6.1. Offerings

Wines and Liquors

Wines and liquors are essential because the Holy Death loves alcoholic beverages and the stronger the more she likes them, and it is an ancient and traditional offering. The offering of wines and liquors will depend on how much each person can spend to buy them. The most important thing is to offer them with a lot of love and faith. Wines and liquors should be served in glasses or glass goblets and changed when they are cloudy, mouldy or have dust.

The wines and liquors that she prefers are those with a high alcoholic content, such as: spirits, tequila, rum, mescal and beer. They should be served in a glass or glass goblet.

Cigars and Cigarettes

Our Holy Death likes them very much. It is recommended that you keep the cigar unlit during the first day and you light it during the second day. Cigars are used in many special rituals or when you profess an African-origin religion such as Santeria or Palo Mayombe. It is better to used them as leaf tobacco since it contains less harmful substances.

Once the cigar is lit, you should place it next to the Holy Death. This will help to ward off envy around your work, business or family. If it is a cigar, smoke it and exhale the smoke to purify the altar and remove all negative energy. This can be done as often as you think is convenient.

Flowers

Flowers are frequent offerings and any flowers can be used as long as they are offered with faith. The Holy Death likes roses, carnations, tuberoses, gardenias, tulips… The important thing is that they are fresh, and the most recommended are the flowers from the fields because they are pure. Roses are the most commonly used. White flowers are used to attract health and to prevent spiritual and physical illnesses. Red flowers are related to love, emotions, spiritual stability, passion and desire. It is important to remove the flowers when they start to wither, because they capture all the surrounding negative energy and we do not want this energy to remain. If you need to get money and work, good economy, the flowers should be yellow.

In general, white flowers were usually offered to the Holy Death.

Incenses

One or two incenses can be burned per week. The symbolism of incenses is related to the purification of the air and people. Their use in religious and spiritual rituals is very old, since they have been used in all cultures.

You can use the incense you want depending on what you need:

– Copal: transforms the negative energy that exists in your home or business, it acts as a Road-Opener for businesses. Once the incense is lit, it is recommended to open the doors and windows to allow ventilation and the entry of new energies.

– Sandalwood: related to economic prosperity and abundance, liquidity and success in what you have asked.

– Myrrh: it cuts jealousy, troubles, gossip and hatred. If you burn two incense sticks or cones next to our Holy Death, the requests are obtained more quickly.

– Roses: it is, par excellence, the smell of love. It is used in any ritual of love since it attracts it. It is aphrodisiac; it awakens the passion and sexual drive towards the couple. If you place three cones or sticks it promotes the arrival of a love.

– Musk: related to good health, both physical and mental. It prevents diseases at your house.

– Jasmine: to attract sales in business.

– Carnation, vanilla and lilac: for emotional and loving affairs, to attract harmony in relationships.

The first incense that was used in worships was copal incense during pre-Hispanic times and it was used by the different cultures populating our country. The use of incense on our altar is a synonym of respect to ancient traditions. It is recommended to use an incense-burner of natural origin such as: clay, stone, wood, etc.

4 Elements

The 4 elements are essential offerings on an altar to the Most Holy Death, since they are important to channel our requests. Fire is represented by candles. Water is essential: a glass of fresh water for our Holy Death is sufficient. Earth is found in our offerings in flowers, fruits, etc. Air is also represented with candles and with our prayers.

Water

Water is essential and must never be missing on your altar, because it is necessary in the physical and in the spiritual worlds since it helps to channel the energy. Always use clear, clean water (either form the tap or purified), and put it in glasses or glass goblets. Do not fill the glass or goblet to the brim and keep it on the altar for at least 15 days or a little less if the water gets dirty, or becomes dark.

If bubbles come out of the glass, it means that there will be economic tranquillity or that your projects will be carried out without problems. If the water stays the same as the first day, it means that there is good energy and your requested favours will be granted.

It is very important that the first time you set up the altar, you look at the water. If the water has small bubbles or it is crystal-clear in the morning, it means that the Holy Death is happy with the altar you have prepared: spiritual and economic tranquillity. However, if it is murky, mouldy or with cream, it means that she is very upset with your request and have a lot of difficulties to achieve what you have asked.

