How to Offering

[Hekla]

Hey guys! So in my six years of full-on paganism, I've never done any rituals (minus making a set of runes) or made any offerings. Now I'd really like to make an offering to Thor, since especially today at work he was so helpful and encouraging (3 hours of sleep + logistics job = BAD). I have some mead set aside and I want to get a wooden cup (failing that, a small bowl) to pour it in. Ideally, I'd like to set it outside. The only thing is: I don't know HOW to make an offering. Should I go about it all serious, or perhaps more of a "thanks for all you've done, have a drink on me!" route? Would really like opinions.

[owlsandtigers]

Re: How to Offering

you can cast a circle, and then light a candle for Thor. thank him for his presence in your circle and explain what you're offering and why. thank him, and then when you're done blow the candle out and release the circle. mead's a good idea because it's best if the offering is specific to the pantheon they're from

[thalassa]

Re: How to Offering

This is pretty much my opinion on offerings in general...

So, my "homework" (if you will) for you would be to figure out what your relationship with Thor is, or if it isn't, what sort of tenor you would like it to have. Then, I'd look at what approach would work best for this relationship.

I've seen people do it according to mythology, according to what they "felt", etc...and for the most part, the latter works for some and the former works for others. Its been my observation that has more to do with the person than it does the deity. I'd start with what is historically supported and then own it to your place and time and personality and relationship--I mean, unless you have a local meadery, mead doesn't make sense (in my opinion). I really don't think Thor is going to snub his nose at a nice can of local Aussie something or other any more than a trick-or-treater is going to throw a Hershey Bar back in someone's face because they like Kisses better (though a Chick tractmight be different). Then again, you might make your own mead...in which case, hella yeah break that shit open!

Basically, don't offer a Chick tract, and you will be okay (unless maybe you are burning it).

[Hekla]

Re: How to Offering

I have never heard of a Chick tract before, so I think there's nothing to worry about there. Relationship-wise, he's sort of a big brother to me. I'll look into historical accounts and see what I feel.

Out of curiosity, how local is your definition of local? The mead I buy is made in Wisconsin, just under an hour away from the border with Duluth. I of course buy it where I live, which is 3 hours south.

[thalassa]

Re: How to Offering

Out of curiosity, how local is your definition of local? The mead I buy is made in Wisconsin, just under an hour away from the border with Duluth. I of course buy it where I live, which is 3 hours south.

I'd consider that local. I have reading issues today apparently...for some reason I was thinking you were Heka, who is from Australia!!

[Torey]

Re: How to Offering

This is pretty much my opinion on offerings in general...

So, my "homework" (if you will) for you would be to figure out what your relationship with Thor is, or if it isn't, what sort of tenor you would like it to have. Then, I'd look at what approach would work best for this relationship.

I've seen people do it according to mythology, according to what they "felt", etc...and for the most part, the latter works for some and the former works for others. Its been my observation that has more to do with the person than it does the deity. I'd start with what is historically supported and then own it to your place and time and personality and relationship--I mean, unless you have a local meadery, mead doesn't make sense (in my opinion). I really don't think Thor is going to snub his nose at a nice can of local Aussie something or other any more than a trick-or-treater is going to throw a Hershey Bar back in someone's face because they like Kisses better (though a Chick tractmight be different). Then again, you might make your own mead...in which case, hella yeah break that shit open!

Basically, don't offer a Chick tract, and you will be okay (unless maybe you are burning it).

^ This.

Regardless of what lore says one should do (if at all) or if offerings are something that is based upon one's personal experiences and relationship with the entity in question, I think that - at the end of the day - making an effort and offering something is better than nothing at all. The entity either accepts it or rejects it - likes it or dislikes it.

[Hekla]

Re: How to Offering

I have reading issues today apparently...for some reason I was thinking you were Heka, who is from Australia!!

I think both of us still get confused every now and then. You're not alone.:xD:

[Rae'ya]

Re: How to Offering

Hey guys! So in my six years of full-on paganism, I've never done any rituals (minus making a set of runes) or made any offerings. Now I'd really like to make an offering to Thor, since especially today at work he was so helpful and encouraging (3 hours of sleep + logistics job = BAD). I have some mead set aside and I want to get a wooden cup (failing that, a small bowl) to pour it in. Ideally, I'd like to set it outside. The only thing is: I don't know HOW to make an offering. Should I go about it all serious, or perhaps more of a "thanks for all you've done, have a drink on me!" route? Would really like opinions.

