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Ep 4: The Gifting Cycle - Offerings, Sacrifice, & Reciprocity
809 Plays1 year ago
Embark on a transformative journey with Kierra and Oz. Join us as we unravel the mystique of the Heathen Gifting Cycle, exploring the sacred dance of offerings, sacrifice, and reciprocity in Norse traditions.
🔍 Key Insights:
- Offerings Explored: Delve into the significance of offerings in Heathenry, from libations to symbolic items that bridge the realms.
- Sacred Sacrifices: Understand the deeper meaning behind Heathen sacrifices and how they foster a profound connection with the divine.
- Reciprocity in Action: Explore the power of reciprocity, where the energies of giving and receiving create a harmonious flow within the Gifting Cycle.
- Practical Tips: Kierra and Oz share actionable tips for listeners to incorporate the Gifting Cycle into their modern Heathen practices.
Discover the magic within the Heathen Gifting Cycle and learn how these ancient practices can be woven into the fabric of your daily life. Join us for an engaging discussion that transcends time, connecting us with the timeless wisdom of our ancestors. 🌟✨ Hit play now and unlock the transformative power of the Heathen Gifting Cycle! #HeathenTraditions #GiftingCycle #HearthofWyrd #AncientWisdom #NorseMagic #ReciprocityEnergy #PodcastMagic
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Transcript
Introduction to Hearth of Weird Podcast
00:00:04
Speaker
You're listening to the Hearth of Weird podcast. Where we discuss heathenry, lore, and legend. And the modern take on an ancient practice.
Host Introductions and Humor
00:00:20
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Hearth of Weird podcast. I'm one of your hosts, Kira. And I'm a lion. You are a lion. Named Oz. Yeah. I'm a trash panda today. Uh, why are we doing that?
00:00:33
Speaker
Oh, there's no reason. I just I don't know. You came in here with your lion suit on. I had to get my animal suit on and now we're just doing this for no. No reason at all. I think it brings a special je ne sais quoi to the episode. You know, like I feel like I do feel like we're leveling up in a way. Definitely. It's it's for the gits and shiggles.
00:01:00
Speaker
Uh, we are getting weird though, like we're getting a little weird. We got to keep it, we got to keep things exciting, keep it interesting. Keep the viewers on their toes. Yeah. Uh, Oz, what are we talking about today?
Main Topic Introduction: Gifting Cycle and Veneration
00:01:14
Speaker
Today, we are going to be talking about the gifting cycle, veneration, honoring, worship, prayer, but primarily the gifting cycle. Yeah, which includes things like offerings and sacrifice, things like that. Um, do you have any bullshittery you want to talk about this week?
00:01:30
Speaker
I have no bullshittery. I've been mostly off of social media this week. You know what? I love that. I have no bullshittery either, except like, I guess this is bullshittery. It's not like bullshit that's happening. It's actually wonderful. My parents came over for Mother's Night and celebrated with me. And it was really fucking nice. Yeah. Because like, to understand, my parents are not religious at all. Like they grew up Mormon, but they left the church when I was very young.
00:01:58
Speaker
Um, so they did all the hard shit. I never had to deal with religious deconstruction or had to deal with religious trauma. They did all that shit before. Uh, so like props to them, first of all. Um, but since then, like they're very, they're very like nature associated. Like they love nature. Like they venerate nature all the fucking time.
00:02:19
Speaker
And they believe in universal energies. I believe, I can't speak for them, but I believe that they think that there is some sense of divine order to things, right? Like, oh, that's just how the universe works. Listen, they're my parents. So yeah, they're hippies. They are hippie AF. These are the people that we roam around the US in our RVs with for weeks on end. These are absolute hippie people.
00:02:46
Speaker
Anyway, they've never come over for Yule, for any kind of celebration, but this year they did. They came over for Mother's Night. I had, you know, photos and offerings and candles set up. And we kind of just sat around this table where I had set up, you know, this shrine essentially and told their stories. And we cried and we laughed and it was really fucking beautiful. Like I love, I love that I was able to share that with them and that they were willing to share that with me.
Personal Stories and Family Traditions
00:03:14
Speaker
And like me and my mom are already making plans for next year, how we're going to make divinities because that's what my grandmother made. We're going to make fudge. We're going to do like cinnamon rolls. We're going to attempt her cinnamon rolls. Like so it's cute. And I'm like, oh, I have people to like celebrate this tradition with. But like these are people who have also like done ritual with me. Like I have done ritual with my parents. I actually did it in their backyard after they finished their their like gazebo set up and
00:03:40
Speaker
and they have a ritual fireplace in their backyard, a little baby chiminea that's really cool. That's awesome. Yeah, so I had my whole family together to do a ritual at one point. I love that. And now I'm like, yes, come to the dark side.
00:03:57
Speaker
to the dark side, we have divinity. We have a fudge. But no, it was just really fucking special. And I loved it. So like, that's me too. Like, I've kind of been staying out of the out of the things going on online and just really enjoying the Yuletide with my fam.
00:04:13
Speaker
I have been hearing that people are getting real gatekeeper about Yule. And so, like, I'm happy to redirect people to our episode where we talk about, yeah, traditionally, historically, Yule was the first full moon after the first new moon after the winter solstice. However, you don't have to celebrate it then. And to do so isn't wrong and to not do so isn't wrong. Absolutely. I hate it. Absolutely.
00:04:45
Speaker
like seasons are weird anyways. Like it's late December here in Washington state and it hasn't snowed really at all here. We got snow before Halloween. But like that's a good point that we we we are not in the Scandinavian lands. We also don't go by a lunar solar calendar anymore. And for me,
00:05:10
Speaker
I have a blended family, so I want to celebrate Yule when the rest of my world is celebrating Christmas, right? Right. Everybody is, and that's, I work with the energies present and that is the energy present right now. And so I'm going to harness that and use that and be a part of that in my own way, right? It's still going to be Yule. It's not going to be celebrating the birth of whatever deity I don't believe in. Like it's, but it's going to coincide with other people because we're all in that mode.
00:05:40
Speaker
And that's very real to me. Yeah. It's the time of year for most heathen holidays is so arbitrary and it changes everywhere. I'm like anybody who's hearing that they're doing you all wrong, just listen to our podcast. Just listen to that episode. Because I feel like we were very like all encompassing of whatever fucking tradition you want to have. Go for it. Yeah. If you're ever having a question about your practice, just stream all of our episodes and try to pick out how many times we tell you to just follow your own path.
00:06:08
Speaker
Do fucking heathen shit. Do heathen shit. You don't need to listen to people. No, not even us. No, God, no, don't listen to us. Turn this podcast off. What are you doing? Immediately. All right. Well, let's get into it.
Understanding the Gifting Cycle
00:06:22
Speaker
Let's get into the gifting cycle. Totally.
