One practice that I find really important and meaningful is regular charitable donations in honor of the gods. Although it’s a really difficult time for us all economically right now, I find that giving even just $5-$20 goes a long way in bringing abundance into your life. I’ve found that as modern pagans, we can broaden our understanding of offerings and serve the gods through donations to charitable organizations, volunteer work, and other ways of serving the community. In fact, I’ve personally found that abundance flows into my life when I’m more generous with my money and give with a sincere and loving heart. This for me has worked better than any money/abundance spell and has increased my favor with the gods.
For those of us who really cannot afford to donate, I also included free options where you can give through clicking or playing games, which are easy ways to help. Volunteering of time, giving away items you don’t need, and other similar ways of serving the community are also offerings.
I made a calendar for myself that takes the themes of each month, some deities that may be associated with that theme, and offering/donation ideas. It would be great if someone else benefits from this practice. I included European-centric deities, but you can substitute any deity you honor who seems to fit with the theme. I encourage everyone to research each month and the seasonal celebrations relevant to your practice.
Whenever donating to charity, I always recommend searching for the charity’s score on Charity Navigator.
January
Named for Janus, Roman patron god of beginnings, thresholds, boundaries.
Themes: New beginnings, Change, Birth, Achievements, Academics, Literacy, Cognitive Health, Crossroads in Life
Deities: Janus, Hecate, Mercury, Hermes, Odin, The Dagda, Oghma
Offering/Donation Ideas: Career charities like Dress for Success, charities for aging seniors, literacy charities, DonorsChoose, funding rune studies, library funds, manuscript preservation
Free: Volunteer with local library, volunteer to read to children, tutoring, Greater Good - Alzheimer’s Research, Greater Good - Literacy
February
Named after a Roman word meaning Purification. Imbolc: Honors Brigid, and the word “imbolc” as relates to ritual cleansing. The Lupercalia was a Roman festival of purification named after the Wolf.
Themes: Purification, Cleansing, Animals/Wildlife
Deities: Brigid, Artemis, Diana, Skadi
Offering/Donation Ideas: Make a handmade craft for charity, Animal shelters, Wildlife charities
Free: Volunteer at an animal shelter/sanctuary, Freekibble, Greater Good - Click for Paws, Greater Good - Animal Medical Care
March
Named after the Roman God Mars
Themes: Veterans, Refugees, Disabilities
Deities: Mars, Ares, Tyr, The Morrigan, honor male ancestors
Offering/Donation Ideas: Veterans’ charities, disability charities, refugee charities. Charities for cancers associated with male reproductive organs.
Free: Greater Good - Veterans, Click for Palestine, Click for Refugees
April
The first day of April, called Veneralia, was sacred to Venus.
Themes: Life, Beauty, Sexuality
Deities: Venus, Aphrodite, Inanna/Ishtar, Eostre, Freyja
Offering/Donation Ideas: I tend to support organizations that oppose sexual abuse and domestic violence for this month, since these are the opposite of a loving, healthy sexual and romantic relationship. RAINN, women’s shelters, anti-human trafficking organizations. Also, charities for breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and other genealogical/reproductive cancers.
Free: Greater Good - Breast Cancer, Click for Women
May
Named for the Greek Goddess Maia, a fertility goddess, and the mother of Hermes/Mercury.
Themes: Fertility, Beltane, May Day, Walpurgisnacht (Witches)
Deities: Fertility goddesses, Demeter, Freyja, Hecate, Sif, Apollo, Pan/Faunus, Sol/Sunna
Offering/Donation Ideas: Environmental charities
Free: Sign up for environmental work like invasive species removal, stream cleanup, litter cleanup, Greater Good - Environment, Click for Environment
June
Named after Juno, a goddess of sovereignty, marriage, power, and childbirth
Themes: Parenthood, Childbirth/Children, Marriage/Partnership, Sisterhood
Deities: Juno, Hera, Frigg, Isis
Offering/Donation Ideas: Charities for babies/children, homeless charities
Free: Click for Children
July
Named after Julius Caesar. I associate July with soverign/powerful deities such as Jupiter, Zeus, and Thor.
Themes: Protection, Power, Career
Offering/Donation Ideas: Same as January and March.
Free: Same as January and March.
August
Named after Emperor Augustus. I associate August with Lughnasadh and the Celtic god Lugh. Personally, I dedicate August in memory of Baldr, deceased son of Odin, and since August is the height of summer and many people go to the beach, and since this is right around Hurricane Season for the US, I also associate this month with Ocean Deities. This month is also associated with dying and rising gods and the battle against evil/death.
Themes: Light, Summer, Ocean, Fight Against Evil
Deities: Lugh, Persephone, In Memory of Baldr, Inanna/Ishtar, Njord, Ran, Neptune, Poseidon
Offering/Donation Ideas: Community organizing, ocean cleanup charities, any charities protecting water quality.
Free: Free the Ocean, citizen science projects protecting the ocean, beach cleanup events
September
Autumn Equinox and Harvest festivals.
Themes: Harvest, Hunger, Food Access
Deities: Freyr, Demeter, Jord, Gaia
Offering/Donation Ideas: Food pantries, Hunger charities, Meals on Wheels
Free: Volunteer with a food pantry, Greater Good - Hunger, Freerice
October
Late October was when the Winter Nights festival was held among the Anglo-Saxons. The Disir or female ancestors were also honored during the Disablot. The Alfblot would honor the elves.
Themes: Ancestors, Meditation, Gratitude
Deities: I worship Ullr during this month. Freyr, Mercury, and Hermes are also good choices. You could also honor female ancestors.
November
Samhain occurs during Halloween and is a great time to honor spirits, the ancestors, and death deities.
Themes: Death, Cycle of Life, Coming of Winter, Spirits
Deities: Hel, Hades, Pluto, Thanatos, Mors
Offering/Donation Ideas: Hel has told me that She appreciates offerings for the most destitute and in-need people, so this is a good month to donate for those causes. You could also look up causes that might have been important to your ancestors. Ancestor healing work such as that in the Ancestral Medicine book. I recommend charities for seniors, the mentally ill, the homeless, poverty, and orphans/children in foster care.
Free: Click for Poverty
December
Yule, which is sacred to Odin.
Themes: Winter Solstice, Family, Home, Renewal
Deities: Odin, harvest deities, winter deities, Skadi, Ullr, Persephone, Holly King
Offering/Donation Ideas: Homelessness, poverty, hunger, Mutual Aid funds
Free: See resources above for hunger and poverty
