Wiccans, Heathens, Pagans; A question on sacrifices?

Question

Pardon, I am simply curious, what do you do with the items when you perform a sacrifice, such as Cakes and Ales, Blots, your own personal rituals, etc? I am especially curious regarding food items, do you bake/make them yourself? Can a sacrifice contain meat? Can/should one sacrifice store-bought goods? Do you leave the items you are sacrificing outdoors, on your altar, do you consume them? How often do you perform a sacrifice? Pardon the deluge of questions, it is just something that has been on my mind lately. My sincerest apology if I have offended anyone.

Thank you for your time.

Answer 1

I'll sacrifice half of my Bavarian creme donut with you - but that is as far as I go with that sort of thing.

Shedding blood?  That is so pre-bronze!

Answer 2

I do not perform sacrificial rites in the way you seem to presume.  It is not about sacrifice as much as it is about connecting with your own true sense.

Answer 3

Libation dish->outside

Answer 4

sacrifice a cake wtf?

Answer 5

I try to hold blot on the four major solar holidays.  I usually make my own items (except in the case of alcohol libations, until i can start making my own mead), but bread and cakes and whatnot, i make myself.  Yes, meat can be used.  Traditional, and in large ceremonies by kindreds, a live pig may be sacrificed and a portion of the cooked meat will be given to the fire.

I would eat and drink a portion of the sacrificed item after blessing them and saying my prayer, and then either leave them out, or find someplace more suitable to put them.  I prefer making bread since i can then give them to the birds.  Its always fun seeing the birds go nuts over it =)  As for any alcoholic beverage, I'll just pour it out on the ground.

Answer 6

Twinkies are good. They have an extra long shelf life so you can use them over and over again. Plus the Gods really like the creamy filling.  

Answer 7

Technically a blot is a blood sacrifice and not many of those are done.

As for my offerings of food, beer, and what not, it is set on my harrow (alter) for the god/s and then what is left over is given to the landvaettir in the morning.

Yes they can contain meat, oaths were frequently spoken over roasted boar. My offerings are often store bought. Though my first bottle of home brewed mead will go to Odin.

On my harrow, yes. If it is offered to the gods it would be....disrespectful to say the least to eat it dear.

I leave offerings when I feel it is called for. To leave an offering is to start a gifting cycle with a god/ess. If I have no wish to start that cycle, then I have nothing to give. Depends on what is going on in my life. Odin just recieved one yesterday and I had given up to Frigga the week before. Before that I hadn't done an offering in over a month.

Answer 8

You can make them yourself or buy them premade.  The goddess isn't that picky so long as your feelings are in it.

I like to leave the offerings either outside or ont he alter for at least a full day and night.  Then I take them and either burn or bury them in my yard that way they still get the offering and it doesn't rot in my house, lol.  I personally don't feel consuming them is right because that is theirs, not mine ;)

And as for how often, that is entirely up to you dear.  Follow your heart and you can't go wrong.

Answer 9

There's a difference between sacrificing and offerings. Sacrificing is taking the life away from someone (human or not) and offering that to the being. Offerings are what I think you are thinking of, which can be food items or other material possessions. It would probably be better if you make the food yourself, but I'm not sure. If you do buy it, it would probably be more effective if the item is as natural as possible (I mean, without corrupting agents, like different chemicals and whatnot). I don't actually know how the situation would take place, though. I've never participated or done one myself.

Answer 10

Wasting food is not very wise, and the disposal is

problematic... and I don't think my deity would be

pleased.

I prefer to do what I call an "offering", not a sacrifice.

We offer what we value the most... ourselves.

That's a lot more convienient, too.

Jean

Answer 11

I prefer to leave something homemade.  No meat.  Sounds too much like the Old Testament.  I also leave wine.  No, I do not consume them.  I leave them outdoors.  Most of this is based on intent so you go with what feels right.

Answer 12

Each individual decides what makes up an appropriate sacrifice, how to treat that sacrifice and how to disgard it when the rite is over. However, covens have a tradition decided by that particular group.