00:06:27
Speaker
I do feel like this is a foundational piece to Heathenry. And just like with any other concept of Heathenry, I feel like no matter who you're asking, you're going to get different answers. In fact, you and I see this kind of differently in some spaces. Yeah. But I do. I do feel like the it is the it is a foundational piece and it is also the one that people get tripped up on all the time. They don't know how to do it. How do we give offerings? Who do we give it to? What do we give?
00:06:55
Speaker
Um, how often, what do we do after? Um, but I very rarely see people asking why we give offerings. And so that's kind of why I wanted to get into it because like, if you understand why you're giving the offering, then you'll know what and how, and how often you'll be able to build your own practice. Like this is the, and when we say gifting cycle, what I'm talking about is this cycle of reciprocity, right? It is the exchange of energy, Gebo.
00:07:25
Speaker
And that can look like offerings, gifts, time, hospitality, service, things like that. So we'll get into all of that. Do you wanna get into why we make offerings?
00:07:37
Speaker
Sure, sure. We could talk about why we make offerings. This is going to differ person to person, like why, why you give an offering, I believe is going to differ person to person. For me, when I give offerings to different things, because I consider a lot of things an offering, like
00:08:01
Speaker
And I consider that a lot of different things have their own like variety and flavor of sentience as well. Like I believe that relationships have their own type of sentience, not like walking around talking to people going to the grocery store type sentience, but like it exists, right? It's a thing. A relationship is a thing. So you cultivate that relationship, you nurture it, you feed it. Um, so like giving gifts to, uh, friends in the form of time, hospitality, literal gifts.
00:08:31
Speaker
Monetary gifts. I believe that those are also offerings in my opinion the way that I've look at offerings Those are also offerings because what I'm doing is I'm giving a gift to my friend and I'm offering to our relationship Yeah, and Like to deity you give I get I personally give offerings to deity Kind of with the the hope that they'll like notice me sent by like hey I
00:08:54
Speaker
notice me. I'm here. Hello. If you care to, you know, notice me. Yeah. Like that. Like it's a, you know, notice me senpai. Yeah. Like, Hey, I, here's a gift. You know, notice me and then hopefully, you know, give me some of your, your blessings and that would be fantastic. I also make offerings to nature.
00:09:15
Speaker
which just cultivates the relationship that I have with nature. And that's also an offering, is giving a gift like taking trash. Like when I go places in nature, I pick up garbage when I see it. And I consider that an offering as well. I consider it an offering to Yord.
00:09:31
Speaker
Mm-hmm completely agree completely agree I'm glad that you brought that up that it is like nurturing a relationship because it is you're absolutely right I'm not just talking about the gifting cycle with deity or with other beings like you're you're totally right like it is it's fundamental in building relationships with Others TM right and so that can be absolutely for within our community with with the gods and with the with the beings that be I
00:09:59
Speaker
I know that everybody else has different ideas of what Frithe is, and we'll get into that at a different time. This is where it gets into different definitions of shit. That's absolutely fine. Your own concept of what the gifting cycle is and how it works and what it does is perfectly valid as well. Yeah, and I like that you said that too about, notice me, because it is.
00:10:24
Speaker
And we've kind of touched on this before, you and I, because I use the word debt when I'm talking about the gifting cycle. And a lot of people don't like that word, right? But this is something that stretches on forever. It is this continuous cycle. We do give to someone, whether that be human or spirit. And in doing so, we do create a level of energy that is
00:10:49
Speaker
waiting to be met by the other party, right? And so in that, I have called that level of energy debt or obligation. I've used those words too, but at the same time I was telling you, I was like, Kate, those words don't
00:11:04
Speaker
match. Like it doesn't match quite the concept of what I'm trying to say. Like, because I'm not talking about forcing someone to be indebted to you when you are like, so if I go over to somebody's house and I bring them a bottle of wine and thanks for them inviting me over, I am matching
00:11:25
Speaker
their invitation. Right. They no longer owe a gift. That is a match. Right. It could foster goodwill and make them want to invite me over again. So there could potentially be this level of waiting to be met here. Right. Because I have then I brought them a bottle of wine that I knew they loved and I went to the store and I selected it. And they're like, oh,
00:11:46
Speaker
That's a really sweet gesture. Like I can't wait to have this person over again. And then that'll be matched and then I'll bring a gift and then that'll, you know what I mean? Or I'll invite them over. And so it is, it is creating, it is creating almost imbalances.
00:12:01
Speaker
But not really, you know, it's not obligatory. They could also be like, well, that was really nice. And maybe we'll just never call them again. Or, you know what I mean? Like, that's also totally fine. It's not creating an expectation for future action, right? Right. It's just, it's just this, and it's the same. It's the same with, it's the same with
00:12:22
Speaker
deity and spirit to me, is that we make these offerings or we make these gestures in goodwill, wanting to foster that connection, like you said, it's all about connection. And then when by doing so, we believe that when it's time, at least I believe, I believe that when it's time to petition, if I do ever need to ask something,
00:12:45
Speaker
of deity or of a person or of my ancestors, then the gifts and the relationship that we've built will increase our favor in the cases where I would need assistance. Right. That's what the whole cycle is about. Right. It's like it's not it's kind of like a double edged double sided coin, you know, two sides of the same coin. Like one side is obligation. Like you have an obligation to me because I gave an obligation to you.
00:13:15
Speaker
On the other side is, I'm not doing this because I want you to give me something, but it always starts somewhere, you know, like someone invites you to their home or someone offers you something or gives you time or reaches out when they notice that you're not doing well, which is part of the whole cycle of gifting.
00:13:33
Speaker
is offering up your energy. So the people who reach out to you when they notice that you're not doing well are going to be the ones who you feel the need to reach out to when they seem like they're not doing well. And it's not because you owe them anything, but it is because you owe them something, because they gave this to you. So you're going to give it to them. But it's not
00:13:55
Speaker
It's not for fear of going to jail or something. It's healthy obligation, healthy obligation in terms of this cycle that we have, this gifting cycle. Because while at any time the gifting cycle can stop, the whole universe is built on very fundamental building blocks, right? And one of those building blocks is equal exchange of energy.
00:14:19
Speaker
I completely agree. That's fundamental to physics, even. Like equal exchange of energy is constant throughout the universe. Well, and I don't believe that it has to be 50-50 all the time. You and I have talked about that too. It can't be. No. Because we have different things to offer, you know. But in that same thing, if I'm having a bad day and you're having a bad day,
00:14:44
Speaker
and you notice that I'm having a bad day, and even though your energy is sapped, right, because you're dealing with your own thing, and you still check in, that means 100 times more to me than you checking in when you're doing great, you know, because it takes so much more to be here when you're going through your own thing. So that, it's always going to differ. It's always gonna vary. The amount that you can show up in these relationships is going to vary.
00:15:12
Speaker
Um, there are things that I have to do because, I mean, and you can relate to this. We suffer from a variety of mental illnesses. And so for, for me, um, there are goals that I want to meet. The only practice that I have that is, that is very regular is my ancestral veneration because, and on my altar, I want to keep that up. I want, I, I value them so deeply and I want to honor them regularly. And so on my ancestral altar,
00:15:42
Speaker
I have a living plant. And so at least once a week, I am going to water that plant. And as I do, I am going to venerate my ancestors.
