Libation and Offering

[Metta]

Who here gives libation or offerings? And if you do, what do you like to give and how? I'd love some examples! :)

[Teresa]

I give both and what I give depends on whom or what I am giving to.

Mother Earth: Milk and honey poured onto the ground.


Below are the Loa. Offerings are made on their personal altars.

Erzulie Freda: Anias Anias cologne, a beautiful tortise shell mirror and comb set, Champagne, Pink and White Flowers, Rice Pudding, Beautiful Lace

Papa Legba: Sweet Potatoes, Bananas, grilled chicken, pipes with tobbacco or cigars, Rum

Damballah Wedo: White Eggs, White Flour, White Corn Meal, White Anisette

Baron Cemetery: White Rum spiced with hot peppers, White Bread, popcorn, peanuts, strong cold coffee, unfiltered cigarettes

Simbi: Green Ribbons and candles, Rain water, snake skins.

Ogoun: Grilled Pork, Rum, machetes, red scarves

Ayizan: Yams

Maman Brigitte: Bread, Rice, smoked mackeral, Black Beans, grilled corn, black coffee

Grand Bwa: a djakout, a machete, a log, Kleren, feathers, samples of my herbs, antlers

There are more but this will give you an idea or two

[Stoirmeacha]

Offerings are probably the most important ritual in my religion, so yes I do.
When it comes to offerings for my gods, I set the best of what we had for dinner on the altar, as well as other food items, but always the best parts. I also consider things like poetry and prayers a kind of offering to the gods. And I create devotionals to them as well.
The Aos Si, usually get bread, butter, milk, or honey which I set out in my herb garden and in return I ask for their blessings and help in tending it.
In my other garden I set out offerings like water and ash and organic fertilizers for the plant spirits. And come harvest time, I leave out the best specimens in the garden (myth tells us that after Samhain, everything left belongs to the earth spirits like the Pooka).
I like to meditate near trees when it is warm enough, and I usually bring offerings of water for it, too.

[Fiamma]

Who here gives libation or offerings? And if you do, what do you like to give and how? I'd love some examples! :)


specifically regarding libations...

For Dionysus- red wine. Usually a particular Shiraz that I refer to as "Kangaroo wine" (It's an Australian Shiraz with a kangaroo on the label) Sometimes I will float a few rosemary needles in the wine.

For Apollo- white wine, usually sauvignon blanc. I have a bowl that I keep on his altar. I place seven bay leaves (usually fresh unless I can't get them) in the bowl and pour the wine over them.

For Hermes- some of the same wine that I pour for Apollo or Dionysus. Or coffee.


other offerings-

for Apollo- I burn cypress candles (will continue to do so anyway as long as my supply lasts or I can get more. Sadly, Yankee candle has discontinued them), offer bay leaves, incense

for Dionysus- aside from the wine, I offer a lot of rosemary and rosemary incense- this came about when Dionysus first made an appearance in my life a few months ago, I had just lost my wallet, and would have no money to buy anything for another week and a half, so I had to figure out something from what I had on hand, and at the time, I had several packs of rosemary incense, and something told me that that would be good. So I made offerings of that, and have continued to do so, as well as offering fresh rosemary branches. One of the more interesting moments I've had with this was about a month ago, I was having problems figuring out a few thigns, I made an offering of a large branch of rosemary...and this voice in my head just told me that i needed to pull all the needles off- one by one. If you've ever seen a brance of rosemary, you'd know that even for a small branch, to pull them one by one is going to take a while. but I did, and placed them all on an offering dish- all the rosemary I've offered him hasdried out and is sitting in this dish. The next time I do a ritual in honor of Dionysus where I can light a fire, I will wrap them up in tissue paper with some candle wax scraps and put them in the fire as further offering. (I do the same with the offered bay leaves and wax scraps from the cypress candles for Apollo) Anyway...it took me quite a while, and while I wasn't actively thinking about the issue at hand, by the time I was finished, it was a lot clearer in my mind.

Hermes- mostly strawberry incense at this point.

Hestia- candles (often Yankee candles peach-mango salsa, no idea what started me on that) and Auric blends makes an incense called Fire Goddess that I offer to her.

To all deities that I worship- incense, candles, hymns and poetry (I'm working on a book of hymns and poetry for the Greek gods. I plan to burn the original handwritten copy as an offering in a ritual when it's finished)

I once had the most ridiculous idea that I should offer skittles to Iris in one of my grove's rituals. The idea simply did not go away for a couple of weeks prior, and the day before the ritual I walked into a store and found skittles on sale for dirt cheap, so I took the hint and bought a package of each variety.

