Disposal of Ritual Offerings

A common question that comes up is the matter of how to dispose of offerings made during the ritual once the ritual has concluded. Disposal methods may vary, depending on a few things. For instance, does your particular magical tradition require you to dispose of offerings in a certain way? Also, what is the offering? Organic materials can be disposed of in different ways than non-organic offerings.

Finally, does the spell or ritual itself include a method of disposal? Consider all of these factors when you’re deciding on how to dispose of a magical offering.

Let’s look at some of the different ways that you can get rid of an offering you’ve made:

The Power of Fire

Nearly any ritual offering can be disposed of by burning. In some hoodoo traditions, burning an offering is considered part of the ritual itself. You can also burn ritual offerings such as meat, bread, and other foods. Sometimes, burning an item can be tied into the working; if you’re trying to get rid of something in your life permanently, for example, burning is a great way to assure that it won’t return.

Earth & Water

If your offering is an organic item, such as blood, fruits, and vegetables, tobacco, or other plant material, you may want to consider burying it.

A garden is a good place to do this, particularly if you have a compost bin because the nutrients will go back into the soil as the offering biodegrades, continuing the cycle of life. Some people choose to bury non-biodegradable items as well, such as candle stubs and incense remnants, but if you do this, you should make sure you do it in your own yard.

Disposal of organic items into a moving body of water, such as a river or the ocean, is acceptable in many traditions as well. Make sure, though, that you’re not putting any non-organic materials in the water. Use your best judgment here.

Sharing With Wildlife

Some offering items can be left out until they go away on their own. For instance, if you make an offering of consecrated water in a bowl, eventually it’s going to evaporate. If you do an outdoor ritual and you’ve offered herbs and flowers, those are going to blow away at some point, and find their way to a new home.

What About Icky Things?

Sometimes, let’s face it, we do a working that involves something negative.

Maybe you’re trying to banish a pesky former lover, or you’re trying to get that crazy fundamentalist lady down the street to leave you alone. In cases like this–particularly if you have created a poppet, you probably want to get the item as far away from you as possible. In cases like this, simply because of the nature of the ritual, you may want to go ahead and find a place such as a landfill, a port-a-john, or some other foul place to be rid of the items. Just make sure you’re not putting anything into the ecosystem that is going to cause damage down the road.

In the matter of spell components, you might not always want to permanently dispose of the items right away. Depending on the purpose of the spell, you may choose to hide the item in someone’s home, bury it in your own yard, or tuck it into a tree, among other things.

Obviously, your disposal methods are going to vary depending on the ritual or working itself, and on the nature of the ritual offerings that you need to be rid of. Use common sense, think outside the box, and find a way to adapt to each situation as needed.