00:15:52
Speaker
That is the only thing that I have that is regular and consistent because I know there's a lot of people who do every day venerations. I know there's a lot of people who do once a month rituals. I cannot guarantee the spoons for that. I cannot guarantee that, but I want to show up for my ancestors. And so like I've had to give myself little tricks to keep me on.
00:16:13
Speaker
to keep me on track with what goals I want to reach, what relationships I want to continue to build and put energy into constantly, consistently. We even have historical attestation of gifting cycles. It's in the Hava Mall. It's in several different sagas.
00:16:30
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. In fact, if you are looking for a book on the gifting cycle, I would highly recommend reading The Gift by Marcel Maus, and that's M-A-U-S-S, because that goes into the gifting cycle within Heathenry, yes, but it also goes into it within
00:16:49
Speaker
society as a whole since the dawn of time. Right? Because like you said, it is something that is constantly perpetuated. It has to be it's fundamental to a society. Because we
00:17:03
Speaker
I feel like we've drifted away from it now, but we have always been collective. But yeah, this whole individualist mindset is very new for humanity. And so I think that that's why I value it so highly, too, is because it brings me back to this feeling of rightness when I am building community and building these relationships with people. That's how we used to be. I want to get back there.
00:17:31
Speaker
It is how we used to be. The individualist society that we have today is evident in politics all over the place, which I don't want to get into because it's just a fight that I don't have the spoons for. No. But it's always been a constant conversation, right? If there's one book that I could recommend that's not about heathenry at all, at all, but has directly to do with the gifting cycle in the overarching universal sense of the gifting cycle,
00:17:57
Speaker
It's this book, What We Owe Each Other by T.M. Scanlon. This is a book. T.M. Scanlon is a moral philosophy was, a moral philosophy professor. And that book right there, What We Owe Each Other, it's directly correlated to the gifting cycle because what a lot of people that have an individualist mindset believe is, I'm going to look out for me and mine. Everyone else can starve and die.
00:18:22
Speaker
That's not quite how the universe works, buddy. Sorry to burst your bubble. But I've used the example, you could live in the nicest house with the nicest yard and the most fed, intelligent, and healthy family in your neighborhood. But if every other house is dilapidated, if the public school system in your area is horrific because your entire neighborhood is dilapidated, if everybody there is sick and unhealthy, you still live in a shitty neighborhood, my dude.
00:18:52
Speaker
Like, you should not be proud about gleefully watching your countrymen, your fellow human beings suffer. That's never what the universe has ever been about. The universe has hinged on the equal exchange of energy since the dawn of everything. Everything's always been equal exchange of energy. We do owe each other.
00:19:16
Speaker
And it is an obligation. We owe each other as human beings, as Americans, as whatever, as people on this planet. We owe each other because it's our duty to look after each other. The key word being each other because if you are, you will also be looked after. Yeah. You will receive as well as give. That's just how that works.
00:19:37
Speaker
Exactly. There are so many examples of how the gifting cycle, even outside of heathenry, is very prevalent in our societies. There was a speech by a person whose name I have forgotten, unfortunately, but what he said was, when they came for the communists, I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.
00:19:56
Speaker
When they came for the socialists, I didn't speak out because I wasn't a socialist. When they came for the trade unionists, I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist. When they came for the Jews, I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew. When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me. And I believe that that is important to the gifting cycle because we do owe each other.
00:20:21
Speaker
That was called, first they came by Pastor Martin Nymolar. There we go. Thank you. But yeah, you're right. You're right. If we're so concerned with only ourselves, we
00:20:36
Speaker
When it's time to need to reach out for help or need to have assistance from somebody, it's not going to be there. Right. So I'm glad that you feel confident. Well, you, the university, whoever we're talking to, who's not excited about the gifting cycle. I'm glad that you don't feel like you have to rely on anybody right now and that you've been fortunate and that you're privileged or whatever it is, you've made a life for yourself.
00:21:02
Speaker
That's the funny thing about life is it never stays the same. And I'm not just talking about money either. Like, you can stand alone. But then when you need, if you're even if your finances are great for the rest of your life, if you need emotional support, who's going to be there for you when you need it? Because life happens, life happens, there's always going to be something that you you will need to rely on other people for. There's never a guarantee.
00:21:23
Speaker
No.
Offerings vs Sacrifices
00:21:25
Speaker
So yeah, and that's what I wanted to get into too, is that it doesn't always have to be material. I think we've touched on that a little bit. But yeah, do you want to get into, should we get into like the difference between offering and sacrifice? Totally, absolutely. Okay, because I see them differently. Me too. Okay, you first. Okay, to me an offering is just, it's a gift. That's what I see as an offering, it's just a gift.
00:21:53
Speaker
And it's a gift of whatever it is. When I read a book, I'm making an offering. When I sit and interact with the nature in my yard, I'm making an offering. When I pick up garbage, I'm making an offering because it's just a gift to me. A gift that may not even take much, like a few bites of my food as a gift.
00:22:15
Speaker
You know, leaving shiny things out for the crows that live in my backyard is a gift. It's an offering. And a sacrifice is something like the things that you give that are an offering you might not really need, you know, might not be that important to you. Like might be really easy to give in terms of like just time, like speaking to a friend, allowing them to vent to you, giving them space, picking up trash, you know, not very difficult things to do, but a sacrifice is something that you need and that you do not get back.
00:22:45
Speaker
Yes. And that is for a specific purpose. To me offerings are a way of giving thanks or a way of like asking for recognition from the universe, whatever. Like, hey, I, you know, please know that I'm here to like pick garbage out of this river, Yord, you know? Yeah. But a sacrifice is because you need something. When I'm thinking of an offering, I'm thinking about, you know, maybe this will please, maybe this will please the person or the being that I'm trying to connect with. Like maybe they'll think that it's cute or
00:23:14
Speaker
Like it doesn't have to, like you said, it doesn't have to be, it does not have to be a big old production at all.
00:23:19
Speaker
Like I'll volunteer at the cat shelter for Freya. I won't because I'm deathly allergic, but like just for an example. Um, but like throwing some food or water through the land that you're about to cross through super easy or even it could even be a special, like a little petition, you know, like throwing some, some stuff in the lake, you know, not stuff, not like garbage stuff, fucking baggage in the lake. Um, but like offering to the lake spirit in, in thanks for successful fishing or in petition for a good fishing trip.
