Offerings to Deities and Spirit

**Offerings to Deities and Spirit**

For Witches, Wiccans, Pagans, Heathens, Occultists, Vodouists, Indigenous and many others from the myriad of rich spiritual traditions around the globe who honour and/or worship various Deities/Spirit, the question of offerings often comes up. In ancient times, offerings might have been brought to meeting places such as temples or woodland gatherings. These may have included grain, fruits of the harvest, incense, and burnt offerings—that is, blood sacrifices of livestock. Today, we still honour the Gods, Goddesses, and Spirits of old, with many of the same things. (It should be noted however in these Neo-Recreationist times, animal sacrifices are only performed in a handful of religions/spiritualties.)

There are many different, meaningful ways to honour one’s Deities/Spirit today, and these can usually be done at home or even in urban nature settings such as parks if preferred, or out in the forest, by the waters, by the golden rays of the sun or the pearly light of the moon, at crossroads…even graveyards. 

For those new to their practice and even those who have been practicing for many years, the prospect of making an appropriate offering to the Gods/Goddesses/Spirit might at times seem intimidating. However, all it really requires is a bit of preparation and some thoughtfulness on the part of the practitioner.

Depending on your spirituality and the ones Who you choose to honour, here are some suggestions:

• Incense
• Candles (LED votives are fine substitutes when an open flame is not possible)
• Flowers, fresh or dried
• Herbs, fresh or burned
• Fruit, such as berries or apples cut in half crosswise for the star
• Vegetables
• Nuts and seeds (unsalted due to wildlife if left outdoors)
• Cooked meals (always be considerate of wildlife if leaving outdoors)
• Chocolate (preferably indoors only due to wildlife)
• Honey
• Grains
• Baked goods (again, if leaving outdoors, don’t forget wildlife safety!)
• Water
• Coffee
• Tea
• Juice
• Milk
• Wine, mead, ale, beer, liquor, etc.
• Tobacco
• Poetry (written by yourself or selected to read in honour of the Deity/Spirit)
• Song (again, you can write it yourself and/or choose to sing something special)
• Dance
• Art (painting, drawing, sculpting, woodwork, beading, weaving, knitting, crafting, etc.)
• Music
• Sound (such as bells or tuning forks)
• Written Invocations/Meditations
• Rocks/Crystals/Seashells
• Nature finds such as animal bones or small bird feathers
• Blood (there are simple, safe and painless ways to go about this, among them a slight prick of the finger, menstrual blood if applicable, etc.)
• Acts of Service: Such as feeding local urban birds, squirrels and chipmunks (please always be mindful of local guidelines and dietary needs); cleaning up refuse in your neighbourhood; volunteering at a homeless shelter, hospital, etc.; planting trees, and many other things to help nature, the environment, and the less fortunate.
• Gratitude (This is the most important offering. Our lives are complicated and sometimes difficult; sometimes, we may have so much happening that all we can do is acknowledge the Presence of the Deities/Spirits in our lives, and thank Them. This too, is an offering.)

There are other possibilities as well, that are surely beyond the scope of this article to include. What truly matters is that your offering comes from the heart and has meaning to you; our Deities/Spirit know when we are sincere. It is also important to remember to make offerings at seasonal times appropriate to the Deity/Spirit’s worship and/or Wheel of the Year according to your practice, and to thank the Deity/Spirit when They have answered/fulfilled a prayer. While you certainly can and should make an offering when you are in need and asking for help/a favour, this is not the only time you want to be doing so.

 Think of it this way: our relationships with our Gods/Goddesses/Spirits are not that different from the way we interact with each other as Human beings amongst family, friends, and colleagues. We don’t want to be basically “bribed” when someone wants something from us, and then ignored the rest of the time, do we? This is not to say that Deities/Spirit need gifts. However, if you are going to show Them respect for what They do, and for being in your life, then make sure you’re doing so on a regular basis, even if you only offer the gift of song in appreciation or say thank you.

At the end of the day, it is your relationship with your Deity/Spirit, and only you—and They—can truly know the depths of it. The most important thing to remember, is that nurturing your relationship must always be a priority, just as your relationships in the apparent world with family and friends are priorities for you. The Gods/Goddesses/Spirits will be there for us, and even if all we have the energy to do is say a soft word of gratitude for the day…as long as it is given in love,  it is enough.

Article by Ravenhawk Winters