0lympian-c0uncil:

Hestia, *teaching sex ed to the couples of Olympus*: Alright, your partner just texted you ‘I want a baby’. What are your responses?

Zeus x Hera-

Hera: No

Zeus: why

Hera: I don’t need another child with emotional trauma, we already have six

Demeter x Hecate-

Demeter: depends.

Hecate: on what?

Demeter: are you going to neglect that child and then tell your brother to kidnap them so they can marry and not asking me?

Hecate: … No

Demeter: then possibly.

Artemis x Athena-

Athena *blushing furiously*: We-well that’s u-up to Arte.

Artemis: …

Athena: Artemis please this is killing me.

Artemis: *smiles mischievously*

Athena: don’t you dare.

Artemis: *runs away faster than Hermes*

Athena*runs after her: ARTEMIS PLEASE YOU KNOW I CAN’T TAKE SUSPENSE!!!

Ares x Aphrodite-

Aphrodite *seductively walks up to Ares*: well I- *wraps her arms around his neck* wouldn’t be apposed to the idea.

Ares *smirks*: what ever you want babe.

*Cue enthusiastic makeout*

Hestia: please dears, later

Hermes x Thanatos-

Thanatos: I don’t really want kids I just want to live a peaceful life with my boyfriend

Hermes: you’d do that bro?

Thanatos: of course bro

Hermes *grabs Thanatos’s hand*: bro

Poseidon x Amphitrite-

Amphitrite: we have enough kids

Poseidon: Agreed

Apollo x Ares-

Ares: can we even have kids?

Apollo: what?

Ares: I mean we are both male.

Apollo: Ares we are gods we can do anything and even if we weren’t there is this magical thing called ✨adoption✨

Ares: oh… Then yeah probs.

Apollo: *blushes*

Aphrodite x Hephaestus-

Aphrodite: well-

Hephaestus: it is pretty obvious the answer is no

Aphrodite: what

Hephaestus: it’s always been no so stop what your saying because is is just going to break my heart.

Aphrodite: actually Hephy I was thinking- *grabs Hephaestus’s hand* maybe we could try.

Hephaestus *shocked*: what?

Aphrodite: I have been treating you horribly for how long we have been married so I was thinking that we could try if you want.

Hephaestus *trying not to cry*: I- I would love that my dear

Both: *kiss*

Hera: I’m happy for you two but can we move on

Both: of course, sorry.

Dionysus xAriadne-

Dionysus: I am kinda feeling like Poseidon and Amphitrite I don’t really want kids at the moment, how about you Hun?

Ariadne: agreed my love

Hades x Persephone-

Hades: well I would want to talk to Persephone first about it and depending on the answer is where we’ll go from there but that is all I will say at the moment

Persephone: I love you so much *kisses him*

Hades: *Turns as red as a tomato* Hestia what are our scores?

Hestia: you don’t want to know.

gone-arai:

Hestia Info Dump

Most of us know that Hestia is the goddess of the Hearth & Home, but I fear few realize the importance of her domain—both in ancient times and today.

Sacrifices include(d): fruit, water, oil, wine, and one year old calves

Sacred Symbols: chaste tree, pigs, kettle, and veil

Goddess of the Home and Family Hearth

As goddess of the hearth, Hestia presides over all day-to-day sacrifices. Not only that, but she should receive the first and last portion of the sacrifice—symbolic of her position as the first child of Kronos and Rhea and the last Olympian to be disgorged by Kronos. She also presides over the cooking of the family meal; of which a portion should be sacrificed. In fact, all aspects of domestic life are considered to be within Hestia’s domain, and all domestic blessings are from her. 

As goddess of the home itself, Hestia is considered to be the inventor of houses and a patron of architecture. In this aspect, Hestia is often worshipped with Hermes—the two are considered to be dues penetralis, or gods who reside within the heart of every home.

