So, I did a greeting ritual to anything living near my home, but it did not go well. Just before I started all the dogs in the neighborhood started barking. Then I felt warmth, and literal bats flew over my head (we're rural)but my candle wouldn't light. I'm a bit worried, but so disappointed as well. Could I have done something to offend?
Hey anon! Thanks for the question, and your patience with the answer ^_^
Going by what you said, I don’t think that you did anything to offend, exactly. At first, I honestly thought that what you described kind of sounded like a rousing success, aside from the candle going out. I think I would still say that it was very successful, in the sense that everything near you was totally keyed into your intentions and seemed willing to work with you.
Based on the bats I’m assuming that this ritual took place outside, and if so then my suggestion is to maybe try the greeting ritual without the candle <3 If you are rural, fire can be a huge threat (I’ve experienced wildfires, they suck).
While any one component of what you wrote could be coincidence (and the bats are probably a coincidence here, though it depends)…the barking, the sensation of heat, and then the candle flat-out not lighting, when those factors all combined they made me think that maybe that’s what the energies and spirits in your area were getting at - keeping the candle out.
And if that’s the case, then it seems more like a firm but relatively-non-threatening ‘no fire’ warning, rather than you having offended anything.<3
I hope that helps, anon! This is just my take on things, but I think you did alright <3