clarity in the midst of the confusing myriad of details that confront
our five senses.
The inward Hestia may also become emotionally detached and
perceptually inattentive to others in her surroundings as she attends
to her own concerns. Again, this detachment is characteristic of all
three virgin goddesses. Moreover, adding to her tendency to with-
draw from the company of others, Hestia’s “one-in-herselfness”
seeks quiet tranquility, which is most easily found in solitude.
THE HEARTHKEEPER
Hestia as Goddess of the Hearth is the archetype active in women
who find keeping house a meaningful activity rather than a chore.
With Hestia, hearthkeeping is a means through which a woman puts
her self and her house in order. A woman who acquires a sense of
inner harmony as she accomplishes everyday tasks is in touch with
this aspect of the Hestia archetype.
Tending to household details is a centering activity, equivalent to
meditation. If she were articulate about her inner process, a Hestia
woman could write a book entitled Zen and the Art of Housekeeping.
She does household tasks because they matter to her in themselves,
and because it pleases her to do them. She derives an inner peace
from what she is doing, like a woman in a religious order for whom
every activity is done “in the service of God.” If Hestia is the arche-
type, when she finishes her tasks she feels good inside. In contrast,
Athena has a sense of accomplishment, and Artemis is simply re-
lieved that a chore is finished, freeing her to do something else.
When Hestia is present, a woman goes about her household tasks
with a sense that there is plenty of time. She doesn’t have one eye
on the clock, because she is neither on a schedule nor “putting in
time.” Consequently, she is in what the Greeks called kairos time—she
is “participating in time,” which is psychologically nourishing (as
are almost all experiences in which we lose track of time.) As she
sorts and folds laundry, washes dishes, and cleans up the clutter,
she feels an unhurried, peaceful absorption in each task.
Hearthkeepers stay in the background maintaining ano-
Hestia: I Goddess of the Hearth and Temple, Wise Woman and