My current daily offering (as part of my giving cycle) practice is pretty straight forward. I keep it short and simple so I can stay consistent and fit it into almost any schedule.

On my altar I have three candles, but only the central candle I light for simple offering, reserving the others for more involved rituals.

When I give my offerings, I light the central candle first. I then take a piece of sage or palo santo and I burn some of it as an offering to the spirits of the people on whose ancestral land I live on. Its not perfect, but I feel it’s important as an animist to acknowledge and honor.

Next, I select my offering. I remove it from whatever container its in and I focus on my intent, grounding myself in the here and now, focusing on the central flame.

Once I’m focused, I recite to whom I am giving the offerings. I do this over and over at least three times for every name or title. If I have an idol or other representation of the beings I will move the offering smoke near or around the symbol (if its something like insence and safe to do so). Once I’ve done this (again adhering to patterns of three) I place the offering in my offering bowl or burner and give one final thanks before blowing out the candle, concluding my offering.

I’ll usually let offerings sit on the altar at least over night, then dispose of them. What that looks like depends on where you live and your practice. For me, I’m in bear country so I do not leave them in the woods as might traditionally have been done. Since my offerings usually have to be thrown away, I tend to lean more towards insence to avoid waste.

This is just one example of how a pagan might conduct regular offerings, or offerings in general. There’s not a set-in-stone way of doing things, and while some spirits and dieties might prefer certain offerings, bigger isn’t always better. By and large, what matters most isn’t the size or value of the offering (hell, it can even be something you do, like a 5K or volunteering at a charity, dedicated to an ancestor or diety), instead what matters is the intent and genuineness behind it.