For Thor, a "thanks for all you've done, have a drink on me!" approach is an excellent idea.

Offerings are as individual as the deities that we offer them to, and the people who make the offerings. The best way to determine what a good offering is or way of offering is, is to ask the deity you will be offering to. Most deities are pretty forgiving... if you've put in the effort they will give you a second chance if the first wasn't good enough. Most have preferences and ideals, but it's okay to negotiate. The only important thing is that you are sincere. An insincere offering is a terrible, terrible idea. But otherwise the sky is the limit.

Things to think about are... the deity you are offering to, what their preferences are, what their sphere of influence is, where you live, how you live, what you have access to, what is within your means, the 'value' of the offering, the aid that you are asking for or thanking them for, what others have been successful with in the past, and whatever idea popped into your head while you were thinking about it.

I don't personally like leaving offerings outside. I also militantly Do Not Feed Wildlife Almost Ever. So leaving offerings outside or for the wildlife is not something that I agree with, for many reasons, even if it is a deity of wildlife. A much better option in that case is to volunteer for or donate to wildlife, rescue or conservation organisations. But that's really my only 'don't' about offerings. For the most part, it's up to you and the deity in question.

[Ektor]

Re: How to Offering

Well, offerings left in the open are usually cleaned by specific helpers in Afro-American religions after a symbolic number of days, just to add a new throught to your considerations, Rae'Ya.

To the point, and considering you probably don't have the monetary means or structure to sacrifice a live animal since most people wouldn't; you should look into (you probably know this kind of stuff) what kind of plants or colours or stuff like that which Thor would enjoy. I myself like burning small things like leaves and then spreading ashes to the wind, but the way you do the offering is also related to the deity. So if you can determine that, whether by historical research in a more reconstructionist approach, or by feeling like I do it, you could do something small but sincere, I think what matters with offerings is intention, anyway.

[Rae'ya]

Re: How to Offering

Well, offerings left in the open are usually cleaned by specific helpers in Afro-American religions after a symbolic number of days, just to add a new throught to your considerations, Rae'Ya.

Here in Australia, any food or scraps left outside are eaten by birds, stray cats or possums within a matter of hours. And once you are pegged as a food source, they will keep coming back to your house to clean up whatever food or scraps you leave outside, which is deleterious to their nutritional health, not to mention humanising, which is a whole other issue.

I do understand what you're saying, but where I am, the only assurance you have that the wildlife wont pick it up is if you leave it inside or have it in some sort of protected cage. Not everyone cares about that, and that's okay. It's not the law lol. That's why I say 'I don't personally like...' etc. It's one factor of offerings that many people don't think about, especially as many authors recommend that you leave offerings outside for the wildlife to pick up. I like to point out the reality of the damage that does to local wildlife and let people make their decision based on knowing both sides of the story.

[Azvanna]

Re: How to Offering

Here in Australia, any food or scraps left outside are eaten by birds, stray cats or possums within a matter of hours. And once you are pegged as a food source, they will keep coming back to your house to clean up whatever food or scraps you leave outside, which is deleterious to their nutritional health, not to mention humanising, which is a whole other issue.

I do understand what you're saying, but where I am, the only assurance you have that the wildlife wont pick it up is if you leave it inside or have it in some sort of protected cage. Not everyone cares about that, and that's okay. It's not the law lol. That's why I say 'I don't personally like...' etc. It's one factor of offerings that many people don't think about, especially as many authors recommend that you leave offerings outside for the wildlife to pick up. I like to point out the reality of the damage that does to local wildlife and let people make their decision based on knowing both sides of the story.

Really good point.

Usually, the 'leave it outside' offerings I've felt lead to do don't include food. I know that some people do leave edible offerings and I wonder when it would/wouldn't be appropriate to ingest that kind of offering yourself?

[thalassa]

Re: How to Offering

Well, offerings left in the open are usually cleaned by specific helpers in Afro-American religions after a symbolic number of days, just to add a new throught to your considerations, Rae'Ya.

Here we have the same problem as Rae'ya. l live in on the urban/suburban edge, in an area with some decent greenspace, in a major watershed. We have foxes, waterfowl, raccoons, rats, skyrats (sea gulls), and feral cats and dogs. Leaving food out feeds them, and disrupts the ecosystem and can lead to accidents and property damage. Unless someone lives in the right environment (and even then, with caution), its not something I personally support, no matter how historically accurate or traditional it is. We don't occupy the same landscape, and we know more about environmental interactions...

