Simple Ways To Honor Hestia
I haven’t always erred on the side of historical accuracy (I started out as a Wiccan, which essentially means that I relied a LOT on UPG experiences and less on historical accuracy), so I can’t guarantee the following are all historically correct or that you feel it’s appropriate to your own practice with Hestia. But I thought that writing up a post about how I have honored do honor Hestia, whether historically accurate or not, might help others!
Tea. Best in the morning, as part of a healthy morning ritual, fire up your stove/electric tea kettle and make a cup of tea, both for you and Hestia. If you don’t want to give a full cup of tea to her, you can always pour a little into her own cup first. I just share whatever tea I happen to like, and I try to discard it daily with a prayer.
Food. I have cats, so I really don’t do this (because I don’t want my cats eating unhealthy amounts of table food), but you could set aside the first bite or portion of a meal as an offering to Hestia. Alternatively, you could always set aside a portion, go to your altar/shrine, state that it’s an offering for her, and then refrigerate it until you’re ready to eat it. This, I do pretty often - I even have a container that’s used solely for Hestia offerings. I know some people feel you shouldn’t eat offerings reserved for the gods, but I don’t have the money to dedicate food in such a way; so I usually eat this as part of my breakfast, or whenever I do a daily devotional to/for her.
Candles & Flames. This is probably the easiest, most simple way to honor Hestia. I find that she likes all sorts of fire - and even fire representations! So feel free to use an electric nightlight instead of a candle, or an electric candle, or even a lamp. Traditionally, her fire was never let out, but I just don’t feel safe (or confident) in letting fires burn - because I have cats, and if you’ve ever had a cat, you know that they like to investigate things and knock them over - and we’re on a budget, so I prefer not to leave things on 24/7. I prefer to light a candle (if I’m at the altar saying prayers) or rely on an electric candle (if I know I need to walk away, but want her symbolic hearthfire to burn for a specified time).
Kitchen Altar. If it were up to me, my house would be FULL of altars just about everywhere. One space I really love to devote to Hestia is a space in the kitchen, preferably near the stove. I have an electric stove (it came with our apartment), so it’s not quite the same as having an open flame, but I do like to set aside a candle just for her in that space. If a candle isn’t your thing, or you’re trying to keep things from getting too cluttered, you could always leave her an offering bowl or dish there, or anything that you feel symbolizes Hestia.
Veiling. Many followers of Hestia advocate veiling, and I would really suggest giving it a try! If you’re feeling a little self-conscious about veiling, you can always just put it on as an act of devotion right before prayer, and take it off right after. If veiling puts you off completely (it’s not for everyone), you can try using a specific clip, ribbon or scrunchie that you use to pull your hair out of your face for devotional purposes.
Prayer Beads. You can do this with just about any deity, but consider making your own prayer beads or purchasing a set in honor of Hestia. As part of your daily/weekly/monthly/yearly devotions, you can meditate on this goddess, chant, or recite prayers with every bead. It’s a great way to really feel connected to a deity, and a great memorization technique when you’re working with a new prayer.
Fireplace. The hearth is the traditional center of the home, and the traditional symbol of Hestia. If you have a fireplace, fire it up! It doesn’t have to be a daily occurrence, but it would be nice to occasionally remind Hestia how much you love her through fireplace maintenance a roaring fire. If you rather do this outside in a fire pit, go ahead! If your fireplace is purely decorative (or you’re otherwise not allowed to use the fireplace), try putting a candle in there and lighting it instead. If you don’t have a fireplace, you can always pull up a crackling fireplace video on roku, or stream a video of such from youtube on your computer, laptop, tablet, TV, or phone. It makes for a meditation session!
Hospitality. As the goddess of hearth and home, Hestia is a goddess who would have gone out of her way to make everyone feel warm and welcomed in her abode. You should do the same! The next time you have visitors, offer to take their coats, grab them a drink, and make them feel welcomed, comfortable and loved.
