Are you a Vesta devotee?
another face of the dark feminine in myth and astro
Public service announcement for those who want to move beyond the aesthetic of the dark feminine. Myself and (my insanely genius!!!) creative partner Vanessa are myth making a whole two part series titled: Creativity & The Dark Goddess: Making Art That Scares You. The first is this Sunday at 11am EST and on March 2nd. You can cop your ticket here. The dark feminine is far more multidimensional than just the femme fatale or the 'girl boss' Her wisdom transcends and dismantles the performance of femininity, and I can’t wait to unravel it all with you and Vanessa. We need *this* energy now more than ever. In other news… my Song of the week…or a lifetime.
Who is Vesta in myth and in astrology?
Most of you may be familiar with Chiron, the asteroid known as the wounded healer, but Vesta, despite being significantly larger than Chiron, is rarely mentioned. In fact, Vesta’s diameter of 525 kilometres makes it more than twice the size of Chiron, which has a diameter of about 206 kilometres.
In my view, Vesta is the untamed counterpart to Lilith, another vixen who refuses to conform. Like Lilith, exiled from the Garden of Eden, Vesta was a priestess who lived beyond society's reach, a woman destined to dwell in the shadows. She existed on the sidelines, not by choice, but by nature.
Use this astrology calculator to find your Vesta sign and house in your chart select additional objects on the left hand side, and click Vesta.
Vesta, or Hestia in the Greek pantheon, was the Goddess of the Hearth, representing both the living and symbolic role of keeping the sacred flame alive in the home. Psychologically, she serves as a powerful reminder of our own inner flame, our erotic and devotional energy.
The Romans later absorbed her figure, renaming her Vesta, and in her honour, Numa Pompilius, the second King of Rome, built a temple designed to safeguard the Roman Empire. At its centre burned Vesta’s eternal fire, tended by the initiated Vesta Virgins.
These Virgins were initiated around the age of six and swore an oath of chastity and celibacy that lasted for thirty years.
Interestingly, there are pre-Hellenic traces of Vestal Virgins from the time when the Great Mother Goddess reigned before patriarchal gods pillaged the feminine off the lands and hearts of men and women. In those times, they were not virgins in the celibacy sense.
Instead, these Vestals also served as sacred template priestesses who chose to use the sexual and tantric arts to heal strangers, most particularly men who came back from war.
Her history isn’t at all straight laced.
I’m completely obsessed with patterns, signs, and symbols. To me, they’re like this secret language that speaks to my soul. I’m always the first to ask my friends what they dreamt the night before, because I can’t get enough of diving into the meanings behind them. For me, Vesta holds a special place. She’s right next to my Sun in Aries in my chart. I’ve noticed some really interesting themes with my clients who have heavy Vesta patterns in their charts, most notably their Ascendant/Descendant, Sun, Moon, Venus and Midheaven and Imum Coeli.
Some themes I’ve picked up on:
Souls Who Are Both Skilled In Homemaking and the Arts Of The Bedroom
You’re not confined by the patriarchy’s rigid, false dichotomy between Madonna and whore. Instead, you embody a full spectrum of sensuality. Nurturing, passionate, tender, fierce. In your world, there’s no shame in either space. Both your nurturing spirit and your erotic energy coexist in balance. The arts of homemaking and intimacy aren’t separate for you.
“To be virginal does not mean to be chaste, but rather to be true to nature and instinct”
Nor Hall
Souls Who Intrinsically Know The Spiritual-Erotic Value of Sex
For those with potent Vesta energy, sexuality has never been just about the physical act. You intuitively understand that sex is a powerful force of transformation, capable of healing, awakening, and deepening spiritual connection. From a young age, you may have felt the pulse of sex as more than just pleasure. Whether you know it or not, your relationship with the erotic has always been tied something beyond just the conventional terms of ‘intimacy’ and you’ve sensed that when approached consciously, it’s a spiritual practice as much as a physical one.
Souls Who Have Gone Through the Initiation of Celibacy and Date Rarely
Celibacy is not a punishment or a rejection of desire, it can be a sacred initiation into erotic self-awareness, creative power, and spiritual discipline. Much like the Vestal Virgins, who swore an oath to maintain the sacred fire in the temples, those who choose celibacy do so as an act of devotion. It serves to purify their creative palette and, perhaps, to (unconsciously) establish energetic boundaries around their bodily autonomy. Remember, Vesta swore an oath to ride solo, and I’ve noticed with some of my clients who are less inclined to romantically date or are with their partner for decades. She is the daughter of Saturn, so it high key makes sense!
“When Hestia’s (Vesta) feminine values are forgotten and dishonoured, the importance of inner sanctuary - going inward to find meaning and peace - and of family as sanctuary and source of warmth is diminished or lost”
Jean Shinoda Bolen
A chart example:
Prince: Sun in Gemini conjunct Vesta in Gemini
Gemini is the messenger, an air sign of course, and in this interview, Prince delivers the message with a sly, knowing edge that "sexuality is very spiritual in nature and that is a God given gift too."
ps. there are lots of chart examples in my upcoming E-book ✨
If you know your Vesta sign/house, lemme know in the comments.
mwah xo
Sade.