00:23:49
Speaker
before you're hunting or whatever, offering your prayer to your ancestors or whatever. There is this sense of exchange, even if I'm not requiring anything at that time, but it's just appreciation. But I do see sacrifice as giving something deeper, like you said. It's high XP shit now. This is where it's like, I am giving of something that is of deep value
00:24:18
Speaker
and it is a dedicated energy exchange. I don't think that you just sacrifice something for nothing. I mean, I guess you could, but I don't think that it was done historically in that way. Like if we're looking at, you and I have always talked, we keep going back to the same saga, the Hawk and the Good saga, because there is such a good example of sacrifice in that particular story. Like we're talking,
00:24:48
Speaker
dozens of animals sacrificed for the benefit of the harvest, the next year's harvest, like good wishes. We've seen it also, like with Seeker Bloat, where sacrifice is made for the victory of the tribe, for whatever is coming, for their expeditions that are going on, for their battles that they're about to fight. Like, we're talking big, big, huge sacrifices.
00:25:19
Speaker
So yeah, I'm not going to be sacrificing any horses because I am a modern American living in the suburbs and I don't own any horses, but it is gonna be something major for me. I have given up jewelry items that meant a lot for me as far as meaning, things that I have inherited. It does have to be something of meaning and you need to really consider what that is and make sure that it is equivalent to the petition.
00:25:48
Speaker
The nature of a sacrifice, it needs to be a sacrifice. If you're sacrificing something, when people think about sacrifice in a non-religious way, they're like, oh man, I'm so poor. Families that live in poverty all over the world will have to sacrifice. They'll sacrifice full bellies to make sure that their children can have full bellies.
00:26:10
Speaker
highly important, you know, being fed is very important. A sacrifice and offerings like, oh, yeah, here, I have a bite of my sandwich, but I'm still gonna have this. A sacrifice is getting rid of something that you need, that is important to you, you know, things you don't get back. Right. And that's why I think that sacrifice or bloat is something that should be
00:26:30
Speaker
very intentional. And I don't think that you should do it out of any schedule. No. You know what I mean? So like, there are people that do a bloat or sacrifice every single month on the full moon. And if that works for them, that works for them. But for me, that's not realistic for me. And I don't want to do it because I should. I want to do it because it means something to me, you know? Yeah. I don't have the spoons or the funds to sacrifice something every month. No, you're right. Same. Same.
00:26:59
Speaker
Um, and that's the thing too, actually, I would like to, to think about that too. Cause offerings, offerings are different because they are a little bit easier for me to work with. Um, especially when you're limited by funds, because value does change from person to person and value does change from spirit to spirit and intention goes a long way. And we've kind of, we've kind of had a back and forth about this for a few years now. Like how I personally believe that a
00:27:29
Speaker
A glass of water may not mean much coming from someone who has wealth or time on their hands, but from somebody who has absolutely nothing to give, it still chooses to separate time and energy for a devoted act. Their prayer and their offering of water could be of great value.
00:27:50
Speaker
Yeah, I agree. I've always agreed with that because, you know, it's like the, that age old little story about like, you know, if I gave you $10, but, you know, John gave you a hundred and that was, that was my last $10, but John's a millionaire. Like, which one is, I'm not going to ask you which one's more meaningful, but the story says, which one is more meaningful? You know, I gave you everything that I had in this person was just like me. You know, if you don't have anything to give and you still give something, that's powerful.
00:28:20
Speaker
It is powerful, but we do want to remember that you should not give more than you are able to. Oh, absolutely. You know, um, and even the hobble says that, you know, so we need to be honest with, with, with ourselves about our capacity and the wisdom of our sacrifice, because here's the thing that I am guilty of too, is I am a big one for investing time and energy. And you know this, you've seen this.
00:28:48
Speaker
And so if there's something that I believe in that I want to foster, that I want to nourish, I will literally put my fucking all into it. And then I will burn out and I am of no use to anyone. Right. So then how much is my sacrifice actually worth? How much was my offering actually worth when I am no longer able to show up? You know, like I would self abandon in order to nourish something.
00:29:13
Speaker
And I'm talking like projects, relationships, careers. I've done this across the fucking board for a lot of things. And I cannot then keep showing up. And consistency is more important than giving your all all at once, I think.
00:29:32
Speaker
Well, yeah, if you run your well dry, you're of no use to even yourself. Right. And then I can't, and then I've, I have given so much of my time and energy. I don't have anything left for my family and I need to, so that's the thing too. Like be aware of your capacity and where you need to spend your energy and guard it carefully. The Havamal in 144 says better to ask too little than offer too much. Um, the gift should be the boon better not to send than to overspend.
00:30:03
Speaker
Right. You know, so it's not really worrying. It's not really like what should be offered. I always hear the question, what should we offer? What should I offer Thor? What should I offer Freya? What can you? Yeah, and it's it is exactly. It's what can you, even if it's a little bit of time, even if it's sitting with them quietly, having just devoting your time 10 minutes. There are so many. Even it's a glass of water. Like that's what you have.
00:30:31
Speaker
There's so many ways to give offerings, especially to deity. Like they represent so many things. Like you mentioned family, right? Spending time with your family is like an offering to freak. It is. I actually believe that. I do. I do. Um, because we are
00:30:48
Speaker
in admiration and emulating the hearth and home that she built and her dedication to her children. Or it could be to, I also connected to Sif, I also connected to Segan. Like I connected to- All the powerful goddesses. Powerful fucking maternal, amazing goddesses. Um, like I completely agree. That's part of my Yuletide celebration actually is like that specific connection and it's devoted to them because I am inspired by them.
00:31:13
Speaker
And see, that's what listeners take a look at these deities as you are attempting to worship or golf or two or whatever you want to call it. I don't care what you call it. And notice what they represent because you can be giving things without actually having to like give something time, space, nurturing your family, nurturing your friendships, being a good friend, bathing your children, feeding them, clothing them.
00:31:42
Speaker
reading a book. These are all things that can be considered offerings today. If you are doing them with the intention of it being a dedicative act or a devotional act, it is an offering. The matter of you setting it aside and saying, this is for Thor. I'm going to go fucking work out today. I'm going to get gains, son, for Thor. That is an offering. Absolutely. I'm going to go on this trip for Odin.
00:32:08
Speaker
because he is a traveler and he is inspiring me to travel. I'm going to make a journal. I'm going to take photos and I'm going to put them on my altar when I get home. This is a trip for Odin. That is an offering. That's a huge offering, actually. That's a very cool idea. But we've talked about the types of offerings, time. There's also
00:32:26
Speaker
You know, food is a common one. Food is a very, very common one. We make food for people, you know, invite them to dinner. So we do that with our real life relationships. And that's, I think that we've kind of hopped onto that right, the right headspace, Oz, in the beginning of the episode when you were like, it's nurturing relationships. We are doing the same thing. What would you offer your friend coming over? Offer that to your ancestors. You know what I mean? Like, if you're going to make dinner,
00:32:52
Speaker
make dinner. And you don't have to make it like a big fancy feast, just a little piece of whatever you're eating or drinking or whatever at the time. But food has been included in offerings since fucking time immemorial.
00:33:10
Speaker
in the feast that we've seen, right? But also like bread is a huge offering, milk, honey, huge offerings. Those are all ways. Mead. Mead is absolutely. And you know what I think is fun too, when we're talking about food and drink, I like going through the lore and like seeing what I think of their personality and what they would enjoy.
