"[Vesta] is an elemental force that must be tended, within and without, and tending that flame becomes one of the closest things to an organic religion in existence." --Eric Francis

     When our Vesta nature is bruised from love (which may happen when she is activated by synastry contacts with a lover or potential lover or by transits or progressions) we can find ourselves turning away from romantic love toward some inner devotion to real spiritual love. Vesta makes us learn about how to love with devotion. Devotion to loving someone from a place of purity does not involve mundane sexuality, or marriage for the sake of it, or mindlessly loading the kids into the minivan. I personally find it very difficult to accept that particular nature of Vesta. After all, we're living on Earth, with earthly goals, needs and desires. But a practical way of loving someone does not allow much in the way of a Vestal manner of loving, because Vesta needs to hold spiritual space. She does not have time for the rest of it, unless she can combine a romantic love with the work of her inner spiritual devotion. Accepting Vesta love is, in many ways, about accepting platonic love for what it can and cannot offer, and that it won't likely satisfy at the earthly level.
     The promise of real devotion in love, of a pure love that does not involve drama, co-dependence and manipulation is like the promise of a rainbow, the end of which cannot be found. And if it is found, it likely won't be in the kind of everyday physical intimacy and lovemaking that we find so satisfying on the earthly plane. If you want to have both Vestal love for someone and "Earthly" love for them as well, it will be a hard row to hoe and Vesta (yours or theirs or both) will likely turn away, back toward the inner flame, many times during the process. Vesta does not compromise her spiritual values, and if she allows you to get her into a compromise without an accompanying devotion to what she holds sacred, she will turn her back to you (maybe forever).
     Here are links to some great online writing about Vesta in astrology. Following the links, please listen to "No Man's Woman" by Sinead O'Connor.

-Vesta Speaks at Astrology Expressed, by Neeti Ray
-Driven Toward the Sacred: Vesta at The Inner Wheel, by Dawn Bodrogi
-Vesta Astrology at Planet Waves, by Eric Francis

     I think the following song from Sinead O'Connor accurately sums up how Vesta reacts to perceived rejection of (or misunderstanding of) her values and devotional nature. "I have other work to do," she says. She will keep the flame, it does not burn her, and it never leaves her. It is holy, it is God. God will never reject or suspect her devotion or purity of intention. God will never cease to be devoted in return.



    

(Note the "vestal" flames on O'Connor's album cover as well).

No Man's Woman, Sinead O'Connor

I don't wanna be no man's woman
It don't make me happy this man-trolling
thing that you got for me so I become
no man's woman

I don't wanna be no man's woman
I've other work I want to get done
I haven't traveled this far to become
no man's woman
no man's woman

Cuz I'm tired of it
and I'm so scared of it
that I'll never trust again
cuz a man can fake you
take your soul and make you
miserable in so much pain

My friends think I'm alone but I've got secrets
I don't tell everything about the love I get
I got a lovin' man but he's a spirit

He never does me harm never treats me bad
He'd never takes away all the love he has
and I'm forgiven oh a million times

I'm never tired of it
and I'm not scared of it
cause it doesn't cause me pain
Like a man can fake you
take your soul and make you
never be yourself again

I never wanna be no man's woman
I only wanna be my own woman
I haven't traveled this far to become