Five Free Offerings: free magick for the budget challenged

Continuing with our low budget spiritual path work theme, I'm going to be discussing some of the offerings I make to spirit on a daily basis that cost nothing at all, and use very little or no materials! This is to encourage people who may have stumbled upon the path during times that they are financially or physically unable to openly practice or gather materials to work their craft.

As I have had some pretty desperate times financially myself, I am fully aware how daunting the expense of the craft and path work can seem! Candles, crystals, herbs, and incenses aren't cheap, and that isn't including the really expensive items, like statuettes of deities or chalices and candlesticks. The fact that I couldn't afford even the basic starter witch kits I found online at the time I first came onto my path was so discouraging, but I didn't let it stop me.

I'd like to share some of my insights with you! If you have some tips and tricks of your own, I'd love to hear about them in the comments below.

1. Breath

Breath is a physical thing, something that we often take for granted. Spirit, being incorporeal as far as we understand it, actually greatly appreciates this humble offering of the essence of life! Many witches and practitioners use this in their practice unintentionally: when we state our intentions aloud in the form of an incantation, or quietly steady our breathing for the sake of connecting to spirit, we are offering this simple energy.

Breath can be more intentionally offered in a few ways. We can blow into our basins of moon water, instilling positive thoughts and intentions with our energetic exchange. You can inhale and exhale an intentional number of times, while offering the sensation of breathing to spirit. We can hold our breath or exhale for a certain amount of time, as well. One of the most common ways I use breath as an offering in my practice is through song, or reciting poetry! This is a combination offering of my breath, creativity, and energy, especially if the song or poem is one I've made up just for (or alongside) spirit.

2. Creation

As I've discussed before (and most certainly will again), the ancient Druids worshiped an energy known as Awen. It is my modern interpretation that Awen is the energy of creativity. It was worshiped, not because it was a deity, but because it was the source of all of the Universe's truths. By connecting to the light of Awen, and reflecting that light with our creations, we are able to reach a much deeper and purer understanding of the meaning of everything than we ever could anything else.

As a poet and creative soul, myself, I have a very close connection to Awen. I greatly revere this potent channel of divine truth, much like I believe my ancestors did. Spirit is not much different from me in their appreciation of Awen's fruits! Anything you create for and with spirit is of great value to them. Handmade altar implements, handwritten poems, drawings, and more are all beautiful and free offerings to spirit that can often be made with things we already have laying around, or that can be found outside. Simply arranging objects into beautiful formations or rearranging your home to be more harmonious energetically is an act of creation, if you have no other way to access Awen's light. If there is a will to create within you, Awen will absolutely find a way to make that happen!

3. Energy

Energy is something we are always expending - why not direct it towards growing your relationship with spirit? This powerful offering can be used in a lot of ways. From cleaning, to exercise, to dance, to sex, we can use our energetic expenditure as an offering to both spirit and ourselves.

The amount of energy spent doing a particular task, as well as the level of enjoyment had while doing it, all have a lot to do with the type of offering you're making. If you're asking to release negative energy, doing something positive, like dancing or going on a walk, as an offering can be good choice! If you would like to draw a blessing to yourself, make an offering of sweat through vigorous exercise. Ritually dusting or cleaning our altar spaces or tools exchanges the depleted or negative energy they were carrying for positive and charged energy. Sex magick uses the positive, pleasure energy to build up powerful intentions, with the climax or orgasm being used as a means to release those intentions into the universe.

Either way, the goal is to set an intention for the energy offering, and to focus on that intention as your expend the energy. Once you have completed your task or offering, project your intentions out into the universe in the form of an offering to spirit! Not only will spirit be quite pleased, but you will also have a stronger, more concise will now, from having practiced with it.

4. Natural Objects

Can't afford those pretty smudge sticks all over your social media feed? No extra cash for fancy, labeled jars of herbs? Did the price of that deity-specific crystal make your heart bottom out? Don't worry! There are lots of things right outside of your house, right now, that would make wonderful altar offerings and ritual implements and ingredients. You can even make some energy offerings while you're looking!

I have done a lot of this with my intuition - your Higher Self knows what is growing around you that will be of use to you, and will point out crystals and other nice goodies, if you remain receptive! Some of the more common things that I use regularly in my practice that I find right outside are acorns, branches for wands and runes, feathers, juniper, pine cones, wild sages, and various crystals - so far, I've found amethyst, geodes, and more! Just make sure that wherever you're harvesting from hasn't been sprayed with chemicals, and isn't illegal to take from (lots of places are).

While this method does require a bit more research and effort than the others, the payoff is worth it! From being able to harvest your own seeds from the wild and having a whole chest full of finder's crystals you paid nothing for, the rewards speak for themselves. It's also a good source of materials for creation offerings!

5. Time

We hear this all too often: time is an illusion. Time is not real. That this is true is why time is actually valuable to spirit, because, while time does not exist for them, it very much does for us, here in the physical world. Not only does it exist, but it is finite, and the ultimate factor in how much we are able to accomplish while we are here. Because of these factors around time, it makes a powerful offering.

Time is involved with any offering, really, but if we make it a point to intentionally offer it, the amount of time we spend with spirit itself becomes something we can give in thanks for their help and guidance. If you work with ancestors, especially, spending a regular amount of time with spirit is akin to visiting your grandmother as often as you can. Just like spending time with someone else is important to that person, spending time with spirit is, too!

Time is a major offering in my practice. Each day, as I arrange my daily altar space, I spend that time with spirit. Many days, I eat my breakfast and drink coffee while I do so, sharing, also, that time and energy with them. As this process can sometimes an hour or more, and is also very intimate, I feel like this is a very integral part of spirit and I's connection.

As a side note, if you haven't had coffee with spirit yet, I certainly recommend it!