00:33:34
Speaker
Like I have offered red wine and coffee to hell and I felt like that was well received. Anytime I try to offer hard liquor to Freya, I don't feel like it was well received. So she's a champagne girly.
00:33:49
Speaker
And like, that's it. But this is all my own UPG, right? This is all my own, my own explorations. And it's been a fun thing over the years to, to figure it out. Like a hearty stout for Thor, like a fucking porter. You know? Wine for Odin. Wine for Odin. Yes, absolutely. But like ask a hundred heathens what drinks they would offer to different gods. They're all going to have different things. So explore that. It's really, really fun though. But like part of the offering to me in that specific exercise
00:34:15
Speaker
is looking and seeing and putting the time and energy into caring about what they would like. That's what matters. Right. And so it's really fun. There is no wrong or right offering. And you may or may not feel like it was accepted or not accepted. That changes per person too, because some people are like, I just put it out. I don't actually try to connect and see if it was accepted or not. I'm just putting it out there.
00:34:39
Speaker
but sometimes it feels warm and fuzzy to me and sometimes it doesn't. And that's just my own personal shit and maybe based on my own like mystical practices or whatever, you know, but like, you know, I don't know. So don't expect to feel like a yes or no answer is I guess what I'm saying, right? Oh, you know, let's answer some like preemptive questions. Okay. You know, what kinds of things are okay to offer if you're offering outside?
00:35:09
Speaker
I would say nothing that nature doesn't want there. So don't put anything that's not biodegradable. Even if it is these modern day biodegradable plastics and stuff, don't do it. Don't do it. If you want to tie up some pine cones rubbed with peanut butter wrapped in jute twine, that's fine. Things that nature can consume. Don't leave glass, plastic. Depending on where you are, don't leave metal because it can leach into the groundwater.
00:35:39
Speaker
Yes. Yeah. If it's a compostable material, great. Like just be aware of the materials you're using. Also remember that sometimes you don't have to, like there are offerings that I've made that are just permanent installations on my altar. Yeah.
00:35:58
Speaker
You know, like it doesn't have to be something disposed of either. Most of the time, the offerings I make during ritual go right into a fire. So I don't really have to worry about the disposal of them. But yeah, if you are burying something in the earth, because I know, especially on like, TikTok.
00:36:17
Speaker
Everything's like after your offering is done, you have to go out and bury it in the earth. And I'm like, no, you don't. You can just throw it in the garbage if you want to. Yeah. You know, like, if you are burying it in the earth, please be responsible and think about your, please. Yeah. You know, if it's, if you just want to like scrape some food off of a plate into a hole, do it. That's great. That's fine.
00:36:39
Speaker
Yeah, just be mindful of the animals and who might come across that specific offering. Yeah. Maybe don't toss like gummy worms and stuff out there like candy. Yeah, that's going to make somebody sick. Somebody meaning like my raccoon brethren. Brethren? Brethren. Another question I know that I get asked about offerings is like, should I come back and check? Like how do you know it was accepted?
00:37:06
Speaker
Honestly, I just assume it was. You know, I get that warm and fuzzy, and then I'm like, okay, good to go. For food offerings, I usually will leave it out as long as I am eating at the very least, sometimes a couple more hours than that, and then I'll toss it, because it's done. We're done. Drinks, I will usually leave out overnight, but you don't have to. That's just my own personal practice. Yeah. Whatever feels good.
00:37:35
Speaker
Right. I agree. I mean, for me, like if it's a food, an offering of food, I'll leave it out all night. And one of the things that I have told people is if you notice animals taking it, animals, insects, little critters of any kind, to me, it's entirely my UPG. That to me says that it has been accepted and it is currently being taken. Yeah, I completely agree with that. And that's, yeah, when we're talking about outside offerings, I will just leave it.
00:38:05
Speaker
I will just leave it. I don't worry about it. That's why I make sure that it's safe, because that's what it's for. If I'm outside doing that offering of food or drink, that is what I will do. If it's inside my home, I'm not going to leave it out all night. Did I tell you that Artie ate the offering plate that I made? Yeah. So you may have a roving husband come and pick up your offerings. Maybe that is acceptance by the ancestors. They are acting through him.
00:38:33
Speaker
and offering to Glenn by consumption. Yes, exactly. Oh my God, I was cackling. I'm like, that was a plate for the mothers. How dare you? And he's like, what were you going to do with it? And I was like, toss it. And he's like, well, it went to fueling a living descendant of the ancestors.
00:38:51
Speaker
I'm living because I didn't have the mothers. It's like hours later, too. It's just sitting out on this plate for hours. Like we're talking at least four hours of it just sitting out. Oh, my God, it was so funny. I just I cackled. I'm considering it an acceptance. Same. Absolutely. I'm also convinced that Artie also is a bunch of trash pandas just wrapped up in khaki shorts and new balances. Yeah, pretty much. He's a human garbage disposal. Nothing is safe. So we talked about
00:39:21
Speaker
devotional acts too.
00:39:24
Speaker
for offerings and it's, I mean, that's my favorite type of offering. Like absolutely my favorite type of offering because I feel like the spirit and the intention behind it is always so like strong and clear and I'm never limited by budget, which is a problem, you know? Like, and like we talked about like traveling for Odin or caring for the elderly or the sick for hell or even helping somebody through grief for hell.
00:39:53
Speaker
I liked, when I was working with Freya, I would often give to women's shelters and people that help empower women. That was one of my favorite ones for Freya. For ancestors, ancestors like making my grandmother's recipes, telling her stories. I go fishing for my grandfather. He taught me how to fish, you know, and I still go up to that same lake several times a year that he would take us to.
00:40:18
Speaker
And then I'm raising my descendants in that way. The raising of children is honoring your ancestors in so many ways. Oh, yeah. I'm raising them to garden. I'm raising them to be independent and to walk the same paths that my ancestors paved and be self-reliant and to do all these incredible things that my grandparents taught me, in addition to healing the things that I learned that were not the greatest. Which is kind of a twofold thing, right? Yeah.
00:40:48
Speaker
could be devotional to ancestors and a devotional to a goddess or three. Absolutely, absolutely. But yeah, just any of these ways that you can connect deeper to your path is great, is great. Let's talk about the words though. Let's talk about the words. Can we get into this now? Absolutely. Let's get into it. I'm so glad you asked.
00:41:12
Speaker
Let's get into it. Let's get into it. So me and Oz personally in all of our working together over the last three years have come across these words so often. And there's a lot of argument that happens on social media, especially.
00:41:29
Speaker
about which words are the correct ones, like how you can't... I'm not... I'm not worshipping. I'm venerating. I'm not praying. I'm working with. And it's just that it... We're gonna get into it.
00:41:46
Speaker
So one of the things that I really enjoy about the word venerate is, and I, for the purposes of this particular section of the episode, I'm gonna be using the Merriam-Webster dictionary definitions for these words in particular.
