No, you do not. Offerings can be made out of respect & kindness if you want to show your spirit a kind gesture, but they are not necessary. If you do choose to leave them an offering or treat it is customary to leave it out for 12-24 hours. It is not something that has to be done all the time and only should be done when it is sincerely coming from your heart.

Not only what you've stated, but certain spirits don't want to be thanked or given offerings and as individuals certain ones don't want them either - for example my brownies and some djinn.

:help:

I'm going to revive this thread and add a question which has been plaguing me...

How do you make an offering? My spirits are currently sharing charging bags and 'homes' (angel home, Djinn pantheon, etc.) so to honor individuals, they need to be singled out. In one of the posts I saw researching this, I saw that food offerings should be left out for around 24 hours. It would stand to reason that herbal offerings (smudging, candles, incense, etc.) pretty much take care of themselves.

What about material offerings? If I wanted to give a dragon a natural gem, for instance. Would I need to keep it near her vessel for the rest of my life? It wouldn't be much of an offering if I bought it for her, showed it to her for a while, and then took it away... And if you keep it near them, as it is now theirs, I can imagine that a loving and active spirit with an appreciative keeper could amass quite a nice little stack of offerings over several years. Do any spirits find 'clutter' undesirable?

- mid post edit: perhaps a home of their own would be a good first offering? :think: -

There are items which have descriptions indicating that by using that particular spelled vessel, the offering becomes more valuable to or honored by to the recipient. Is it the act of offering which is revered, or is it what is being offered?

Last question for which I would like direction ... given that all spirits are different, is there a nice general ritual for making offerings recorded somewhere to help new spirit keepers step in gingerly? Sometimes it's nice to "follow along until you figure it out".

Cody wrote::help:

I'm going to revive this thread and add a question which has been plaguing me...

How do you make an offering? My spirits are currently sharing charging bags and 'homes' (angel home, Djinn pantheon, etc.) so to honor individuals, they need to be singled out. In one of the posts I saw researching this, I saw that food offerings should be left out for around 24 hours. It would stand to reason that herbal offerings (smudging, candles, incense, etc.) pretty much take care of themselves.

What about material offerings? If I wanted to give a dragon a natural gem, for instance. Would I need to keep it near her vessel for the rest of my life? It wouldn't be much of an offering if I bought it for her, showed it to her for a while, and then took it away... And if you keep it near them, as it is now theirs, I can imagine that a loving and active spirit with an appreciative keeper could amass quite a nice little stack of offerings over several years. Do any spirits find 'clutter' undesirable?

- mid post edit: perhaps a home of their own would be a good first offering? :think: -

There are items which have descriptions indicating that by using that particular spelled vessel, the offering becomes more valuable to or honored by to the recipient. Is it the act of offering which is revered, or is it what is being offered?

Last question for which I would like direction ... given that all spirits are different, is there a nice general ritual for making offerings recorded somewhere to help new spirit keepers step in gingerly? Sometimes it's nice to "follow along until you figure it out".

Once I get a place of my own, I'm hoping to put a little area in my room for my spirits, where I'd probably put any long-term offerings. If you select a space in your home for long-term offerings, and keep them there, it should be fine, maybe put them in a little box or something... Not too sure.

I've made a few charging boxes (hurray for encyclopedia how-to) and have put some gems, bits of flowers, beaded rings, and pennies in there, for example...though I'm a horrible little thing and I tend to be too clingy to actually put them in the boxes...though I've collected a big box of selenite, which I've issued a free invite on for my family, so I THINK they've got plenty of energy they can access, at least.

Hopefully someone who does offerings in a standard way can help...

I know Lillith has a post or two of her offerings to her vamps, there's a little table setup, it's lovely. Just poke around some threads with pictures, and you'll find how some people have done things in their home!

Hope I've been some help! Cheers!

