Vestalia Ritual and Omen

 

Happy Vestalia (June 7-15th)!  Hail Vesta and the Vestals!

On the 9th, a red fox crossed my path, which was very cool.  Then later that night, I had ritual with my online grove.  Although Wednesday was a bit of a struggle, by then I still hadn't reworked my ritual and I was battling a headache.  We've been having a lot of storms lately, and it's normal for me to have one until the storm arrives.

However, my joints haven't been hurting!  For about a month and a half, give or take, I've significantly cut down on my sugar--minus the good sugars found in fruits.  I haven't gone cold turkey because that rarely works for me, I just cut more than half down on what I was eating and drinking.  Boy, have I been losing weight!  I haven't even started swimming regularly yet!  Less weight = less joint pain.  I haven't needed my cane in a couple of weeks.  I've also been eating more fresh raw veggies, too.  Gotta replace that processed sugar with something healthy--I do like plain veggies...broccoli, carrots, spinach, romaine lettuce...yum!  I used to make myself a simple pot of bone broth, garlic, mushroom, spinach, carrots, and bok choy soup in the mornings and just eat it throughout the day.  Definitely made my gut happier.  I'm slowly going back to that, too.  I miss having energy and physically feeling good.  

Funny enough, self care is the message that I delivered to my grove from Vestal Rhea Silvia on Wednesday.

I was working on that ritual up until it started, and still didn't finish it.  I was reworking a COoR style ritual from 2024--making it shorter.  Vesta was like, "This is your 12th Vestalia, if you don't know what you're doing by now, I can't help you."  lol.  

The ritual went well.  It was smaller and I believe the attendees were women/nb, which I was glad, because the Vestalia is supposed to just be for women.  But I wasn't going to exclude anyone because that not my style.  All who come with respect and curiosity are welcome at my rituals.

Vesta did not pick one of Her decks, instead She picked Ariadne's deck, which is the Hedgewitch's Botanical Oracle (or something like that) by Siolo Thompson.

Here's my Vestalia Ritual, complete with the omen:

1. "Today marks the Feast Day of the Roman Festival of Vestalia, a day sacred to the Hearth and Home Goddess Vesta and Her priestesses, the Vestals."
   
   

2. Anchoring: "To begin, close your eyes and take three deep breaths. Then turn your attention to your heart center—the electromagnetic center of your body. From there, visualize your energy extending down your body and into the earth. This could look like tree roots growing from your feet, an electrical cord plugging into the earth or any other form of energetic connection that makes sense to you.

Really feel the energetic connection. Dig those roots or cord deep into the earth. As you exhale, release any tension in your body—let it slide on down the cord, from your body and into the earth. As you inhale, breath in the new energy from the earth. Do this a few times.

When you're ready, keep that connection in place as you turn your attention back to your heart center. From here, do the same thing, but this time, up into the heavens.

Grow your tree branches or electrical cord or energy column up into the heavens and anchor up there. With every exhale, release the thoughts that no longer serve you to be swept away into atmosphere and renewed. As you breathe in, notice the fresh air energy as it enters your energetic body. Do this a few times.

When you're ready, keep that upper connection in place and return your attention to your heart center. You are anchored above and below, and now it's time to anchor in this middle world.

This time, visualize your energy extending from your heart center around your body, perhaps in an egg or circular shape around you about the distance of your arms. This is a sphere—you are completely protected within this energetic boundary you are creating. As you breathe in, draw energy from both above and below. As you exhale, exhale that energy into the protective sphere around you. Do this a few times, until you feel your energetic container is strong.

We've established our three-world anchor, this rite can now begin."

3. Light the Candle: "Hestia-Vesta, First and Last, The Living Flame, I light this candle to show my love and gratitude for all that you've done, do, and continue to do for myself, my family, and community.
   Hestia-Vesta, accept this offering!" 
   
   Sprinkle salted flour into the flame.
   
   

4. Earth Mother: "We call to the Earth Mother.  Earth Mother, She from whom we have emerged and to whom we shall return.  We ask that you hold and protect us during this Vestalia Rite.
   
   Earth Mother, accept this offering!"
   
   Cornmeal and Pantry Herbs offering.
   
   

5. Being of the Occasion: "I invite now the Beings of the Occasion! Roman Goddess and Spirits of Fire and Hearth Keeping, come now to this rite for today is the Feast Day of the Vestalia, the festival of You–a time of purification of body, mind, home, and spirit.
   
   Vesta and Vestals, I ask that yall accept these offering!" 
   
   Give offerings of Roasted Dandelion.
   
   "If anyone else has offerings, give them now." Before ritual, I asked attendees to bring bread, flour, herbs/spices from their pantries. Traditionally, the Vestals would make mola salsa with holy water collected from a local spring, as offering. For years, I'd give salted flour, but after my celiac diagnoses in 2019-20, I give pantry herbs/spices, lavender teas, sometimes mixed with cornmeal. But this year, the Vestal's suggested Roasted Dandelion, which really ties into the omen!

6. Omen: When I do the Vestalia, Vesta always speaks to me through Vestal Rhea Silvia. This time was interesting, because Rhea was channeling and half possessed by Vesta, as I was channeling/half possessed by Vestal Rhea. Weird psychic spiritual shit, you know? Grove Mate Willow typed down almost everything that I said:
   Vestal Rhea. 

Blessings. 

3 cards. 

Being. Self. Fire. Community. Vote. 

I am the Being of the City. 