Veneration vs Worship
00:42:03
Speaker
Venerate is to regard with reverential respect or with admiring deference. And so to contrast that with worship,
00:42:16
Speaker
is to honor or show reverence for as a divine being or supernatural power. But yeah, venerate and worship mean the same thing. But people don't want to use the word worship because it feels like supplication. They feel like they have to bend the knee. And that's understandable because there's a lot of deconstruction that has to happen coming into heathenry and is a completely understandable hang up to have because these words are used primarily in Abrahamic beliefs.
00:42:45
Speaker
And so people come to heathenry, they don't want to feel like they're being shoved to their knees by their deity, they want to feel empowered by their deities. And so it makes sense when they think about the word worship to not want to have to use that word and they want to use venerate instead, even though as we just saw the definition is... It's essentially the same. Basically the same thing.
00:43:05
Speaker
Because it is simply an act of honoring. When we're talking about veneration, we're talking about worship, when we're talking about honoring, all of it simply means that you respect and admire the person that you are showing that honor to.
00:43:23
Speaker
through your offerings, through your sacrifices, through whatever it is that you're trying to do, through the attempt to build that relationship. It is all about respect and admiration. And I do, I do think that worship just comes with, for some people it can come with trauma. For some people it can come with like, oh, I don't ever want to hear that word again. I spent my whole life worshiping. And that's the other thing too. Worshiping can be associated with fear.
00:43:52
Speaker
for that reason too, because a lot of the time when you're a member of an Abrahamic faith, to worship is fear-based. You are fighting to be worthy of
00:44:06
Speaker
this afterlife, you're fighting to be worthy of the attention of this, this God. God fearing is what God fearing people. Yeah, they want to, they're aspiring to be someone who is in fear or, you know, and there's, there's not a lot of empowerment there. There's a lot of giving of yourself actually, and everything belongs to God, all of your achievements belong to God. And like, so I understand that the coming out of that programming is
00:44:36
Speaker
rough, you know, like, I can't even imagine. I can't, I'm so, I'm so glad that I never had to really do that, you know. But I guess the point we wanted to make is that we just wanted, they are the same, they are the same, you can choose to use whatever words you want. But we have had so many people fight us on that, like, I'm not worshipping, or I'm not praying. You know, like the word prayer brings up a lot of those feelings for people.
00:45:03
Speaker
which is always very interesting to me as well, because prayer just means an address such as a petition to a God, to God or a God in word or thought. So an address, of course, just means you are addressing it, them, right? You're just, you are speaking to them. That's what prayer is.
00:45:27
Speaker
Whether in in word or in thought, right? So like right now I'm speaking to you directly. So I am addressing you, right? So technically I'm praying to you if you were a god. Yeah, baby. I'd be praying to you right now. Prayer is just addressing when when you speak to a god what you are doing by definition is prayer.
00:45:48
Speaker
Right. Right. And that's the other thing too is that there's a lot of people who come with that same, the same, the same hang ups, the same apprehension about. Reluctance. Yeah. Yeah. Like supplication. They don't like that word either. They don't like, they don't like the word submiss or submiss submiss submiss. I'm glad you mentioned both of those words because they mean wildly different things.
00:46:18
Speaker
right well like supplication is a form of prayer right but it is simply a petition essentially
The Role of Submission in Prayer
00:46:25
Speaker
right yeah like it is literally just just asking someone humbly for something yeah
00:46:33
Speaker
That's it. And honestly, when you are asking deity or ancestor to intervene and petitioning them, you are being humble because you recognize that you are limited by your mortal means. And you should be. Right. And you should be because these beings are worthy of honor and respect. And so you come at them from a place of honor and respect. You humbly come to them and be like, listen, this is beyond me.
00:46:57
Speaker
You know, I don't wanna have to do this, but I'm hoping that you guys can intervene in some way. Like asking something beyond our realm to help with the affairs of this realm, you should be supplicating. You should be coming at it humbly and with respect, you know? And that's okay. There's nothing wrong with that. No, not at all. And if you are, even if you're not coming at it from a place of respect and humbleness, right?
00:47:24
Speaker
you're still praying if you're talking to a God. You are still praying. You are still praying. Yes, correct, correct. The other thing I wanted to touch on too was this whole, there seems to be this negative idea around
00:47:41
Speaker
kneeling to the gods, you know? And I think that that also comes from the Abrahamic trauma, right? I think so too. Because you're not required to kneel. You're not required to kneel. But there is evidence that
00:48:00
Speaker
the, you know, at the very least, like the Germanic pagan tribes would throw themselves down on their knees, splay their hands out before them, bow, scrape, essentially, like, they would not lower themselves because they don't find it to be lowering. I feel I find it to be a gesture of honor, again.
00:48:19
Speaker
Like, I don't believe that getting on your knees and admitting that you are like a lesser being than the gods is anything demeaning at all. It is not lessening to you. It is an acknowledgement to them. And so I feel like if we get ourselves out of how does this make me look and instead get to this place of what kind of honor is that showing who I am revering, right?
00:48:49
Speaker
You don't need to kneel. If you don't feel like kneeling, don't kneel. The point of the fucking thing is, do what gets you in the right headspace to connect. Exactly. So if that means standing at your altar, if that means standing outside with your arms splayed wide open, if that means kneeling before your altar, if that means whatever it is, all it's about is the headspace and the connection. Yeah. That's what it is about. Absolutely. And so you need to do whatever works for you. If there is trauma around kneeling, do not kneel. Right. Right.
00:49:19
Speaker
Sit in your lounge chair, sip some whiskey, talk to Odin. Right, absolutely. I love that. Whatever it is that creates that environment where you can take it from mundane life to a sacred space and connect from there, you know? Submission, which is an act of submitting to the authority or control of another, which is not what supplication is.
00:49:46
Speaker
No, no. And like, honestly, submission to me is simply acknowledging that something is greater than you, right? That there is a superior, there's, it's a, it's a greater force than you. It has more power than you. And so to me, it's very easy for me to say that the gods have greater power than me. Yeah. I mean, it's super easy for me to say that.
00:50:12
Speaker
I don't know of any person at the very least that can like pick up a piece of driftwood and go and make a person out of it. Right. Right. And I don't mean I don't feel like that means that they're shoving me down into the mud. I think people have the wrong idea of what submission is too. Oh, yeah. I'm just I'm saying that you're a greater power than me and I am humbly asking for your attention or whatever or I'm giving thanks or whatever in doing so I am saying that there's a greater power here.
00:50:41
Speaker
Right. Well, they're literally gods. It's very point blank for me. And that's the thing too, that I hear a lot of people say, I walk side by side with my gods. And I understand that, um, I understand that mentality and I love that mentality. And I actually don't hate it for the empowerment there, right? I love that they feel empowered. I love that they feel like they are equals and then they don't have to kneel or beg or whatever, but
00:51:09
Speaker
It's not entirely true. Our gods have never asked us to throw ourselves on the ground. Right. You know, and to beg and plead and be, and to lower ourselves intentionally lowering ourselves. We are not worthy because we are, we are worthy, right? We are worthy, but we are also lesser beings. I'm sorry. I'm not trying to be like, I'm not trying to be like weird about that, but like I,
00:51:39
Speaker
personally could never find myself as being free as equal. Well, no. I think it's a silly ideal, honestly. People can believe whatever they want to believe, but we are humans. We're not gods. We are not equal, by definition, with a god. We are not.