[Rae'ya]

Re: How to Offering

Really good point.

Usually, the 'leave it outside' offerings I've felt lead to do don't include food. I know that some people do leave edible offerings and I wonder when it would/wouldn't be appropriate to ingest that kind of offering yourself?

To me, offerings are about giving the item to a deity or spirit, if not physically then the energy or the essence of the offering. So to me, once they've taken the energy then whatever is left is just byproduct. Normally I put it in the bin/recycling/compost when they are done with it, the same way that I would put an empty package or whatever in the bin.

But I know that lots of people feel the need to treat the remains of the offering in a special manner, like burying it. My deities have never seemed interested in the remains... once they've taken their bit then they don't seem to care what I do with what's left. I think that consuming it wouldn't be inappropriate, but to me that almost seems to defeat the purpose of an offering. Kind of like taking the cake and eating it too. To me the point of an offering is to give it to them... if I then take it as well, is it really an offering in the same sense than if I just let them have it and gained no pleasure from it myself? I think it would depend on the deity. If you were offering to a deity that was conscious of frugality, efficiency or waste then it would be totally appropriate to get as much use out of the item as possible, in as many ways as possible.

I have also heard of people who invoke a spirit and then eat a meal as an offering to them... allowing the spirit or deity to experience the meal in ways that they wouldn't be able to in a strictly non-corporeal form.

[Hekla]

Re: How to Offering

Thanks for the insight guys. I read other sources and took your suggestions into consideration, and I think I know what I'll do now. I have no altar or space indoors, so I still have to make the offering outside, but I'll dispose of it later.

[monsno_leedra]

Re: How to Offering

Since the god in question is Thor and Nordic not sure what appropriate things would be considered as an offering. The Nordic / Teutonic gods / goddesses are not my area of knowledge other than some general things from the Edda's and Saga's. That aside one thing I do recall though is that there really is not much in the eddas and sagas about offerings to the gods / goddesses. When I do find references they seem to be very similar to the Greek in that many things are transmuted into energy via fire and the gods / goddesses then take the energy. A couple of references seemed to be similar to the Egyptians in that an offering again of the energy or essence of a meal is given to the gods / goddesses then the physical meal is eaten. I see this especially so with liquid offerings, usually of a mead type drink where one raises their glass / goblet to the god / goddesses in question and makes a toast then drinks their toast.

That Thor is of the Aesir that sort of rules out offerings of grain and such that might be more appropriate to the Vanir. The Aesir being more conflict and warrior type with the halls of Odin and Freya and being chosen by the Valkyrie. There are halls dedicated to the Vanir gods / goddesses but I have not read a whole lot about them though they do not seem to have the battle and party all day with the feast all night and healing.

Only under rare conditions would I leave a food offering out to be consumed by local wildlife. When I do its usually in the form of things that are common to my area, consider apples for instances I leave on a makeshift altar in the woods. Occasionally fruits like tomatoes that the local wildlife eats from the garden anyway.

For me offerings usually fall into the usage of liquids. For the celestial gods / goddess I build or use a raised altar and make offerings via transmutation via flame. Into that flame i'll pour offerings of honey, water, milk, maybe some sort of mead type drink. At times offerings of a physical nature such as blood and flesh, hair or fingernails but that is special things not as a norm. Being I am in America I also tend to make offerings to the local land spirits and such of tobacco via the flame as well.

For the chthonic gods / goddesses it's mostly the same type things though I use a sunken depression in the earth or a carved out depression I make myself. Then I set a flame in the depression and make my offerings allowing the flame to transmute the offerings into energy and the remains to also sink into the earth.

That would be for the Hellenic gods / goddess I make offerings to. To the Egyptian gods / goddesses I tend to make offerings of food and drink but allow the gods / goddesses to take the essence of the food then consume the physical meals. Water being a significant offering as the Egyptian system is closely tied to water and the three seasons of the Nile cycle.

Not sure this has helped but perhaps has given you some idea's to consider. I would suggest you research traditional offerings and methods though as that is a glimpse into the mindset and way the specific god / goddess or the entire pantheon was viewed. It's one thing to bring things into the present but to try to do so and never understand the past is foolhardy to me.