Deity Offerings Guide: What to Give and When

Why Offerings Matter in Deity Work

Offerings are the foundation of reciprocal deity relationships. They are physical expressions of gratitude, respect, devotion, and energetic exchange. When you work with a deity, you're entering a partnership—and like any healthy relationship, it requires give and take.

Offerings demonstrate that you:

• Respect the deity's time, energy, and guidance
• Understand the principle of reciprocity
• Are willing to invest in the relationship
• Honor the deity's preferences and mythology
• Take the partnership seriously

Never approach a deity empty-handed. Offerings are not optional—they are essential to building trust, maintaining connection, and showing that you value the relationship.

Types of Offerings

1. Food and Drink

The most traditional and universal offerings across all cultures:

• Bread: Symbol of sustenance and life force
• Honey: Sweetness, abundance, and divine nectar
• Wine: Celebration, transformation, and sacred libation
• Water: Purity, life, and cleansing (should be fresh and changed daily)
• Fruits: Seasonal offerings that honor the earth's cycles
• Grains: Wheat, barley, rice—symbols of harvest and prosperity
• Meat: Historically significant, though modern practitioners often use symbolic alternatives

Important: Food offerings should be fresh, high-quality, and something you would eat yourself. Don't offer spoiled or unwanted food—that's disrespectful.

2. Flowers and Plants

Living offerings that represent beauty, growth, and the natural world:

• Fresh flowers: Roses, lilies, lavender, sunflowers
• Herbs: Rosemary, bay laurel, mugwort, thyme
• Wreaths or garlands: Woven from sacred plants
• Potted plants: Living offerings that grow over time

Choose flowers and herbs associated with your specific deity (see deity-specific section below).

3. Incense and Smoke

Smoke carries prayers and intentions to the divine realm:

• Frankincense: Universal offering for most deities, purification
• Myrrh: Sacred, ancient, associated with death and rebirth deities
• Sandalwood: Grounding, spiritual connection
• Sage: Cleansing and protection
• Cinnamon: Solar deities, prosperity, passion
• Rose: Love deities, beauty, devotion

4. Candles and Light

Fire represents transformation, the divine spark, and your devotion:

• Use candles in the deity's sacred colors
• Light candles during prayers, rituals, and offerings
• Let candles burn completely when possible (safely)
• White candles work for any deity

5. Crystals and Stones

Permanent offerings that remain on the altar:

• Clear Quartz: Amplifies energy for any deity
• Amethyst: Spiritual connection, divine wisdom
• Obsidian: Underworld and shadow deities
• Rose Quartz: Love and beauty deities
• Carnelian: Warrior and fire deities
• Moonstone: Lunar and feminine deities
• Citrine: Solar and abundance deities

6. Precious Items

Valuable offerings that show significant investment:

• Coins (especially ancient or silver)
• Jewelry
• Artwork or handmade crafts
• Written poetry or songs
• Perfumes or oils

7. Acts of Service

Non-physical offerings that honor the deity's domain:

• Aphrodite: Self-care rituals, acts of love and beauty
• Artemis: Environmental conservation, protecting animals
• Athena: Learning, teaching, strategic planning
• Demeter: Gardening, feeding others, supporting farmers
• Hecate: Shadow work, helping others at crossroads, honoring the dead

8. Energy and Devotion

The most valuable offering of all:

• Your time and attention
• Prayers and hymns
• Meditation and contemplation
• Study and research
• Living according to the deity's values

Deity-Specific Offering Guide

Greek Deities

Aphrodite - Goddess of Love and Beauty

• Flowers: Roses (especially pink and red), myrtle, violets
• Food: Honey, chocolate, strawberries, pomegranates, wine
• Incense: Rose, jasmine, vanilla, ylang ylang
• Crystals: Rose quartz, rhodonite, pink opal, emerald
• Other: Perfume, beauty products, mirrors, shells, pearls
• Acts: Self-love rituals, pleasure, creative expression

