Vestalia

There's not much information regarding the celebration of Vestalia, which honors the goddess Vesta. So here's what I have discovered about it so far.

Vestalia is a week long celebration, which honors the goddess Vesta, who is in the Roman panthanon. She guarded virginity and alongside the Goddess Juno was considered a protector of marriage. A sacred cake was made at this time.

It is held from 7th June to 15th June, during this time the temple was cleaned from top to bottom to remove dust and debries. The temple also opened its doors to women only who came to make offerings to the goddess. The Vestales or vestal virgins guarded the sacred flame and took a thirty year vow of chasity. It was considered the highest honor to be chosen and was only offered to those in nobilty.

Vesta was never protrayed in statuary but in flame, as she was a patron goddess of the hearth, and this became a representation of the goddess.  

Now that was a tiny piece of information that I could find, and once I find more I'll certainly add to this.

The reason why I'm writing this? Is because I was looking back over my "wiccan journals" (sorry it doesn't feel right to call them BOS as none have spells). I always a week or so before the Summer Solstice/Litha/Midsummer I always did my annual de-cluttering, re-paint the walls. Anyway I was researching into Litha and came across Vestalia in the search. So I discovered that I was instinctly spring cleaning my room at this time, so hence another research job to discover more.

So this year I decided to do more during this time, other than cleaning. So on the 15th June the last day, which is considered 'The Ides of June'

set up a basic altar saying "Vesta please accept my offering in honour, in recognision on this day", with a little make shift hearth with a red pillar candle and white stones surrounding, and baked a honey cake as an offering, before going off to meditate.

During the meditation I got a vision of cats and a 'Thank You' was heard. Now I'm not used to getting visions during meditation, so it took me awhile to figure out the meaning, along with the help of some fabulous people on this site to help guide me. The vision I believe now, was Vesta's way of saying she approved of my decision to help a local cat shelter.