How to Leave Offerings on the Hawaiian Islands
A Practice of Reverence, Repair, and Remembering
When I was living on the island of Kaua‘i, leaving offerings for the land became part of my daily rhythm. It was never something I was taught in a classroom—it was something I learned from the people around me, and always felt intuitively right.
A flower placed on a tree root, a drop of menstrual blood into the soil, I even offered one of my favorite crystals to a friend who offered it at the center of the island.
These small gestures became conversations with the land.
Over time, I began to understand this practice became a way to build a relationship with the world around me.
Why Do We Leave Offerings?
We live on land that gives to us endlessly—food, shelter, medicine, beauty and a sense of place. The Earth holds us. She holds our grief, our joy, our memories, our prayers. When we begin the practice of leaving offerings, we shift from unconscious taking to intentional reciprocity.
Offerings are a way of giving back, of honoring the unseen spirits of the land, of entering into conversation with the sacred intelligence that lives in the rocks, water, plants, and wind.
You can leave offerings anywhere that feels sacred to you—especially the land you live on. But on the Hawaiian Islands, this practice carries an especially potent charge, because of the deep history and trauma of colonization. For many Native Hawaiians, the land was never “owned” but was taken. As visitors or settlers—especially as white-bodied people—leaving offerings becomes a small but important act of acknowledgment and repair.
Come with Reverence
This is not a ritual to perform casually or for show.
When approaching a sacred site—whether it's a waterfall, mountain, or hidden forest path—come with humility. Bow inwardly. Take a breath. Offer your gratitude before you even set anything down. Ask permission to be there, and listen.
Think about what you’ve received from the land. Let that awareness shape your presence.
What to Offer
The most meaningful offerings are those that carry value and intention. Not just what you want to discard, but what you truly cherish. The land will feel your love.
Some powerful offerings include:
Fresh flowers or flower petals
A piece of chocolate
A stone or crystal that holds meaning
A strand of your hair
A heartfelt prayer
Menstrual blood returned to the Earth
Tears, breath, song
Dried tobacco
Water, herbs, essential oils in micro amounts
Always leave biodegradable items. Never leave trash, plastic, or anything that could harm the ecosystem.
A Note on Preconception Ceremonies
Leaving offerings on the land becomes especially sacred when calling in a child or preparing to conceive. Before we conceived our daughter, my husband and I brought offerings to Kalalea on Kaua‘i—a mountain known to resemble a pregnant woman lying on her back. The energy of that place held our prayers so deeply.
When you offer to the land with your heart open, the land responds. She listens.
An Act of Healing
Leaving offerings softens the edges of modern disconnection and begins to repair the harm humanity has done to Mother Earth. Every flower laid down, every whisper of gratitude, every breath offered back becomes a thread in the weaving of reconnection.
It’s simply about showing up with respect.
Start Where You Are
Whether you live in Hawai‘i or elsewhere, ask the land:
“What would you like to receive today?”
“How can I honor you?”
Then listen. Trust the nudge. Let your hands and heart respond.
May your offerings return you home—again and again—to what truly matters: the land beneath your feet, and the spirit that moves within it.
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If you’re interested in deepening your relationship with the sacred feminine and reconnecting to the Earth through the wisdom of your body, it may be a sign that the priestess path is calling you. I invite you to join us in The Way of the Priestess—a journey of remembrance:
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