Vesta

Though it does have other meanings, Vesta’s role in the natal chart can be indicative of where and in what manner we may dedicate ourselves to a higher cause. It can point to those concepts, areas of life, and activities that inspire us to bring the sacred into our daily existence. Recall that there are two concepts of the Vestal Virgin: one describes a life choice of chastity in mind, spirit, and body, dedicated to the sacred; the other describes one who, as part of the duties of the priesthood, dedicates the sex act to the sacred. Both concepts are rooted in the idea of being capable of living and acting in such a way that one’s actions become a sacrament (one definition of which is, “a thing of mysterious and sacred significance,” and which derives from the Greek for ‘mystery’ by way of the Latin for ’sacred or hallowed,’ which evolved to the old French for ’solemn oath’).

So, if we see Vesta as signifying the sacred, and its placement and aspects as describing where and how we can access this, we have a specific prescription for the way in which we can, as individuals, act as a priestess or priest of the sacred in our own and others’ lives. The houses tell us where, and through what subjects and activities, this can manifest, while the sign suggests the ‘personality’ of Vesta, how it operates, and aspects to other bodies or points tie the Vesta energies to different facets of one’s being. Vesta also shows, in a sense, where and what makes us feel ‘at home,’ and gives us the nurturance specific to the security and comfort of hearth and home, and, even though definitions for our purposes will concentrate on the idea of the sacred, this should be kept in mind.

When Vesta is located in the 1st we may play the role of the Vestal Virgin in one way or another; who we are is ‘vestal’ in some important way. This may also be true with Vesta in aspect (strongest by far with the conjunction) to the Sun/ Earth or ruler of the Sun, Venus (for women), or Mars (for men), and to a lesser extent in aspect to Uranus, the Nodes, the chart ruler, or Saturn–house placement will tell us in what arena this role may come forward. For instance, Vesta in the 3rd sextile the Sun might suggest someone whose communications are strongly representative of both the Vesta principles and their Soul intent–when they speak, they literally embody Vesta; Vesta in the 7th trine Mars implies the individual may see the relationship to the mate as sacred, dedicating themselves to this idea in daily life and behavior, and may be quite assertive with this viewpoint. In the 2nd Vesta is again linked to identity, but this time more in the sense of ‘How do I assess (and feel about) myself and my Self image?” This suggests more vulnerability to feedback; if it aspects the personal planets from the 2nd, the concepts of those planets become all-important in the formation of the Self image. In the 3rd, everything one communicates is dedicated to the Vestal ideal; words are seen as powerful, not to be uttered lightly–the same can be said of Vesta in aspect to Pluto or posited in Gemini. In the 4th Vesta is carried deep inside, and as such may not be reflected in outer behaviors–instead it will represent a very personal idea of the sacred, often drawn from, or represented by, one’s family. Here ties to family will not be broken, no matter the relationship surface. In the 5th, one can bring Vesta into those relationships that involve romance, can be dedicated to the relationship with one’s children, or can come forward in situations of risk, as in ‘risking it all for a higher good’–in the latter case, the feeling of sacredness is in the very act itself–here you find the skydiver or the high-stakes entrepreneur. Vesta in the 6th brings the sacred directly into the workplace and manifests in the way one carries out one’s duties, in interactions with peers, and in the way one seeks to make a ‘hearth’ environment wherever daily life takes them.

In the 7th the sacred marriage is most likely; this can take many forms, including the kind of marriage undertaken by nuns or others who dedicate their life energy to ‘all others.’ This latter view is especially supported if Vesta in the 7th contacts Neptune, bodies in the 12th, or is placed in Pisces or Virgo, or possibly Scorpio. In the 8th Vesta urges one to act as ‘Keeper of the Sacred’–the Knights who guarded the Holy Grail symbolize this placement; Vesta in aspect to Chiron can also signify this role. Placed in the 9th the Vesta energy becomes one that must make contact with others, the more different from the Self, the better; this also includes the propensity to ‘instruct’ others in ‘what is sacred,’ and can be found with Vesta contacts to Jupiter. Vesta in the 10th makes others see one as Vestal in some way, or can make one’s profession the channel for sacred activity. In the 11th we see Vestal activity as the way to manifest life dreams and goals, or dedicate ourselves to the welfare of a group or organization, or even as a proponent of a new social movement–examples of this are the Bohemian movement, the 60s sexual revolution, and the new age movement. With Vesta in the 12th, we should take extra care in examining its contacts; unless it enjoys some direct outlets to other areas of the chart, we may sublimate our need for home and/ or the sacred, or may experience the sacred through dreams, meditation, or any venture that has ‘cosmic’ proportions or significance to us.

Obviously, the sign in which Vesta sits will lend its ‘flavor’: in the 3rd in Libra might suggest a natural marriage counselor, while in the 3rd in Capricorn might be someone who dedicates communication to constructive ends, or believes strongly in ‘the Rules,’ and lets everyone know it! The sign is important in pinpointing the focus and approach one takes to an energy, but it’s the house placement that will show us where it’s vital we express our Vesta.