I have tattoos on my back in honor of Apollo. I consider them offerings of a sort. (I also consider the time, blood and pain spent to get them to be offerings- especially the pain, of which there was plenty...lol)

I have done performance as an offering- specifically fire performance for Dionysus, and for Belenos.

I once gave some Kahlua to Epona (I was asked to help with a ritual on short notice. I had to improvise. I happened to have just bought a couple of small bottles about an hour before. )

I've made offerings of Ghirardelli brownies, tea, flowers, herbs, commitments to the gods (not necessarily votive commitments either), water, beer, thigns made by my own hand...

[skilly-nilly]

Short answer--yes, everything.

Longer answer:
libations--water, the rest of the coffee, mead, Jagermeister, Bailey's, scotch, milky tea, blood.....

food--hazelnuts, flowers, seeds, herbs, bread, berries, apples, oat-cakes, grain.......

other--- things I've made, things I've written, the effort it took, time, actions, undertakings, pennies in sets of 3, dimes, bind-runes.....

Everything, really. I believe that what we really offer is ourselves.

[Teresa]

Short answer--yes, everything.

Longer answer:
libations--water, the rest of the coffee, mead, Jagermeister, Bailey's, scotch, milky tea, blood.....

food--hazelnuts, flowers, seeds, herbs, bread, berries, apples, oat-cakes, grain.......

other--- things I've made, things I've written, the effort it took, time, actions, undertakings, pennies in sets of 3, dimes, bind-runes.....

Everything, really. I believe that what we really offer is ourselves.

You listed some items that I had forgotten! I really think that if something comes into your mind for you to offer and you are able to offer that then you should. {Like you have been given a divine suggestion} You can say no to the spirits too about the types of things you offer. I refuse to sacrifice animals to use for offerings but that does not mean the Loa won't have a relationship with me due to that. Your relationship with the Spirits, Loa, or God/desses is very much like a relationship with a living friend on this plane. It is give and take, both contribute and share.

[RunningRiot]

In my belief, giving of what you yourself has is very sacred, as food and water are physical life and survival. If I'm eating something and I'm in a ritual, I'll take a portion directly off my plate or out of my own glass, and offer it.

[Fiamma]

On an amusing note regarding offerings to the gods...

This weekend, I had a Ghirardelli dark chocolate bar, and a Lindt cherry-chilli chocolate bar. I decided to give some chocolate to Apollo, Dionysus and Hermes. I consider Ghirardelli to be superior chocolate to Lindt, so I gave them some of the Ghirardelli. Amongst a series of wacky, bizarre dreams, I had one about a commercial claiming that occurrences of prophetic dreams are linked to offering the gods Lindt chocolate, and especially cherry-chilli bars. I woke up and considered the possibility that they wanted some and maybe I should offer some of that...but then I expected that I would go back to sleep and have another dream with them pointing and laughing at me, saying "Haha, we got her! Wonder what else we can get her to give us this way?"

[Zephyrstorm]

That is a great dream Fiamma!

but to the topic at hand, yes, I give libations and offerings.
Dionysus - grapes, wine, mead, figs, honey, my mystic fire topaz. my singing bowl (a nod to the stories of his journey to India.)
Hekate - red wine, honey, honey cakes, blood, and she'll be getting a tattoo as soon as I get the head's up that its time, the best garnets of my stone collection. some of my opals too...
Cybele - grains, blood, honey, bread, mead, time in my garden, climbing and walking the land. the obsidians and moonstones of my collection. my ocean drum.
Bast - taking care of cats in particular, and animals generally, chocolate, water, natron, sushi, catnip tea, Godiva Liquer, jewelry and malachite
Amun - jolly ranchers, water, natron, chocolate, meats, amethyst.
Het-Hert - strawberries, cherries, honoring myself and my beloveds, dancing for her, chocolate, bread, candles, any pretty stones, citrine.

okay, so I have a rock collection thing going, and they all get shinies as a result.
Also they all get artwork, poetry, stories, incense, songs, drumming, and my attention to their stories and histories.

and the husband gave me a statue of Demeter for Valentine's day, so I'll be giving Her things too... probably start off with various herbs and grains and build from there. :)

[Metta]

Wow, thank you all for the amazingly detailed responses - this will really help! :)

[BlackLili]

My money altar and the various saints/lwa/entities who hang out there usually get offerings of herbs; patchouli, homegrown mint, homegrown basil, etc.