Generosity. I feel that Hestia is a generous, charitable sort who would give you the clothes off her back if you were in need. Practice generosity; think of ways that you can help out your relatives, friends, neighbors and community. Do you have a yearly block party or monthly potluck for your neighbors? Why not try to start one up? Is there someone that could really use some extra help - maybe a babysitter in the evening, a tutor for a child, a little extra help cleaning their home, or just a shoulder to lean on? Maybe there’s a new neighbor you haven’t met yet - why not bring a batch of cookies as a gift and introduce yourself?
Food Drives. Lots of stores have food drive promotions (and sometimes for clothes and school supplies). The next time you notice one of these going on, donate. Maybe go through your house and purge what you don’t want/need and donate it. Donating time to a food shelter or a homeless shelter are also excellent ways to honor Hestia!
Meals. In the old days, people would use the hearth for cooking. Now, we have lots of contraptions that aid in cooking - blenders, stoves, grills, microwaves, etc. Instead of ordering take out or microwaving a frozen dinner, try cooking your meal. Dedicate the time spent preparing and cooking to Hestia - make it a devotional act!
Prayers. You don’t need to have a shrine or altar to pray to Hestia, and nor do you need candles, statues or a physical representation. All you need is you and your intent. Using things like Homeric or Orphic Hymns are perfectly fine, but so is just speaking from the heart.
Cleaning. Turn boring, monotonous, daily chores into an act of devotion. Meditate on Hestia while you clean, or chant, speak prayers, or simply keep her in mind while you do your rounds. Some like to combine the veiling technique above - put your hair up or veil while cleaning as a devotional dedication. Don’t focus on perfection; it’s better to develop a daily cleaning routine where a little is done at a time but very frequently rather than an occasional cleaning day spent obsessively scrubbing floors and organizing.
Family Reunions. Have you gotten together with your family recently? Organize a family get-together! This can be in the form of a family game night, a movie night with you and your closest friends/relatives/significant other, or a big party for all of your relatives. So many of us only speak to our relatives around the holidays, but Hestia emphasizes the importance of building strong family ties and keeping those bonds strong. If getting together with family is impossible (due to transportation issues, living out of state, etc), pick up your phone and give them a ring!
Healthy Boundaries. If you’re like me and you struggle with having healthy boundaries between yourself and your family, you can always go to Hestia for help in this area. You should never feel pressured to always say yes to everything people ask of you - especially if you feel unappreciated or are being taken advantage of or abused. Hestia can help!
Meal Planning. A great way to make sure you spend some time with Hestia everyday of the week is through meal planning. One day each week, every other week, or once per month (depending on how often you go grocery shopping), sit down and plan out in advance the meals you plan to cook. You should aim for at least one home cooked meal a day, preferably breakfast, lunch and dinner (and factor in a few snacks). The very act of meal planning can be a devotion to Hestia, and it helps you budget, make a grocery list, and keep things organized. Plus home cooked meals are delicious!
Budgeting. A big part of running a househeold is dealing with budgeting issues. You can devote the time spent on balancing checkbooks, paying bills, and going over savings and expendable income to Hestia.
Household Notebook. Remember the suggestion of meal planning, budgeting and cleaning? You can utilize all this - and more - through a household notebook. All you need is a binder and some paper - and if you have a printer with a hole punch, you can even find beautiful decorative templates to help you out! A household notebook is basically where you keep everything you need to help run your house. I have a section for recipes and meal planning, a section for local take out places (with menus, if possible) and their address and numbers, a section for emergency medical information (there’s even a section with receipts for every time our cats have been to the vet). I keep lists of things that need to be done on a daily basis, weekly basis, monthly basis, and seasonal basis (which I change up as needed). I even have a section on how to remove different kinds of stains from different surfaces, and how to clean specific things (like electronic equipment, appliances, cleaning supplies, etc). I even keep track of the recipes I use for homemade cleaning recipes (like homemade dishwasher tabs, or glass cleaner for my eyeglasses, simple disinfectant, etc). If you have trouble remembering birthdays, anniversaries, and annual celebrations, put it in here! You can even go one step further and add sections to your household notebook for daily to-do lists, a prayer section for Hestia, and if you’re more along the lines of a pagan vs Hellenic reconstructionalist, you can even include things like spiritual cleaning, altar dedications, statue consecration, etc. I’m not saying go full blown BoS with this binder, but keeping things that you use on a daily basis as part of your everyday life all in one spot is just practical and convenient.