So what does this mean? Basically, except maybe for Zeus, Hestia was one of the most widely worshipped of all the Olympians. The altar itself is a sanctuary of the goddess which existed in almost every home in ancient times. Cicero and the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite explain Hestia’s importance beautifully:

“Her power extends over altars and hearths, and therefore all prayers and all sacrifices end with this goddess, because she is the guardian of the innermost things.” - Cicero

“Zeus the father gave her a high honor instead of marriage, and she has her place in the midst of the house and has the richest portion. In all the temples of the gods she has a share of honor, and among all mortal men she is chief of the goddesses.” - Homeric Hymn 5 to Aphrodite

Goddess of the Public Hearth

Perhaps even more important than her role in domestic life, Hestia’s dominion over the public hearth made her an extremely important political figure in ancient times. Virtually every town had a prytaneium (hearth) in the prytaneion—the seat of the prytaneis (and government) in ancient Greece, often a structure in the center of the agora. There, the town made public sacrifices to the gods and, therefore, to Hestia. In fact, the prytaneium often existed as the sole sanctuary to the goddess. One of Hestia’s epithets, Prytaneia, referred to her role as goddess of the public hearth. The prytaneium also functioned as a sanctuary for asylum seekers and the place where the prytaneis would welcome guests and foreign ambassadors. In this way, Hestia’s domain also included hospitality and diplomacy. The fire of the sacrificial flame itself—which never went out and was often carried to new cities—was also Hestia’s domain. And just like in the home, Hestia presided over the preparation of the sacrificial meat.

Considering all of this, many consider Hestia to be a goddess of civilization, as the public hearth is what tied together all the families in a town. Plato himself posited that Zeus, Athena, and Hestia were the three most important gods to the state as King, city-protector, and guardian of the civic hearth. Although we may no longer have public hearths, we are still connected by the same ideas of home and civilization.

The Last Olympian

Plato describes Hestia as the “essence of things” and says that while all the other Olympians follow Zeus from Olympus on his winged chariot, Hestia is the only one who remains, tending the hearth and protecting the home and seat of the gods’ power.

Many believe Hestia abdicated her throne when Dionysos became a god. And in some myths and versions of the story, this is true. However, the twelve Olympians have never been a concrete list even in ancient times. It’s really up to interpretation. Personally, when I say the “twelve Olympians” I’m very loosely referring to a group of thirteen or fourteen, often including Hestia and sometimes Hades. But again, it really doesn’t matter.

Worship and Cult

As I’ve already said, Hestia was worshipped in every ancient home and city, but Pausanias also describes a separate sanctuary to the goddess in Hermione. In addition, she was worshipped with Poseidon and Amphitrite at Olympia. And, as the Homeric Hymn to her alludes, she was worshipped with Poseidon as well as Apollo at his temple at Delphi.

“Hestia, you tend the sacred hearth of far-shooting Lord Apollo in holy Pytho, anointing-oil ever dripping from your braids—come to this house, come, sharing your heart with cunning Zeus: bestow grace on my song.” - Homeric Hymn 24

Hymns: Homeric Hymn 24, Homeric Hymn 29 (also to Hermes), and Orphic Hymn 84

Epithets: Prytaneia (of the prytaneium), Boulaia (of the council)

Info from theoi.com.

frog-sovereign:

These are just suggestions. Adapt to your own personal needs.

• Knit, sew, crochet, weave or quilt
  - Learn, take lessons, create, or teach
• Check fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors
• Clean your home
• Volunteer/offer to help a new mother or the elderly to clean their home
• Learn and cook a new recipe
• Read or write cook books
• Cook for guests
• Create a kitchen altar
• Donate clothes and food
• Volunteer at food banks and soup kitchens
• Create and keep a household notebook: meal planning, budgeting, recipes, what appliances need checking etc.
• Hosting
• Create a savings account for a future home
• Volunteer with domestic abuse victims
• Books for research: 
  - ‘The Subversive Stitch: Embroidery and the Making of the Feminine’ by Rozsika Parker
  - ‘A Note on the Division of Labor by Sex’ by Judith K. Brown
  - ‘Women’s Work: The First 20,00 Years – Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times’ by Elizabeth Wayland Barbet
  - ‘The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History’ by Kassia St Clair
  - ‘Hearth: A Global Conversation on Identity, Community, and Place’ by Annick Smith and Susan O'Connor
  - ‘Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging’ by Sebastian Junger
  - ‘The Yellow House: A Memoir’ by Sarah M. Broom
• Other media you may wish to consume:
  - The Cohesive Home Podcast

Zeus, *to his siblings*: I’d die for you.

