It's a lovely, rainy day outside today. My partner and stepson are lazing on the couch--one on the computer, the other blissfully watching an action movie and munching on purple grapes. Our fifteen-year-old Siamese is keeping vigilant watch nestled into the cushions behind them while our younger tuxedo cat stalks and slinks through the boxes in the storage space under the stairs. On the floor at my stepson's feet are two dogs: One, red and hairy, rescued from the pound seven years ago, sprawls on his back contemplating the ceiling, while the other, black and white beagle mix, sits upright, adoring, secretly praying he may reap the juicy windfall of an errant grape. I am sitting in my soft, oversized chair, writing, with a tiny gray dog asleep and snoring on my left knee. Soon it will be time to make an autumn Sunday peasant feast--roast with potatoes, green beans and apple bread for dessert.
This is our perfectly imperfect happy home. This is the foundation we walk upon. This is the love in our lives and the light in our hearts. This is the warmth of our hearth that radiates within and without. This is the spirit of the Great Goddess Hestia--she who is first and last among all the Gods.
Invocation to Hestia
Hail Hestia,
Ancient hearth Mother
Goddess of the Spiritual Flame,
You who are first and last,
You who are first and last,
We thank you for your constant love and care.
We ask that you come and dwell here.
Make of our home your home.
Make of our hearth your hearth.
Make of our temple your temple.
Make of our hearts one heart, your heat.
Thanks so much for dropping in on thefeatherednest.....hope your arm is holding out.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this. There aren't enough hymns written to Hestia but this certainly deserves to be considered among the nicest ones.
ReplyDeleteIn humility and Eusebia
Thank you so much for the compliment. In my intellect, I never would have considered Hestia as a patron deity, but then the more I honored her, just as a matter of propriety at first, the more her presence filled my life to a point that her patronage was absolutely undeniable. I wish more Hellenes would realize just how powerful she really is.
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