00:51:57
Speaker
We can create life through biology. We cannot create life through magic, through the manipulation of primordial forces in the universe, the way that gods can. Gods, by definition, have some kind of control over our reality, our realms. Like when Odin walks in different places, storms calm. And I know that a lot of people believe they can do that too, but I don't. I don't believe that they can.
00:52:24
Speaker
I do not look at a volcano and say, we are the same. Right. It's more powerful. It is more powerful. I do not look at a hurricane and say, Hey buddy, you know what I mean? Like this is what I'm seeing. When I'm saying the gods, I'm looking at huge forces, huge forces beyond my scope of understanding, literally like the movements of the universe, you know?
00:52:54
Speaker
Like natural forces, not just one, but several, you know? Like I'm looking at the sea. I'm not equal to the sea. I cannot walk. I cannot stand next to the sea. I cannot walk alongside the sea. I'm not going to say that I can walk alongside Ran. No. That bit scares me to be honest. Like that's the depth and the unknown of the sea is something that I can't comprehend.
00:53:22
Speaker
And so to see that I could walk next to that and that I am the same being as that, I am equal to that. The sea is not asking me to go on the beach and bow to it every day, you know? Right, it just exists. But I can submit to that idea that I am less than the sea. That's the one we forgot, worked with. Oh, worked with. That's the one that most people talk about. I am so glad that we remembered to bring that up.
00:53:49
Speaker
because they don't feel like there's anything submissive in that phrase, work with,
Working with Deities
00:54:00
Speaker
right? They don't feel like there's anything lowering or lessening in that phrase, which I think is what most people are trying to avoid when they use work with. It's always been a weird concept to me, honestly, because like,
00:54:11
Speaker
You can work with things that are more powerful than you. You can work with things that are less powerful than you. And you can work with things that are equally as powerful as you are. You know, like we work with tools because our hands are not as powerful as the cold steel head of a hammer. Correct. You know, right. And it is, it is, it is, um, essentially building something together.
00:54:38
Speaker
And I know that that makes people feel much more empowered. That makes them feel much more empowered. But there is still this piece that needs me to acknowledge that the reason that I'm asking the gods to work with me on something is because they're a greater power. Because I need help. Yes, exactly. Cannot do it alone. And so that is still a petition. That is still supplication. Yeah, it's still worship. It's still prayer. It's still humbling. And I get it. But use the words that you like. It doesn't matter.
00:55:08
Speaker
I think that the reason I wanted to bring it up though is because people argue about it so often. They're like, I don't venerate. I don't worship, I venerate. I don't worship, I work with. I don't pray, I work with. And I'm like, okay, essentially they're all the same. They're all the same. They're just different. If you haven't worked through the pain of the other words, then don't use them, but acknowledge at least that that might be something that you need to work through. This is what I mean when I, this is another reason that I'm just like,
00:55:37
Speaker
When people say that they are the living incarnation of hell or they are the living incarnation of Odin or whatever, we have seen this many a time in our years together on social media.
00:55:48
Speaker
You're really not. You are Jacob from Ohio. You are not Odin walking the Earth. I'm so sorry. It's not going to happen. If he was going to come to the Earth, he could at any time. He doesn't need to be reincarnated through a being who was raised by a Midwestern mom who enjoys Jell-O salad. That's not what's happening. Tiffany from Orlando is not the reincarnation of Freya.
00:56:17
Speaker
It's okay that we are.
00:56:20
Speaker
not these beings and that we and it's okay that we want to create relationships with these beings to you know to increase our fortunes or increase our luck or or simply just give thanks for what we've already been given you know what I mean like that's that's cool people are repulsed by the idea of submission or supplication or worship or any of those words and I really I really think that it has to do with
00:56:49
Speaker
the programming of Abrahamic faiths that they were raised in.
00:56:53
Speaker
Well, yeah, I mean, there is power in submission, but that's not for this podcast. There is, though. And like, it's kind of like what we were talking about in the last episode, though, where we see the Valkyries serving Odin, that service, the service of the food and drink to the Ayn Hariard to Odin. That is service. That is honor, you know? Yeah. That's a recognition, even in that story. OK, that's what I mean. Like, it's not lessening. It's not demeaning. No. It's an act of honor.
00:57:22
Speaker
It's a powerful stance because they don't require it from us. They don't ask us to do that. We give it to them freely because we are also powerful.
00:57:30
Speaker
Well, yeah, absolutely. That's the thing. It doesn't make us weak. It doesn't make us less than giving this supplication or submission or whatever you want to call it to a deity willingly of your own sound mind and body saying to this deity, hey, you are more powerful than me. I recognize that. So I'm humbly like here is here's me, you know, there's power in that because you're giving freely of yourself.
00:57:54
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. And it's all part of the gifting cycle. It's all a part of it. And it's, yeah, it's just an it's an it's honoring. And I'm just I feel I feel honored that I know how and I know why and that I can take part in it. And I can build relationships with these unseen beings just as easily as I can build relationships with people like right in front of me like you. And now you do too listeners.
00:58:19
Speaker
And now you are all empowered. You understand why we give offerings, who we give them to.
00:58:25
Speaker
How often depends on your spoons, baby. Like whatever you feel is right for your practice. Go into it understanding why. I don't want anybody to do Heathenry by rote. No. I don't want and don't feel like you have to. If you're not ready to give an offering yet, don't give an offering. Yeah. You know, think about it. Easy peasy. And think of where you want to start. Who you want to build a relationship and why, you know. And that can take as much time as you want to. I know people who have practiced for years and years and have never worked with deity.
00:58:53
Speaker
Don't let anyone tell you that you can't pray, that you can't worship. Just because one person on a heathen path uses a certain set of words for themselves doesn't mean that you can't use those words for yourself. So if you are a person who does still have that religious trauma or the pain that you're working through regarding words like prayer or worship,
00:59:14
Speaker
And you don't want to use them just like we have both of this entire episode. Go right ahead. Don't use them. You don't have to. But you do not get to tell other people that they can't use them or that what they're doing is not worship or prayer. Because if they have done that work and they have endured that healing.
00:59:30
Speaker
and they connect with the word worship and prayer, then that's perfectly valid for them. Can you pray to Norse gods? Yes. You have to. Not necessarily. You don't have to work with gods at all. Is speaking with them prayer? Yes.
00:59:47
Speaker
Yes, it is. Because that's the thing. You and I have both been in TikTok Lives where we hear people loudly and vehemently say, we don't kneel to our gods. We don't kneel to our gods. We walk alongside our gods. And I'm like, I kneel if I feel like it. Sometimes I don't. But there's nothing wrong with that. There's nothing wrong with it. It's the point. Absolutely. Go out in my backyard and get on my hands and knees so that I can feel the energy of Yord.
