aondeug
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Posts: 141
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers, He/Him/His
Religion: Thai Theravada, Irish polytheism
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Post by aondeug on Feb 26, 2015 0:11:22 GMT -6
Ah? I tend to leave food if I drop it outside. Oddly hadn't thought of doing that if I drop it while cooking. Huh. That will be a thing to do in the future, yes.
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Post by saintfelicity on Feb 26, 2015 6:44:26 GMT -6
I once set out some hazelnut cocoa, which always seems to be well received by the gods and ancestors, but because it was the last pouch of hazelnut, I made caramel for myself. Which then promptly got spilled on my new couch. The fae evidently wanted the sweeter stuff.
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Des
Junior Member
Posts: 53
Pronouns: She, Her, Them, They
Religion: Personal
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Post by Des on Feb 26, 2015 13:16:01 GMT -6
I used to pour the libations away - to the ground, in the past. Also, I pour and put away the offerings that were "for the akhu". But, "reverting" for me is cool. It's like sharing a meal with Djehuty. It's like a communion, sort of May be he just didn't like the specific offerings being reverted? Why not try sharing a cup of tea with him For me, in turn, he does not approve throwing the offerings away (not counting the akhu ones). Intaier brings up a good point, Raine. In a Kemetic Context, you eat your offerings so I would think Djehuty would want you to consume your offerings? Though I do find it fascinating that you're bringing a Gaelic concept of how the food has it's essense or "Toradh" consumed by the deity while giving an offering to Djehuty--because I get that same feeling when offering something to the Gaelic Entities. Makes me wonder if Intaier is right in that Djehuty didn't like what you offered (POSSIBLE and has happened to me with Gaelic entities!) or if maybe you aren't offering to a Kemetic entity at all, but actually a Gaelic entity who you think is Djehuty? Obviously only you know the answer to either of those. You know, I've been calling Him Djehuty for months, but I really am starting to think it's a Gaelic entity who's been answering to Djehuty. I wouldn't be surprised. He has made some requests that make me really question his idenity, like asking to take down the image of Djehuty I drew, asking me not to revert offerings even though I know He enjoyed them thoroughly, etc. I've been experimenting a bit since these requests have been made. It's part of why I made an offering to Manannan Mac Lir, to see if it's been Manannan all along. I've been associating the Entity with water and a "darker" aspect. I assumed the water association was just UPG and the darker aspect being Lunar associations.
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Post by Allec on Feb 26, 2015 18:17:23 GMT -6
Intaier brings up a good point, Raine. In a Kemetic Context, you eat your offerings so I would think Djehuty would want you to consume your offerings? Though I do find it fascinating that you're bringing a Gaelic concept of how the food has it's essense or "Toradh" consumed by the deity while giving an offering to Djehuty--because I get that same feeling when offering something to the Gaelic Entities. Makes me wonder if Intaier is right in that Djehuty didn't like what you offered (POSSIBLE and has happened to me with Gaelic entities!) or if maybe you aren't offering to a Kemetic entity at all, but actually a Gaelic entity who you think is Djehuty? Obviously only you know the answer to either of those. You know, I've been calling Him Djehuty for months, but I really am starting to think it's a Gaelic entity who's been answering to Djehuty. I wouldn't be surprised. He has made some requests that make me really question his idenity, like asking to take down the image of Djehuty I drew, asking me not to revert offerings even though I know He enjoyed them thoroughly, etc. I've been experimenting a bit since these requests have been made. It's part of why I made an offering to Manannan Mac Lir, to see if it's been Manannan all along. I've been associating the Entity with water and a "darker" aspect. I assumed the water association was just UPG and the darker aspect being Lunar associations. It's quite possible! I wish I was better with divination, or else I'd help you out with identifying the deity >< I wouldn't put it past Manánnan to answer to a different name haha. He's also a bit of a "trickster" (though I wouldn't say Gaelic deities are ever wholly a "trickster god" like, say, Loki is) so I could see the mix up! (And for the record: you wouldn't be the first person to mistake one deity for another. I actually read it happening all the time, especially if someone is new.)
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Des
Junior Member
Posts: 53
Pronouns: She, Her, Them, They
Religion: Personal
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Post by Des on Feb 26, 2015 19:16:04 GMT -6
Oh, thank you for the thought, but it's no need. I think I have to really figure this out on my own. I'm not altogether sure it's Manannan, but I wouldn't put it past him either, since he has trickster associations! I'm not exactly new, but I'm not on solid ground so it makes me new, pretty much.
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Ciar Lionheart
Junior Member
And I love you like a mountain.
Posts: 89
Pronouns: Ey/Em or He/Him
Religion: Irish Polytheist
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Post by Ciar Lionheart on Feb 27, 2015 5:43:24 GMT -6
Oh god I could absolutely see Manannán doing that. I think he'd think it was hilarious. He's a bit of an ass, in my experience, but in the best possible way. I'm very fond of him.