Apollo - God of Sun, Music, and Prophecy

• Flowers: Laurel, sunflowers, hyacinth
• Food: Honey, wine, bread, citrus fruits
• Incense: Frankincense, bay laurel, cinnamon
• Crystals: Citrine, sunstone, clear quartz, amber
• Other: Music, poetry, gold items, lyre imagery
• Acts: Creating art, playing music, seeking truth

Artemis - Goddess of the Hunt and Moon

• Flowers: Wildflowers, white roses, jasmine
• Food: Honey, moon water, bread, wild game (or symbolic alternatives)
• Incense: Mugwort, cypress, cedar
• Crystals: Moonstone, selenite, clear quartz, pearl
• Other: Silver items, arrows, animal imagery (deer, bear)
• Acts: Nature walks, protecting animals, setting boundaries

Athena - Goddess of Wisdom and War

• Flowers: Olive branches, white lilies
• Food: Olives, olive oil, bread, wine
• Incense: Frankincense, sage, cedar
• Crystals: Lapis lazuli, sodalite, clear quartz
• Other: Owl imagery, books, strategic games, armor
• Acts: Learning, teaching, strategic planning, justice work

Hades - God of the Underworld

• Flowers: Asphodel, cypress, dark roses, narcissus
• Food: Pomegranates, dark wine, bread, honey
• Incense: Myrrh, cypress, patchouli
• Crystals: Obsidian, black tourmaline, smoky quartz, jet
• Other: Coins (for the ferryman), keys, bones, dark candles
• Acts: Shadow work, honoring the dead, transformation rituals

Hecate - Goddess of Witchcraft and Crossroads

• Flowers: Garlic flowers, red roses, yew, cypress
• Food: Garlic, honey, eggs, pomegranates, red wine, bread
• Incense: Myrrh, mugwort, cypress, dragon's blood
• Crystals: Obsidian, moonstone, labradorite, black tourmaline
• Other: Keys, torches, daggers, crossroads dirt
• Acts: Shadow work, divination, helping others at crossroads

Hermes - God of Communication and Travel

• Flowers: Crocus, strawberries
• Food: Honey, wine, bread, strawberries
• Incense: Frankincense, lavender, mint
• Crystals: Citrine, agate, turquoise
• Other: Coins, feathers, winged imagery, travel souvenirs
• Acts: Communication, travel, helping travelers, wit and humor

Persephone - Goddess of Spring and the Underworld

• Flowers: Pomegranate blossoms, narcissus, spring flowers
• Food: Pomegranates, honey, bread, spring vegetables
• Incense: Myrrh, rose, jasmine
• Crystals: Garnet, rose quartz, obsidian, moss agate
• Other: Seeds, spring imagery, dual-season items
• Acts: Transformation work, honoring cycles, shadow integration

Demeter - Goddess of Harvest and Agriculture

• Flowers: Wheat, poppies, cornflowers
• Food: Bread, grains, honey, seasonal fruits and vegetables
• Incense: Frankincense, myrrh, grain-based
• Crystals: Moss agate, green aventurine, citrine
• Other: Wheat sheaves, cornucopias, harvest imagery
• Acts: Gardening, feeding others, supporting agriculture

Norse Deities

Odin - Allfather, God of Wisdom

• Food: Mead, wine, bread, meat
• Incense: Frankincense, sandalwood, pine
• Crystals: Lapis lazuli, sodalite, obsidian
• Other: Runes, poetry, knowledge, ravens, wolves

Freya - Goddess of Love and War

• Flowers: Roses, primrose, daisies
• Food: Honey, mead, chocolate, strawberries
• Incense: Rose, amber, sandalwood
• Crystals: Rose quartz, amber, carnelian, garnet
• Other: Gold jewelry, cat imagery, feathers

Thor - God of Thunder

• Food: Mead, beer, hearty meals, meat
• Incense: Cedar, pine, oak
• Crystals: Red jasper, carnelian, hematite
• Other: Hammer imagery, oak, strength symbols