01:00:13
Speaker
100%. Oh, it's good stuff. Yeah. Also remember listeners, though you may be a wolf of Odin and not a lamb of God, you know what the primary attribute of a wolf in a wolf pack is? Submission. Oh my God. Why do you have to growl submission into the microphone?
01:00:36
Speaker
The only thing is that it's not fear-based, and I love that. I would never do anything out of fear. No. And so I love that. I do see the difference in being a lamb of God and a wolf of Odin because you're not afraid. You're choosing to be a part of that pack, right? If we're going to keep on with the awful
01:00:52
Speaker
metaphors. You are choosing to be a part of that, right? And you are still empowered. You can still protect yourself. You still got teeth. You're still a fucking predator. Oh, you know what I want you to do real quick? Yes. Before we end the episode, do you still have the Habamal versus pulled up about offerings and gifts and stuff? I sure do.
01:01:09
Speaker
Because I think, and that's the thing too, like I really enjoy the Hava Mall for the guidance it provides. There are things that I don't live by because they don't align with my own personal moral code. I think that it speaks really, really, really well and often of the gifting cycle and why we do it and what you can gain from it too. It does.
01:01:32
Speaker
I'm going to be using James Chisholm. The translation just keep it the same across the four stanzas. So stanza 42 says, a man shall ever be a friend to his friends and give gift for gift, laughter for laughter, but give lies for lies. Now, I know that you disagree with the last part of that stanza.
01:01:51
Speaker
But I think the rest of it is really, really good. It details the gifting cycle. Give a gift for a gift, laughter for laughter. Give that equal exchange of energy to your friends. And the end, of course, is even if that exchange of energy is negative.
01:02:07
Speaker
And that's the thing too, like I personally, so like I think that it speaks to the lies for lies thing is like, if they have lied to you, you don't have to honor them by giving them truths. Like you don't have to, you don't have to show up in a way that they didn't show up for you. And I get that, right? Totally. But I personally don't lie. And so I could not even if they do, I'm still not going to do that. Totally. You know, but that's just my own. And that's, again, where I'm like,
01:02:33
Speaker
It's it's gray for me. I understand the sentiment, but the literal it like if I took it literally, which I don't usually take much of the lower literally, you know, I wouldn't ever do that. So for me, that's like, yeah, but but but it does give you an idea of the values of the time where it's like if they are no longer honoring your friendship,
01:02:57
Speaker
you don't have to show up either. Right. Period. And it's like, okay. Right. So you get it. Exactly. Okay. Hovmul Stanza 44 says, if you know that you have a friend and that he is true and that you will get good from him, share your mind with him, exchange gifts, and visit him often. Yes. Just more speaking toward the cycle of gifting, right? Back and forth, back and forth. Yes.
01:03:24
Speaker
Hovmal stands a 48. He who gives gladly lives the best life, and seldom has sorrow, but the unwise suspect all and always pine for gifts. To me, this says,
01:03:39
Speaker
give freely and willingly without the expectation of return and you can live happier if you're not constantly looking for someone to give you a gift or to reciprocate your gift in some way and while you are setting up yourself for the exchange of the gifting cycle and you're creating the you know the where to meet you
01:04:02
Speaker
expecting that someone does meet you there can end up making you sad. My dad used to say all the time to me, expectation leads to resentment. It absolutely does. And I find myself in this trap all the time to get personal and to get real. Like, I give everything I have to everyone. And when it is not returned to me, I do find myself disappointed. Yeah.
01:04:27
Speaker
But it wasn't fair of me to expect them to return in the same way either. I think that I do it in hopes that I find someone, find people, and I have found several people in my life that meet me in the same way. The meanings mean the same thing. The devotion to our friendship is the same level. We feel the same and we meet each other at that same energy exchange all the time.
01:04:53
Speaker
Yeah. Right. But there have been people that I have expected when I go all out for them, and then it comes time for them to show up for me, that they don't show up for me. And it has hurt my feelings before, you know? It's devastated me, honestly. But it's unfair of me to think that way. And so it's a good reminder. It's a good reminder to give freely. And I think that I originally go into things thinking that I'm giving freely.
01:05:22
Speaker
You know, because I don't need anything at the time. And that's why I kind of want to talk about that in the top of the episode. I didn't need anything at the time. I'm just giving of what I have. But then when I do and people can't meet me, meet me there or show up for me in the same way or look like they even want to, or they totally forsake our friendship and just kind of fuck off, which happens. It hurts. It hurts. It does. But I shouldn't have held those expectations in the first place. Actually, you know what?
01:05:51
Speaker
I'm going to take that back. You should. I should. And that's the thing. Okay, so it can lead to disappointment. It can lead to disappointment, but I don't feel like expecting people to show up in the same way you show up for them is too high of an ask. Right. I also am a very rational person.
01:06:08
Speaker
understand and have compassion that people will not. But I do expect them to show up in the way that I know they can. Well, yeah, there's a difference between doing something with the expectation of getting a return and doing something with the expectation that if you did need something, people that you have given to would reciprocate, you know, it's like, that's kind of how friendships work. Like,
01:06:34
Speaker
if you're going to give of yourself to your friends.
01:06:39
Speaker
you should be able to expect that they're going to give of themselves to you. It's not always going to work out. It's not always going to work out. And it's going to be disappointing. It's going to hurt feelings, right? Yeah. So the last stanza is 52, give not great gifts. You can win praise with little half a loaf and half a cup won me fellowship, which is what we spoke about earlier, where give what you can, you know, you don't have to give extravagantly if you can't.
01:07:09
Speaker
Well, even people who have many things, because I know a lot of people who are very well off. But if I show up with a small gift that just said I was thinking about you, it means something. Even if they have everything, they're just like, oh, thank you so much. Right. I like it. I like it. I feel like we've talked about practical application. We've talked about how it shows up in the lore and why
Listener Interaction and Contact Info
01:07:30
Speaker
it's important. I think we're good.
01:07:32
Speaker
I think we're good. And if you guys have any questions about the gifting cycle or anything that we talk about in any of our episodes, drop us a comment. And we'd love to interact with our listeners. We do. We do. Or write us an email. You can always email us at hearthpodcastteam at gmail.com. We love to hear from you guys. We love getting listener emails that we'll either respond to or we might even respond to on the podcast. Yeah. So send us your questions, your queries, your your how tos. Thank you for listening.
01:08:01
Speaker
Thank you for listening to the Hearth of Weird Podcast. Okay. Bye. That was really nice. You're listening to the Hearth of Weird Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, rate, and review the show on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform. And follow us on TikTok at Hearth of Weird Podcast to stay up to date on all things heathenry.
01:08:28
Speaker
Every small interaction you have with us helps us grow. And we appreciate it so much. You can email us directly with all of your Heathenry questions at hearthpodcastteam at gmail.com. Be well, and as always, thank you for listening.