Hades: Then perish.

Hera: You will!?

Demeter: Please don’t.

Poseidon: Cool.

Hestia: I’d die for you first.

Demeter: *casually taking four stairs at a time*

Hestia, *falling behind, taking two stairs at a time*: Fuck you fuck you fuck you fuck you fu-

Hades: This is my wife Persephone, and these are Persephone’s girlfriends Minthe and Aphrodite. Then there’s Hephaestus who is Aphrodite’s husband and Ares who is her boyfriend. And that’s Ares’ boyfriend Apollo and his sister Artemis, who is also the girlfriend of Athena. Oh and that’s Artemis and Apollo’s mom Leto who is dating the mother of Athena, Metis. And she’s dating Maia who is Hermes’ mother and he is dating my worker Thanatos. Hypnos, Thanatos’ brother is dating Hermes’ brother Dionysus, and The mother of Dionysus, Demeter is dating both Hecate, and Dione who is the sister of Metis- Oh and Metis is also dating Hera, who is also in a polyamorus relationship with Maia and Leto as well. Hera is also married to my younger brother Zeus, and my other younger brother, Poseidon is married to Amphitrite, and that’s my eldest sibling Hestia who is dating Iris.

Hades: It’s nice to meet you!

Hestia: I made this friendship bracelet for you.

Hera: You know, I’m not really into friendship bracelets.

Hestia: oh… You don’t have to wear-

Hera,*snatches it from hestia and holds it close to her chest*: No, I’m gonna wear it forever. Back off!

GOD DESCRIPTIONS PT,1: HERA, HESTIA, AND DEMETER

Hestia: 6’4, Slightly past shoulder length, coal black hair that covers her eyes, Dark brown skin, godly attire is, a dark red robe, a matching shawl, no shoes, mortal attire is, mostly sweatpants, and oversized hoodies, but her formal wear is a black suit, doesn’t wear shoes often, white eyes with flame like irises, most noticeable scar is one that starts at her right knee and ends at her left breast, has tons of other little scars along the back of her neck, has snake bite piercings on her bottom lip, ears pierced, has full body tattoos that she hides most of the time, most noticeable one is a crack on her neck with lava leaking down her shoulders and back, has a strong frame but doesn’t workout as much as the other gods.

Demeter: 7’2, long wavy dark golden brown hair, dark brown skin, godly attire is a black tunic with a silver belt with her symbol on it, covered by a long dark green cloak, mortal attire is ripped jeans, flannel with a white shirt underneath, doesn’t wear shoes often, Most noticeable scar is four long claw marks along her back starting at her shoulder and bicep and ending on her waist and hip, very muscular, has a scar along her eyebrow, and her hands are extremely scared as well, has a golden nose ring, ears are pierced as well, like Hestia she also has full body tattoos that she hides most of the time, most noticeable one is a large tree on her back that has the names of the other gods within its branches and it’s roots go down to her waist, has golden brown eyes.

Hera: 6’8, dark wavy brown hair that goes down to her mid back, has red and brown eyes, dark brown skin, lean muscular frame, godly attire is a white dress embroidered with her symbols a golden crown atop her head, white fingerless gloves, and heels, mortal attire is wide fishnet stockings and shorts or jeans, leather boots, leather jacket over a white button up shirt, sometimes with sunglasses, Most noticeable scar is one that starts at her shoulder and ends at her waist, has another scar along her chin, has a tongue piercing, ears are also pierced, like her sisters has full body tattoos, most noticeable is two connected rings on her back one having her name and the other having Zeus, Maia, Metis, and Leto’s names, and has the names of her family down her left arm.

