Votive offerings

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I don't much mind votive offerings - I once found a very pretty bunch of carnations laid at the bottom on the tallest of the High Bridestones. What is objectionable is wedging coins into crevices on old standing stones - I found that at the High Bridestones, too! In summer the metal coins expand faster than the stone - and sooner or later, it's going to crack the ancient monument.

The best votive offering is food of some kind. It's traditional, and the birds and small creatures will get a meal from it. The gods will surely think more kindly of you for that - yes?

If you must leave coins, just lay them on top or round the base of these stones. Please.

Just because your paths only cross at weekends, doesn't mean they aren't pagans all week... I'm with Hotaire though, milk, honey, a small white stone thrown in a pool, those are the offerings in the oldest stories. The rags feature, but are a problem, but the alternatives are there.

I usually settle for feeding the birds, though I've left flowers at Triduana's well on her festival, but went back each day to tidy them and remove the beer cans and other rubbish the drunks had left overnight, finally removing the flowers when they were wilted.

In the highlands, at Strathmashie, I've picked up a small pebble I like, carved it with some celtic design, then thrown it back into the pool the following week.

This reminds me of a question I wanted to ask. I saw someone carving what looked like cup marks in situ once in the highlands. He was bigger than me and I didn't like the look of him, so I didn't challenge him. Being a lone female he probably wouldn't have got such a fright, but people get funny when startled. My question was, cup marks are easy to verify as ancient or modern additions, even if done the same way with stone implements, aren't they?