30 Days of Devotion to Hekate: Day 10

10. Offerings –

I've mentioned these earlier when I discussed the Deipna but common offerings both past and present are things like bread, cheese, garlic, leeks, raw eggs, honey, cakes (such as the asamphiphôn), fish (Red Mullet is a particular favorite), apple, fig, pomegranate, olives and libations (wine, cider, milk, tea, etc). I also like to include a lit candle and incense  (UPG - unverified personal gnosis - but she's told me she prefers saffron though I haven't found it easily locally and need to order it online).

Others include black puppies (I do not suggest you try this and it is even said that in ancient times they would use figurines representing black dogs and usually only when they felt they needed to ... go that extra mile to get back in Hekate’s good graces.

Blood, be it an accidental or purposely made cut for this, blood from meat you're preparing  (or if you work in a meat farm or as a butcher), some go as far as to offer menstrual blood.

Holocausts, in which a religious animal sacrifice is completely consumed by fire. The word comes from the Greek holocaustos ὁλόκαυστος from ὅλος "whole" and καυστός "burnt", which is only used for the major forms of sacrifice. These are apotropaic rituals meant to appease the spirits of the underworld and as an offering used to malign powers, such as the Keres and Hekate. Typically the inedible portions were burned on altars to the Gods while the rest was eaten by men though in times of great need whole animals were given.

Others include lavender, roses, juniper, frankincense (an endangered tree), myrrh, mint, rue, jasmine, cardamom, bay laurel, barley, oak leaves, mushrooms, apples, mugwort, maidenhair fern, wormwood, poppy, sesame, herbal tea.

Snakeskin, dog hair, poisonous plants, graveyard and crossroads dirt, moss, yew, lanterns, torches, keys, amethyst, obsidian, onyx, black stones, lapis lazuli, labradorite, lodestone. The list goes on.

Again, I'll just mention I wouldn't sacrifice live animals. Don't do that and say I told you to. It's not one of those things to be done in modern times. Take beeswax or something and mold a likeness of an animal if you feel it necessary.

Just like there's many different things to offer, there are many ways. Some people leave their offerings at a crossroads (preferably on biodegradable plates like a banana leaf etc) or on outdoor altars/shrines but PLEASE be mindful and double (and triple) check that what you're offering isn't toxic to animals. We may leave these offerings for the gods but the probability is very high that some animal will find it. Many of the foods we eat today are toxic, lethal or somewhat damaging to certain animals, even if it's safe for one animal, it can still kill or seriously injure another.

Some place their offerings at their altar then after their ritual, either partake of the offerings themselves, place them in a separate bag and throw them away, bury them (again, be sure it's not going to harm anything), burn them, etc. The options are pretty extensive.

That's what I get for posting so late, the pic didn't attach and there were errors.