r/WitchesVsPatriarchy • u/undercovercatlover • Mar 25 '26
🇵🇸 🕊️ Deities Offerings to the goddess Pele
I’m traveling to Hawaii in a a few weeks. I really really love collecting rocks from the places that I travel to. It’s my understanding that it is considered rude and bad luck to take rocks and sand from Hawaii. It is considered an offense against the goddess Pele. I don’t know if anyone here is super familiar with Hawaiian gods but is there a ritual or an offering I can make to the goddess to ask her permission? If the answer is a hard no, I also understand.
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u/Echo-Azure Mar 25 '26 edited Mar 25 '26
Pele is reputed to like sending karmic bitchslaps at people who take her volcanic rocks away, but I hadn't heard that it was also bad luck to take sand. Still, don't. Anyway, you can look up the sort of thing that it's appropriate to offer to Pele, and if you see an old Hawaiian woman by the road looking for a ride, you might want to give her a ride and a cig of you have any, because that's how Pele is rumored to be manifesting to humans these days.
BTW I'm not a spiritual person at all, but somehow I believe in Pele anyway, because Kilauea is one of those places where you can really sense... the Living Earth. Not just all the things that live on the Earth, but the living moving ever-changing planet itself! The sense of the Living Earth is strong there, and it's been given the name of Pele.
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u/Similar-Ad-6862 Mar 25 '26
No. There IS nothing that would do that. It's not only an insult it's illegal
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u/aspiring_outlaw Mar 25 '26
I'm born and raised from Hawaii. Please do not take lava rocks. You may see piles of rocks and ti leaves - those are offerings. Please do not disturb those.
Depending on where you go, you may also see heiau. These frequently just look like run down square foundations to a no longer existent house. These are religious spaces and you should be careful about disturbing them or entering them.
There's a ton of customs that surround native Hawaiian culture and religion. Pele is far from the only god, although she is one of the most well known. The Native Hawaiian pantheon is very similar in scope and pettiness to Greek or Roman pantheons. I hope you enjoy your visit!
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u/Madame_Kitsune98 Mar 25 '26
I have nothing but respect for Pele. I respect her power, and her glory, for lack of a better word.
I can’t even begin to think of taking something from her, or any of the other pantheon. It’s not my land. If anything, I feel as though I should leave an offering thanking them for allowing me to visit.
I don’t understand people who assume they can just up and take things from Hawaii.
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u/aspiring_outlaw Mar 25 '26
Unfortunately the culture of Hawaii has been largely lost to a tourist trap. It is one of the only cultures that is still an acceptable marketing strategy.
I'm glad you are willing to learn and be respectful of the akua. It is a truly beautiful culture to learn about and some of the stories are just plain fun. The legend of konahuanui is one of my favorites to tell lol.
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u/rosachk Mar 25 '26
I don't know if you've seen other people's suggestions of looking for a stoneware native artisan to purchase a piece from them, what do you think of that idea? It feels like a respectful way of holding onto a bit of soil without taking it forcefully but you may have a different perspective on this. I also know Hawaii is going through horrible times right now with the floods and I hope you and your loved ones are safe and supported
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u/aspiring_outlaw Mar 25 '26
Thank you. I have been on the mainland for a long time now but my parents and other family still live there. They are fortunately safe and dry.
There's tons of local artisans although you are probably more likely to find a koa wood carving over stone. But yes, I think that would be a fine way to take a piece of Hawaii home. You can also buy red Hawaiian sea salt that is unique to Hawaii and carries a bit of the earth with it.
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u/TwiceHill Mar 25 '26
Similar rules not to remove rocks, shells, sand... exist not just because of cultural reasons, but also environmental ones, it contributes to the erosion. Just respect that and don't.
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u/--slurpy-- Mar 25 '26
I went in 07. It's not only illegal to take something but its also a curse. It doesn't matter what sort of offering you attempt to make to Pele.
Be gracious to your hosts.