My "Mother" altar gets milk, water, honey, and sometimes Guinness (which I tend to refer to as "Mother's milk" anyway.)

Maitresse Erzulie gets white wine steeped with fresh basil leaves when I have them, and she has her own dried purple roses and a mirror hung from the ceiling.

My altar to my grandpa "Papa" Joe usually has some kind of expensive scotch or bourbon on it, since that was his drink. Also, a pack of Winston full flavors, since that's what he smoked.

Papa Legba gets Sailor Jerry or Pyrate rum, and cigars.

And, if I'm broke, they get a bit of whatever I have to share. I also try to save pieces of things I've baked or cooked for them, but oftentimes, the pets (or husband) get to those scraps before I can shoo them away. ;)

[cheddarsox]

Libations...yes. To show my acknowledgment of my place and dependence upon the Universe. Usually water and grain for formal libations, but I also place table scraps outside for the wildlife, to acknowledge that I am part of the same ecosystem.

On the altar (eventually ends up in the ground or outside for critters)...depends on the season or holyday...tequila, bourbon, wine, water, chocolate, gingerbread, fruit, flowers, bread, tamales, sweets.

I do them nearly daily, sometimes circumstances cause me to miss.

[Pink_sheep]

I always have trouble figureing out what to offer...
I'm not great with money - in so much as I don't have much to begin with - So offering food is only for special occasions. I usually get or make something nice - I figure that even if it's not "right" the deity/ies I'm working with will appreciate the effort and give me a nudge in the right direction if I get it *very* wrong! I usually leave food offerings there overnight and then take them off the next morning to either feed to the rat or the dog or to put outside for the birds. I hate to waste anything and wouldn't feel right eating it myself, so they get it.

The rest of the time, my main offerings are incense, poetry, singing and plain water. Most deities seem quite happy with incense - especially the good stuff. I'm no poet, but I like to use poems I've found in books or online. Music is a big thing for me, so singing is one of the best things I can offer - it's something I put my all into and then just offer it up. It comes out from me and straight up/down (depending how you look at these things!) to them. Nothing material, nothing wasted, nothing to clean up and straight from the heart with no intention lost. Since I'm singing pretty much all day every day, it's perfect. I offer them my voice and they inspire me to write the next song - it all works out great! :D As for water... it's the one thing that no creature can be without. The deities probably *can* do without water, but I like to think of it as an invitation to be around me knowing there's always clean water for them, should they want it.

[Heart of All]

I don't really have anything set, yet, as I haven't been doing this for long, but a few things are starting to make the most sense.

Odin: Mead. But I only had it once. I have also given him some red wine, which he seemed to like. I also give him a "Hail!"every time I see a set of two crows.

Freya: Red wine. I haven't actually given her any yet, but I had the feeling today that I should. Flowers. I often dance for her. I'm a dance major, and some days I'll dedicate my dancing to her. Those are always the days I dance best. I also give her a "Hail!" every time I see true love.

Loki: I gave him rum once. He liked it.

Frigg: I'm just starting my relationship with her, but I get the feeling she would like tea. I also clean my room for her.

And as for how I give it: When it's a beverage, I tell the deity in question that it's for him/her and then I will drink part of it and pour part of it on the ground. As I pour it on the ground, I say "From the gods to the earth to us, from us to the earth to the gods." When it isn't a beverage (in the case of Freya's dances and cleaning for Frigg), I pray to her before I start and tell her that it is for her.

[Metta]

What if you don't pray to a certain deity or a deity has not "chosen" you, yet? As it is in my case, I have had the great urge to give offering lately but I'm unsure of who to gift it to. The earth? The Goddess? :hrmm:

[Heart of All]

What if you don't pray to a certain deity or a deity has not "chosen" you, yet? As it is in my case, I have had the great urge to give offering lately but I'm unsure of who to gift it to. The earth? The Goddess? :hrmm:

Generally, in my case, if I have something I want to thank someone for, but am unsure of who would be most appropriate, or if I have something I want to give but don't know to whom, I would go for "The Gods." The earth/land spirits/ancestors also work nicely.

[Ulfurskona]

Depends really. Typically I'll offer libations, usually as part of a group sumbel which I don't do very often unfortunately, but for personal rituals or reasons...

Odin gets Barenjager or Mead, though I've discovered he's not over fond of commercial mead, so I tend to use that as a last ditch, sorry but this is all I have and I'll make up for it later. I also will periodically offer meat, which since he'd wind up giving it to his wolves, it goes to him via my huskies, namesakes of said canines.

