Prays are sometimes, but not all the time, accompanied by offerings. At many churches, altars in the woods and so on, you’ll find coins, incense, water, liqour and so on. Because it is important, I will begin with sacrifice. Scholars have argued over the years with no resolution on the ‘why’ of sacrifice. I think many scholars have seen sacrifice through the lens of their own ideology, the culture they study the most, or their own culture. A nihlist would find a nihlistic meaning, a mage who studied ancient higborne culture will apply nightborn meaning. But they all view sacrifice as a single thing. it is a single thing one in the sense sacrifice is one thing. But there is no single meaning to sacrifice; there is several.
Sacrifice is giving something to the Divine. Whethe rit is Elune, the Light, the Sunwell, or any other diety. The origin of the word sacrifice means to ‘make sacred’. In everyday speech we use it as giving something up and that is how we use it. (I.E. “He sacrificed himself” or “I sacrificed my time.”)A religious sacrifice however, is not giving up. It is giving to. It is not ‘I’m great for depriving myself’, but ‘I am glad to give my Divine whatever they want’.
Often, however, there are questions on sacrifice and what one can give. The greater value an item has to you, that is yours to give, has value in the eyes of the divine. But once you have given that item up then it will not have value in the eyes of the divine again. Consumed, for lack of a better word. Another sacrifice that can be given is blood. There is a saying of ‘ blood is life’. Be careful not to give to much!
Worldwide, offerings are given to the dead and to those associated with it to show love, appease, and offer something to those we have lost that are no longer with us. For the dead be careful not to offer up things that can be twisted towards harmful ends such as magical items. As good as your intentions might be there is always someone with bad intent.
Some will argue sacrifices are obsolete in this day and age.But should it be considered obsolete? When does a religious practice become obsolete? Many have become distant from religion and find the idea of sacrificing to a Divine distasteful. Who wants to sacrifice their lover’s beloved bow or robes to the fire and to lose that forever? Or to cut themselves and give a dusty altar blood?
Symbolic sacrifice is also something worth considering. Something else named as valuable and treated as one. Bread has always been the most common substitute. Libations are the most common offering you will see. They can be any drink, although alcoholic spirits are the most common. Left in their bottle, or a glass, or poured . Distilled drinks make good offerings since they burn well, however, be careful for sudden flare ups. Oils and Butter are also acceptable.
Don’t pour anything with a low alchohol content or none at all onto a fire. It will dampen or put the fire out- never good for a ritual or ceremony. Instead pour it at the base.
Some offerings can’t be burned or poured. But problem; coins, jewelry, weapons, and armor can be cast into water or buried. Here we find another meaning of sacrifice: to give something over to the Divine.
Every thing thing about your prayer makes a differnece. Prose, poem, emotion, belief, your strength of will, what you’ll sacrifice for it- all of these matter. Different choices will give you different results.
Tyleril Silversword 