I really didn't expect it to, but Agora made me cry as well, especially the scene where she is suffocated. Somehow the image of her last sight being the blue of the sky through a (relatively) small opening in a dark building is heartbreaking to me.

I think the fear of evil inherent in many forms of Christianity makes them scared and sometimes aggressive out of fear. I grew up with book destructions by my family and it was mostly panic about something challenging their worldview on their side (they weren't even books about magic, satanism ect ).If your entire worldview depends on the idea that your way is the only good way, you tend to become a bit paranoia. Whether it is about evil things or maybe not being right.

That actually sounds like it might work...do you know of any recipes somewhat like that? Mine were grape leaves I picked in the garden & the regular recipe from a book on Greek cooking. Very very sour. I didn't even know there were dolmas wrapped in anything other than grape leaves.

Oh that looks like a great recipe! I read the recipes weren't close enough to the originals for some people, but this does look rather tempting. I attempted dolmas a while ago with the same idea of connecting, but they turned out downright vile. Or so I thought. I bought some to try how they really should taste, only to find out I just hate dolmas. Does this mean I'm unfit for hellenic polytheism? Heh.

That's one amazing post, and it came just in time for me too. :D

I'm new to Hellenic polytheism, so I read a lot of things people write for beginners, and they tend to focus on how to instead of why. That isn't really an obstacle when you feel a pull towards a deity already, but if it's only a "everyone says she is important", it soon becomes less than practical. I really had a problem even forming an idea of Hestia, because the traditional imagery - women tending the hearth, homes, and so on - just have very little place in my life. I'm a girl, and that's about the only connection I can think of.

Thanks to your post though, I think I now understand why she is so important to humanity. I love how you effortlessly mix science and thoughts about a goddess by the way - it feels natural and certainly helps to err...un-floatify ( okay, I think having to make up words to express something is a definite sign I need to work on my english.) the subject. Though I'm still a bit hesitant about actually doing something already ( I think I still have a lot of reading to do), I can definitely understand why Hestia would be included now!