This is not, however, strictly about worship. This is about finding her within my own soul, and making the links that will liberate me to take refuge in her without allowing myself to become imprisoned by my reliance on her. So, to do that, i must come to terms with her aspects, both historical, and those I have come to understand from my own UPG, or Personal Gnosis.
Sources for this are varied, but the more important are:
- Theoi Project
- The Gods of the Greeks by Carl Kerenyi
- Greek Religion by Walter Burkert
The first place I must, by force of tradition, find Hestia is at the very center of my home. I have a shrine, or altar, set up in her honor in my non-functional fireplace. I call this my altar to the virgins, for upon it I have both a statue symbolizing Hestia, but also Artemis and Athena, the other two virgin goddesses of Olympus. My first inner connection to Hestia is, again, by force, an external one. This altar and the place of honor it holds in my home and in my life. It has always seemed rather logical to me that this altar was so important to me, but ow as I seek to explore my own motivations and inner desires with regard to the Gods, I find that the logic is not so clear.
As something of a homebody, it makes sense that my home and the goddess that is its protector are important to me, but there is, it seems, more to it than that, especially in light of how I have come to understand the revelation of the star. If it is the human soul, my human soul, at the center of that star, then this altar and my connection to Hestia is like a tether, like a lifeline to something my soul desires and needs more than anything else, connection with the Gods and with she who connects us all to them.
But when I say connection, what exactly is that? At this point, I think I don't know, except that my spirit seeks it more than it seeks anything else. Neither the admiration nor love nor validation of others does it really seek, yet this it seems to need. This desire to be touched by and touch the divine world is something that it requires if it is to grow, like a plant needs sunlight and water.
I need to contemplate this further, perhaps try to discover the nature of this connection that I need more than I need family, friends, or love.
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