Egyptian Deities

Isis - Goddess of Magic and Motherhood

• Flowers: Lotus, roses, jasmine
• Food: Honey, milk, bread, beer
• Incense: Myrrh, frankincense, lotus
• Crystals: Lapis lazuli, carnelian, turquoise, moonstone
• Other: Ankh symbols, wings, throne imagery

Anubis - God of Death and the Afterlife

• Food: Bread, beer, meat, dates
• Incense: Myrrh, frankincense, cedarwood
• Crystals: Obsidian, black tourmaline, jet, lapis lazuli
• Other: Jackal imagery, scales, canopic jars

Bastet - Goddess of Cats and Protection

• Food: Milk, honey, fish, beer
• Incense: Myrrh, catnip, sandalwood
• Crystals: Tiger's eye, carnelian, sunstone
• Other: Cat imagery, music, dance, joy

When to Make Offerings

Daily Offerings

• Fresh water (changed every day)
• Lighting a candle
• Brief prayer or acknowledgment

Weekly Offerings

• Fresh flowers
• Food and drink
• Incense
• Dedicated ritual time

Monthly Offerings

• New or full moon offerings (for lunar deities)
• Larger food offerings or feasts
• Precious items or crafts

Special Occasions

• Deity's sacred days or festivals
• Sabbats or seasonal celebrations
• When asking for significant help
• After receiving guidance or blessings
• Life milestones and transitions

How to Present Offerings

1. Cleanse yourself: Wash your hands, ground your energy
2. Light candles and incense: Create sacred atmosphere
3. Call the deity: Speak their name, invite their presence
4. Present the offering: Place it on the altar with intention
5. Speak your intention: "I offer this [item] to [deity name] with gratitude and devotion"
6. Sit in meditation: Allow the deity to receive the offering energetically
7. Express gratitude: Thank the deity for their presence

How to Dispose of Offerings

Offerings should be disposed of respectfully once they've served their purpose:

Food and Drink:

• Consume it: Eat or drink the offering yourself (sharing the deity's blessing)
• Return to nature: Bury in earth, pour into running water, leave at a crossroads
• Compost: For plant-based offerings
• Timing: Remove food offerings before they spoil (usually 24-48 hours)

Flowers and Plants:

• Return to earth (bury or compost)
• Leave at a crossroads or sacred site
• Burn dried flowers as offering smoke

Candles and Incense:

• Let burn completely when safe
• Bury wax remnants
• Dispose of ash in nature

Permanent Offerings:

• Crystals, statues, and precious items remain on the altar
• If ending the relationship, bury or keep respectfully

Common Offering Mistakes

• Offering spoiled or unwanted food: Disrespectful
• Never removing old offerings: Creates stagnant energy
• Offering items you wouldn't use yourself: Shows lack of respect
• Expecting immediate results: Offerings are about relationship, not transactions
• Offering without intention: Mindless offerings lack power
• Ignoring the deity's preferences: Research what they actually like

What If You Can't Afford Physical Offerings?

Deity work is accessible to everyone, regardless of financial resources:

• Water: Free and universally acceptable
• Your time: Meditation, prayer, devotion
• Your energy: Visualization, intention, focus
• Acts of service: Living according to the deity's values
• Creative offerings: Art, poetry, music, dance
• Foraged items: Flowers, herbs, stones from nature

The most valuable offering is your sincere devotion and consistent presence.

Final Thoughts

Offerings are the language of reciprocity in deity work. They demonstrate respect, gratitude, and commitment to the relationship. Whether you offer honey and wine or simply your time and devotion, what matters most is the intention behind the gift.

Research your deity's preferences, honor their mythology, and give from the heart. The gods appreciate sincerity over extravagance.

Ready to build your deity altar? Read our guide: How to Build a Deity Altar

New to deity work? Start here: Deity Work Basics: What You Need to Know