me all my life! That's just how I feel
This was very informative, thank you!
I love Hestia! Every day I burn a candle for her ☺️
I was thinking about lost languages and words and concepts that have gone missing because of that so I had the urge to look up a word in the dictionary: vestigial which led me to vestal virgins which led me to virgins consecrated in the name of Vesta which led me to the Greek goddess Hestia which led me here
I wish I had an ancient dictionary I’m sure the Webster’s one I have is watered down
In my Webster’s it defines hearth a few ways
1 A. A brick, stone, or concrete are in front of a fireplace
B. The floor of a fireplace
C. The lowest section of a furnace; esp: the section of a furnace on which the ore or metal is exposed to the flame or heat
2. HOME
3. A vital or creative center
Hi! thank yo uvery much for the video. Idk if you read comments to old videos but just in case - this was really important for me personally. I learned a lot and I hope I'll be able to change some things in my life. and the thing you said about hearth in the heart made me thingk really deep and finally cry, because I learned a lot of things about myself once I assumed that the wayu I tret my home is logical consequesnce of how I treat myself. thank you.
I would love to see this video you alluded to about the 12 Olympians being different than we think of them. I don't think I've come across that before, and it sounds really interesting!
I'll make not of that! definitely want to make it in the future
I'm trying to learn more about Hestia at the recommendation of a friend when I told her I'm trying to buy a house. The one we have our eyes on has a little nook in the kitchen that I would place a little alter to Hestia if we're to get the house.
i hope that works out for you! it's always lovely when she can get a dedicated spot in the kitchen
Top notch video,thank you; I have a battery powered candle going in my kitchen next to her offering "pig", a Portugese ceramic spirit roaster for sausages.
The fact that her hair has everflowing oil implies to me that she is a kindler and firetending diety. Fire is her gift to humanity, especially fire of the home and of worship.
But I am not so keen to separate her from the fire she loves so much.
It signifies her beauty and her high status, as by "oil" the poets were probably referring to perfume.
Alcohol-based perfumes have only been around since the 50s; for the vast majority of our history, scents have been through incense and oils.
The wealthy were soaked head-to-toe with fragrant oils, because whoo boy, did it sink.
Since Hestia naturally produces said oils from her hair, she is always sweet-swelling, an aspect of her divinity.
Interesting video!
In thracian mythology, which unfortunately is almost completely lost, we have a Mother goddess who's domain is vast namely: hearth, magic, fertility and hunt. She basically encompasses Hestia, Hecate, Aphrodite and Artemis all in one. It is said that the hearth was very very important to ancient thracians but again we have almost nothing to go about.
That's fascinating! Do you happen to know the name of the goddess? Or has her name been lost?
@@FeltheBlithe Yes, fortunately her name is known. Bendis
Hestia means also home except from hearth and the word is still used nowadays with both meanings. She symbolized the unity of people who lived together either in a house or in a town or the connection of newborn cities built away from the main city with the hometown. This is another meaning which is still used, the hometown or in general the center of an activity. Also the stove is still called hestia. There are still actions that Greeks do which resemble the ritual the ancient Greeks did for the worship of Goddess Hestia. They still burn a candle in olive oil and they try to keep the fire on continuously but nowadays is dedicated to the God of Christianity. In addition, Greeks still consider important the existence of home made food on hestia, meaning the stove. They think that the unity of family is around the table and the food which is eaten together. So yes hestia had the meaning of homey mostly and still has it till now.
Make one about Tykhe \o/
OmGoddess I Love this video everrrr lol!!! Best everr js. Imjs. Thank U.
Salve Hestia, hermosa madre cariñosa que siempre nos acompañas!!!
Thank you!! I love hestia! But there aren’t much info about her..
It is interesting that some of the most ancient references of Loki are of him as the god of the hearth, and in his history too there is a gaping void where his worship should be. Both seem to have been ubiquitous throughout their cultures. Perhaps these hearth deities had their altars and offerings so obviously and consistently offered by the hearth in every building and home that there was no need or appropriateness for additional structure? Any other thoughts? Anyone else see similarities?
While they share similarities perhaps in being hearth deities, luckily Hestia has a lot more scholarship. I'd definitely be curious how heathens might see this!
Could you please do a video on Pontus, or talk about him in a video? I’ve tried to research him but there’s very little I can find about him so I’d love to hear your thoughts about him. If not that’s totally understandable, just figured id ask :-) also, I love your videos and have been binge watching them for the past few days, so keep up the good work :-)
I'll add him to my list!
(Greek Goddess Of hearth) isfp 6w5
(Human Race:White & Arabian)
Is Hestia some times invoked for ritual protection, like wiccans cast a circle before a ritual?
I'm not sure if she was traditionally evoked for protection, really just any image or calling in of the god was considered protection in the classical age
Love from🇮🇳 from a Hindu🕉️. Are from Greece🇬🇷?