Hey Cody,

I don't suppose there really is a right or wrong way of doing things, there are no strict rules and regulations - anything pretty much goes! Most people are equipped with charging boxes which are like a 'home' for their spirits, you can fill these with gifts such as gems and offerings such as herbs. You could also clear a little space somewhere around your house that is solely then dedicated to your spirits, kind of like an altar! This could be their dwelling place when they are not with you, and somewhere offerings can be presented.

I personally don't really house my spirits, so to speak. I usually carry their vessels in my pocket or in my bag throughout the day, and they remain in my bedside area throughout the night. If I do offer treats, I tend to fill a tray in the evening with different items intended for different spirits, place their vessel near the offering that is meant for them, and then leave it to be enjoyed overnight. But everybody has their own, personal way of doing things so just do whatever feels comfortable and appropriate.

Cody wrote::help:

I'm going to revive this thread and add a question which has been plaguing me...

How do you make an offering? My spirits are currently sharing charging bags and 'homes' (angel home, Djinn pantheon, etc.) so to honor individuals, they need to be singled out. In one of the posts I saw researching this, I saw that food offerings should be left out for around 24 hours. It would stand to reason that herbal offerings (smudging, candles, incense, etc.) pretty much take care of themselves.

What about material offerings? If I wanted to give a dragon a natural gem, for instance. Would I need to keep it near her vessel for the rest of my life? It wouldn't be much of an offering if I bought it for her, showed it to her for a while, and then took it away... And if you keep it near them, as it is now theirs, I can imagine that a loving and active spirit with an appreciative keeper could amass quite a nice little stack of offerings over several years. Do any spirits find 'clutter' undesirable?

- mid post edit: perhaps a home of their own would be a good first offering? :think: -

There are items which have descriptions indicating that by using that particular spelled vessel, the offering becomes more valuable to or honored by to the recipient. Is it the act of offering which is revered, or is it what is being offered?

Last question for which I would like direction ... given that all spirits are different, is there a nice general ritual for making offerings recorded somewhere to help new spirit keepers step in gingerly? Sometimes it's nice to "follow along until you figure it out".

as a newb to spirit keeping i am so glad you asked all this. saves me my own post.

Excellent questions Cody :thumbup: As for material offerings, if you give a crystal to a dragon then it's theirs for as long as they want it, correct? This can lead to a clutter if you give something material too often but a few pieces here and there, over the years isn't so bad BTW, fae do not like a mess or clutter or so I've been told on numerous occassions As for offering(s), ultimately it's the thought that counts, however the offering does contain energy which is useful to spirit - yes thoughts have energy too. Finally, I've never had a problem when offering some sandalwood incense - this is all I had at my beginning and it was accepted and appreciated. One other thing that ALWAYS works is ... "THANK YOU" Good luck and don't be afraid to ask questions.

:grouphug: :grouphug:

Athene2012 wrote:bump and i want to add that i felt a little bad after reading this post again bc i've never left an offering out overnight bc there is no place here it would be a. safe from our pets b. safe from cockroaches if its foodstuffs, and c. safe from the eyes and hands of my children and husband. i usually leave something out during the day for a few hours.

emzy

The last time I set out offerings, I was able to keep them out for 24 hours, and the way I did this was right before my husband came home from work; I put all of the offerings; and all of my vessels in one of those really large rubbermaid plastic containers, it was a little larger than one of those 9 x 13 baking dishes, put the lid on it and slid it under my bed. That way it was out of sight, and covered to keep my cats out of it. I felt bad for putting them under the bed...but it was the only place I could think of that would be both close to me and out of sight.

Edited: I forgot to mention that when I make my offerings I normally have them set up on a little table with incense and candles burning also; my cat lays on my bed and stares at it until I put the offerings away and he has to sniff each and every one..lol. Previously when I put out the offerings I would only leave them out for about 6 hours or so...then I read that the normal time should be 12 - 24 hours; which is why I came up with the idea of putting everything (except the candles and incense) into the larger container with a lid.