The Word Ogham of Morainn mac Moin tells us ‘Highest of all bushes is the Oak.’ The Oak’s root system covers the same area as its branches, as it stands with its feet in the earth and its arms in the sky. This most glorious of trees is closest to the Gods, and thus is a fitting symbol for the Offerings section of the Ritual.

from Celtic Tree Mysteries , by Steve Blamires

This is the central part of the Rite – and the most important – the heart of the matter, as it were. If the purpose of our ritual is to strengthen our relationship with the Divine, then the Offerings realize and focus that purpose.

As we believe that all things in the Universe are interconnected, then the act of Offering and Recieving – the act of sacred exchange – is the mystical image of this interconnection, and a thing to be cherished and celebrated.

There are many things implicit in this act that merit thought.

One of them is the idea of need. Just as various parts of a human body exist in interdependence, and just as a forest does not live by trees alone, so do the Powers we worship exist in symbiosis with us. We need Them – and They need us. The nature, and indeed the direction, of this need may vary from Image to Image, and from individual to individual – but the need itself is universal, though some may choose to deny it. The very existance of this need within a human heart proves the existence of the Divine, whatever form It may take – for there is nothing that exists without a purpose.

Another thing of some importance is the ancient precedent of the act. While many things about old religion of the Druids are impossible to determine – the fact that part of their religious observance involved offerings is hardly in doubt. Though we are not at all limited in our practice by what the ancients may or may not have done, it is a matter of respect towards our Ancestors not to discount lightly one of the few things of which we have little doubt.

Yet another thing to take into account is that the giving and recieving of gifts is an enjoyable event – a celebration of a mutually beneficial relationship, and also something that underlines the dignity of our Kinship. We do not come meet the Powers as disposessed beggars, but as worthy Kin, with something worthwhile to offer.

The OAK stage of the Rite includes the following sections: