Author Topic: Offering questions (Read 855 times)

Ehina · « **on:** October 29, 2015, 08:49:32 pm »

So I follow multiple blogs and have been hiding in the forums for some time now and one thing that I come across a lot is "So and so took my offering" or " Well Loki loves apples, because he always takes them as offering but not pears" or something along those lines. Now, the one thing that I wonder about is this: If you make an offering to your deities how do you know that they have accepted/taken the offering ( Obviously it won't just disappear). Also, how do you know what they like? Since I haven't experienced it I'm completely confused, I don't mean to offend anyone either, just insanely curious.

Materialist · « **Reply #1 on:** October 29, 2015, 11:28:36 pm »

Quote from: Ehina;181667

If you make an offering to your deities how do you know that they have accepted/taken the offering ( Obviously it won't just disappear). Also, how do you know what they like? Since I haven't experienced it I'm completely confused, I don't mean to offend anyone either, just insanely curious.

What a deity likes: this is determined by established custom or through divination if the knowledge is lacking.

When an offering is accepted: this is dependent on the function of an offering. If the offering was given during a sacrifice to request a boon or to ensure continued well-being (which is what most sacrifices are for), having one's wish come true means it was accepted. If the offering was votive-well it's like mailing a thank-you card-if they get it, great; if it gets lost, it's the thought that counts; if they don't want it, you did your part to maintain the relationship.

The physical mechanics of what happens to a votive offering left to the elements can be seen as a sign of its acceptance: eaten by animals as representatives of said holy one. Blown or washed away, decomposing into gunk as a way deities absorb the essence of an offering.

Ehina · « **Reply #2 on:** October 30, 2015, 11:24:05 am »

Quote from: Materialist;181670

What a deity likes: this is determined by established custom or through divination if the knowledge is lacking.

When an offering is accepted: this is dependent on the function of an offering. If the offering was given during a sacrifice to request a boon or to ensure continued well-being (which is what most sacrifices are for), having one's wish come true means it was accepted. If the offering was votive-well it's like mailing a thank-you card-if they get it, great; if it gets lost, it's the thought that counts; if they don't want it, you did your part to maintain the relationship.

The physical mechanics of what happens to a votive offering left to the elements can be seen as a sign of its acceptance: eaten by animals as representatives of said holy one. Blown or washed away, decomposing into gunk as a way deities absorb the essence of an offering.

Thanks! That shines a lot of light on it!

:

Lana288 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 30, 2015, 01:19:54 pm »

Quote from: Materialist;181670

What a deity likes: this is determined by established custom or through divination if the knowledge is lacking.

When an offering is accepted: this is dependent on the function of an offering. If the offering was given during a sacrifice to request a boon or to ensure continued well-being (which is what most sacrifices are for), having one's wish come true means it was accepted. If the offering was votive-well it's like mailing a thank-you card-if they get it, great; if it gets lost, it's the thought that counts; if they don't want it, you did your part to maintain the relationship.

The physical mechanics of what happens to a votive offering left to the elements can be seen as a sign of its acceptance: eaten by animals as representatives of said holy one. Blown or washed away, decomposing into gunk as a way deities absorb the essence of an offering.

That's a way more detailed method than what I use- I'm such a lazy pagan that it hadn't even occurred to me to watch for signs like those.

My way of figuring it out involves how I feel after. So if I feel happy and very light, generally I assume that the deity liked the offering. And if I don't... well, the last time a deity didn't like my offering, I think I was leaving Njord coffee. I really don't think he liked it, and I can't say exactly why. Everything just felt... wrong.