Food Offering

[master]

I'm sure this is depending on the spirit but what kind of food do you normally offer? How long do you leave the food on the altar? Also, do you eat the food afterward or simply throw it out?

[JintheNinja]

like you said it depends.

if in doubt, water, incense, bitter herbs (fresh preferably but yerba santa, angelica, and cascara sagrada will work if dry), flowers (fresh), tobacco.

in terms of food offerings- things like fruit are not eaten after. bread, chocolate, etc those are things u give to the spirit it’s not for you.

in terms of disposal, some spirits like xroads , some graveyard, some church yard, some backyard garden. it all depends. if it’s between you letting the food sit in a bag waiting for disposal for a week or two or having it in your schedule to actually put it where it belongs- compost it or even throw it instead. better to put fresh than to have old. but proper disposal is always best, same with candles, wax etc

[Scottish_Pride]

My main concern would be ants.

[master]

Thank you so much for the response. If it’s food, how long do you leave it out? It is a day or two or hours?

I’m Asian and my family practices ancestors worship. We normally eat the food afterwards. However, I like to ask in order to be safe. I don’t want to accidentally offend a spirit or two. lol

[Feywer96]

Bread, wine, milk, honey, water, nuts, fruit, alcohol &etc.

As necessary. Some people leave offerings until they practically dehydrate, and then throw away. Others leave for merely a day or the like. It is ultimately personal preference. Entities though, do and like to be fed often when one has a personal rapport with them.

[JintheNinja]

cooked food and or sacrificed food is generally eaten after if that’s what you re specifically asking.

in terms of a spirit so say guan gong , if u give him oranges, sweet cane juice or soya milk in the can, the cans can stay on there if unopened for a buddhist month then u change it out, the oranges get changed daily or weekly- but it depends some people do it weekly but give him rice wine and incense daily, some people give flowers daily.
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some of my spirits i noticed absorb flowers and or food very quickly so when it looks wilted i immediately change it out. one of them just sucks the juice out the flowers and i’ve made a newly concerted effort to use spiritually powerful flowers to not counteract it but modify it.

if in doubt change it out, it’s also nice to keep their altars as tidy as possibly, i know in some chinese families or viet as it were they the incense ash as it falls, and that’s fine too, but i think they appreciate the care if u tidy and give fresh water and offerings. if u don’t want to eat old food off a dirty plate why would they.

[master]

Thank you all for the helpful advices. I have no intentions of eating the food afterward. I was curious if other do it or not.


The spirit in question is Nitika from GoM. I had some good results with her and would like to offer something in order to continue that good results

[JintheNinja]

set up a little shrine for her with her seal standing in for an icon or statue. i would do a divinination with her and ask what sort of food she likes- maybe it will be wine and incense i have no idea- but maybe it will be specific. it’s always better to get advice direct from source.