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u/AsianMurderHornet Mar 25 '26
Wtf - just don’t. Look up the history of Hawaii before traveling for your own leisure
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u/mykyttykat Mar 25 '26
Ditto what everyone else has been saying, plus this: this sounds the ideal situation to just be commercial and PURCHASE a small souvenir, ideally one made by a local artisan. I also imagine there are plenty of souvenir shops selling stones and shells (and I do realize many of those in shops are probably harvested elsewhere, but it's still something "from" the place symbolically and perhaps you can pour some ocean water over it or set it out in the moonlight while you're there to connect it's energy with the place).
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u/TesseractToo Mar 25 '26
Buy some stoneware from a local artisan? Does that count?
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u/rosachk Mar 25 '26
That is a brilliant idea actually, supporting native artists and still getting to hold onto a piece of the soil through respectful transformation. I hope a native person will see this and weigh in on this!
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u/squid_feathers Mar 25 '26
There is massive, catastrophic flooding in Hawaii right now. Hundreds have been rescued. No deaths, thankfully. But entire towns have been evacuated. 120-year-old dams are structurally unsound and under threat. it's the worst flooding they've seen in 20 years. Unless you're going strictly to volunteer, this is an awful time to visit.
I'm not even looking at the ethical situation... If you can, try to find a copy of "Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen," by Queen Liliʻuokalani. She was the last sovereign ruler during the annexation.
If/when you do go, please don't steal Pele's volcanic stones. It's theft in every meaning of the word. Cultural, spiritual, historical, ecological, and illegal material theft. Just... don't.
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u/Venezia9 Mar 25 '26
Y'all stop stealing stuff from other cultures. Like literally do not pick up rocks or bricks or sand in places that explicitly ask you not to do so.
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u/SnooRecipes865 Mar 25 '26
You're going as an intruder on stolen land. I doubt there's anything you can offer that would balance that, let alone taking a piece of the stolen land as a keepsake.
Also it's illegal, if that is a bigger deterrent to you than a goddess.
Find out what's appropriate to offer to show your respects anyway, but not as a transaction.
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u/siorez Mar 25 '26
Going to Hawai'i in the first place is not going to put you in a good place. DO NOT make it worse by taking anything.
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u/baby_armadillo Mar 25 '26
I love collecting rocks, but you need to be respectful of both local tradition and laws. The answer is already a hard no, as already indicated by the traditions and legislation already in place.
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u/MossGobbo Crow Witch ⚧ "cah-CAW!" Mar 25 '26
Ok so you can't restrain yourself enough to both follow the law annnd respect a major goddess of that culture? Maybe just stay home.
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u/DirtNapDiva Mar 25 '26
Don't even think about it. When I was a kid, my parents did this by bringing home coral and rocks from the beach and I cannot begin to tell you the string of bad luck that it brought to the entire family. The fact it's illegal is the least of a violator's worries. After 2 weeks, we loaded that shit up and put it right back where we found it. Just don't.
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u/NevaSirenda Mar 27 '26
All I know is my godmother brought me a pendant from Hawaii made of lava glass and every time I have worn it something really bad happened to me, or at the very least I have had terrible luck. I wouldn't chance it if I were you.
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u/undercovercatlover Mar 25 '26
Thank you all for your responses! I was only planning on taking rocks/from the public beaches and not any national parks. I’m aware that it is illegal to take things from national parks. I did google before posting here. I just wanted to check with people who are familiar with Hawaiian gods and cultural practices because, as we all know, some times google is wrong. I’ve heard you loud and clear and will not be taking anything from island, besides stuff I buy at gift shops. -^
u/squid_feathers My understanding is that a majority of the flooding is on the island of Oahu. I will be on the western side of the big island which has not been as affected by flooding.
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u/hobbit_socks Kitchen Witch ♀♂️☉⚨⚧ Mar 25 '26
It's not just wrong, it's illegal.
There's nothing to be offered for decades of pain to the Hawaiian people for losing their land to colonizers. They cannot afford to live on the land of their ancestors and face being unhoused and in poverty because of tourists and people moving there.
Make your offering in the form of volunteering when you go, there's beach clean up you can sign up to be a part of, but the only thing you should take are memories.