Offerings
rituals etc. So, I thought why not make a discussion about the various
types of offerings that exist as well as provide a thread to share the
offerings you give and to whom (oathbound or in anyway private info of
course is not requested to be shared).
I'll start. I'll present you some of the types of offerings in the Hellenic religion.
- Libations: the ritual pouring of a liquid in honour of a deity or other important spirit (e.g.
a daimon [not demon] or an ancestor). In Hellenism it's called "sponde"
(σπονδή) and it involves one or more of the following liquids either
combined or separate: water, honey, milk, wine, olive oil. Libations are
poured on the ground near, in front or on the altar. They were and are
the most common type of offering in Hellenism. - Food offerings: the ritual offering of a portion of food in honour of a deity (and less often for
another important spirit). Those were called "aparchais" (απαρχές -
pronounced aparhes [heavily toned h]), literally meaning "beginnings"
because those usually initiated the ritual. These offerings included but
were not limited to cereals, bread, fruits etc. Usually they were burnt
and less often left in crossroads or other places of significance (e.g.
the doorstep) for poor/homeless people and wild/stray animals to
consume. - Blood sacrifice/animal sacrifice: the ritual slaughter of an animal in honour of a deity (and less often
for another important spirit). In Hellenism a grand scale version of
animal sacrifice, the "hecatomb" (εκατόμβη - pronounced hecatomvee)
involved the sacrifice of 100 cattle (usually oxen - from the Greek
"hecaton" meaning "a hundred") and it took place during a city's
festival (hence the large number of animals). Animal sacrifice was the
core of a Hellenic ritual due to the effect the sacrifice has on a
person (life conquering death, by the death of a living being others can
survive etc), the fact that is was the greatest offering one could give
to the Gods (physically greatest - a greater but spiritual sacrifice
would be dedication to priesthood of a deity) as well as the bonding of
the members of a community it entailed (all together feasting after a
celebration).
three types of offerings in many possible ways. Also, other types of
offerings, usually outside the spectrum of the ritual included but were
not limited to: offering a portion of the spoils from a battle to the
temple of a deity (usually to the deity believed to have granted victory
or if a soldier had a vow with a deity to that deity's temple as
"payment" for fulfilling their end of the bargain), offering/dedicating
"ornaments" resembling limbs or humans as a vow (usually for healing),
dedicating a member of the family or one's self to the service of a
deity either temporarily (e.g. a young boy to Apollon till maturity,
since he is a protector of young males) or permanently (this usually
meant priesthood).
Nowadays, the Hellenic Polytheism movement (this includes Hellenic/Greek Reconstructionists, solitary Hellenic
Polytheists and groups/organizations that follow Hellenic Polytheism but
not as revival or at least not revival-exclusive ways) performs most
but rarely all of those offerings. Usually, animal sacrifice is excluded
either due to legal prohibition, personal reasons or finally, due to
social backslash.
Personally, I have started to perform offerings (so far my practice did not include offerings of almost any kind). So
far, I have performed food offerings (left at a crossroad in honour of
Hekate and the dead to be consumed by stray animals) of bread and milk
(as I cannot easily use more or something different without raising
questions I'd rather leave "sleeping"). I also wish to start pouring
libations to the Gods, the Agathos Daimon (protector spirit of the home
and hearth, similar to the Latin genius loci) and my ancestors.
So... what type of offerings does your faith/path include, which of them (if
any) do you perform and if you wouldn't mind explaining why as well. :D
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Strata on -
In my path, food offerings and libations are most common. I preform both of these, not only to deity but also to the Wild Corner or The Fairfolk. The Fairfolk *royalty* (the fey) and Tuatha de Danann deities are actually one and the same. Therefore, they hold the same place in our hearts. We recognize them as the same *type* of being, or energy and thought forms in my personal beliefs. Our food offerings and libations usually consists of mead or wine and some sort of bread or cake.
There is some evidence that blood/animal offerings have also historically played a small part. I have yet to perform either, though I see no problem with them. I just have yet to have the *need* for either blood or animal offering.
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Permalink Reply by Lark on -
I use both libations and food offerings on a regular basis. In fact in my TIW Tradition we made such offerings as a part of every ritual. But I also use them in my personal practice as well; however, in my personal practice I tend to use libations more than food offerings.
I have on occasion used blood offerings. I work with the Goddess Sekhmet for whom a blood offering was one of the traditional offerings. On most occasions I either give her libations of water (always traditional for desert Gods) or red beer (which the texts show was traditional). However when it is something that I really, really need her aid with (such as when my mother had open heart surgery) I have made her offerings of my own blood. To my way of thinking our blood is literally offering a bit of our life force, which makes it the most potent of all sacrifices.
In addition to the offerings that Stef mentioned I would add that of burning incense or particular herbs in honor of the Gods we work with. I burn a stick of incense to Sekmet and my other Patrons daily as I am giving thanks for the aid they have given me.
Another form that offerings can take is in terms of physical objects. The ancient continental and insular Celts were known to make offerings of swords and rich goods by throwing them into lakes or rivers specifically as offerings to the Gods. Many of the most beautiful pieces of Celtic work that we now have came to us from these offering pools.
I think we can also make offerings of a less tangible type. Sacrificing our time or our skills specifically in honor to the Gods is another form that offerings can take. As an example, for Bastet I have supported our local no-kill cat shelter for many years with donations of food, etc.