Bread

Bread is the sacred food that must never be missing on the altar, since it symbolises that you will never go hungry or lack food. Put a piece of bread or bun next to your Holy Death. It can be wholemeal bread, if you prefer. Change it frequently, at least twice a week. Never throw it away in the rubbish, put it under a tree, the leafier the better.

Instead of bread, some people put a cake: it depends on your own choice.

Fruits

The fruits offered should always be fresh. Red apples are the most used, usually 3 or 4. Yellow apples are used in some rituals related to money. Fruit offerings are good to avoid envy and bad energies. They should not be eaten before they get spoiled and should not be thrown away in the rubbish.

There are believers who offer seasonal fruits. Some fruits are also used in love-related works.

Sweets

Chocolate is considered to be an emotional stimulant and that is why a bar of chocolate is placed on the altar of the Holy Death. Chocolate will help to eliminate negative energies and envy. It is also used for love-related works.

Honey is also used for sentimental works and should be included on the altar. You can put any type of sweets, regardless of the amount. It is preferable that they are homemade, but the important thing is that they are offered from the bottom of your heart.

Money

If the altar is in your business, offer the Holy Death the first sale of the day. You can leave money on the altar until you close or during the first 21 days of the opening of your business. Money is used in several rituals to improve the personal or family economy, and when you need to look for a new or a better job.

Fragances

Scents are also important. Their use is recommended because they serve to customise the altars. It is recommended to use some of your own fragrance on the image of the Holy Death.

Plants and Herbs

– Camphor: for absent persons, write their full name on a piece of paper and put it under the image. The person will soon return to you.

– Basil: used for economic well-being. There should always be some basil on the altars that ask for success and abundance.

– Rude: it removes bad vibrations, lies, deceits, gossip, and provides marital union.

– Rosemary: for good luck, it takes away negativity and evil thoughts.

– Peppermint: it helps to solve love-related troubles.

– Union Grass: to attract the opposite sex and make easy love conquests.

– Come to Me: to increase the love of the couple.

– Costmary: to obtain power and luck in love.

Stones

– White quartz: to ward off bad thoughts, it provides positive energy.

– Pink quartz: to give great power and strength in love.

– 7 metals: to attract abundance, money and prosperity.

– Magnet stone: it has a great power for business and trade, used to make charms.

– Alum stone: to solve legal problems and justice.

– Jet stone: to attract fortune and make the money work.

Candles

Fire is one of the four main elements in any request or ritual. It represents a bridge between this world and the afterlife; but it is also a source of power and destruction.

When you light a candle, a call is made to the forces of nature: fire, air, water and earth. The earth is the wax, which is transformed into air.

When you light a candle, ask with devotion and faith, always visualising what you want to achieve, transmitting devotion and respect. Try to use strong colours and not pastel ones. It is better to light the candles with wooden matches and with the right hand if you are right-handed, or with your left hand if you are left-handed; since it is the hand we use the most and it will help us to have more strength.

You must let the candle burn completely, but if for any reason you must blow it out before it burns, its better do to it with wet fingers or with something metallic; never blowing it out, because it is another air element and that would dissipate the energy.

Look for candles of good quality, preferably made of paraffin wax and choose the colour in accordance with your needs. The colours mostly used are:

– White: To achieve peace and tranquillity, protection in your home, business or personal protection. This colours is also used in rituals of consecration (such as in the Holy Eucharist in Catholicism), purification, meditation, fortune telling, spells that imply healing, spiritual strength, clairvoyance, mediumship, to attract ancestors, etc.

– Yellow: To ask for money, liquidity, prosperity, work and any economic request in our lives, for wisdom and good luck.

– Orange: To ask for strength, and to attack and defend ourselves from the enemy.

– Pink: For sentimental requests of love, to draw hard hearts near, for friendship, or for any other ritual that implies femininity.

– Red: It represents strength and passion, for any request related with love, emotions, sex, passion or desire, to ask for the couple or marriage, and to achieve emotional stability.

– Golden: To open the roads in business and to get money, liquidity and economic stability, to be successful and to increase sales and economic benefits, for businessmen and merchants.

– Purple: For everything related to health, to be healthy and to reject illnesses.

– Blue: To ask for concentration in studies and mental strength, for any student, to boost intelligence, to solve professional problems at home, to soften the hearts of our superiors.

