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A Nagging Practical Question I've Always Wondered About

Chiropteran

04:52 / 10.10.03

So, food offerings. A lot of magickal and religious traditions advocate leaving (often highly perishable) food offerings for various entities (the Gods, the dead, the pixies, the House Guardian, the Thing In the Cellar, etc.). Given, though, that many of these beings are incorporeal in nature and will not likely be disposing of the food themselves, this leaves the offerer with a galling dilemma: what is the proper way to clean up after the gods? You've left out the first fruits of the harvest, or your bowl of milk, or what have you - now what?

Just looking for some different perspectives. And yes, this is relevant to my current practice.

busboy to the Divine,

~L

illmatic

07:22 / 10.10.03

I tend to leave stuff like this - which is never great quanities - in the park or the garden, for nature to help itself to. Occasionally I burn things then I'd scatter the ashes in the same way. Dropping them in a river is also a good bet I think.

Quantum

07:28 / 10.10.03

Traditionally it's thrown away, since all the goodness has been taken- it may look like food but it won't nourish you, it's leftovers. So they say.

_Boboss

08:18 / 10.10.03

yeah. just give your friends 24 hours to take what they want then chuck the rest in the garden.

cusm

12:19 / 10.10.03

Note that sometimes eating the food can be considered a form of communion with the entity it is offered to. Depends on how the offering is done.

Chiropteran

12:44 / 10.10.03

Sounds good to me - thanks.

Papess

14:58 / 10.10.03

The way it was taught to me is first, there are two offerings. One pure, the other impure. The first is what you offer before you take part in it yourself (if this is called for). The impure offerings are what is left.

The offering itself is put in an auspicious place and then I was taught to "cleanse" the container by tossing a bit of rice in the vessel/bowl/plate. It is kinda like resetting the vessel so it can be used to make offerings to another deity.

The deities drink the essence of the offerings with tongues like butterflies and the lower realms have what is left.

Gypsy Lantern

17:25 / 10.10.03

You either eat it allowing the spirits to enjoy it through you, or else leave the remains somewhere such as a crossroads or possibly a boneyard if you're dealing with the dead. Sometimes a combination of these options is appropriate, it really deoends on what it is specifically you're trying to accomplish.

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