We are the caretakers of the flame, Holy Vesta, our living flame. 

Prometheus. Hestia. House, little cottage. 

Hestia burns within the home, I burn within the city hall. I am fierce when I need to be and so shall you all be, fierce and dedicated, quick witted sharp tongued. 

Bragi. 

Apollo. Hermes, Jupiter. Juno. Council. 

Without my fire none of these would be possible--council. Inner fire, torch, Hekate. 

These are the words of Vesta. And we Vestals tend her fire both literal and within. We Vestals keep Her temple clean and protected, purified. Bathed in holy fire. So shall you all. Keep clean your temple outer and inner, the one you live in and the one your soul lives in, your bodies. After this ritual, I want you all to purify yourself, and yes, purification can be very  physical. Work out those calories, energy, diabetes. Release the good within you. Bathe, simple. 

Attendee: This is feeling targeted lol I just found out I have prediabetes and can do something about it. 

As I shuffled, I saw Elderberry.

Attendee: Elderberry strengthens the immune system to keep you healthy. 

Attendee: Hestia Vesta with the practical advice I see.

Take a bath, eat healthy 

Attendee: Hestia Vesta for when you have a human mom but now you have deity mom(s). 

Adding salt to bath, bath bomb, magical salt, shower, can pour salt over your head. Detox. This is also a time of detox, of lessening something that you eat that you overindulge in, such as sugar carbs alcohol nicotine. Not cold turkey, just cut down. A time of purification, of detox. Ah, I understand the dandelion now!

(kids outside of room talking about cleaning) 

Elderberry, white flower Easter lily. 

Immunity support. Detox without support can be detrimental. Take care of your damn selves, it's stressful times. You can't pour from an empty vessel, you have to take care of yourself to take care of others. Elderberry.

energy in heart center blossoming out, up into throat and mouth, hot and warm, good energy. Time for the cards:

Huckleberry, resourcefulness.

Chicory, sustain.

Foxglove, connection.

Over the counter supplements/medication, foraging if you have the learning and skill and access to do so safely. Some plants will cleanse you of this life ☠️

Taking care of yourself, to live longer/better. 

Attendee: My body says no more walking barefoot on gravel 

Less controlled by your traumas, your fears. There's only so much that can be done for certain illnesses, but there are things you can influence, such as your thinking.

Connection between us and our bodies, to listen more to what our bodies say. Respect our own bodies' boundaries. Some people have a tendency to push through pain, listen to your fucking body when it's communicating to you. Sometimes pushing through pain is necessary, but stop and listen to your bodies' boundaries. Sometimes in trauma your body may dissociate, don't try to uncover what that trauma was. Or if you do, make sure to do so under supervision of someone who knows how to manage trauma.

Take care of yourself, your homes. If clutter around you is affecting you, ask for help. 

Listen to your body - rest if you need to. Sometimes pushing through is useful, sometimes detrimental. If you can, start making your own stuff. Learning about plants is good, can you make medicine for yourself and other people? 

7. Hallowing the Waters.  "Come to the mountain to fill your vessels." Ah, this part was different. It was a combination of Hallowing the Water and The Work. As instructed by Vestal Rhea, I had everyone hold their vessels of liquid, close their eyes, and while I was still in trance, I did a guided meditation. I can't remember the specifics, only that I led attendees to a flat mountain top, where there was a spring. Vesta appeared holding fire. The Vestals all carried different herbs and plants. As they dropped the flora, it all caught fire, and then went out with a hisssssss into the spring, purifying it. I had everyone fill their cups with this water, and...

"Behold the Waters of Life. Drink deep and know you are purified and blessed by the Holy Flame!"

8. Thanking the Beings of the Occasion: When it came to this part, I still wasn't fully back and for a moment, I couldn't remember how to do it, even though this is a step that I've done countless times, even before the COoR. I had help and was able to thank Everyone and end the ritual.

After ritual, another devotee was asking about why I include the Vestals in this ritual, because it's not normal in a Roman ritual to honor mortal clergy.  I'll admit, I still wasn't fully present when I answered, but I think it made sense.  

I told them that I'm a Vestal and the others are my mentors, although Vesta made contact with me before Her Priestesses.  But overtime, the Vestals were present more and more during our interactions.  Then during trances, I started going to Vesta's Temple and learning from the many priestesses.  During one Vestalia, it was Vesta Rhea and another who'd greet me during ritual and divination.

The fellow devotee also brought up the ancestral connection--not by DNA, of course--species, really.  The Ancestors were once human and can communicate clearer to us.  I said, exactly.  I said that the Gods have taught me to reach out more to the Ancestors, because they're closer to us in many ways.  Also sometimes when the Gods communicate they forget that I'm a human in this lifetime, and I can't always understand what they're saying OR I don't know how to translate so other humans can understand.  Once Human Spirits like the Vestals (although Rhea may not have been human, given her connections to Rome's birth) tend to make more sense, and sometimes make better intermediaries/handlers between even Gods and conduits.

Another group of clergy that I honor are the Melissae--both the non-human and human priestesses, dancers, healers of Ariadne, Artemis, Demeter, Persephone, and others.  I work with them, am mentored by them, and I see it only right to honor my teachers and, in a way, co-workers.

If you observe, Blessed Vestalia.  I hope the rest of your week is gentle and what you need.

Thanks for all of the support!

Face to the Sun.
Trust in Joy.
Follow the Foxes and the Bees...

- Vestal Foxlyn