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Hestia's
Hearth
Yep!
It's quite possible that you may have never even heard of the virgin
Greek goddess, Hestia?
That's because, in spite of being one of the
twelve Olympian deities, Hestia has no stories or myths depicting
her deeds among mortals - and there were almost no ancient images
of Hestia. Further, there were no
Greek temples devoted specifically to Hestia...
Hestia's
consecrated hearth, however, could be found in the center of each
and every temple honoring one of the other many differing Greek
gods and goddesses... as
well as being found in each and every home in Greece.
Architecturally,
Hestia's hearth can be described as an ancient ancestor of today's
modern utility of convenience and comfort, called the central heating
unit.
Still
more aptly, I can remember the "ancient" gas furnace of my childhood
home. It was located in the center of our home - and there were
vents for each of the rooms which directly adjoined the furnace.
The simple furnace had none of the labyrinth of ducts and/or powerful
fans that are needed in order to push and spread the heat out further
into the entire house.
I
remember on those especially cold winter nights - my older sister
and I jockeying back and forth for the honored spot on the floor
directly in front of the warmth of the living room vent. So it's
a good bet that Hestia's hearth was equally honored on cold nights
in ancient Greece...
Hestia's
Fire
The
presence of Hestia was known to be in the center of a fire - and
thus Hestia's soothing warmth served to make sacred whatever place
it dwelled.
Hestia's deep abiding presence was felt and
seen only in the center of her warming fire. Thus...
she could be found in every temple and in every
home. As such, symbolically, it could be said that her energies
centered around her sense of spirituality and with her home.
Although
Hestia's life was focused on the home (and the many practical tasks
regarding running the home) - as with the other virgin goddesses
of ancient Greece (Artemis and Athena) - her life did not revolve
around the pleasing of a male (whether god or mortal).
It's
not that the virgin goddesses disliked men - and it's not that they
were "virgins" in the manner the term virgin is used today.
The
virgin (unmarried) goddesses lived their lives for themselves...
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