Frigg will get pieces of jewelry, fruits, wines, flowers, etc.

I've never left offerings for any of the other gods and goddesses as I don't typically tend to work with them directly, but as a group effort.

I've left offerings in the form of veggies and such for land spirits, and have enough passing knowledge of the other dieties I've run across, that should an offering be required, I could make it...but never actually needed the knowledge as yet.

[dallas7]

I guess I'm getting a bit more ritual oriented in my old age. As a practicing folkish heathen I've always used beers, wines and juices in my offerings to the gods. I have a third of an acre surrounded by walls and fencing in the middle of a large metropolis and pouring my offering onto the ground has posed no issues. I have a little section in the yard that affords some privacy where I do my ritual and offering.

I'm now interested in offering foods as well. I'm assuming it OK to leave small amounts of fruits, nuts, etc. on the ground. Like liquids, these of course end up being consumed by nature's critters.

I know some practitioners will set a place for a god at the the table during mealtime. Or have an offering bowl at their alter. So what do you do with the food afterwards? I can't see me leaving some steak and potatoes or cake and ice cream on ground out in the back yard. Over the long run even burying food in such a small area might present a problem. Burning is out for sure.

"Back yard friendly" food items (the aforementioned fruits, nuts, etc.) would work well with rituals planned ahead (Disting, Winter Nights, etc.). But there are times I would like to make an offering of food, or share a meal, on a more spontaneous level. I'm in a quandary as to what to do with the food items when the ritual is over.

It's not easy being a city slicker heathen. :)

Any ideas? Thanks! May the gods see you.

[Zephyrstorm]

...
I know some practitioners will set a place for a god at the the table during mealtime. Or have an offering bowl at their alter. So what do you do with the food afterwards? I can't see me leaving some steak and potatoes or cake and ice cream on ground out in the back yard. Over the long run even burying food in such a small area might present a problem. Burning is out for sure.

"Back yard friendly" food items (the aforementioned fruits, nuts, etc.) would work well with rituals planned ahead (Disting, Winter Nights, etc.). But there are times I would like to make an offering of food, or share a meal, on a more spontaneous level. I'm in a quandary as to what to do with the food items when the ritual is over.
...
Any ideas? Thanks! May the gods see you.

It depends on the tradition really.
Kemetic Orthodoxy eats the food after the Gods have taken their portion. Other traditions take it off elsewhere and leave it. Others, I don't know.

I'm fortunate in that I live in a town that's fairly rural, and there's a cliff with a good section of wilderness nearby. I throw some of my food offerings over that cliff (though that's usually of a fruit variety). If the fruit takes root and grows then I'm insuring that the cliff has another barrier against erosion... which is in my favor, given that if the cliff becomes unstable, my home is falling with it. ;)
When we're doing rites in places where those kinds of actions aren't viable, we try to find offerings that are friendly to the site. For example, we made pinecone bird feeders for Autumn Equinox one year. We also leave bread for the birds in those situations.

Having been KO, I also have been known to partake of the offering occasionally.

[tribalesque]

I'm Heathen... but also vegan, so some traditional recon offerings and libations simple don't adhere with some of the morals I hold as a vegan, and I'm forced to get a little creative to replace things like mead and some wines and beers.

I cook from scratch, and compost, and often my offerings for the wights and Deities are biodegradable environmentally friendly. I normally offer foods and water, as they are what sustains my life - therefore I do see it as a sacrifice of sorts. I leave gifts that individual entities like, such as certain alcoholic beverage (that are vegan), certain cakes or baked goods, etc.

Anything that isn't safely biodegradable I leave on a small shrine dedicated to them. Things like coins, stones, etc.

[Cinnamon1991]

Libations, mostly milk, olive oil, wine, water, Coke and beer.

Other offerings: Grain (barley), bread, chocolate, incense, (scented) candles, stones, (the reading of) poems/hymns and flowers.

How I dispose the offerings depends on the tradition.
I consider myself Hellenic, but I honor two Kemetic deities too.
If it's an offering to a Kemetic deity, I consume it myself about half an hour later.

If it's an offering to a Greek deity, I don't eat it, then I'll pour the libations from their altarbowls onto the ground and if it's food that's useful to animals, I'll leave it behind on my roof (for the birds), when I haven't got much time, or at a park.
If it's not consumable I bury it or wrap it in (tin)foil and throw it away.