The second post in my "Polytheism 101" series will cover appropriate offerings for various pantheons, and what to do with them after they have been
offered. I feel I
should also note that though this series will be called "Polytheism
101," the ideas and methods shared here can be applied to just about any
Pagan path.
While the short answer to the question of
what to offer the gods is "whatever you have to give," I'm betting that
if you came here, you're looking for a more substantial answer. So here
it is, my meatiest, Manwich-iest of answers:
There
are three main places to turn to when figuring out what to offer the
gods. The first is to look at the region your gods are from. If you
follow Hellenic deities, you might want to offer Greek food. If you are
Heathen, try Germanic or Scandinavian foods. Second, look to the myths
and symbology of the god in question. At a ritual I once held for
Sekhmet, an attendee brought some pomegranate infused beer because they
read the story in which Sekhmet was pacified with beer dyed red with
pomegranates. A cauldron could be given to Dadga or raven figurines to
Odin, as those things have mythological significance to those gods.
Lastly, as you continue your research, you'll find out what kinds of
things are proven (or at the very least, likely) to have been offered in
antiquity. From there, it becomes much easier to figure out
suitable modern or local counterparts to give, which is
especially important if some of these things aren't easily acquired
(such as offering venison instead of gazelle meat).
If
you are at a complete beginner, following a more obscure god/pantheon,
or otherwise at a loss of where to start, there are luckily a number of
things that make great offerings to give to any deity of any pantheon.
I've found that vegetables,
fruit (dried or fresh), water, fruit juice, bread, and alcohol are
always a safe bet. As far as items go, incense, flowers, coins, and
pretty stones or crystals are also great catch-all offerings. As you
gain intuition and familiarity with your deity and their pantheon, it
will go a long way in deciding what to give.
As far as the disposal of offerings go, composting or
burying them is probably the most common thing to do, though burning or
sinking them also works. When disposing of offerings, it is important
that you to be mindful of what you have offered and how you are
disposing of it. For example, if you offer chocolate, don't leave it
lying around in a park where someone's dog could find and eat it, and
don't burn an offered item if it could produce harmful fumes. What
exactly you do with them may also be determined by where you live; I
live
in an apartment, so burning or burying anything on the grounds is out of
the question, and I'm well out of walking distance from the nearest
lake or
river, so I just put natural (e.g. flowers, rocks, etc.) and edible
offerings under a tree for the wildlife
to take. (As I said before, if you are going to do this,
be mindful. You don't want to leave something that will make an animal sick!) Just use common sense, and you'll be fine.
The
following is a list of more traditional offerings for the Irish, Kemetic, and
Canaanite pantheons. I've compiled it from my own research, as well as a
bit of personal experience. Hopefully it will serve as a good starting point for you as you continue to build your own practice.
Irish Celtic offerings
Edible offerings: Alcohol is a favorite among the D
éithe.
Mead, beer, and whiskey are the definite forerunners, though I've known
them to enjoy wine or hard cider. Apple juice and milk are great
non-alcoholic alternatives. Beef, pork, and salmon are ideal meat
offerings. Apples, hazelnuts, cheese, and honey (or pretty much anything
with honey in it) are also great choices, though I have found that
hearty foods in general tend to go over well with the D
éithe.
Incense:
Juniper incense seems to be well-loved, as well as cedarwood and sage.
I've also had great results with cinnamon, amber, and cedarwood.
Basically, anything woody and earthy is a good choice.
Items:
Flowers and other natural items, or things carved from stone or wood
are great. Weapons, real or miniature, are popular with warrior deities.
As humans were sacrificed in ancient Ireland, human effigies are a
suitable and powerful offering, though in my opinion, they are best
saved for special occasions.
Food offered to the D
éithe
likely was not eaten, so you may want to avoid doing so. The best way
to dispose of any offering to them is to burn, bury, or sink it in a
body of water. Man-made items should be destroyed (broken or otherwise
rendered useless, as was done back in the day) then burned, buried, or
sunk. However, since items won't spoil, I find that it is sometimes
acceptable to leave them on the
shrine for an extended period of time first. (Devotional jewelery is my
exception to this rule; such items I keep and wear indefinitely.)
Kemetic offerings
Edible offerings:
As far as food offerings go, it could be said that the Netjeru have
simple tastes. Bread, water, and beer are are the most basic, yet most
ideal offerings. Beef, milk, onions, dates, figs, and wine are also
appropriate. Game such as gazelles was also offered, so I think deer or
elk could make a suitable substitution.
Incense:
Frankincense and myrrh were commonly offered, and are probably the best
choices if you can get your hands on some, though the Netjeru seem to
love resins in general. I've also had good results with lotus, cedar and
sandalwood, jasmine, and fig. When offering incense, the most important
thing to keep in mind is that some brands use dung as a binder. These
should
not be given to the Netjeru, as dung is considered impure for ritual purposes (for obvious reasons; I mean, it's
poo). I've put together a list of pure incense brands at the end of this post.
Items:
The ankh, ib (heart), feather of ma'at, and udjat (Eye of Horus) are
all things that were offered to in ritual. Jewelery and perfume, or
pretty much anything that's pretty will be enjoyed by the Netjeru. For
as simple as their tastes in food offerings can be, when it comes to
stuff, they enjoy fine things.
Food
offered to the Netjeru was eaten by the priests, so if it is up to you
if you would rather eat or bury them. Items which were offered were also
used by priests, so you can use them yourself, in honor of the god(s)
it was offered to, leave them at the shrine, or bury them. Fire was
typically used for banishments or execrations, so I wouldn't burn
anything that was given to the Netjeru.
Follow
this link if you would like to read more about Kemetic offerings.
Canaanite offerings
Edible offerings: Wine, figs, pomegranates, dates, grapes, hummus, olive oil, flatbread, beef, lamb, and goat are some of the best things to offer. Do not offer pork to the Iluma; it wasn't offered in antiquity, and is likely considered inferior or impure. They prefer farmed meat over wild game.
Incense: When it comes to incense, the Iluma seem to share many of the same tastes as the Netjeru. Myrrh and frankincense are ideal, as are other resins and floral scents. Offerings of incense to the Iluma also carry the same requirement of purity as those for the Netjeru.
Items: Perfume or olive oil infused with essential oils are always enjoyed by the Iluma. Flowers, art, and jewelery make great offerings as well.
Disposing of Canaanite offerings is much the same as with Kemetic ones; priests used or ate what was offered, and you may choose whether or not to do so yourself. The main difference is that Canaanites performed burnt offerings, so burning them is an option.
If you are interested in reading more,
this post has an in-depth account of offerings preferred by the Iluma.
Pure incense brands:
Other posts in the Polytheism 101 series include "
Building a Shrine" and "
Ritual."