-Lark-
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Permalink Reply by Nightshade on -
I offer libations often of dark red wine or dark cream licquer. I often offer milk, or wine to Anpu, Dark red wine to Hekate. Water if I don't have milk or wine.
I do not do animal sacrifice for obvious reasons as what kind of a psycho hypocrite vegetarian would I be. My own blood I do not mind giving. Animal sacrifice however is used often in African cultures for all sorts of reasons, to placate angry ancestors, to introduce babies to the ancestors or for various rituals in which ancestors are invoked.
I also do food offerings, usually bread or chocolate, I don't often go to the crossroads by myself as it is a dangerous area in which I live, I leave my offerings to Hekate by the willow tree that is in our garden.
When I am working with animal spirits, I will offer to Butterfly roses and dried flowers, Snake, my menstrual blood or coins, Crow tobacco.
I will often offer incense and flowers to the Hekate and Anpu as well. I unfortunately cannot afford so much incense to burn everyday, but I burn two tall and thick white pillar candles each dedicated to Hekate and Anpu along with daily prayer.
Further as a poet and artist I also offer poems and artworks to my gods and the spirit animals that I honour.
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Permalink Reply by Hopeful Agnostic Pagan on -
It depends on the circumstance. for specific rituals I tend to give specific offerings, be they food, drink, incense, money, whatever. it also depends on the deity I'm giving the offering too. some prefer alcohol, some prefer tobacco, some prefer food.
in day to day stuff, I like to give a small offering on an (almost) daily basis I usually just either burn a candle or some incense and dedicate it to my deities.
I have never given a blood offering, but then again, I've never done anything that called for it.
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Permalink Reply by Daniel O'Neill (Cat wrangler) on -
I added this photo I hope it stuck This was our Samhain offering it has all off the different veggys and herbs from our garden. Also Flowers water, wine, rice and Honey I also have walnuts from the tree we have in the front yard. I know it a bit pack on there theirs still more on the front. I to put out milk an whiskey for the Wee folk .http://realpagan.net/photo/alter-1?context=user"/>
I also make offering through the critter to the Gods to the birds I give see and grain I grow the seeds are sunflowers corn to the deer an other four legged ones I offer pumpkins some I grow(from the hug number we have each year tomatoes corn as winter move in each time I shopping I add offering to to my list to make sure each time we give our thank we have way to say it with growing love so to speak,
Our Wee alter was handfasting gift to my Dear Wtchy Wifey I built with my own old hands
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Permalink Reply by Sangraal on -
In mine, there are a number of possible offerings. Food offerings and libations are commonplace, as well as oblation. There are instances where animal sacrifice takes place, too.
On a normal routine, it's water, rice, fruit (bananas, coconuts and mango especially) and, sometimes, the ultrasweet concoction of panchamrita- ghee, honey, sugar, milk and yogurt.
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Permalink Reply by Seren Haf on -
I offer incense and light candles most frequently, although I dress my alter with gifts of the season.
I have offered both food and drink [ wine].
It depends on how I'm working and where
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Permalink Reply by Thymele on -
We libate and leave a food offering of our cakes and wine after our rituals. Since moving to the country, we have set up a small granite offering stone that sits on an old grinding wheel near our garden. We pour the wine over the stone saying "To the fruit of the vine" then place a cake on the stone saying "and the harvest of the fields, be welcome!" Typically, the cake is gone by morning.
In my personal devotions, I leave wine, honey, an oil friends brought me from Pompeii (great friends!), and small food offerings on our mantelpiece -- my modern take on leaving offerings for the Genius Loci, Lares and Manes of our house. In case anyone sees the disconnect between my Greek name and Roman-derived devotion here, there's a story behind being adopted by the Roman version of these spirits which I may post at some point.
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Permalink Reply by Miss Nel (Spacious Feline) on -
"As an example, for Bastet I have supported our local no-kill cat shelter for many years with donations of food, etc."
I think that is an excellent idea, Lark. =D
I've wanted to support the no-kill cat shelter here but at the moment it's all we can do to care for our cats. =/ When our lives steady out a little, I think I shall do the same, and help them out. ^^
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Permalink Reply by Miss Nel (Spacious Feline) on
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I usually only burn incense, candles if I have some to spare, with a quiet conversation about my thanks to them, even though I don't know who they are. I tell the cats my thoughts for Freyja, but otherwise I'm so uncertain about what I'm doing that I do things as tentatively as I can.
When I have my favourite food or alcohol, I share it with the spirits here and leave some for the gods. My little offering bowl outside currently has the summer-dried remains of cherries and mangoes, but the cats took off with the chicken. I also leave them half the 'harvest' of my plants. Cider, mead or amarula gets poured on the grass, or if I have something very serious to deal with, on the garden beneath our window- any magic work that I do, all meditation etc etc happens in our bedroom, and everything important that has to go in the ground (Our lost litters of kittens, for example) is buried there. All my prayers or specific attention on family spirits and house spirits happen there.
But, to cut all that short, my offerings are my favourite foods, my favourite alcoholic drinks, incense, and occasionally orgasm, if I have something to be extremely thankful for. I would offer blood if I thought it appropriate, I haven't yet, and I refuse to do any sort of animal sacrifice because it troubles me far too much. I'd rather care for the animal and make it part of my family. I generally don't focus on what I *should* be offering, and instead offer the best of what I have.
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Permalink Reply by Dustin Smith on -
Food,incense,costly herbs, i have also found that energy raising as a focused offering can be effective. I also, sometimes will do a painting as an offering.
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