Food offerings, how do you handle disposal?

General Discussion
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so weird enough I felt something nudge me to eat an offering I left out for 24 hrs ( a sugar filled pastry item so no , it wasn’t bad) and I asked the spirit if it was okay and he said he actually preferred it because he can expierence it through me.

it felt weird to me eating it after I gave it but it got me thinking how different cultures handle food offerings.

I read in some traditions with food offerings reversion is the norm and can act as a grounding or honoring of the spirits blessing after the ritual even.

I heard you take on that deities powers as well ( just kidding though that would be cool :stuck_out_tongue:)

how do you dispose of food offerings ? it actually was a chocolate pastry so if I tossed it outside it actually might’ve made some critters sick

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Please use the search function in the upper right. There already are many threads explaining the disposal of food offerings.

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Quite right, a dog (like my poor old fellow, who’s a bit creaky with age etc) could be poisoned by that, so you made the right call. :+1:

Anything with grapes, currents, sultanas etc is also very dangerous to dogs, and some other animals, and sugary stuff could harm an animal as well if it has liver or pancreatic problems.

Good advice about search but it’s sometimes hard to know what terms to use, so I’m going to copy something I posted elsewhere here about the four types of offering that seem most common, there might be others I missed out:

  • ones given to an entity which must never be taken back, for example, offerings made to the dead which will bring misfortune if they’re stolen by the living, things that are destroyed by the offering process, whether by burning, breaking (swords and knives are often found in that state by archeologists, that seem to have been destroyed when brand new and thrown into water courses), or other destructive methods;

  • offerings meant to be consecrated by the the being to whom they’re offered and which are then redistributed for the benefit of humans, e.g., prasad in Hinduism, or the practice of wearing blessed talismans - and, along those lines, I know some Hindus will dress images of Lakshmi and other gods in their own best jewellery during Diwali, and then remove the items and wear them as normal afterwards, which is similar to lending a guest your bedroom while they stay because it’s the finest in the house;

  • offerings that remain entirely unaltered and which humans can also enjoy, which includes any temple or church, and the images of the gods etc., which humans are encouraged to use as focal points for devotion or offerings;

  • offerings that exist entirely in the mind, such as renouncing certain types of food, or fasting completely; devoting one’s entire life to some being, and offerings of time and attention through prayer, celibacy, and so on.

Each has different meanings, the recipient spirit knows this, and there’s a lot of custom and folklore to back it up, so knowing what type of offering you want to give, for how long etc., is paramount.

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I meant how you personally do it

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You can also dispose of food by just wrapping it in clean paper and putting it in the trash (or food composting bins if your local authority collects that), that’s respectful and once the spirit has used the energy, the food may be soured, but as you experienced, sometimes spirits want to enjoy the food through us. :+1:

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I don’t do offerings in my practice.

However, on the special occasions when I have, I disposed of them through the elements. Food is buried in the Earth, and libations are poured out upon the ground with a prayer of thanks.

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Foods to avoid disposing of outdoors include:

  • Chocolate, coffee-infused candies, and teabags
  • Onions, garlic, leeks, and chives
  • Grapes and raisins
  • Sugary baked goods

People don’t always know these things and a dog can wolf something down before the owner has a chance to stop them, so better safe than sorry - you never know who the owner may be, or how they’d “reward” you for such carelessness. :skull_and_crossbones:

I was working in a group once where a woman described being cursed by faeries for offering chocolate in a forest, because it can also be harmful to other types of critters.

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So anything like grapes or oranges, etc if i offered to any spirits nd after can i bury it in soil? Any offering like grapes? And abt eating it and i don’t trust my mind cuz i want to eat everything (i love food😂) nd idk much about offerings since I’m also a newbie

But seriously, how can i know if the spirit is saying me to eat it or my mind cuz i don’t want to angry them

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Don’t bury grapes, if this is a park or public space. :+1:

Wrap them in a piece of paper and place them in the trash.

You can bury oranges, eggs, meat, most other fruit.

Best to assume not to eat it UNTIL you can communicate with spirits in my opinion.

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Thanks! ur always helpful! :smiley:

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