Tag: Gods

Systlin, how do I do offerings? Do I have to burn things, and if so, all the way to ash? What about food? Or tea? Do I just dedicate things and let them sit for a while before I chuck them? Bury them? I don’t have a garden, though. I think Loki and maybe Thor have been around, and two ravens moved into my local park where none have ever been seen before, and I think it’s time for me to acknowledge all of that, I just don’t know how! Help, please?

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systlin:

If you burn things…well, I just take the ash outside and dump it on the lilacs. They like the lime and potash.In any other case, if you burn something just chuck the ash.

As for food…offer it, and then it’s fine to eat it yourself if you want. Cultures have done THAT for thousands of years. Same for drink. The gods take the ‘spirit’ of it. You take the mortal remains into yourself. You can let it sit on an altar if you wish, and then eventually throw it away, but I don’t like wasting food that way personally.

Odin, in particular, has a rather strong reaction to offering to pour out some whisky to him, with that reaction being “NO DO NOT WASTE THAT THAT IS GOOD WHISKEY DRINK IT FOR MY SAKE.”

Flower, Flame, & Flesh

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humbledsplendor:

On ritualistic offerings and sacrifices

One of the greatest joys I know is the delight in offering a sacrifice to your god(s); to know that something from your hands has been given over to one you adore in total faithfulness is bliss.

The first murder in the Bible was fueled by jealousy; from anger and distress that a sacrifice was not good enough. Cain saw that God rested his favor on the offering of his brother, and that broke him- to know that his gift to God was second-rate was unbearable. That this is one of the first stories in Abrahamic belief is no coincidence. Our offerings are not trivial. The gifts we give to our god(s) aren’t just for shits and giggles.

I’m honestly having trouble thinking of a religion WITHOUT an example on the importance of ritual sacrifice. One of the first acts of Prometheus was to steal from a sacrificial meal to the gods. In a Vedic Hymn, there is a tale of creation based out of the ritualistic dismemberment of man. Mayan culture is famous for its practice of bloodletting ceremonies to appease the gods. In fact, the entirety of the Christian religion itself is based upon the idea of a perfect sacrifice that was worthy enough to redeem all mankind; one that is still replicated every hour of every day in Masses throughout the world.

Clearly, the presentation of offerings to god(s)- whether for appeasement by tribute or out of love and devotion- is a crucial aspect of religions across the world. However, these sorts of sacrificies have dwindled as cultures become homogenized (due greatly to colonization) and as people become displaced from their faiths. This is especially noticeable in America, where religions that traditionally make sacrifices- such as Judaism and Hinduism, notably- are demonized, thanks much to the aggressive sanitation carried out by white Protestants.

As a result of this, I see a whole lot of people on tumblr who are diving into religion with absolutely no idea of how to make sacrifices or other offerings to their god(s). Now, this is by no means a definitive guide that you MUST follow to make any sort of worthy offering, but it is, i think, a good start to understanding the nature of the gifts we give.

(Of course, if your religion has a historical precedence of giving offerings a certain way, I totally encourage looking into that first! This is all based on my own personal experience and observation, and I’m absolutely open to criticism and other opinions here!)

TYPES OF OFFERINGS AND THE MOTIVATION BEHIND THEM

I’ve found that most offerings that I give can be sorted neatly into three groups- all regarding the nature of the gift’s presentation. I’ve tentatively named these categories “Flower”, “Flame”, and “Flesh”.

  1. Flower: Something that can grow; a living offering and constant sacrifice, either by deed or through cultivation
  2. Flame: A sacrifice that has value to the god(s) despite its lack of “usefulness” toward humans; often one whose merit lies in its beauty alone
  3. Flesh: A sacrifice of death; of snuffing out a life to give it over to the god(s)

Expanding upon them a little more, each type of offering has its own notable features that make it pleasing to the recipient. Though the mind and will of our god(s) is/are far out of our range of understanding, these types of sacrifices stay constant across many cultures and religions.

FLOWER

A flowering offering is one that expands to reach others, or one that betters the person giving it. It’s named as a nod to how one might upkeep a garden; though it has merit in its beauty and is pleasing to the eye, it can also serve for food or for meditation. Flowers may be cultivated to bloom into a great offering over a period of time and, though it may take a lot of effort, the steady blooming will be of great honor to both you and those you wish to devote the work to. Some examples of a flower offering are:

  • Regularly donating to or working with a charity that exemplifies the values of your god(s)
  • Educating yourself on a craft or skill that better prepares you to serve your god(s)

For example, if one worships a war god, one might wish to work out and hone your body to be capable of defending yourself. On your end, you get totally ripped. On your god’s end, you’re now able to serve them more dutifully and more in-line with what they require.

