By the ruler's command, I speak in the solemn presence of the goddess, whose praises are heard all the way to the upper reaches of the Izusu River: I speak humbly, concerning the offerings of the harvest fruits, which will be brought here, to this divine banquet, to be blessed and purified and presented to the goddess. Humbly I speak. ~Noriko, Japanese prayer At this time of year, in many cultures, feasts celebrating the harvests were held.  A typical part of such festivals was the offering of first fruits, which meant that some portion of the harvest was designated as belonging to the divine.  Sometimes this portion was used to maintain the priestesses or priests who served the goddess or god; sometimes it was distributed among those in need; often it became part of the feast, partaken by all in the community.  What happened to the food after it was offered was not the point; what was important was the fact that it became, symbolically, sacred. Our lives would be much enhanced if we would offer part of everything we earn, everything we are given, to the divine.  A drop of wine, spilled on the ground, reminds us that we are not the owners of what we consume.  The earth owns us all.  We would do well to remember that. By Patricia Monaghan ~ From "The Goddess Companion"