Many cultures honor a hearth deity, and the hearth used to be the heart of the home. It was a source of heat and used for cooking, often being seen as the heart of the home. But in modern times, we don't have the same reliance on the hearth, and in fact our cooking and heating are not only done by different sources, but they are relatively simple to use (as in we don't have to chop and haul wood or tend the fire all day). So the hearth has lost some of it's power and magic in our lives.
And as a result of that, I feel like we often don't see our homes in the same way that our ancestors might. We have made so many changes to the world, and so many technological advancements to make life better and easier, but in doing so we have lost some of the reverence for the things that are central to our well being.
Our home is much more than simply a container to keep the elements off of us. It is our own personal sanctuary. The space we cultivate to be comfortable and safe for us. We decorate it to our tastes, and we keep all the stuff that's important to us here. It is where we recover from the world, where we rest and where we prepare to face the day.
But a lot of people don't embrace the idea of home as much as they could. They decorate their home in a way that they think makes them look good (to friends and family...and online strangers), they don't customize it in ways that really work for them (either because they rent and can't do a lot of customization or they are considering resale value and too much variation from the 'norm' is less desirable).
Our home should serve us, in the sense that we should make accommodations where we can, so that our home suits us and our lifestyle. When our son moved out on his own, we adjusted our space so it suited the two of us...because we were the ones that lived here. Our living room furniture is giant bean bag chairs...because that is what we find comfortable. Our 'spare room' is a game room, which means we don't have a guest room (but we also really don't have space to dedicate a space to having people stay over...when we almost never have people stay over!)
When I think about the heart of my home, I don't think of the stove. Often, I feel the heart of our home is our living room...because that is where we spend the bulk of our time. Sometimes I think of our laundry 'room' (it's a little closet with the washer/drier in it) the heart of our home...because it's literally in the center of the house (so if I want to do a house blessing, I'll always include the laundry room, and that's often where I'll tuck things to effect the whole house).
I also view cleaning as a hearth worship activity (which makes it slightly more tolerable to clean...because I'm doing it to show affection and respect for my home). Both the regular every day kind of cleaning but also when I notice those cobwebs in the corner or smudges on the wall and I want to make our home as nice looking as possible...not for outsiders, but because it is OUR home.
I think having a dedicated home altar space is nice, but not everyone can do it. Maybe you don't have a lot of space or maybe not everyone in the house would approve of (or understand) a home altar. It's okay to not keep a dedicated space, or to have discrete home altars. Even though hubby is aware of (and supports) my beliefs, I try not to dominate our house with only Pagan stuff (because he lives here too!), so I don't have a dedicated home altar. Instead I have an offering bowl on top of the fridge, I tuck crystals into cupboards and tuck symbols behind pictures.
But I think of my house as it's own being, and I talk to them (especially as I'm cleaning). I try to be aware of how our house energy feels, and when it starts to feel off, I'll spend some time working with the house spirit to get things sorted out and good again.
I feel like one of the most important things to remember is to not take your home for granted. For those of us lucky enough to have never been homeless, it is easy to assume we will always have a home. It is easy to come home and enjoy all that our home has to offer...without actually acknowledging our home spirit. But learning to consider the spirit of your home, to think about where the heart of it is, to find ways to give back to our home (through cleaning and improvements)...this is what brings it's hearth to life!
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