– Green: For legal problems, used amongst lawyers and people related to justice to achieve success.

– Coffee: To communicate with the afterlife, enhance clairvoyance, mediumship, concentration and telepathy, to overcome any obstacle in our daily life.

– Indigo: To be able to sleep, heal and increase our spirituality.

– Black: To return any negative energy sent to us, to have strength and power, for total protection, for annoying neighbours. It also helps to achieve the person’s goals and objectives without anyone bothering or finding out, it hides our true intentions in the eyes of potential enemies.

Interpretation of the Flames of the Candles

If the candle goes out on its own and for no apparent reason: This indicates that one part of the request will be granted, but for the other you will have to do your part with will and sacrifice to achieve what you have asked for.

If the candle keeps going out: it may be that the wick is too short or is misplaced: if this is the case, blow out the candle, let it cool down and replace it. If it continues to go out, this means that people envy you for all the things you do or have and your friends or people around you look at you with suspicion. Allow the candle to cool for a few minutes, pass it all over your body -starting with head and ending with the feet-, and light the candle again while saying a prayer.

If you have asked for something related with love or sentimental matters, it means that your request will not be concluded. You should pass the candle all over your body again, as I have described before.

If you have asked for money, you will have to be careful not to trust or lend money, because you will lose it and the person you lent it to will also lose it.

If the tip of the flame is bright, it is a very good sign that you will achieve your request and you will be lucky.

If the flame is small, it indicates that you will have to have a lot of patience for getting results because they will be slow and difficult. If it is a request for love, it means that there will be a disappointment with the couple or family. If it is related with money, the people around will make that your request is not achieved.

If the flame is normal, it does not move and its size is normal, it indicates that your request will be granted without problems. For this, you have to look at the candle for 3 minutes to make sure that the flame does not change.

To be considered normal, the flame should be blue and yellow. If you asked for something related with love, it means that you will soon come to terms with your partner, or someone close to you will get married. If it is related with the economy, it augurs prosperity or a job promotion; you will achieve any money request. When you achieve the requests you should thank the Holy Death.

If the flame is oscillating, it indicates changes in your request and that the result is not as expected. If it is for love, it means that the couple is unsure and that is not good. Also, that either you or your partner is influenced by other people and by negative comments that could lead you to break. If it is for a family issue, it means that you should not take your family problems to work or the other way around. If it is for money, you will have problems in your workplace or your job position may change.

If it is oscillating a lot, you must have more faith in what you ask, have no doubt on your own spiritual and personal capacity and be more consistent in what you propose.

If the flame looks like a spiral, it indicates that you will get good news and your request has been heard.

If the flame oscillates to the right, it indicates affirmation to your question, the answer is yes, the events are positive and it is a good omen for economic issues, love, work, etc.

If the flame oscillates to the left, it indicates denial to your question, the answer is no, it is not good for executing ideas, but yes for having or forming them.

If the flame does not move, it indicates little action, stability and stagnation, in love it is related with peace.

If the flame sizzles or sparks, it indicates some type of obstacle before achieving your request.

If the flame goes up and down, it indicates confusion of ideas, that several requests are mixed, scattered mind.

If several tears of wax combine forming a larger one, it indicates that you will have to solve a difficult situation because it is imposed, you will have a lot of doubts and you will not find the solution, it is good that you rectify your ideas and behaviour.

If the tear falls to the right, it indicates that the solution to the problem is fast. Expect positive changes and everything will be solved.

If the tear falls to the left, it indicates slowness in the solution of the problem or request, it will take some time to resolve, or there will be fights or disputes, mistrust and insecurity, there are no changes, everything will remain the same.

If the tear changes direction, it indicates that there are doubts in achieving what you have asked for yourself or for others, you will go through a problematic stage or emotional crisis, it is better to be cautious.

If the candle tears a lot, it is a bad omen. It will take at least 12 months for your request to be fulfilled. At present, there a lot of obstacles to achieve your request.

If the candle ends clean, it indicates that you will get what you ask for. It is a good omen for everything and also for spiritual issues.

If the candle is broken, it indicates a bad spell, a betrayal, an illness. This is also the case if the glass where the candle is breaks or crashes.