Friday, January 25, 2008

Offerings and Negotiations

I've been thinking a lot lately about this, and about offerings and what is appropriate under what conditions, etc. I'm really struggling with this because:

1) I need to honor Brighid to the best of my ability.
2) I'm a product of my times and feel uncomfortable with offerings of food or drink.
3) I've never asked Brighid for anything other than a way to let me know She's really there.
4) Now, when I really do need Her help, I don't know what to offer in return.

I've posted before about votive offerings (I'll do X for God So-n-So, if S/He does Y for me). And I understand them intellectually. But I'm having a really hard time wrapping my brain around the idea.

And, in this case, the help I need is pretty big (at least to me), so it feels as if the offering must be something really big (at least to me). I don't know how to figure this out.

I did a little divination last night -- which, itself, is an improvement. It's been so long since I've felt able to function on that level.

For some reason, I was punchy last night and my husband and I were joking about how much morphine I have to take just to be able to get out of bed in the morning. And he made some off-hand remark relating morphine to some of the mind-altering substances some cultures have used to facilitate vision quests (e.g., peyote, etc.). So, I thought, what the hell? I'll give it a try. Maybe morphine will open me up.

And it did. I was a bit freaked out at first, but then I just went with it.

And what I learned is that I am, indeed, on the right track with this big project. And that I do, indeed, need some Divine help. And that an offering would be a good idea. And that's as far as I got.

So, I'd love to hear more details about how people figure out what those special offerings are and/or how you negotiate with the gods to get the help you need in return for your offering.

Oh, and, yes, I've tried just asking Brighid. But apparently I have to either figure it out or just use trial and error until I get it right.

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