An elderly Hestia woman may have to eke out a living on Social
Security, but she is far from impoverished in spirit. Often she lives
alone in her last years, with no regrets about life and no fears about
death.
PSYCHOLOGICAL DIFFICULTIES
As an archetype of inner wisdom, Hestia lacks negativity. Thus
it is not surprising that Hestia doesn’t present the usual potential
patterns of pathology. She was not involved with other deities and
mortals, a pattern of detachment that may cause a woman to be
lonely and isolated. The main difficulties for Hestia women, however,
are related to what was missing in Hestia. Of all the gods and god-
desses of Mt. Olympus, she was not represented in human form—she
lacked an image or a persona. And she was not involved in romantic
intrigues or conflict—she lacked practice and skills at making her
way in these areas.
IDENTIFYING WITH HESTIA
To live “as Hestia” means to be self-effacing, anonymous, a non-
entity who nonetheless has a central position in the household. Many
women know the drawbacks of this role. Their work is often taken
for granted, while their feelings are not taken into consideration. A
Hestia woman characteristically lacks assertiveness and doesn’t
speak up if she feels discounted or devalued. The housework that
can be a source of quiet pleasure and inner order loses this meaning
if as soon as it is done others disrupt the order and produce disarray.
The hearthkeeping Hestia can become burnt out, when her efforts
feel meaningless and ineffectual to her.
Identification with emotionally detached Hestia stifles a woman’s
direct expression of feelings. A Hestia woman indirectly expresses
her love and concern for others through thoughtful acts. The saying
“Still waters run deep” describes Hestia’s introverted feelings, which
lie below the surface. Because a Hestia woman is undemonstrative,
people who are very important to her may not know that they are.
Solitude, which Hestia values, can turn lonely if the people she cares
Goddesses in Everywoman