Right Offerings

Offerings are a tangible means of teaching us how to approach Deity with heartfeltness and sincerity. As Humans, we need something physical and palpable that we can bring, which can help us draw nearer to Divinity, and create a close and intimate connection with it through the heart. Offerings must be consciously made, however- done with thanks, intent and focus; empty offerings will have little effect.

Giving offerings should by no means be seen as a bribe, however. We don’t bribe the Divine. Giving an offering whenever you call on the Divine, especially before making a special request during prayer, though, is a symbol of, and so further emphasizes, our need to them. Offerings certainly can also be made at any time in thanks and gratitude for answered prayer

When giving Offerings, how much you offer is up to you and what you deem as practical. Still, the items should always be of quality, and be thoughtfully selected and prepared if intended as offerings for the Divine.

⤞ Food

If you have a garden, select ripe and beautiful fruits and vegetables that you have tended, and harvest them with intent. Be mindful of the quality of the food you choose. This is not an opportunity to clear moldy leftovers out of your fridge; this is the preparation of a sacred offering, so the food you select should be fit for your most honored guests. Food offerings can be arranged on a plate or pentacle and left on the altar. The plate can be taken outside and left for the deities to take, usually in the form of local wildlife, so please make sure the food is not harmful or toxic to the creatures that may take it.

⤞ Drink (Especially Alcohol)

Beer, wine, cider, spirits, or mead can all be used. Open a fresh bottle of carbonated drinks or wine, avoiding flat or stale old bottles from the back of your cabinet. Spirits like rum or whiskey can be previously opened as they keep well. Alcohol may be poured in offering directly onto the earth, over an outdoor shrine, into a river or stream, or poured on the base of a tree. If your ritual is indoors you can pour it into a cup or bowl and then transfer it outside when possible, or pour it into a plant pot filled with earth.

⤞ Incense

The fragrant smoke of incense is a classic offering to the Divine and Spirits alike, and is considered one of the most sacred offerings. The aroma can be experienced and enjoyed by entities it is intended for, and also by the practitioner offering it. Many cultures even have specific blends that are traditional and intended as such offerings, so it is important to do your research in this category and follow the appropriate protocol as relevant in the situation.

Despite the variety of things which can be offered, here are 5 primary methods, or types, of offerings given.

⤞ Burnt Offering

Voluntary meat offering. Not edible by laity or clergy.

⤞ Meal Offering

Voluntary offering of Food and Drink. Edible by clergy of the tradition, but not by laypeople; representative.

⤞ Peace Offering

Voluntary, no specifications; given in Thanksgiving; edible by laity and clergymen alike if food; representative.

⤞ ‘Sin’ Offering

Mandatory offering given during times of unintentional transgression, or when a practitioner is unsure of whether or not they’ve transgressed; non-edible by laity or clergymen if food.

⤞ Guilt Offering

Mandatory offering given after a theft, lie, or intentional transgression by the practitioner; edible by clergy of the tradition, but not by laypeople.

Sacrifices, another form of offering, are a positive means of promoting communion with the Divine, and a symbol of one’s desire to purify themself and become reconciled with the source in times of transgression against their values or commandments.

If one cannot give the Divine physical offerings, however, it is still a gift of devotion and reverence to give something of yourself instead.

Time is precious, and there are so many charities that need help. Volunteering your time to help a homeless shelter, working for an environmental advocacy group, or similar actions are generous offerings to the Divine. You may also devote your time to developing a practical skill, and then share those skills with your community as an extra way of expressing your thanks; taking a certified Crisis Counseling course and becoming a Community Aid is just one option of many.

If a practitioner cannot offer tangible goods, they should at least commit themselves to Human charity, prayer, and the sanctity of the shared meal; a wise and capable practitioner confirms all four regardless whenever able.