It was both of them actually, and they revealed how food offerings work since many cannot fathom how a spirit could use food since they don’t eat.
Offerings of food, drinks, tobacco:
Spirits can’t eat like we do, however they are able to draw energy from these substances. When a human eats food, our body takes the nutrients and sugars and turns it into energy and vitamins and things we need to survive and run our bodies efficiently. A spirit can drain the same sugars and nutrients from these foods although, not literally. They drain the essence of them. So basically, what we have to eat, digest and shit out to get nutrients and energy, a spirit is able to drain that energy from the products with no need for ingestion. What ends up being a human’s end result from food, a spirit can get those contents right away.
If you leave a food offering, you will notice it deteriorate rapidly. Food that normally takes 2 weeks before going bad, if given to a spirit you may see it going stale and molding in just 3 days if left out that long. Normally, you should only leave an offering out for 24 hours Max. or else the spirit may get distracted and pay more attention to the food than to your goal, but I’ve had wandering spirits help themselves before without asking and food I literally just bought started molding not 2 days later.
If you leave out a beverage, if carbonated it will become flat sooner, if non-carbonated it will evaporate more rapidly as if disappearing on its own. Tobacco, will become severely dry and stale tasting if smoked later on.
Offerings of Non-food items:
Some items, spirits cannot drain energy from because these items have no energy or nothing in their materials that can be turned into energy. Things like coins, pretty stones, glitter, ribbon, cash, so on. With these items it’s not about gaining energy directly from them, but the thrill for the spirit is the sacrifice you make to give those items up whether they ask you to part with a cherished sentiment or go and fetch something you don’t already have on hand. It’s about the sacrifice to give up an item or your willingness to hunt down those items for them. Some of those do have stagnant human energy behind that can be absorbed, but that’s not the point. And yes, some types of entities do ask for things like loose glitter and ribbon (faeries) whereas dragons are not against asking for scrap metal pieces and clocks…yes, clocks. They like the gears inside.
To give an offering:
Just lay it on your altar or on a plate that you designate for offerings only (if possible) and invite the spirit to come receive it. If you are envoking the spirit then just give them offering after your chat or spell is done, but not before or they may get distracted and lose focus. Just make sure when preparing an offering that you state out loud, this (insert item name) is for (insert spirit name) only as an offering to that spirit. I ask that any other spirits or entities who may find this offering, do not touch these items, they are not for you. Something similar to that. Then you can safely tuck away the offering until time to give, without anything bothering it.
You only need to give an offering in return for services, invocation, pacts, and favors, or as an random gift to spirits you work with almost every day as a token of appreciation. But never give the offering until after the spirit comes thru for you unless it’s a spirit you trust and know they will follow thru. I never give an offering to a new spirit I have evoked. I make them come thru for me first to see if they actually will, giving them no opportunities to get snatch and run freebies from me! And most spirits understand this and are willing to perform first, get paid later. If any spirits demand payment up front and won’t let up on it, I’d be suspicious for sure.
Dimissed to a spirit, only means you are done with your chat or spell, whatever you called them to you for. It just lets them know they can leave at any time after that because you are done so they don’t leave early thinking you are finished when you are just pausing for a second to ponder an answer they gave you. If you gave them an offering, as long as you tell them before you dismiss them that the offering is theirs, they will not leave until they take it. But most spirits are respectful so if you have an offering right in front of their face, they will not take it unless you tell them it’s for them. So make sure you let them know before dismissing them and give them space. Walk away after your done and let them take their offering in peace. Many spirits like to be left alone while feeding on an offering, and they will only do this when no one is in the same room which is why it’s recommended to leave the offering out for 24 hours because if someone walks in the room they may vanish and come back later, expecting the items to still be there. I’ve had spirits wait until the next morning before taking an offering because it was 2:00 a.m. when I summoned them and they wanted to be left alone but everyone else is sleeping in my house at that time so I can’t just go in the living room at that time to give them privacy.
Also, be careful what spirits you say dismissed to, some of the more powerful spirits will take offense to it and feel as if you are ordering them around. With those spirits, it’s best to establish another way to let them know you are done and they can leave. Some of the 9 kings have a slight problem with it.