By my own searching I have developed a very animistic and panentheistic (I think) form of polytheism, where fallible gods seek to maintain order in the universe. On top of that I have always held a respect for Hestia both from my education containing Greek as well as the anime DanMachi, and named her as a god of my home, and is one of the gods that I worship. It is nice to hear that she is also seen as animistic as this fits in nicely with my ideas, as I don't see deities as living beings with stories and myths, contrasting other gods like Zeus who seem to have daily adventures. She has always seemed very kind and orderly which is how I see deities as. I will continue to worship the god of home Hestia, named in honour after the Greek goddess, as although they may have many similarities, they are not identical.
Glad you have that experience with her! Love Hestia dearly, her presence is very real to me
I have a wax warmer in the shape of an elephant on my alter to Hestia. I turn it on when I'm cleaning or just feel like it and dedicate the smell and light from it to her!
I want a video about Pandora
I'll add her to the list!
Hello! I have a question, Do deities come to you or do you just start worshiping them then they are your deity?
I would love to learn more about Hera. She seems to precede Zeus so I’m quite intrigued
She's definitely on my list!
@@FeltheBlithe awesome! Looking forward to her video!
It's a good thing Japan gave her attention with DanMachi.
please can you talk about Artemis????
Hi! I'm starting in this path and I want to know if I have to honor her, cause I don't really feel connect to this home conception :( But all the time I see people starting and ending their praying/rituals with her... But it feels wrong to me if I do this just cause "I have to" 🤡
I don't think you should honor a deity because you feel like you ~have~ to but you have a couple options, you could keep it simple yet traditional. Traditionally, many prayers were just worded with "to Hestia first and last", I don't think there' anything wrong with saying that piece even if you don't want to be close to her-and who know, she might surprise you 😉 Or you could cut that out and stick to the deities you do feel called to.
I think it's also important to remember that Hestia is not just the literal hearth of OUR home but also the hearth of Mount Olympos, I see all offerings going in part to her because of this, whether or not they are dedicated to her. She is the divine spark and often the center of our inner temples. However, you don't have to honor her or worship her to acknowledge her place in the pantheon. As an example, I don't presently worship Zeus, however, I acknowledge his very important place in the religion and know that when I make an offering "to all the gods" that includes him.
I hope this makes sense! Feel free to ask anything else
Hiii I LUV UR OUTFIT but I got some questions because I’ve been seeing hearts everywhere I looked it up and it says Hestia might be sending them
thanks! and hmm, usually signs you should try to interpret what they mean to you! you don't have to wait for a sign either, you can reach out to the gods yourself 🧡
Can I have an altar for hestia if I don’t have a fireplace?
Yup! I had an altar to her when I didn't even have a place to live, a simple travel altar I kept with me
i have a doubt: i live in an apartment and i don't have a garden, can i have an altar for chthonic deities in a flowerpot? sorry for the english, i'm from brazil and i love your channel
You could totally do a flowerpot! That's a really creative idea. Although many people just have their chthonic altars on a lower shelf or on the ground
@@FeltheBlithe thank u!
nice
❤️🔥
do you have to be part of a certain race to worship Hestia?
Nope!
La waffles💙
she sounds very old-european to me..
it´s always the same three spirits,
fire, hearth and doorway.. and then
their mother (because four is the
actual magic number).
europeans and indo-europeans you
know.. the older languages might be
gone but people remain (except
basque maybe, isn´t that considered
old-european).
also in uralic languages tia is a place
of something (like a place of hut or
place where the reindeers are, also
spelled sija).
so with that logic it would be the place
of Hes, or more commonly known here
as
Hessu (popular first name).
or not, maybe just boring IE :)
it´s Es or Äs, the name of the
goddess originally, maybe, probably
(or at least something short
like that, the oldest words are
always very short).
not that names matter much,
because in real folk religions
people would make their own
names, especially for something
as intimite as house deities.
you wouldn´t use the "patron´s name",
that´s the last thing you would use..
why there´s no "temples" either
because it´s what people actually
worshipped.
yes? äsh? ash? haste? hesitate?
if match in greek maybe something
there.
To all Hellenic believers... Learn basic Greek. Your soul needs it.
JESUS IS THE FIRST AND THE LAST, THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA
I love it! I also honor her in the same manner, mostly via candles. To treat fire like this feels sacred, and homey… and makes me feel like a part of something ancient…. Like books and tea.
Once again, I can really relate to the way you articulate and create humor :) thanks for being a nerd bird 💚👊🏼
Edit: I’m better than that, typo wise…
Woah… haha!
books and tea is such a good way of describing it! cozy but also ancient and wise
They both called to me separately with in the last few weeks, I’m experiencing a spiritual awakening