Today’s blog entry is about a subject near and dear to my heart. I feel especially close to two august ladies one of whom I will speak about today and the other tomorrow — the Goddesses Hestia and Hera. These two goddesses fill the role that many polytheists would call a “Patron” relationship with me. I prefer to say that I am a devotee of Hestia and Hera rather than calling them my “Patrons” (or “Matrons” if you prefer).

The Lady Hestia is one of the least spoken about of the Olympians and in my opinion that is by HER design as she holds the role of the glue holding Olympus together. She is the goddess of the hearth and as such is the goddess of the center of the home. She is the Goddess who creates the comfortable space for the other Gods. She is the one who shows us the route to keeping harmony between people who disagree on things. Hestia is the ruler of the Boule (council) and Prytaneia (governors) — the Patron goddess of governance — as extensions of the hearth of the home.

Although most people would not consider government to be an extension of the home, in many ways this is indeed the case. Government begins at the local level and then goes to the state and national levels. (With the United Nations we are even starting to see trans-national governance) But it begins SMALL and this is very much the realm of Hestia. She is the small spark that catches fire in the hearts of people and inspires greatness in human endeavors.

Although other Gods rule different areas of life Hestia is the goddess whose realm enfolds all of the others. She does not need to be a queen even though the Orphic Hymn honoring her calls her a “Lovely Queen”, she   does not need to be honored above all even though she is honored first and last at any sacrifice. She is much more than the Cinderella of the Gods. Even though she is ever-virgin, she is like a mother to us all.

She is the nurturing flame.