The Vestalia Begins!

(Copy/paste from my Hearth Fox Blog) 

The Vestalia is a Roman festival honoring the Hearth and Home Goddess and the Living Flame Vesta; I also honor the Greek Hearth and Home Goddess Hestia and the spirits of the Vestals.  I've been celebrating this holy time for a few years, since learning about it back in the early 2010's, when I was exploring Roman and Greek Paganism.  The festival is from June 7th to the 15th.  This is one of my most important holy times, especially now as a Priestess of Hestia-Vesta (a Hearth Keeper for Hestia and a Vestal for Vesta--Their words, not mine).  

You may notice that I often hyphenate Their names, because sometimes They appear as one goddess and other times as two, purely a personal choice, not a historical one.

My Vestalia Shrine. June 9, 2023

Starting in the back, left to right: a statue inherited from my grandmother representing family love, a satchel of my kids' altar stuff, a red protection satchel sitting in a bowl one of my kids' made, a Vestal, Vesta (at Her feet that you can't see are small wooden figures that represent each family member), Hestia, a sage ash urn, offering bowls by my kids.  A cup of lavender tea offering, a crochet hook, drum mallets, an offering bowl of salted flour, a white bowl of blessed sage water, white candle that I light for each day of the Vestalia, a ceramic hand offering dish by my kids, a viper that represents our family's Agathos Daimon.  Our hearthstone with an LED candle.  On the wall hang various real/ancestral and fake skeleton keys for my Hearth and Home Deities, a picture of The Madonna, a frame drum, a crocheted snake for the Agathos Daimon, and a broomstick made for Hestia-Vesta.

I've been a Daughter of Hestia-Vesta far longer, however.  These motherly goddesses have been in my life since I was around 8-years-old, appearing alongside of Sister Moon.  In the 2010's, there wasn't a lot of information on Hestia, although a tiny bit more on Vesta.  However, I wanted to see if They had holidays or days that were sacred to Them.  Over the years, I'd learn about various days--mostly UPG of others that'd click with me, like honoring Hestia on the 1st of every month.  I'd also come up with my own, such as honoring Hearth and Home Deities on Midwinter (Jan 31-February 1). 

I found the Vestalia from the blog of a Roman Pagan many years back (not linked because blog is deleted).  After much researching, yes, it was a festival from the ancient days.  I also learned that Vesta was honored on March 1st--the Roman New Year--a day that I've come to call the Flamma Vesta, thanks to the New Vesta Tradition by Debra Macleod (I can't remember if Macleod called it that first, as her website has changed many times since releases of The New Vesta Secret and The New Vesta Home).

Traditionally and UPG, the Vestalia is a time for purification of body, mind, spirit, and home.  A time for deep physical and spiritual cleansing of the temple (inner self, home, sacred spaces), ward recharging, and blessing.  Here are some of my activities (historical and not):

1.  In general in this house, Hestia-Vesta gets the first offerings.
2. This is a time for women.  By women, I mean cis, trans, fem presenting--if you are/identify as woman, you are included.  I don't discriminate and neither do my deities.  
3. The Feast Day (9th) is for all of my family and friends.  The 9th also tends to be the day of the main ritual.
4. I wear white veils, clothes, and footwear (although I prefer barefoot).
5. Cleaning Hestia-Vesta's shrine, with Vesta in the main spot.  Usually I keep my statue of Vesta at my desk, and Hestia elevated on the family shrine.  But during the Flamma Vesta and Vestalia, She's front and center on the shrine.
6. A candle is dedicated and lit for each day of the Vestalia.
7. Blessed water is kept in a special container.  This water is used for cleaning washes, cooking, blessing, anointing, bathing, and drinking.
8. Before celiac, I used to homemake bread to represent the mola salsa, using some of the blessed water.  The bread is shared with other women if they're around.  I can make gf bread, but I'm not a big fan of it and don't like giving it as offerings anymore, unless asked for.  Most gf bread has a grainy texture, is not structurally sound, and tastes like failure.   Instead of bread offerings, I sprinkle a mixture of flour, salt, and sacred cooking herbs into candles and fires.
9. I make new batch of Hestia and Vesta Blessed Ash and Black Salt using herbs, sigils.  Some for my shop and some for personal use (powerful protective powders).  This ash is sprinkled around my property, added to washes, an ingredient in spells, and smeared on my families foreheads.
10. I read First and Last: A Devotional to Hestia, the New Vesta Tradition books, modern mythology stories, and favorite prayers, hymns, and poems.
11. Fiberarts.
12. I do not work with Gods during this period, unless it's urgent.
13. No sexual activities.
14. Divination with the Goddesses and/or the Vestals is performed for myself and the community.
15. Meditation on fire.
16. Fire Scrying.
17. I may add taking a break from social media during, minus informational posts and community divination readings.  This break has been lovely and needed!
18.  When I lived next to a river, all of the nature-safe dirt, grime, yuck energies, and old wildlife-safe offerings  cleaned from this temple were poured into the river on the 15th.
19. When I learn how to make candles, I'll be making candles blessed by the Goddesses and Spirit Priestesses.

Yesterday, when I got up, I dressed in white, veiled my head, grabbed my Spirit Staff, and got to work.  Refreshed the shrine, made a small bowl of sage tea and had it blessed by Hestia-Vesta and the Vestals.  I opened all of the windows and doors, and smoke cleansed the house and my family, with 

"I light this candle in honor of Hestia-Vesta and the Vestal Priestesses.  May this sage cleanse my home and family of all unwanted energies and entities, leaving on energies of love, harmony, positive abundance and wealth, in Hestia-Vesta's name.  As it is willed, so shall it be."  

"So shall it be" Echoed our Ancestors.

Then I grabbed my red antlered staff and white bowl of blessed sage water, and went outside to bless our home, property, and vehicle.  I walked clockwise sprinkling the holy water and repeating prayers.  Soon I realized that maintenance were watching, puzzled by what I was doing.  And a Blessed Vestalia to yall, too!

I went back inside, lit a candle, and read this beautiful prayer for Eirene and Hestia (I included Vesta and Her priestesses, too) from the devotional:

Later in the evening, we feasted with chili dogs and smores!

Check back this week for a community message from Vesta and Vestal Rhea.  I hope your weekend is safe and comfortable!  Thank you for all of the Likes, Follows, and support!  I'll be back for my regular posting and interactions after the 15th.

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While writing a COoR Vestalia ritual, I've realized that this year will be my 10th year celebrating this festival!  That's awesome.  Perhaps I'll do a rededication or something to Vesta and Vestals?

Here is this year's Vestalia Ritual.

- Vestal, Dedicant, and Hearth Keeper Foxlyn Wren