The True meaning of Human Sacrifice

If you haven’t already read my post on Devotion, you might like to read it before continuing on DEVOTION.

I thought I might expand a little bit on the subject today as recently I’ve seen a lot of “want it quick, want it easy, want it now” attitude happening. I’d been advised that putting anything on my blog from my book before it was published was probably a little unwise, but I felt it necessary to make an exception in this case, here is a little of what I write about sacrifice in the ancient world.

in general it appears that even in ancient society there was worth in expensive or difficult to obtain items, a value that perhaps has been forgotten, sacrifice as a ritual device was not and should not necessarily be all about blood offerings and immolation, but about providing the Gods with items worthy of their notice and devotion over and above everyday religious activity. – From the forthcoming book Liber Hekate by Tara Sanchez

Devotion and sacrifice to what ever deity you venerate is not just about lighting candles, burning incense, doing ritual, reading holy books, even going to church or other sacred sanctuary; it is about sacrifice, real human sacrifice; and in our modern world where everything IS bigger, better, faster, more, what is more precious than our time and our effort.

My daily devotion currently consists of sitting at this computer, sometimes upwards of twelve hours a day, I write, I write about Hekate, agonising over the content and the details, hoping that what I provide is worthy of notice. And its not the first time my devotional work has been, to the outsider, apparently entirely mundane and time consuming, I’ve spent whole weekends up to my elbows in clay creating images, hours with superglue and hundreds of glass beads, creating, when I would rather have been out with my friends or family instead. And I’ve smashed those lovingly, hard worked for items, into a million smithereens, burnt them on open fires, gifted them to others, thrown things in running water, launched them into the sea. I think you get the idea, I made a sacrifce, just as I sacrificed my time, I sacrificed the item itself.

Oh I could have bought many of the items I have created from the shops or other artisans. Got them quick, got them easy; but that isn’t the point. I had to put the effort and energy and intent into it, if I hadn’t, then the sacrifice would have meant nothing to me, or her for that matter!

4 thoughts on “The True meaning of Human Sacrifice

  1. vikki

    Hi Tara. This crossed my mind at an open ritual I went to last month. It came to the libation, and we were each handed a bit of food to eat and then to offer. It wasn’t any different, I’d seen the same thing a thousand times before – but it suddenly crossed my mind – I didnt make the cake!! I didnt even buy it !!! – what sacrifice/offering of MINE was this?? None at all. A better sacrifice would have been in my opinion from anything from something silly, like running 50 laps, to writing something and then offering that, or (if it wasnt illegal!!) burning or burying money. I think we have to realise that one of the reasons animals was sacrificed was because they were worth so much to the owner …

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  3. CazWytch

    I totally agree with you. I try and do devotions every night to Hekate now. I used to practice Wicca but see myself more as a pagan, witch and devotee of Hekate. I give her my time, I pray to her, I read about her, I sing and chant about her and I create about her. I think that if more people realised in this materialistic world that your time and devotion are worth more than all the money in the world!

    CazWytch

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  4. Abraxas Zevai

    Tara, it is indeed a pleasure to have read this page and your sacrifice is well spent (to myself at any rate) for the past many years I have tried (in vain) to explain to countless friends and acquaintances that the true meaning of Human Sacrifice is not about taking a life but giving it freely in devotion to a specified purpose.. that is, there is no death involved; its devotion to a particular goal. I am very happy to see that someone else in our circles understands the meaning and has sacrificed thier lives to making it clear to those who have naught the understanding.

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