Hestia is not one of the better known Greek deities, in part because there was no popular mythology written about her. While Hestia may be somewhat obscure, most readers are well aware of her Roman counterpart--the Goddess Vesta, who was tended by the famed Vestal Virgins charged with maintaining the eternal flame burning at Rome's center. Like Vesta, Hestia was both the Goddess and Protector of hearth and home. She represented the fire burning at the center of the earth and maintained the fire at the center of Olympus. At the symbolic center of every Greek town--the public hearth or prytaneum--an altar was made to her. She was held in such high esteem that the first portion of sacrifices were offered to her, as were the first and last libations at festivals. One is tempted to conjecture that she was not included in the popular literature of the time because she was simply too sacred to be spoken of mundanely.

The Rite of Hestia relies on the technique of focusing on the images and name of a deity in order to contact the spirit and power of that deity. This mode of worship is considered unfashionable or arrogant by some these days, but the fact remains that it has been used across the world for millennia and is highly effective. Ordinarily, the focus of the adoration is on a cultic statue of the deity or a priest/ess who serves as a channel. In this instance, though, a fire placed at the center of the circle is what is invoked on. This is in keeping with the ancient Greek belief that Hestia was literally the fire burning in the hearth. Wherever there was a fire, Hestia was thought to dwell, and her power is made available when her sacred fire is tended.

We have experimented over the years with the safest way to have an impressive central fire without burning the house down. The easiest method we have found is to place a cleaned 14 to 15-ounce can in a cauldron. Pour sand around the can until it fills the cauldron almost to the top of the can, then pour grain ethanol or isopropanol (rubbing alcohol) into the can until it is half full. The sand around the can serves to insulate the cauldron. If you burn alcohol in a bare cauldron, the cauldron becomes too hot to handle, and the rate of combustion becomes very fierce. This might be fine outdoors, but for obvious reasons is problematic indoors. You should experiment beforehand by burning different amounts of ethanol while timing how long each flame lasts. This way you can tailor the length of the burn to the expected length of the ritual.

The purpose of this ritual is purification. This is accomplished in several steps. Before the ritual, each participant writes down her or his single most pressing difficulty on a piece of paper. This is later burned in the Fire of Hestia, in keeping with the old belief that prayers and requests are carried to the Gods on the smoke of the altar fire. This is also a variation of spell workings in which one releases a problem by destroying its representation; in this instance, however, the participants are asking specifically for divine intervention as well. Once this portion of the ritual is completed, all in the circle are ritually cleansed with water and incense to prepare them to follow up in the physical world what they have requested of Hestia. This is reemphasized by the final prayer in which her aid and blessing is again requested.

Properly performed, this ritual allows deep communion with the spiritual essence of fire on the divine level; it also confers a sense of renewed purity and vitality. Be aware that this is not an elemental working, and thus one should not expect devic contact. We do recommend that participants carefully consider what they wish to purify or banish from their lives. Consider the ramifications of what complete loss of what you have written would be, as some past participants have reported these losses to be extensive. Also be open to the manner in which that loss will manifest, particularly in spiritual matters.

The invocations and text in this ritual are a combination of original writing and materials borrowed from the Alexandrian Book of Shadows, the rituals of the Golden Dawn, and the works of Aleister Crowley. We hope you find the rite rewarding, and welcome hearing about your experiences and suggestions.

A central altar containing the cauldron with ethanol, the censer with incense, a bowl of water, cakes, and wine should be placed at the center of the room. All participants gather in a comfortable circle around the central altar. One Priestess should stand at each of the cardinal points. The High Priestess and the Priestess of Hestia should also stand in the East. The circle is cast by whatever rite the participants favor, with reverence and solemnity. The Priestesses then individually read the following passages.