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Prompt 16. Sunday 11th March 2018 - The 16th prompt will be.. Deity Offerings & Fae Offerings (another more hands on).
Advanced note. If you don't know what Deity is you might want to check out this blog post HERE also if you want to know more about God/Goddess check out this blog post HERE and finally if you want to know more about the Elements & Deity check out this blog post HERE. If you've already read those posts or are not a beginner you'll probably want to skip those blog posts!!
Another one completely open to your own interpretation and beliefs. It is important to note this is my take and my understanding.. A lot of people have different views and similar views and the same views in fact.
Note. Some Gods / Goddesses, Saints, Beings, Entities, Fae etc etc may be dissintereded, dislike or even offended by your offering so it really does pay to do your research. While I'm sure MOST would appreciate any natural gesture that came from your good will and intentions some may like it even more if you took the time to do the research and find out what they like.. It may bode well in your favour.
Another one completely open to your own interpretation and beliefs. It is important to note this is my take and my understanding.. A lot of people have different views and similar views and the same views in fact.
Offerings.
This blog post looks at SOME different types of offerings not just Fae & Deity offerings. I also want to point out that this blog is not just for those believers in the fantasy, mythical and even legendary beings we’re not looking at The Fae, Fairies, Pixies, Gnomes, Elves etc.. Nor Mermaids or Sirens, Unicorns or Griffins in these blog series (so feel free to look into any of that at your own leisure!) This week we will be looking at offerings with a mention of The Fae, God, Deity, Ancestors, Spirits, Beings, Other Realm Dwellers etc..
For the purposes of this blog post I will be referring to ALL ‘little people, pixies, elfs, elves, gnomes, fairies etc.. etc..’ as Fae or The Fae.
So this week is a lot more open
focused. I know not all Pagans follow
this kind of belief / system, nor do witches, other spiritual people, mundanes etc partake in offerings of any kind. Some take part in multiple kinds of offerings depending on beliefs and views same with Religious people..!!
There are many different types of
offerings throughout religious and non-religious faiths and cultures. Often offerings are given to honour, show thanks, respect, gratefulness, appreciation etc and in hope to continue being watched over and receiving
luck, love, money, good health, abundance, guidance etc.
Some offerings are made almost as a payment for their requests it's like a good faith payment in
hope that a certain Deity / Deities / Being will lend themselves and/or their specialities to the situation
at hand. Some offerings are made in the
name of others. Offerings can be made in
exchange for physical items too such as when you take something from nature be
it a herb, shell, pebble, flower, feather, stone, water etc.. be it for any
reason, but especially if you’re hoping to use it in magickal workings, it’s a
kindness to leave something in return. Offerings would also be given by Tribes to their Spirit Animals, Spirit Guides & Totem Animals and such. - You can read more about them in my blog post here.
I personally have left 1 pence coins, 1 pence coins with pentagrams/pentacles drawn on them, light a candle (but do not leave fire unattended), incense, herbs, left fruit and drink, another idea I have done is to buy a bag of small semi-precious stone chips or beads and leave one of them, seeds you have purchased (planted or left), baked Fae stones (I’ll leave some YouTube links further down this blog!), bread or other baked goods and I'll go on to mention a few others.. Offerings aren't always left in exchange for goods while out and about though! Some offerings are done at home, a place of worship and/or other locations..
I personally have left 1 pence coins, 1 pence coins with pentagrams/pentacles drawn on them, light a candle (but do not leave fire unattended), incense, herbs, left fruit and drink, another idea I have done is to buy a bag of small semi-precious stone chips or beads and leave one of them, seeds you have purchased (planted or left), baked Fae stones (I’ll leave some YouTube links further down this blog!), bread or other baked goods and I'll go on to mention a few others.. Offerings aren't always left in exchange for goods while out and about though! Some offerings are done at home, a place of worship and/or other locations..
This can be anything from a kind gesture such as donating your time, goods or finances to a worthy cause to aid others.
This could be putting out bird seed in your garden / planting seeds in your garden or planters in your home for The Fae, birds and other creatures. Planting seeds and flowers could also be an offering to Deity(s) / God(s) or even ancestors and other beings. - I know in my garden I have planted some Sweetpeas and some Livingstone Daisies because they were always in my Nana & Granddads gardens, they loved them and since sadly both are deceased I thought it would be a lovely way to keep them alive. So honouring my ancestors in a way as well as the sustenance they provide to a variety of creepy crawlies. – Plus I harvest them (and other plans such as Lavender and Rosemary that I have planted myself) for incense and other ingredients. – Sweetpeas that I know of have no noted magickal properties but from what I have read they do have connections to Fairy magick and offerings plus the sweet airy fragrance has correspondences with Air element.
