This Maxim is one that has deeply personal meaning for me because of its connection to the Goddess Hestia – one of the most paradoxically powerful and yet neglected Goddesses in the Hellenic pantheon. I have already written several blog posts SPECIFICALLYhonoring her and her role in our lives. http://greekreconmommy.blogspot.com/2012/01/meditation-on-heart-of-flame.htmland http://greekreconmommy.blogspot.com/2011/07/old-essay-on-hestia-overlooked-olympian.htmlare probably the two that I would recommend to start with.

The hearth is the heart and center of our homes as Hestia is the heart and center of the Olympians. While She is not as powerful as Zeus in the sense of authority over Gods and Man, Hestia is the Goddess who rules over the things we return to at the end of the day. As such, She is deserving of honor as is the hearth itself.

We would not wish someone to dishonor our home with rudeness and we should treat our hearth and the hearths of others the same way. This extends past our own families to our communities and our nations. To truly honor Hestia, we must honor peace (even as we stand willing to fight if need be) http://greekreconmommy.blogspot.com/2011/07/ares-and-hestia-partners-in-social.htmland be committed to Justice. To do any less sells ourselves short, and dishonors the hearth of our souls.