Written By Shawn Engel
After the party-going, wild and confident Leo season, we are switching gears into Virgo season, which is more of tidying up and preparing for Fall than staying up until 3 am twerking because we are feeling ourselves. Balance, right?
Virgo the Virgin is a sign of organization, yes, but also of a hyper awareness to detail, and even more so, acts of service. As an Earth sign, Virgo takes care of the material and encourages us to tend to our physical bodies and our spaces. It is during this time that we ask what “sparks joy” a lá Marie Kondo, in order to make room for the things that will truly enrich our tangible selves.
Ruling the 6th house, which governs health and fitness, analytical systems, and a sense of usefulness, while Virgo season might not feel as exciting as Leo season, it is truly a “back to basics” way of living that will make your life so much better moving forward. You can’t pour from an empty cup, and that’s what the Virgo’s of the world come to teach us. With their Tarot card being the Hermit, and Beyonce being the most Virgo of them all, you can see that behind the scenes work is ultimately so important. Because without tending to the self, we would have gotten Lemons instead of Lemonade.
Ushering us into Fall, Virgo’s have a mutable quality. This falls in line with their innate sense of service, helping the rest of the zodiac move through change smoothly. While Virgo’s have a reputation for being rigid, they are actually quite the opposite; attention to detail doesn’t mean immovable! However they do use their keen eye to help with change by providing thoughtful acts for others around them. Being ruled by cerebral Mercury, they use discernment while initiating quick change.
Because of their analytical nature and ability to organize, Virgo season inspires me to work with hearth magick.
What is hearth magick?
Hearth magick is simply magick of the home. It can make mundane acts like sweeping or dusting into ritualistic wonders, and truly puts purpose into maintaining your living space. Literally meaning “focus” in Latin, the hearth is the epicenter of the home, and up until modern Western times, was actually the stove.
An old and simple form of folk magick, hearth magick has been used since the Pagan days to enrich the energy of the home using household items. There are three common types of practitioners of this type of magick, although anyone can practice if they desire. Kitchen witches tend to use herbs and intention to amplify their cooking. Hedge witches, or green witches, gear more towards plants and herbal remedies. A hearth witch would focus on the practicalities of the home, but all in all, these witches can range in specialties while still falling under the hearth umbrella. As an eclectic witch, I use hearth magick on New Moons to cleanse my space and begin the cycle with intention.
You can use whichever practice feels aligned with you, but a great way to invoke hearth energy and dedication is by working with the Roman goddess Vesta, also known as Hestia in Greek mythology.
Artist: Gabriella Noar
Who is Vesta?
Vesta is the Virgin Goddess of the hearth, home, and domestic life. Her parents were the titans Kronos and Rhea, and (this was not an uncommon fate for mythical beings) was swallowed by her father.
And this was surprisingly the least of her worries.
When her brother Jupiter, managed to dodge being swallowed himself, he one by one freed his siblings, but because Vesta was swallowed first, she was also the last to be freed, which is said to have aided in her impeccable wisdom.
Because she was also quite a beauty, she attracted the attention of two suitors, Apollo and Neptune, who fought over her like children. In order to spurn their advances, Vesta begged her brother Jupiter to allow her to stay a virgin forever, and in exchange offered to tend to his hearth and home in gratitude. While this may seem like an archaic way of painting the desires of a woman (because it is) Vesta, on her own accord, took charge of her life and was thus synonymous with domestic tranquility.
She is often pictured with a kettle or cutting flowers, and is a deity to turn to when looking for peace in the home.
Source: Fay Nowitz
A Hearth Magick Ritual for Tranquility
Bringing peaceful energy into the home creates an atmosphere for productivity and success. Using Vesta as inspiration, this ritual will help with domestic tranquility.
What you’ll need:
- A cleansing tool of your choice (herbs, incense, bells, etc.)
- Florida water
- Dried lavender
- A pot of water
- Strainer
- Bottle for storage
- A mop (or spray bottle if you have carpet)
How to perform:
- First, clear the area in which you’re performing your ritual. This will help give you balanced energy in which to work.
- Next, take your pot of water and bring it to boil. You will be boiling your lavender, so make sure the water to herb ratio is close to equal.
- Once at a boil, add in your lavender and let it simmer until your herbs start to lose color and a scent radiates from the steam.
- Cool your pot by moving from the heat.
- Once it is at least room temperature, start adding in dashes of Florida Water. You can buy this online or at any botanica for under five dollars.
- Stir your mixture clockwise and ask Vesta to bring in tranquility to your home. Simply ask her for her aid.
- Strain your mixture into your bottle, or a spray bottle if you have carpet.
- If you have wood floors, use this mixture to mop them. While you do so, imagine a white light glowing from the floor and purifying your space.
- If you have carpet, use a spray bottle to spray around your home in a clockwise manner, doing the same visualization.
- When you are finished, be sure to thank Vesta, and notice the new clarity in your space.
This ritual will help purify your hearth and home while being of service. By taking care of yourself, you are more able to care for others. Use the remainder of this season to focus on the physical, and tend to the matters that will enrich your life.
Happy Virgo Season!
