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Author Topic: Questions about making offerings  (Read 3824 times)

aerandir1066

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Questions about making offerings
« on: November 01, 2016, 09:33:46 pm »
Hi, I have a few questions about offerings to the gods. I'm focused on Celtic Reconstructionism, but feel free to talk me about your own practice.

First, on what to offer. I'm a teenager and live with my parents. There's plenty of traditional stuff like milk and apples in my house, but it feels disingenuous to offer food that really belongs to my parents. What about portions of a meal I cook, even if the ingredients aren't mine? How about food I buy? Even candy and stuff like that?

Also, what do you offer that isn't food? Need some inspiration here.

Finally, where do you put things you offer? Just feels like throwing them away wouldn't be right.

I'd live any ideas, thanks.

Eevee

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Re: Questions about making offerings
« Reply #1 on: November 02, 2016, 05:16:33 am »
Quote from: aerandir1066;198490
I'd live any ideas, thanks.

I had a very shortlived time practicing rituals. I was a novice at the concept too, and it felt weird being left with the "....what now?" after the offering.
I never used anything too perishable, that would go off and smelly within 24 hours.
But essentially yeah, you throw it out. Unless you have a yard and want to bury it or chuck it in compost.

I lived/live with my parents also, and they're so bloody careless with food. So much gets thrown out, it shits me off. But if you're going to offer an apple or something, maybe cut it in quarters, offer a quarter and you have the rest?

Reason I didn't stick with offerings:
I made an offering of chocolate to Loki once, and I just starred at it, feeling ridiculous like "why did I do that with perfectly good chocolate I could've eaten..."

But whatever floats your boat and suits the reconstruction ;)
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Dynes Hysbys

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Re: Questions about making offerings
« Reply #2 on: November 02, 2016, 06:13:29 am »
Quote from: aerandir1066;198490
Hi, I have a few questions about offerings to the gods. I'm focused on Celtic Reconstructionism, but feel free to talk me about your own practice.

First, on what to offer. I'm a teenager and live with my parents. There's plenty of traditional stuff like milk and apples in my house, but it feels disingenuous to offer food that really belongs to my parents. What about portions of a meal I cook, even if the ingredients aren't mine? How about food I buy? Even candy and stuff like that?

Also, what do you offer that isn't food? Need some inspiration here.

Finally, where do you put things you offer? Just feels like throwing them away wouldn't be right.

I'd live any ideas, thanks.


For the Celts hospitality is really important. I usually just share what I'm eating or something I've made by leaving a small portion on my shrine or altar (depends what I'm doing) or even on my hearth. It doesn't have to be much.

The following morning I pour any liquids into the ground and dispose of the food under a tree. It doesn't get wasted as it's usually gone by the afternoon.

missgraceless

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Re: Questions about making offerings
« Reply #3 on: November 02, 2016, 10:15:54 am »
Quote from: Dynes Hysbys;198514
For the Celts hospitality is really important. I usually just share what I'm eating or something I've made by leaving a small portion on my shrine or altar (depends what I'm doing) or even on my hearth. It doesn't have to be much.

The following morning I pour any liquids into the ground and dispose of the food under a tree. It doesn't get wasted as it's usually gone by the afternoon.
This.

I don't know anything about CR but my faith includes "sharing" my breakfast with Quan Yin. When I was drinking coffee every morning I'd eat my breakfast first and let the coffee cool down, while sending a silent prayer to Quan Yin to enjoy some before I do (must be nice for deities to be able to drink coffee without burning their damn tongues.) After I finished my breakfast I'd drink the coffee with another silent prayer of thanks.

She's always been very quiet with me, even when I saw Her in a meditation, so I have no idea if She even likes coffee, but with offerings it is quite literally the thought that counts.
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Sophia C

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Re: Questions about making offerings
« Reply #4 on: November 03, 2016, 04:13:48 am »
Quote from: aerandir1066;198490
Hi, I have a few questions about offerings to the gods. I'm focused on Celtic Reconstructionism, but feel free to talk me about your own practice.

First, on what to offer. I'm a teenager and live with my parents. There's plenty of traditional stuff like milk and apples in my house, but it feels disingenuous to offer food that really belongs to my parents. What about portions of a meal I cook, even if the ingredients aren't mine? How about food I buy? Even candy and stuff like that?

Also, what do you offer that isn't food? Need some inspiration here.

Finally, where do you put things you offer? Just feels like throwing them away wouldn't be right.

I'd live any ideas, thanks.

 
I offer milk and honey to the Good Folk, and mostly whiskey to the gods, but that's purely my preference. I reckon most gods will accept a bit of whatever you have. Fruit seems to go down quite well with some gods, for me - but it really depends on who you're offering to. You may get a sense for what they like.

I have a tiny hearth shrine for Brighid and am currently trying to give her the first part of all my meals. This may work for you with some of the food you buy for yourself, as you say. I usually only leave small amounts. Some people like to give lots, but then you've got lots to deal with disposing of.

Many Celtic polytheists believe that the 'essence' of the food offering is gone after it has been offered to the gods, and so we bury it or at least put it outside.
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aerandir1066

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Re: Questions about making offerings
« Reply #5 on: November 03, 2016, 07:23:43 am »
Quote from: Eevee;198512
I lived/live with my parents also, and they're so bloody careless with food. So much gets thrown out, it shits me off. But if you're going to offer an apple or something, maybe cut it in quarters, offer a quarter and you have the rest?