Symbols and icons of this deity

The most powerful symbol of Hestia is the hearth itself, but she did have some common attributes as well as animals which may have been sacred to her (based on various plays and myths). The image below is a popular modern symbol of the hearth.

Attributes:

• the kettle
• the veil
• chaste(?) tree branch

Sacred Animals:

• pigs 
• donkeys 

How did you first become aware of this deity?

My first exposure to Hestia would’ve been in my childhood Greek mythology books. Unfortunately, Hestia doesn’t appear often in myths, so the books often only mentioned her in passing or skipped her completely, and many books replaced her with Dionysos as the twelfth Olympian.

All of this is to say that the first time I properly took notice of Hestia is in fifth grade when I read the Last Olympian by Rick Riordan. This isn’t to say Riordan’s portrayal of the gods is entirely accurate (he is very obviously opposed to the idea of worshipping them because he takes the myths very literally). However, Riordan’s portrayal of Hestia stuck with me for a very long time. Even though she only appears in one or two scenes, or perhaps because of this, I think her portrayal is one of the most beautiful and respectful–even though it hinges on the fake abdication myth.

I’m not going to explain the portrayal here, but if you’re the type of Hellenic Polytheist who can enjoy more problematic portrayals of the gods, I highly recommend reading it if only for Lady Hestia. To be completely honest, this portrayal is what drew me to Her in the first place, and I often imagine her in a very similar way to her description in the book.

A basic introduction to the deity

Hestia is a goddess of:

• the hearth
• family
• warmth
• home and houses (as the inventor of architecture) 
• cooking and the family meal
• the public hearth
• the sacrificial flame
• protecting asylum seekers
• Xenia (hospitality)
• civilization 
• government (as Hestia Boulaia and Hestia Prytaneia)

As goddess of the hearth and home, Hestia is central to household worship. She is the patron of cooking and received a portion of each meal as well as the first and last offering in all household rituals.

The public hearth was also an extremely important domain of Hestia. Just as in the home, it is likely that Hestia received the first and last sacrifice in public rituals and festivals. Hestia’s two epithets (Boulaia and Prytaneia) are both connected to government because her role as goddess of the public hearth was central to state affairs.

Hestia’s hearth is said to be at the center of the cosmos, representative of her central position in hellenic worship. Her hearth is what connects us to the gods and to each other.

For a more in depth introduction to Hestia, see this post.

bibliophilicwitch:

N O U M E N I A   T R A D I T I O N S

Noumenia is the second day in the three days that mark the start of the new month in the Hellenic calendar though I only recognize Noumenia as an eclectic revivalist. Please refer to other Hellenic polytheists for more information.

In my practice Noumenia is a day to honor Hestia. I refresh and cleanse my household, cook a nice dinner and bake honey cakes, and take some devotional time out of my day for Hestia. 

R E F R E S H   T H E   H O U S E H O L D

• take care of any chores and tasks leftover from the past month
• take time to do some monthly chores and tasks
• clean and cleanse altars/shrines
• refresh the kathiskos
• cleanse the house through cleaning, burning incense, misting with cleansing water, ringing a bell, et cetera

Prayers for Hestia: 

• Hail Hestiaby divine-adoration
• Hestiaby greekpagan
• Hestia as Patron Goddess by pomegranateandivy
• Hestia of the Home by dandthegods
• Hestia’s Homeby dandthegods
• A Historical Prayer to Hestia
• To Hestiaby hestia-aflame

Hymns for Hestia: 

• Homeric Hymn 24
• Homeric Hymn 29 
• Hymn to Hestiaby justjoshingjeez
• Hymn to Hestia-of-the-Cabled-Cardiganby poetryandarete
• Orphic Hymn 83

Honey Cake Recipes: 

• Easy, Moist Honey Cake
• Greek Honey Cake
• Little Honey Cakes

Devotional Suggestions: 

• Acts of Devotion to Hestia by hestiaswitch
• Hestia/Vesta: Small Devotional Actsby heatherwitch
• Simple Ways to Honor Hestia by hearthcentereddevotions

