VESTA: GODDESS OF THE SACRED FIRE

(published in Circle Magazine)

Vesta is an important Roman goddess, derived from the Greek Hestia. She represents the sanctuary of the domestic hearth, and was revered as the guardian of the home. The cohesion of family, community, and state are also under her protection. Vesta is the archetype of the elder sister, keeper of traditions, and the essence of devotional purity. Her name is derived from the Sanskrit root word vas, meaning "the shining one".

The mythic origin of Vesta is as the sister of Ceres, Juno, Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto. She was the first born daughter of Saturn and Rhea. When Jupiter finally escaped from the bowels of Saturn, he gave Vesta a choice between marrying Neptune or Apollo. She refused both, and was granted her freedom. Legends connected with her are focused on her repulsing the advances of various male deities. She was portrayed in statuary wearing a flowing robe with a veil, and holding a lamp, votive bowl, or a javelin.

Round temples were built for Vesta with a sacred fire in the center. There were special rites of initiation and periods of service for vestales. These priestesses originally served as conduits of devotional sexual union to honor the goddess and incorporate pleasure and bliss into the lives of men. The women went through three phases of service - as students, priestesses, and teachers. Participation often ended when a vestal had a child. Romulus, first king of Rome, was the son of the vestal Rhea Silvia. The royal lineage of the early Romans was passed through the priestesses of the temple, who performed group sex rites during the equinoxes. In effect, the temple became the center of the state by becoming the source of rulership and the nexus of the community (the omphalos, or navel). Eventually, the Vestals were subordinated to patriarchal values, and the practice of hereditary rulership usurped the role of these priestesses. The temple service was transmuted to a period of enforced celibacy.

The status of a Vestal Virgin of Rome was one of great honor and prestige. No males except the appointed Hierophant were allowed to enter the temple was built for her on the Palatine Hill. Extreme punishments were meted for allowing the fire to go out or for breaking the vow of celibacy. In the event that the fire died, it was re-lit using a glass lens and the sun's light. There were special festivals in her honor: Matronalia, on March 1; and Vestalia, on June 9th. Matrons of the city walked barefoot to the temple bringing gifts to her.

Vestals had a bevy of individual rights not granted to other women. They could own and manage their own property, could pardon criminals, and received the best seats at all the games. They performed executorial functions for citizens by acting as notaries and the keepers of important documents and contracts. Over time, the wills of people from all over the Roman Empire were stored by the vestals. An oath sworn before a Vestal was considered binding. New enterprises were initiated with a burnt offering to Vesta.

Worship of Vesta was started around 1184 B. C. E. Aeneus is credited with bringing this goddess to Rome from Greece, and to King Numa for choosing the first four vestals. The cult of Vesta continued uninterrupted for about 1,255 years, until the sacred fires were extinguished by Theodosius the Great during his reign, from 370 - 390 A. D. The act of dousing Vesta's sacred fires ended the protection of this goddess over the city and state. A multitude of disasters befell Rome, showing the displeasure of the Goddess and retaliation for abandoning her.

After the death of Theodosius, the empire was split in two by his sons. On August 24th, 410 C. E., Alaric and the Visigoths plundered Rome. The Sun was in Virgo, the sign of the Virgin, and there was a tremendous grand stellium configuration of planets and asteroids in Taurus, the sign ruling land and national boundaries. Taurus is also the sign associated with the aeon dominated by the Great Goddess. The stellium consisted of Saturn, Neptune, Pluto, Chiron, Ceres, Pallas, and Vesta all packed within the last ten degrees of Taurus; squared by Uranus at 22° Aquarius. Notably, the planets and asteroids in Taurus (with the exception of Chiron and Pallas) were the siblings born of Saturn and Rhea. By 414 C. E., the Visigoths had established a kingdom around Toulouse, which eventually became the kingdom of France. The French were a constant source of war and irritation to the Italians over the centuries.

In 426 C. E., the Romans left Britain for good. Attila and the Huns raided the city in 447 C. E. The Ostrogoths led by Theodoric rebelled and conquered Italy in 493 C. E. The Franks invaded in 538, and there was a nasty plague in 543, and another pillaging by Totila in 547, who then took over the entire country. A virulent plague hit Italy and Europe in 558 C. E. and lasted nearly 50 years. Latin ceased to be the language of Italy during this period. The Christians took over in 590 (Gregory the First), establishing the papacy in 606. The King of Persia, Chosroes, had Rome under siege in 611.

In more recent years, the asteroid Vesta has been gradually incorporated into use by astrologers since her discovery in the early 1800's. Her influence is that of tradition, ritual, and intensity of focus. However, she also seems to have the additional influence of retribution for hubris - when men attempt to assume or ignore the power of the gods. In the chart for the sinking of the Titanic, Vesta (in the 8th house of death) was squaring Saturn, and Mars conjuncted the Saturn-Vesta midpoint at 4° Cancer. Neptune, God of the Sea, was conjunct the Pluto-Vesta midpoint. In testimonials by survivors of wreck, the concept that the ship was "unsinkable" seemed to fly in the face of the gods, and some postulated the sinking was retribution for believing that man could have power over the sea. It is interesting to observe in this chart how the asteroid Vesta worked with her relatives, Saturn (a Titan, root word used for the Titanic!), and her Olympian siblings Neptune and Pluto (the sister ship of the Titanic was the Olympian). Vesta is sometimes conspicuous in the death charts of prominent individuals and celebrities. Though the works of these people may be left for human posterity, ultimately their ends are in the hands of the gods.

In modern practice, worship of Vesta can be incorporated into kitchen. The 20th century hearth is the stove, and any rituals drawing on the power of Vesta should be conducted in this area. Her occult power is to act as a conduit for the descent of magical energy to earth. On the first day of every month, light a votive candle and place it on a brick (to symbolize a hearth stone). Invest the day's activities - cooking, cleaning, working - with goddess energy. She is a powerful protector, and also supports the independence of women, both financial and ideologically. For stability in finances, place a dollar under the votive candle. When the prayer, meditation, or spell is completed, take the dollar bill and bury it in the garden. This works especially well when it is planted near a money plant (lunaria, also called honesty plant).

To conclude, perhaps the Romans would be wise to reinstate Vesta's fire much like the fire of Brigit, rekindled in 1996.

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