FLAME

A flame offering is one that has little practical use and is made primarily for the joy of the god(s). It’s named in honor of the practice of keeping an eternal fire burning in a temple- an act that is present in ancient and modern religions worldwide. Some examples of a flame offering are:

  • Keeping a literal fire going throughout your worship time
  • Curating and maintaining a shrine
  • Watching over a sacred space

For example, if there is a place that you feel particularly connected to your god(s), set that aside as a holy space just for them. Mark it appropriately and turn it into a space of adoration and devotion. Keep it clean, pure, and make it an example of your relationship with your god(s).

FLESH

A flesh offering is a literal sacrifice. It’s named, quite obviously, in homage to the practice of placing a living (or once-living) thing before one’s god(s). Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that blood MUST be shed to constitute a flesh offering; it can be as peaceful as plucking a rose and putting it in a vase at their altar. Some examples of a flesh offering are:

  • Literally making a blood offering
  • Preparing a meal for your god(s)
  • Giving over the first fruits of your labor- the first flower of spring or the first apple on your tree

For example, If one is an adept cook, they might decide to take a portion of the beef they were about to grill and set it aside as an offering. Though the specifics of how to actually “offer” it vary by culture and tradition, the act of giving something up from your hands and into the arms of your god(s) is a beautiful thing.

WHAT OFFERINGS ARENT: 

Your leftovers.

Offerings are not an afterthought. Though there’s really truly no WRONG way to go about honoring your god(s) with offerings when it’s done in sincerity, there’s a clear difference between, say, offering them the last dregs of your can of Sprite and pouring some inexpensive wine in a glass at their altar. Offerings do not have to be extravagant to be of value, but they do have to be made in love and with respect.

Bearing this all in mind, the relationship you have between you and your god(s) is between you and them, period. Your own experience with them is paramount, and I encourage you to delve into the mysteries of what they enjoy and what delights them. Look into historical precedence, if such resources are available. Use your own discernment. Above all, though, offer them the respect that is due. An offering of sincere loving prayer can be treasured above all the wine and riches in the world.

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soldierpallaton:

your-villainous-neighbour:

heartachemotel:

eratomusings:

eratomusings:

Yall think the gods take classics classes for fun

Professor: whys your drawing look like that lol artemis would be paler

Apollo, twin sister to Artemis, has seen her at least once a week for 4,000 years:

professor: ares is the god of war and is evil.

ares:

Professor: Hades is the god of the underworld and is therefore evil and cold and heartless

Persephone, who has seen her husband cry secret tears of Manly Anguish every time she has to go live with her mother for six months:

Professor: Not even the crack of dawn was safe from Zeus.

Zeus:

Gods

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honey-poet:

The first gods were the earth itself, and they had no reason to whisper. They are the grass, the wind. They wave and laugh and feel and love. They were pure emotion, making every move based on their hearts. They did not understand the purpose of fighting. They sought peace and love. They wrote the songs of the earth in the first languages. They spoke light and wind, weaving the redwoods and the waves and the mountains. They birthed the moon and the stars from a million unborn dreams, a million untold stories. When they were finished, they laid down to rest, but the world kept growing around them. They faded to dust and crumbled. The first gods are dead.

The song of the old gods still resonates throughout the earth, though to some it is nothing more than a feeble whisper. They are still here. They have faded into the background. They live among the redwoods, no, they are the redwoods. They float with the waves of the world’s oceans, and dance in time with the erosion of the mountains. They mumble and whisper to the moon and the stars, singing nursery rhymes in a language so long forgotten that it was before the day of man at all. The old gods are dying.

The young gods don’t know how to whisper. They are loud, and bold. They are bright and bubbling and threatening to spill over. They laugh with the redwoods, cry with the ocean, yell with the mountains. They pray with the moon, and sing with the stars, and smile with the sun. They run with each other, living and laughing. They protect mankind, for they are not so different. After all, young gods are born from stardust and hope and perseverance, and so is man. They look lovingly upon the earth that their predecessors built. The young gods are growing.

The grown gods whisper when appropriate. They are controlled, and yet just as soft and childlike as the young gods. They are maternal, nursing the redwoods, singing the oceans to sleep. They hold the mountains together, and smile fondly when the moon shows its pale face. They care for man the same way a mother cares for a child. The grown gods give comfort in times of pain, and reassurance in times of doubt. They embrace the earth. The grown gods have a constant hollow feeling in their chest. If they don’t resist, the risk becoming as empty and apathetic as the new gods. The grown gods do their best. The grown gods are not yet dying.

The new gods do not whisper. They are born from grown gods who no longer care, who no longer feel. They lack the gentle warmth of the old ones, instead making every move with a calculated coldness. They do not fade, they do not float, they do not dance. They shun the moon and the stars, and point their dark, empty eyes towards a future that holds only power. They would laugh at the suffering of mankind, giggle at their infighting, if they could feel anything at all. They stand, cold and unfeeling, and gaze upon an earth that they plan to demolish.  The new gods aren’t planning on dying any time soon.