Every time we post about offerings, we get asked what do we do with all the food we offer. If you have been reading this blog for a while, you already know we hate waste in all its forms and thus recycle, reuse and recycle really madly. When we offer food, either us or our pets eat most of it, and whatever is not eatable or safe for us, like drinks, is given to Exu Okkada, the Exu that lives in the trash. In this post, I want to show you two example of recycled offerings.
Example 1 – Do you remember this offering from last week?
It was made of cookies, nuts, honey and an apple. Well, we kept it in the fridge for a couple of days, and last Friday, while preparing the rune consecration ritual, I passed everything through the food blender, added birdseed, one egg and a small cup of flour and spread it on a tray covered with waxed paper. Since we were going to bake a beer bread for the ritual, we placed the mix in the oven too and got a full tray of bird cookies + two meals cooked with the energy of one, since they used the same oven time. Nothing went to waste, and lots of energy was saved. Some of these cookies we will give to our budgies, and most of them will be given to the wildlife of Las Mercedes mountains when we go next week, since food is really scarce during the summer here. Birds, lizards and mice will be very happy, and that will make the mountain happy :).
Example 2 – again for the rune consecration ritual, I made mulled cider. To spice the cider, I used cardamom, cinnamon, lemon and orange rind, one apple, muscatel raisins, honey, powdered ginger and nutmeg.
Once the cider was ready, I really didn’t want to throw all this amazing-smelling goodness away, so what did I make with it? Using again the food blender, I pureed everything and made a super fragrant base for incense pellets! On Saturday, we added the powdered herbs and perfume oils (sorry, that part is secret!) and they are now drying and have already passed their first test, with fantastic results!
As soon as they have dried a bit more so they keep they shape properly during shipping, they will be put for sale. Since the latest batch, The Wanderer, has a masculine, woodsy scent, we made this new batch with more sensual, feminine scents – perfect for you, Freya worshippers!
Always wanted to make some incense! That looks lovely!
Excellent! Your resourcefulness is an inspiration to me. Having grown up in a place where everything purchased in the past 75 years is wrapped in plastic and then tossed away after one use, I feel like I have to re-learn the frugality that my great-grandparents knew.
It never occurred to me to re-use offerings in this way. I tend to leave them out for the bugs to devour, and then compost what is left with prayers in my heart…but I really am moved by your examples here.
Blessings, Carolina!
Dear SPH, I am honoured to have inspired you! Believe me, what it is called frugality is actually a state of abundance like you can’t imagine. We do have so much more now that we waste less.
You guys are just so cool. I can get a little more creative with my offerings & leftovers. I always try to recycle and any food that we or my doggies can’t eat goes outdoors. The birds love it and we have a pretty clever red fox that checks out the back yard for leftovers too.
I love how you made two offerings of one! One for the spirits and one for nature’s creatures. That’s just lovely. It shows not only devotion for the spirits and the land, but also your consideration for the environment. And how clever is that to use the wet spices an incense base! You’re like a recycling witch extraordinaire! I’m attempting two kyphi batches using native botanicals and I hope they turn out as good as your new incense pellets ;)
I love your idea for bird cookies! Now I feel quite inspired-thinking of making them into shapes to hang in the tree in our back yard at Yule.
Bright blessings, Carolina….
Louise
So happy you posted this, dear Carolina!
I think it’s important to promote a No Waste ideal, especially in our (highly) consumerist society and the ideas you provide are to be treasured.
Can’t wait to see a post about your trip to the mountains, let us know what wonders you find this time please! :)