Getting to Know Vesta in Astrology

An astrology chart is a two-dimensional representation of the layout of the solar system when you took your first breath. The chart contains symbols for astronomical bodies and calculated points connecting those points to aspects of human psychology and consciousness energy. 

This article will look at the point Vesta, which represents your hearth and home energy, what you want and need in your home environment.  The location of Vesta in your natal chart helps you understand how you like your personal space to look, operate, and be shared.

• Getting to Know the Sun in Astrology
• Getting to Know the Moon in Astrology
• Getting to Know Mercury in Astrology
• Getting to Know Venus in Astrology
• Getting to Know Mars in Astrology
• Getting to Know Jupiter in Astrology
• Getting to Know Saturn in Astrology
• Getting to Know Chiron in Astrology

Points in Astrology

Most people do not know any other points in their chart outside of their Sun sign.  Each major point in our solar system is represented in an astrological chart.  Before the telescope, the chart consisted of points visible to the naked eye:  the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn (the big 7).  With telescopes, we added:  Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto (to make up the big 10).  Then we found Chiron, and a host of asteroids beginning with but not limited to Juno, Pallas Athene, Ceres, and Vesta.  We are going to look at all these points and many more in this ongoing monthly series.

What Does Vesta Represent in Your Astrology Chart?

Source: Wikimedia

Vesta represents the hearth and home.  Hearth is not a word in common use, thanks to modern heating systems.  It is the floor in front of a fireplace, and sometimes, more generally, interchangeable with the word fireplace. Families would gather around the hearth to share stories or meals.  Since this was once the main source of heat in a home, it’s importance cannot be overstated.

As a professional astrologer, I see it as a point that can function as a co-ruler of the 2^nd House and the sign of Taurus.  While there might be a good argument for it as a co-ruler the 4^th House of Family (while family does gather “around it”), I think of it more in terms of the physical structure of the fireplace as the central part of the home for much of human history.

When people consult with me about their natal chart, Vesta invokes questions and feelings around one’s home, what it was when they grew up, what is now, and what they want it to be in the future.  The sign placement flavors the nature of the home while the house placement determines where you will either feel most at home, be called to deal with home issues, or need your home as an anchor for that area of your life.

I was born with my Vesta in Pisces in the 5^th House of Creativity, Love Affairs, and Children.  Since Pisces represents flowing water and the ever-changing nature of life, my home location was in constant flux from my birth in 1968 until 2004 when I bought a home with my daughter’s mother, where I still live.  Before 2004 I had lived in a different home essentially every two years or less.

Currently, I run my own business as a spiritual adviser and work out of my home.  I have a spiritual (Pisces) business I run from my home (Vesta).  People come to my home or work with me at a distance (entering my home via Zoom or the phone) to discuss their purpose, dreams, emotional struggles, hopes, and so on; all Pisces issues flow into my home.

The Meaning of Your Vesta is in the Details

My Vesta is at 20 degrees 59 minutes of Pisces.  Vesta is in the 3^rd Decan of Pisces (each sign is divided by 10 degrees into Decans that shape the flavor of that point by degree position).  The first decan of Pisces is Pisces/Pisces, the second is Pisces/Cancer, and the third is Pisces/Scorpio.  I have a Pisces/Scorpio Vesta. In short, my home is a place of intense spiritual change (boy is it ever!).

Marc Edmund Jones, working with Elsie Wheeler, determined special meanings for each degree of the Zodiac called the Sabian Symbols.  My Vesta is between the 20^th and 21^st degree, thus the 21^st Sabian Symbol for Pisces, which is interpreted as “a little white lamb, a child, and a Chinese servant”.  The keyword assigned to this degree is TALENT, and the positive expression is “completely unconditioned self-discovery out of wholly unlimited potentialities, and when negative, groping aimlessness” (The Sabian Symbols, 321).

Where Does your Vesta Reside?

Last but not least, with an exact birth time, we can determine which house or “domicile” your Vesta resides in.  In the case of my chart, my Vesta is my 5^th House of Creativity (also Love Affairs and Children).  The 1^st, 5^th, and 9^th Houses are fire domiciles and relate to how we present ourselves (1^st), what we do for fun (5^th), and what we passionately want to master (9^th).  Having a water sign rule a fire house does complicate the energy, and Vesta is an earth point, so this is a complex mix of energy for me.

With my Vesta in Pisces in the 5^th House, my “way of sanctuary manifests through my imaginative and faithful quest for and attraction to consciousness-raising and soulful creative expression.” (Astrology Unlocked, 256). Having a home that allows me to act and live creatively while being adaptive to the ever-changing nature of what home will be throughout my lifetime is key to enjoying my home space.  In fact, my home really does need to have qualities you would associate with a sanctuary as a place to escape (Pisces) from the rigors of the “real world”.

If you want to know about YOUR Vesta, really know, then I encourage you to get your full chart cast. Join me next month when we take a look at Juno.