This could be to the Elements or using the Elements! Some creatures / beings / deities may have certain elemental correspondences or like certain smells so your could leave an elemental type offering with water such as perfume, oils, sharing of ingested items wine, tea, fruit juice etc.. It could be a fire offering such as cooking something over a fire, lighting a candle, cauldron offering. It could be a wind offering such as something made or purchased such as wind chimes, bells, incense (which could also represent Earth and/or Fire), feathers etc. Finally it could be an Earth elemental offering such as herbs, or as mentioned incense, flowers, seeds, planting etc. There are many many types of elemental offerings. I think by far lighting candles or herbs and/or incense are the most common though.
Other offerings may include sharing of foods such as ‘breaking bread’, soup kitchen, setting a meal place for the dead, sharing of the harvest, food donation, sharing what you have with deity, pouring wine on the ground or in the sea..
Offerings to The Fae may include honey, fruit juice, fruit, and other sweet tasting food and drink. Some people offer bird seed, other seeds and/or nuts. Smaller items like setting up a fairy house, garden, nook. You could make miniature furniture or other items to give to them in offering as gifts that aren’t food or drink based, or that as dedicated to containing said food and drink. I mentioned earlier Fae Stones / Offering Stones which are biodegradable, green for the environment and can be made in a multitude of ways. I prefer to use all natural products including edible glitter as opposed to real glitter which is tiny shards of glass that can damage and hurt animals and other creatures.
Offerings to deity, ancestors, spiritual beings and entities, etc.. May include things I’ve already mentioned other material items such as dedicated items, trinkets, personal or sentimental items, jewellery, altar space, your time, your thoughts, your energy, your thankfulness, artwork / crafted items and the list goes on..
Some people set up whole altars dedicated to an ancestor, deity, the dead, etc.. as an offering. These may be added to over time, sat at while praying, giving offering, showing respect or doing workings etc.. Some place fresh flowers or herbs or food/drink daily or fresh candle burnt daily. I absolutely love looking at Tumblr blog 'Fuck Yeah Altars' and also pinterest for altar ideas, offering ideas, or just to see what everyone else is making and doing. Not that I like to copy but I love new ideas, learning and seeing what other people are doing. - You can see my main altar and other things I post on my main Instagram @ https://www.instagram.com/missimoinsane/.
I also mentioned before about Gardens and how setting up a Garden could be an offering. You could also set up a Moon Garden (as mentioned in my Moon blog post) in a dedication / offering to The Moon - A Moon Garden, in this sense of the term, is a garden created using white plants and/or white flowering plants only. So as the white reflects the glow of The Moon. - You could also follow the Perpetual Moon Calendar which would make this Moon Garden dedication / offering a lot more personal. I also have a free printable I designed on that blog I just mentioned.
Note. Some Gods / Goddesses, Saints, Beings, Entities, Fae etc etc may be dissintereded, dislike or even offended by your offering so it really does pay to do your research. While I'm sure MOST would appreciate any natural gesture that came from your good will and intentions some may like it even more if you took the time to do the research and find out what they like.. It may bode well in your favour.
Activity..
- Research about various types of offerings.
- (Optional) If you have a Deity or particular Faith / Religion / Belief why not look up what your particular God/Goddess/Belief correspondences are for types of offerings they might like to receive.
- (Optional) Create / Buy some offering pieces.
- (Optional) Journal about your offerings / thoughts and how they worked out.
Book Activity..
- (Optional) Copy down any information from above you think you will find useful.. especially offering ideas, types of offerings and if you did the research on your particular Deity/Deities or other beings that you work with and found out what they like and don't like it might be a good idea to note that.
Interact with me Activity..
- (Optional) Share your offering ideas and experiences in the facebook group and/or with me.
- (Optional) on the Fb Page https://www.facebook.com/BookOfShadowsPrompts/ feel free to add any information you deem worthy.. -----------------------------------------
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Imogen x
Next weeks prompts No.17 - Different types of Witches.
