by Astalon
Gentlest of the Almighty Olympians, Great Immortal who dwells closest
to men. I praise you Hestia, Lady who delights in Unity and She who all
beings Unite around.
Oh sweet Goddess, in Your presence do both Immortals and Men unite. You
first and foremost tend and are the holy hearth in the centre of
Olympus upon which the Blessed Immortals gather. It is from Your flames
that the Universe came to be for it is around your flames the Many
United as One. Around your flames do the Gods Unite and from Their
Unity did the World, Common to All the Gods blossomed into being. Thus
most rightly did Almighty Zeus grant You the honor of receiving all
offerings first and last. For it is from around You that all things
expand from, but it is also around You that all things gather. So do I
praise You glorious Hestia, You who Dwell in the Center of Reality.
However Divine Maiden, You too dwell in the center of every home. You
to whom every family is sacred, every family cherished, hear my
prayers. You are She who established the first homes for men. You are
Her who taught men to build shelter from the elements and to establish
the hearth upon which the family gathers around. You are the Goddess
who live amongst mortals. You are present in every home. Every hearth
and stove is Your altar, every kitchen sacred to you, every living and
dining room blessed by You. You are the Watchful Matriach who listens.
You are the beating Heart of every family. Around and within You the
family gathers and unite. From You the individual members depart, but
around and within You they once again gather and unite. So hail to you
Virgin Matriach who is the heart of every family upon which families
Unite.
Goddess of Nations and Cities, You Dwell in the heart of every city.
Around You the people of the city and nation gather. Wherever Your
presence is felt people from all walks of life set aside their
differences and celebrate their common humanity and their common
culture. Wherever You establish your hearth or flame do people gather
around, talking to each other, sharing their common bounds, their
common passions. Thus Hestia do you dwell in the innermost place of
nations and city where people unite around you, depart from you but
ultimately reunite back into you.
Divine Matriach to all Humanity, Lady to Whom all Men are but one
common family regardless of their race or culture, religion or faith,
whether they are tall or short, black or white. Upon sight of Your
Divine mien are differences set aside and the commonality shared by all
men celebrated. For You tend and are the sacred flame upon which all
people in the World gather around every four years. Under this flame do
nations forget their wars, different races abandon their hate, and in
turn mingle as one harmonious competitive sporting family. Oh Hestia
Olympikoi do we honor you.
Finally Hestia in You do all mortals find ultimate Unity and Family.
You remind them that we are all ultimately one amazing family. Our
members stretches from Asia to Africa, Greenland to Australia. When
they raise weapons at each other You point to the starry heavens and
the bountiful Earth beneath and tell them that ultimately we are all
children of Starry Heaven and of Earth, though our race is that of
Heaven. You tell them that they are One Family, and slaying another men
is akin to slaying your own brother. Men who can hear Your call will
weep, lay down their arms and hug their enemies as they would their
kindred brothers, for truly all humanity is but one large family. Men
who can open their hearts to you Hestia will find the common home upon
which all Men shares and upon which every Men is welcomed as family.
So praise to you Hestia, Goddess of Unity, Goddess of the Family,
Goddess of the Home.
neosalexandria 