offerings

[astrokaiju]

what do you think makes the best offering? what do you usually leave? how long do you leave it there? how often do you do it?

[Myst]

Sometimes I burn incense or candles in honour to them, leave gemstones, or give bread crumbs to birds.

[Rick]

Depends to whom I'm sacrificing... but generally, I leave a silver coin here or there; in a place where the water 'speaks', in a knothole of a tree, under a stone...

[Lavender]

It varies, depending on what I'm doing. I love placing honey on a leaf out for the fae folks. It's always gone in a day or two. I'm sure it's the dogs or raccoons but hey, who am I to say what form these folks appear in? :p

[Eeluna]

I often burn candles in an appropriate color, with scented oils that are associated with my Goddess and God, to honor them. When I am inspired, I will write poetry for them and read it aloud while the candle is burning. I always take a plate of food outside and leave it under a tree shortly after our feasts. Sometimes I use chocolate or homemade cookies as an offering.

My favorite offering has to be flowers. Usually I choose flowers from my garden or wildflowers I find during walks, but sometimes I will buy flowers especially during winter. I toss them into the creek in my backyard. I think the important thing is that the offering be heartfelt and something you find beautiful, comforting or valuable in a personal way.

[Danustouch]

I agree...it totally depends, for me. A)what kind of deity I'm calling upon. B)what the purpose of the ritual is C)even what time of year it is.

I mostly work with the Celtic Pantheon. So..I tend to leave cakes of oats, if I'm making a food offering. If it's available, in the summer, I'll gather some clover, and put it in with my floral arrangement. Other than that, I'll try to associate the offering, with the season. Pumpkin type stuff, or Corn during the fall. During the Winter, cakes with Cinnamon, or Poinsettias, or some other winter type thing. For Spring, fresh Flowers, For Summer, Berries.

Generally, whatever I use for wine and cakes in my ceremony, i always leave some left over, and offer that to the earth.

I leave milk and honey for the Fey at Midsummers.

I'll get myself some Indian Tobacco, and offer that to the earth, or Corn, often.

If I'm out in the woods, or at a beach or something..and I "Find" a little treasure, i'll leave a penny, or another coin, in it's place. If I don't have a coin, I don't pick up the treasure. But...much of the time, it's merely whatever I have on hand. Incense, Candles. Whatever I have on hand, at the time I wish to make an offering.

I was doing a spell to heal my heart after a terrible break up once, and I actually bought a rose, and set it adrift in the water, as my offering for that one. That was nice :)

[Lavender]

I forgot that I carry a little bag of herbs in my pocket all the time. It contains wild tobacco, sage, rosemary, lavender, sweet grass, & vervain.

[WynnJera]

I am preety much the same way ~ What I am doing and what I am doing it for all has something to do with what I offer ...

Wild child ~ I thought I was the only one who did the honey leaf thingy ~ lol ~ Great mings think alike ....

In the Summer I bury my offerings of food within my " certain " area of my garden and as I have rose blooms to offer I add them as well ...

Winter however ~ I give my offering to the wind ~ I give it dried petals from my spring garden and honey oat cake sprinkled in my garden with some moon water to help it grow back better than the year before ~ Tho I have only done this once as we just got the house last June ~ So we will see how my garden grows here this year .....

[Lavender]

:) And in the Spring, I love using the petals from my magnolia tree as bowls too. They are so perfect for that!

[Haedis]

Well when concerning deities: if i happen to come across something I find beautiful or inspiring I'll leave it on the altar after verbally thanking them or honoring them. I take it off whenever I feel like giving another offering. I do this whenever I feel the urge to, its nothing planned. The gods must get a kick out of my preferences, which in the past have included a green plastic goat, a dead lady bug, a handful of croutons, and a picture of a child's thumb. Hey, as long as its heartfelt!
When concerning other things that I sometimes leave offerings for (trees, rivers, meadows etc.) I like to leave dried flower petals or herbs outside. sometimes food for the animals that may live around there. Also when I renew the water and salt thats on my altar I take the old stuff outside and leave it in front of my favorite tree.

[Emy]

well, depends on what I am doing... :)
I often use flowers or herbs or something like that, a little gemstone, some breadcrumbs, water, tobacco, milk, a nice seashell, cookies ...
oh, and I love the honey thingy :)

[nehelia]

there isnt much nature around my house, or even around the city, that i see regularly, except tree friends. generally, i leave offerings of energy, kind of--whenever i go into nature i always deeply commune with the place and thats kind of my gift. im just getting into manifested offerings, tho. i really like giving burning incense to the wind and leaving crystals when the spirits around are okay with them. im just getting into tobacco and herb ties

[savian]

Wine and cookies. :)

[mato]

tabacco... hey it's not my fault if they get lung cancer! lol...

[Nina]

I think everyone's said it, really. The other thing I do is pick up litter. Sometimes REMOVING an offending object is just as much of an offering.

[astrokaiju]

Originally posted by mato
tabacco... hey it's not my fault if they get lung cancer! lol...

hahaha...that's great.