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Post by brimstonne on Feb 27, 2015 19:56:21 GMT -6
IIRC that's a tradition in folklore I think I've read before about it being customary to offer some of the food you're eating if you're eating outside, otherwise it's considered rude to some extent. I see most of my offerings as sharing in a way, that's how I like best to approach them. I do offerings a couple times a week, usually when I'm going to work on some art or writing because I like to have a hot drink and a snack, so cookies, cocoa, tea, that kind of thing. I worked from home today so I gave the Three a glass of my post-lunch spinach-banana-peach smoothie. Sharing wherever you are is good hospitality, whether you're welcoming them in your home or if you're being a good guest in their domains. "If an oat-cake be baked and left for the next day it should have a piece broken out of it, and should not remain whole, because if the fairies came in the night and saw a whole cake they would surely take it, but they would not touch a broken one, ” or take your leavings.” This has now come to be applied to all cakes. Many of the old people used to leave potatoes ready cooked and pieces of bread for them of a night. In the morning these were given to the fowls and never eaten by the people of the house, because since it is, as it were, the spiritual part of the food that is taken, it would not be known whether the fairies had touched it. If milk be spilt no annoyance should be expressed, but you should say : ” There’s a dry heart waiting for it,” since the Good People may have been Awanting it, and caused it to be spilt. Should one come out of a house at night whilst eating, a portion should be thrown on the ground for the fairies " ~Folklore Journal, notes on Irish fairy lore (via charlottesarahrichards) I remember reading this on tumblr a while back, and thats when I first started to leave offerings by simply pouring them outside, it just feels more...natural that way.
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veritywhitethorn
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Posts: 60
Pronouns: She/her
Religion: Celtic polytheist
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Post by veritywhitethorn on Feb 28, 2015 4:59:29 GMT -6
Ooh I'll remember that about dropping food when cooking!
A brief bit of Internet resewrch has shown up no indigenous Australian taboos re pouring alcohol onto the ground. If I happen across any different information I'll be sure to share it though.
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Echtrai
Newbie
Away indefinitely (I'll probably be back, I always come back) - feel free to leave me a message
Posts: 26
Pronouns: they/them/theirs
Religion: Gaelic Polytheism
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Post by Echtrai on Mar 2, 2015 19:53:49 GMT -6
According to creativespirits.info's article on Aboriginal alcohol consumption (which I admit I can't verify as a reliable source, but there are a lot of footnotes and the about page makes me think it might at least be a decent starting point for research), the indiginous people of Australia made their own alcoholic beverages before European invasion, but some of the words for these mean things like "poisonous," (though some mean "sweet" or "delicious") so that's not necessarily an all-clear for dumping it on the ground. Internet research isn't necessary the best route for this sorta stuff, though. Participating in cultural preservation and, through the living people, learning about their worldview and how such practices might be viewed is the ideal way, but I know that's not possible for everyone. I think the best thing you can do is be open to listening to other views on the practice, and be mindful of signs that the local environment might not be appreciating what you're doing. We are guests on their soil, and hospitality runs two ways.
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veritywhitethorn
Junior Member
Posts: 60
Pronouns: She/her
Religion: Celtic polytheist
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Post by veritywhitethorn on Mar 2, 2015 23:34:23 GMT -6
Hmm, good points. I am not terrific at Google fu, I am the first to admit, so thanks for sharing that link! My research did turn up the taboo about looking at representations of/talking about people who have died—which I knew already, because it's a common warning at museums and exhibitions that may include photographic or video footage of indigenous Australians. If there is a taboo against pouring alcohol onto the earth it's certainly not as well known. It's also quite possible that different groups had different views; the first peoples were certainly not homogenous... Tl;dr I'll try harder and keep to tea and juice for pouring out...
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ryeduck
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Religion: TBD
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Post by ryeduck on Apr 7, 2015 7:52:48 GMT -6
A little bit of thread necromancy here...
I made my first offering yesterday at work. We have a beautiful creek out back and so I thought I'd give an apple to the Gods, ancestors, and spirits. The apple didn't so much drown as it did float away... forgot how buoyant apples are. Hopefully that won't count against me. It's the thought that counts, right?
I'm thinking of starting to give some offerings at home. I have a glass bowl that we don't use, so I'm thinking of cleaning it out and offering milk on a regular basis in it. Now I just need some place to actually put it... hmmm...
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Post by Allec on Apr 7, 2015 19:43:43 GMT -6
I'm sure it's fine And I like the idea of your glass bowl! Even if you left it on a shelf or poured it outside immediately, that's something~
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aondeug
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Pronouns: She/Her/Hers, He/Him/His
Religion: Thai Theravada, Irish polytheism
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Post by aondeug on Apr 7, 2015 21:52:12 GMT -6
I cleared off a shelf on my bookcase personally. It was that or designate a small part of my sewing table to it and that would be kind of problematic given what happens on the sewing table. Which is to say chaos. Utter chaos.
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Searlait
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Religion: Gaelic Polytheist
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Post by Searlait on Nov 16, 2015 20:46:51 GMT -6
So, I was talking to an Irish polytheist in my area, and he made the observation that these days, the gods usually take whatever offerings they can get, as awful as that sounds. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? I personally have sometimes suspected this (mostly out of guilt that I can't offer anything more than water most days), but I also feel like the gods have definite preferences, even though nothing I've offered has been outrightly rejected.
EDIT: Mods, this may be in the wrong thread. Let me know if this is the case?
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Boggan
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Post by Boggan on Nov 18, 2015 5:58:52 GMT -6
For me, I think intention and respect are the most important parts of the offering. If you give something up freely to the ancestors, spirits and/or gods with good intentions and a dose of respect, I feel it is usually accepted. In my own experiences, I have found that my ancestors can be a bit picky but they have never really rejected anything I've offered out right. I often use whisky or milk in my offerings or water with a bit of essential oil in it and it goes over well.
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