Goddess Vesta on the Harvest Moon
-
Leah Walters
It is the last full moon of summer, and Mother Moon shined so bright.
The autumnal equinox will take place this coming Sunday – a time to turn our attention toward our homes, our hearth, and our inner wisdom. To honor the full moon and change of season, we wise women gathered at the beach to pay homage to the Divine Feminine and the Goddess Vesta – Goddess of the Hearth.
The ancient goddess Vesta, known to the Greeks as Hestia, represents the heart of the home and the perpetual flame of wisdom. She was the source of great knowledge for her clan: the great Roman Empire. Vestal virgins dedicated their lives to keeping Vesta’s eternal flame burning in her temple, ensuring that the light of wisdom she possessed for the family of Rome would never go out. Great warriors went to war for the empire, but would always return to the fire and hearth of Vesta. We too possess the great power and wisdom of Vesta in our own beings.
How can we manifest the spirit of Vesta in our own lives?
In order to allow the voice of our wisdom to surface, we must first let go of what may be holding us from speaking our truth. Sweet Light Donna Scheifler led us in a moving manifestation exercise through a Sand Dollar ritual
Hold the fragile sand dollar to your ear and give it a shake – hear the tiny doves waiting to be released, hear the dreams or goals whispering inside, waiting for your permission to truly manifest? We must break the sand dollar open, let go of our own self-created barriers and release the dreams and goals we secretly hold inside! It is time to allow ourselves to become who we truly are, who we are meant to be as Human Beings, as Women – the American Goddess.
*See the bottom of this blog post for Donna’s Sand Dollar Ritual
With our barriers gone… How do we become wise women?
We live into it – we gather it from our own life experiences and also from the fellowship of our wise sisters. Tonight we have prepared these words of wisdom to share with one another. A fire is lit to honor the wise goddess Vesta, and talking sticks in the form of kindling are passed to each Moon Mother. As each woman shares her words of wisdom in the glow of firelight, it soon becomes clear that we are all keepers of the undying feminine flame of Vesta. We all have a separate wisdom and story to share from our own unique lives. Wisdom ranges from the meaning of a Beatles song to Maya Angelou to the code of the pirate! Each piece of wisdom is extraordinary, beautiful and symbolic of a Moon Mother’s journey and experience. After each woman shares her wisdom, she adds her talking stick (kindling) to the fire to keep the blaze alive. It is a true blessing to witness this event, and a reminder of the wisdom and strength a circle of women provides to one another.
In the spirit of Vesta and autumn, we must remember to maintain a wise flame to those around us.
So stack your fire wood, light your candles, and prepare your hearth as a flame of wisdom and solace – your clan will be returning soon. By Leah Walters
Sand Dollar Ritual by Donna Scheifler
Shake your Sand Dollar and listen to the birds/doves rattling around inside.
They symbolize your Intentions / Dreams / Wishes / Hopes.
They can’t fly free until the Sand Dollar is broken open …
Until we break open
Whatever is locked up inside of us
Whatever we’ve been holding onto
Whatever has been holding us back
Our Intentions / Dreams / Wishes / Hopes
Are not allowed to fly free …
Are not able to manifest
When we can break through / release / let go of all of this
Then we can give wings to our
Intentions / Dreams / Wishes / Hopes
Trust that
Whatever needs to be released
Whatever old limiting beliefs that have held us back
Will be revealed to us
Go to the water’s edge and break open your Sand Dollars …
Thank you Leah for the nice writing. Thank you Donna for leading us in the rich sand dollar ritual.
Donna is offering a wonder self actualization class called Your time to Blossom. Here is a link for more information. www.yourtimetoblossom.com
Our next gathering will be a Crone ceremony on the New Moon Friday October 4th. Details coming soon.
Hope you all celebrate the change of season and keep the home fire burning brightly.
Sincerely,
Tammy
www.coastsidephotography.com/book
Moon Mothers of Half Moon Bay 
Beautiful 😉 Happy Autumn Equinox!
Wow, is that photo of the harvest moon real? It’s quite impressive and beautiful, reminds of the one I saw as a child.