Sharing food with your Deities (how I do it)
There are many ways you can offer food to the gods but I never really see this specific method (which I used to use when I was super poor) and honestly, even though I’m doing economically well, I still use this method as a bonding experience with me and the gods/spirits. I thought I’d share it for those of you who might need it.
I grew up super poor and unable to waste food because I was doing witchcraft in secret and my mother would flip or my siblings would eat the food if I left food out. Still, I felt bad because all the witch books I was reading at the time (the 90s) said I had to have a physical altar (I later learned this is such BS because you can mentally have one if you can’t physically aquire or keep one) and that I HAD to put food on it as an offering and later dig it in the Earth when it was done. (Very hard to do if you live in the city and can potentially be bad for the environment).
I was frustrated. I wanted to show the gods and spirits around me that I cared, that I was greatful for their protection and constant blessings. But with me being only able to get what I could from my mom because my mother couldn’t afford to give us an allowance, there was nothing I could do, so I got creative.
I looked at my food and was silent for a bit. My mom was so proud because she assumed I was saying Grace in my head. In actuality, I touched my plate/bowl and imagined gold energy coming out of my finger tips. The gold engulfed the food and I mentally said:
“I offer the spiritual aspect of the food I’m about to eat. I offer it to (say name/names of the gods and spirits. I visualized many copies of this food for all I was offering it to, so they can enjoy the meal I was about to eat.) You are also welcome to eat through me and taste what my tastebuds taste. I will only be consuming the physical portion of this food. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you do and continue to do. I love you.”
Some spirits would take me on my offer to eat through me and I could feel their energy go inside me while I ate. It was a beautiful experience and one that I still practice for a few reasons:
1) It allowed me to continue working with these gods/spirits in private.
2) I didn’t have to worry about what to do with the physical part of the food because I consumed it.
3) it was economically sound. As someone who was very poor and could only offer what I had, the spirits understood I was doing what I could. A lot of would be witches say they can’t afford the food offerings because they have to buy extra food when their normal grocery bill already looks scary.
4) I could feel the spiritual energy during these offerings. It was like being in a euphoric state of mind and that felt like we were truly bonding. It also helped me be able to identify when my spirits were near and tell them all apart.
When I got older and had a job, I was able to afford buying extra offerings but it wasn’t the same amazing experience. When I was getting rid of the food, I couldn’t help but feel bad for “wasting” it. (Something that was considered a terrible offense in my poor household.) I started to feel more and more disconnected with the spirits and before I knew it, the hectic aspects of life made it hard for me to remember to make extra for my altar so over time I stopped doing it altogether.
I find it easier for me to include the spirits in my daily life than make extra time for them because sometimes life has a way of keeping you away from your spiritual activities when it gets hectic.
Now, I do what I did when I was a kid. I interwove my gods and guides into my daily life and am experiencing magick like never before! I know some people will see this as super obvious but I felt it needed to be said for those who might need to see this.
I hope this helps and remember, no one has a right to say what is right for your craft but you! <3
