Hestia is the Greek Goddess of hearth and home. She is the eldest daughter of the Titans Kronos and Rhea and the oldest of all the female Olympians. She is the sister of Zeus, Poseidon and Hades.

Hestia was a very important Deity to the Ancient Greeks. It is from her that they learned how to build houses and it was her tamed fire that they cooked their food on and got warmth from. Due to her important role in their everyday lives, the Greek people always tribute Hestia first and last in all prayers and sacrifices.

Unlike many of the Greek Deities, Hestia is a quiet conservative Goddess. She is never one to take part in the struggles and politics of the Gods and mortals. She is a calm and gentle Deity, who is always supportive of her family. As she was one of the First Olympians, one of the twelve seats of Olympus belongs to her. However, she gave up her seat to Dionysus to prevent conflict amongst her family and so she could devote her time to tending the hearth fire.

Hestia is a virgin Goddess. She is one of three Goddesses that are immune to Aphrodite’s touch. She cannot be forced or tricked to fall in love. Both Poseidon and Apollo courted her and asked for her hand in marriage but she choose to stay single instead. To help deter other suitors, Hestia swore on oath to Zeus that she would remain chaste and not take a lover or husband. Hestia’s Roman counterpart was Vesta. Her priestesses were the Vestal virgins whose job it was to keep her sacred fire burning endlessly.

Hestia had public hearths, called prytaneions, throughout Greece. When Greek colonists traveled to their new homes they would take fire from one of her prytaneions. They would carefully sustain it until they reached their destination so they would have it to start their new hearth fires with. The fire the colonists took with them was a representation of their continuous connection with their home country Greece and its Gods.

Unlike most of her kin, there is not countless tales about her. She is a quiet conservative Goddess, content and happy to spend her days on Mount Olympus tending the hearth fire, never letting it go out. Despite her lack of fame, she was and still is just as well loved and worshipped as the other Gods. Hestia’s tamed fire represents comfort and life. It was her flame that cooked the foods that filled hungry bellies. It was her flame that kept away the cold night air. Today, we do not depend on fire as our ancestors did, yet Hestia still holds a special place in the hearts of Pagans everywhere. She is a Goddess of what we hold most dear; home, family and comfort.