Order a Report
Order a Transit Report
Order a Solar Return Report
Order a Relationship Composite Report
Order both relationship reports, save 10%
Order a Lunar Return Report
Order a Natal Chart Report
Order a Progressed Chart Report
A diverse and constantly updating source of astrology-themed content, Astrodispatch is edited by Elsa P, astrologer and author of ElsaElsa - The Astrology Blog.
To reach the editor, please visit our contact page.
Heads Up from Elsa P!
Sign up below to get my free weekly email newsletter covering the astrology of the next week. I send this email out every Thursday.
- Narendra Joshi: Excellent article in financial astrology about Jupitor. Expe...
- Adriana: Good overview of Mercury entering Gemini. I think that to s...
- Tami: ...for me, its Mars at 27 Sco; what sort of direct effect do...
- coriandmeg: Isnt the Pluto/Uranus thing exact on May 20th?...
- MimiK: Storyteller Michael Meade says that wisdom is "knowing what ...
- sarah: Thank you so much for including my recipe in your blog post....
- Barbara: Oh no! Anything about ex lovers on facebook! Please, please,...
The Oxford Astrologer » The Kitchen Gods
May 24th, 2012 @ 6:24 am by The Oxford Astrologer
 |
| Vestal Virgin by Leighton |
Vesta was the Roman goddess of the hearth, and as such she was the only deity worshipped in every household. Not only that, her temple was extremely important in the state religion and was the only one to have a college of full-time priestesses. To be one of the Vestal Virigns was a privilege reserved for the daughters of the elite.
So how come she was never assigned one of the major planets when the astrological prizes were being dispensed way back when?
In fact she was not entirely overlooked. The second century astrologer Manilius did give her a “tutelary” assignment: to oversee Capricorn that least domestic of signs. Capricorn is the sign most associated with public life and duty, so you can see that having Vesta, goddess of all things homey, might be quite helpful.
For an example of a Capricorn specially blessed by Vesta, read this piece on Nigella Lawson.
But Vesta is having a comeback. A lump of rock in the asteroid belt was named after her at the beginning of the 19th century – and then everyone promptly forgot about her again. In the 1970s, astrologers began to take more interest in the asteroids, and just this year Vesta was promoted to proto-planet.
In case you’re thinking, “So what?” That’s just a whisker away from getting to be a planetoid like lonely Pluto and chummy Ceres.
There’s a beautiful Grand Trine in the sky today between butch Mars and Pluto and Vesta. They are all in earth signs, but Vesta is surely the most comfortable there. It’s home turf for her. She has fire in common with Mars though, and Pluto is in her favourite sign Capricorn. All three are working in harmony.
I have just pulled two beautiful loaves of sourdough out of the oven. What could you do to honour the goddess of the hearth this week?
Here’s a piece about the (possible) connection between Vesta and eating disorders.
Well, it may have been because Vesta was considered to preside over all things in the home and therefore possessed aspects of all of the planets, rather than just one.