Η Εστία στην Παρθένο

Written by Anya Kaats

“elsewhere” by Brooke Shaden

silk and lace
by the fire,
glowing with the color of heat.
mud
and ash
and purity.

her eyes
soft but focused,
speak to you whispers…
“let me serve you,”
they say.

she worships
the divinity of everything that dies
on the pilgrimage to loving, and
open,
on her knees,
asks to be
penetrated
by what
she can’t control.

the misplaced sheets,
the sound of
heavy breath, and
your warm palms pressed
into her chest…
an altar
for her prayers.

tears and saliva
laced
with numinosity
leave a salty residue
that lingers
on her skin, and
she feels god
enveloped
within in the beads of sweat
that drip
down the curves
of her body.

she’s made a vow
to feel the revolution of renewal
pulsing through her,
and a promise
to metabolize suffering
like compost.

pleasure and pain,
ecstasy and loss,
sex and death,
woven and bound,
the sacred creativity of
life itself.

when you use
her body
like a vessel,
she accepts
your offering like
an inoculation of
immortal fate.

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“Η Εστία στην Παρθένο” means Vesta in Virgo in Greek.

This poem was inspired by the overlapping archetypal nature of sacred prostitutes and Vestal Virgins, who surprisingly embody very similar qualities and characteristics.

If you want to learn more about how these archetypal themes exist in your life, and you enjoy the process of interpreting and relating to mythological stories, join my April Lunar Circle. It’s a month-long workshop teaching you how to see yourself, other people, and the planet through the lens of astrology and archetypal psychology.