Seasonal Cleaning. Everyone knows about spring cleaning, but I wholeheartedly feel that we should do a version of spring cleaning at the change of every season. This can be a devotional act to Hestia!
Cooking Class. Hestia is all about hearth and home, and what better way to show your love and appreciation to yourself and to your family and friends than by learning how to cook (better)? Any time you cook can be a dedicated act to Hestia.
Musical Playlist. Try putting together a list of songs that really reflect how you feel about Hestia, or put you in a Hestia-like mood.
Domestic Bliss. Even the time you spend bonding with your significant other and working out your issues can be considered devotional time. Keep your home happy and filled with love by being open, communicative, and supportive of your partner.
Relaxing Night In. There’s nothing wrong with occasionally spending a night at home with a relaxing atmosphere, take a bubble bath, read a good book, watch a favorite movie, binge watch a neglected series on Netflix, or doing a hobby that you love. Give yourself permission to take it easy and practice self-care!
Dinner Parties. Much like a family reunion, a good way to express appreciation to your friends and family is to have a dinner party. It doesn’t have to be formal, and you don’t have to be a slave in the kitchen - what matters is that you open your heart and home to those you love.
Prayer Book. If you work closely with Hestia, consider starting a little prayer book for her. There are tons of ways to do this - you can use a diary, a binder, a pronged folder, or even try some simple bookbinding. I’ve had great success with cutting computer paper in half, punching holes along one side, and binding it together with ribbon. If you work with other deities, you can make a prayer book for each individual deity, or one large one for all of them. Keep it on or near your altar/shrine for easy access!
Cookbooks & Recipe Collections. Another excellent devotional to Hestia! Track the recipes you try with a cookbook or a recipe collection. This can even be digital through sites like All Recipes or tracked through apps like Google Drive (which can be synced between your phone and computer).
Home Remedies. I don’t know about you, but I grew up in a household where my mother always had an aloe plant for burns and irritated skin, salt and water for gargling when I had a sore throat, orange juice and garlic when I felt under-the-weather, and fresh mint leaves for an upset stomach. If you have holistic or natural remedy leanings, consider devoting the time spent to researching and creating homemade remedies as sacred to Hestia.
Sewing, Knitting, Crocheting, Weaving & Embroidery. Cottage industries involving thread has always seemed so very Hestia to me. Learning how to properly darn a sock, sew on a button, or repair ripped seams are things that are SO valuable that extending that over to something like sewing, knitting, crocheting, weaving or embroidery only seems natural. It’s okay if you discover you don’t like it - what matters is that you gave it a try!
Crafts. We’re in an trend where having crafts in the home is very much in! Take advantage of this by looking up different crafts that you can do for your own home to save money, make it look nicer, and give it the aesthetic that fits your - and your family’s - personality. Time spent creating these things can definitely be dedicated to Hestia.
Interior Decorating. Just like with crafts, interior decorating can be an exhausting process, but one that is very important. Most of us want a warm, comforting home, and in order to have that, we need to do what we can to look - and feel - that way. For some of us, this means investing in a fireplace and mood lighting, while others feel a puffy, comfortable couch is the way to go with a nice flat screen tv. Others are more bohemian and rustic in their decor, while some like shabby chic touches and refurbished antiques. Even if you’re a minimalist by nature, using the right combination of colors and accents can really give a homey, comforting feeling. Take the time to discover your own personal style and figure out ways to translate it into your home. Anything you do to make your home a loving, comforting environment can be a dedication to Hestia!
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