I like the idea of sharing food, where I partake in it. Thanks for all the responses, they're really helpful :).

Vixen

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Re: Questions about making offerings
« Reply #6 on: November 03, 2016, 09:53:16 am »
Quote from: aerandir1066;198490

Also, what do you offer that isn't food?
Finally, where do you put things you offer?

 
I don't offer much, only when I feel inclined to do so. When it was time to harvest the grapes and apples I offered one of each. Yesterday I made a plea to my deities for help and I offered part of the meal I was having. When my cat brigs home a mouse I offer it.(which is essentially an offer to me, so now I'm confused if offering it to the gods is a good thing...).
I have two places I worship. A shrine indoors where I burn candles and incense, and a shrine outside where I place offerings. That way my offerings are directly available for wildlife, which is exactly the way my gods would want it.
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missgraceless

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Re: Questions about making offerings
« Reply #7 on: November 03, 2016, 12:36:45 pm »
Quote from: Vixen;198574
When my cat brigs home a mouse I offer it.(which is essentially an offer to me, so now I'm confused if offering it to the gods is a good thing...).

A little off topic, but you're both right and wrong about the dead mouse being an offering to you. Cats see us as Big Dumb Kittens so they bring us half dead critters to try and teach us to hunt. That's also why they meow at us, because kittens (and humans) haven't developed the sense of hearing adult cats have, so they can't pick up the frequency at which they communicate.

So I think your gods should be okay with the mice you offer.
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Sefiru

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Re: Questions about making offerings
« Reply #8 on: November 03, 2016, 06:48:59 pm »
Quote from: aerandir1066;198490

Finally, where do you put things you offer? Just feels like throwing them away wouldn't be right.


In Kemetic practice it's typical to eat the offerings after; the formal term for this is reverting the offering.

These days I bake my own bread for offerings - I make a batch of mini rolls and freeze them. I used to buy bread, too, and that worked just as well.
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Torie

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Re: Questions about making offerings
« Reply #9 on: November 03, 2016, 09:37:09 pm »
Quote from: Vixen;198574

I have two places I worship. A shrine indoors where I burn candles and incense, and a shrine outside where I place offerings. That way my offerings are directly available for wildlife, which is exactly the way my gods would want it.

 
I love this! That is a great idea.

Eevee

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Re: Questions about making offerings
« Reply #10 on: November 04, 2016, 01:21:46 am »
Quote from: Vixen;198574

I have two places I worship. A shrine indoors where I burn candles and incense, and a shrine outside where I place offerings. That way my offerings are directly available for wildlife, which is exactly the way my gods would want it.


This is wonderful! It's an offering to a god AND the Earth.
Naboo: This is black magic. This is hardcore. Don\'t mess with the occult.
Vince Noir: I thought it was good for you.
Naboo: What?
Vince Noir: Well, you know, good for your digestive system.
Naboo: That\'s Yakult!

Dusk

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Re: Questions about making offerings
« Reply #11 on: November 06, 2016, 01:23:46 pm »
Quote from: aerandir1066;198490

First, on what to offer. I'm a teenager and live with my parents. There's plenty of traditional stuff like milk and apples in my house, but it feels disingenuous to offer food that really belongs to my parents. What about portions of a meal I cook, even if the ingredients aren't mine? How about food I buy? Even candy and stuff like that?

Also, what do you offer that isn't food? Need some inspiration here.

Finally, where do you put things you offer? Just feels like throwing them away wouldn't be right.

I'd live any ideas, thanks.

 
I'm not Celtic Recon (I'm eclectic, with most of my offerings being to Norse deities) but here are my thoughts.

I currently live with my parents as well. I've offered food that they technically bought, because it was mine to eat (I wasn't stealing it), and rather than just eating it I offered it. If something is given to me I consider it acceptable to offer it.

For food, I usually start by putting it on my altar when I make the official offering, leave it there for at least a few hours (but usually overnight) and then put it outdoors the next day. If I'm in a situation where that is difficult for whatever reason, I either pour a liquid offering down the drain (after clarifying at the start of the ritual that that's what I'm planning on doing with it after the deity consumes its essence), or I offer it to the gods to "consume" as they do before eating it myself, again stating before I do so that that's what I plan to do, just to make sure everyone's okay with that. If I get a bad feeling about that, I figure out a compromise.

Non-food offerings are very dependent on the individual deity (researching them will usually turn up some specific ideas), but my favorite small everyday offerings are incense, prayer/poetry reading, and dedicating some time in meditation to the deity. When I start honoring a specific deity, I might craft something for them and leave it on my altar permanently/semi-permanently, depending on the circumstances.

There are also already a lot of threads on this subject that you should read through for more ideas and perspectives. Try http://ecauldron.com/forum/showthread.php?3050-Offerings, http://ecauldron.com/forum/showthread.php?10645-Offerings, http://ecauldron.com/forum/showthread.php?10427-The-ethics-of-offerings, and http://ecauldron.com/forum/showthread.php?11528-Offerings-and-Issues-of-Waste.
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