The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum

Do you leave offerings to your gods? If so, what kinds?

If you leave food, do you eat it afterwards or are you really not supposed to?

Are there any rules to this? What about those of you who don't leave food and do other things as offerings? What applies to those?

Do your offerings ever tie into the work you do for your gods?

Feel free to add anything else you deem relevant.

No rules. Just don't hurt anybody or anything. And don't burn down your house.

 
I would think that actually, there *are* rules. I wouldn't give Ganesha a steak, for instance. And also, it is indeed possible to sacrifice an animal humanely and ethically. For traditions such as Santeria, it is part of a long history of religious practice. So that "rule" should only be followed on a case-by-case basis. I would not, for instance, offer a blood sacrifice to a Shinto deity, since that would be like dumping a pile of turds on their plate.

I would think that actually, there *are* rules. I wouldn't give Ganesha a steak, for instance. And also, it is indeed possible to sacrifice an animal humanely and ethically. For traditions such as Santeria, it is part of a long history of religious practice. So that "rule" should only be followed on a case-by-case basis. I would not, for instance, offer a blood sacrifice to a Shinto deity, since that would be like dumping a pile of turds on their plate.

 
I think in the cases you have outlined - all of which are traditions that have been continuously practiced, without interruption- there are in fact well-established rules regarding which offerings are appropriate.

In the case of interrupted traditions - Western Eurasian religions for example - there is a bit more leeway simply because these are deity relationships that are being reestablished, and there may well be some change regarding which offerings are appropriate. However, what we do know about offerings given to deities in interrupted traditions in the past seems like a good place to start in the reestablishment of a relationship with a deity.

There's been some discussion among Heathens of late regarding offerings, with some Heathens taking the view that only animal sacrifice is a truly appropriate offering to the Germanic deities. I'm not one who shares this view, partly because of the practical and legal barriers to animal sacrifice for me would basically mean that I would be unable to make any offerings to Germanic deities whatsoever. I think that offerings of animals in an agricultural society make sense, but less so in an urban context when a person does not have the practical or legal means to engage in animal sacrifice (I have no place to keep a goat).

I personally predominantly offer the Gods libations of alcohol - mead, wine, and beer. At times, I have offered flowers from my garden (for Freya and Eostre), cut branches from my Yule/Christmas tree (Skadi), and nice dark rye bread (for Donar and Freyr). I recently offered a sunflower from my garden to Sifa.

The combination of libations and occasional offerings of flowers and food seem to work for me, and I have not experienced anything which has struck me as divine disapproval, so I will continue to do so in the future.

I think in the cases you have outlined - all of which are traditions that have been continuously practiced, without interruption- there are in fact well-established rules regarding which offerings are appropriate.

In the case of interrupted traditions - Western Eurasian religions for example - there is a bit more leeway simply because these are deity relationships that are being reestablished, and there may well be some change regarding which offerings are appropriate. However, what we do know about offerings given to deities in interrupted traditions in the past seems like a good place to start in the reestablishment of a relationship with a deity.

 
It is indeed true that some traditions have more leeway than others; I was merely responding to a comment that seemed to imply that there were no rules at all. As it is, even re-established traditions tend to have their own guidelines. For example, I know many pagans who later take down and eat the food they leave as offerings, but many Celtic Reconstructionists don't do so, as the food has essentially had its "good bits" eaten by the gods and would thus be unfit for human consumption.

Honestly, I'm still working out how offerings work out for me at the moment, so a lot of this is going to be subject to change.

 
....And I was so busy jumping on a newbie's post that I didn't answer the original question. Apologies, BillyBitts!:ashamed:

I look to Shinto for my formal, ritual offerings, but I do think I have a fair bit of leeway, as I am a foreigner on foreign soil. I don't offer sake, or branches of sakaki, for example. The former is irrelevant to me, and the latter is impossible to obtain.

However, I see my "real" offerings as the things Benzaiten-sama asks me to eat for her. She prefers cultured milk products like kefir, and various yogurts, especially if they're fruit flavored. It might seem surprising for a goddess with Indian origins, but she also loves the occasional steak. Only top quality, super-fresh beef however, and she prefers that they be cooked and presented in a characteristically Japanese manner.

Well...as the Vedas call for sacrificing bulls, perhaps it's not that surprising? Benzaiten isn't Hindu, and she isn't really entirely Buddhist, either. So perhaps I should hold off on the judgment. The steak is certainly really good!

Do you leave offerings to your gods? If so, what kinds?

If you leave food, do you eat it afterwards or are you really not supposed to?

Are there any rules to this? What about those of you who don't leave food and do other things as offerings? What applies to those?

Do your offerings ever tie into the work you do for your gods?

Feel free to add anything else you deem relevant.

As you might have read from other posts there are indeed rules but they're different for every tradition. I can speak for my tradition but most of all I speak for me since I'm currently still a solitary practicioner of my faith.

I leave offerings for my deites when I worship them during the full moon rituals and the eight festivals of the year. There are a couple of special days unique to my path aside from these that require offerings too.

Usually the offerings consist of moon shaped cakes I made by hand and a chalice of grape juice as a substitute for wine since I don't drink. I eat these offerings because it is like sharing a meal together. Any other food offerings I don't eat, instead I return it to nature. For example breads and cakes I would feed to the birds if it's safe for them to eat. Liquids I would poor onto the earth in my garden. Flowers and plants I would add to the compost pile or tuck beneath the earth to feed the soil.

There is another offering I make to the spirits of nature and the hearth and home. It's a mixture of wine (grape juice), honey and milk. We call it nectar and this is something I would also poor back onto the earth after it has sat on my shrine for a bit.

Hopefully this is helpful ^.^

Blessed be.

Lune

I personally predominantly offer the Gods libations of alcohol - mead, wine, and beer. At times, I have offered flowers from my garden (for Freya and Eostre), cut branches from my Yule/Christmas tree (Skadi), and nice dark rye bread (for Donar and Freyr). I recently offered a sunflower from my garden to Sifa.

 
I just noticed this, and is something I have a question about, as I'm navigating my way through worship.

I have Thor (my primary deity), Odin, Frigga, Freyr, Freyja, Tyr and Baldr on my altar. I have them as primaries in my pantheon because they represent something to me. Thor is a replication of the Eyrarland Statue, the others are framed pictures. I have some written prayers and verses that I recite, along with lighting candles and incense. I would take the food (bread, fruits, etc.), flowers and liquids and return them to the earth.

The question is, do you rotate the offerings you make to each individual deity? For example, Freyja gets flowers one time; Thor gets the beer or mead (maybe every time, being the primary deity); something for Tyr the next time, and so on? Or offer them all something in one worship session  (though you can't always get fresh flowers)? Or maybe the individual offerings on their particular day of the week or another day in the month or year? I'm curious how it works when they get these offerings.

When I do daily (ish) ritual I give a general offering to each pantheon each time. I also offer half a cone incense to each individual deity each time. For holidays I usually offer to whoever I'm honoring that day.

 
Great, thanks. I didn't want to over-think it, as I'm prone to do (ocpd and gad). I came to the thought that maybe a little something for everyone to share (deities and spirits): the common denominator offering being the candle, incense, drink, and perhaps a food item.