Last updated 12/6/18

ashenhoney-deactivated20220415:

Hestia, Keeper of the sacred flame, golden-eyed Theia, i pray that i will feel Your warm embrace as i sleep, like a mother laying her child down for the night, Your honeyed voice lulling me softly to sleep. O Hestia, with burning love, fill my thoughts with those of You, so I may rest knowing You are here, and i may wake wih Your name being my first thought

Ἑστια (es-TEE-ah) - Hestia AKA Histia, Hestiê
Goddess of the home, hearth, sacred fire, family, and cooking
Ouranic Olympian

Symbols: Kettle, fire, veil, chaste-tree
Animals: Pig, donkey
Colors: Red
Plants/Herbs: Chaste-tree, culinary herbs
Stones/Crystals: Garnet, ruby, sulphur, tiger eye, fire agate

Retinue: N/A
Relations: Kronos (father), Rhea (mother), Zeus (brother), Haides (brother), Poseidon (brother), Demeter (sister), Hera (sister)
Identified with: Vesta (Roman), Tabiti (Scythian)

Festivals: Noumenia (1st of every month)

Epithets: Aidios (Eternal), Khloomorphos (Verdant), Polymorphos (Multi-Formed), Polyvolvos (Rich in Blessings), Potheinotati (Beloved), Vasileia (Queen), Boulaia (Of the Council)

LITHA

a quick guide to the holiday of the summer solstice

WHAT DAYS IS IT CELEBRATED?

Its celebrated on the longest day of the year. In the NH this is usually from 20-23rd June. Most people celebrate it on the 21st June or across the 3 days. In the SH it’s usually from 20-23rdDecember.

WHAT DOES IT CELEBRATE?

It’s a celebration of the longest day of the year with the shortest night. It also celebrates the peak of summer, the sun being in its fullest,passion,success,ferlitity of the earth and growth.

TRADITIONAL WICCA CELEBRATION?

It traditionally celebrates the pregnancy of the Goddess and the Sun God being at his most powerful and full potential.

WHAT CAN I DO TO DECORATE MY HOME AND ALTER?

• light candles : green, yellow, gold

• light incense: lavender, orange, honeysuckle, floral, sage

• use ribbonsorcloth in the same colours as the candles

• put flowers around your alter or home: sunflowers, daisy, honeysuckles, pink roses, wild flowers

• make summer wreathsorflower crowns and places them around your house

WHAT ACTIVITIES CAN I DO?

•mediate outside with crystals or at sunrise

• do larger rituals that need more power and strength: manifestation, love, relationships, friendships, fertility

• midsummer bonfire/fire ritual

•candlemagic

•love/sex, protection andhomespells

•collect the ashes from the bonfire and use in your work

•recreate or make a wand

• make protection charms and necklaces out of seashellsorsacred wood

• make Gods Eyes for protection and hang around your doors

• go on walksandenjoy nature

• have a picnic in the park and on the beach

•bike rides

•clean the environment around you

•pamperyourself

• if you do, work with the fae or leave them an offering

•wear summer clothes or the colours

IMPORTANT ‘CORRESPONDENCES’ FOR THIS DAY?

•herbs: rosemary, parsley, mint, basil, sage

•colours: green, yellow, gold, orange, silver, pink

•scents: honeysuckle, lavender, flowers, lemon, honey

•crystals: sunstone, amber, citrine, yellow topaz

•flowers: sunflower, daisy, roses, wild flowers

FOODS TO MAKE?

•spicy foods: curry, break, muffins

• fresh fruit and veg : watermelon, blueberry, strawberry, tomatoes

•buttermilk bread

•lavenderorelderflower cake, wine, lemonade, syrup etc

•cake: lemon, honey, blueberry

•ginger beer or fruitybeer

• fresh smoothies

HELLENIC LITHA

•Apollo: Hes the Sun God as well as music, medicine and healing all of which I link to summer

•Hestia: The Goddess of family and home. This is an important part of Litha

•Hera: Goddess of marriage and relationships. This is another important part of Litha