Cake for the Forest.

The way my friend's mother raised him was always strange to me, but he always enjoyed talking about it so I would listen. He said that, at the beginning and end of every month they'd make themselves a little treat, like cupcakes, brownies, pie, or whatever they were feeling like. When it was done and ready to eat his mom would take the first slice and we would go to the edge of their property, where the forest was, and leave it. Unless it was some kind of severe weather, like hail or thunderstorms, then she'd just set it on the front porch. Stating aloud that it was too dangerous to go outside right then.

I assumed it was some kind of atheist equivalent to Santa, or something similar. I actually never got to ask him what religion he and his parents were before he moved away so I can only guess.

But I do remember him saying that when they move into the house, they'd make a treat and give it to the forest outside the house. So the forest guardian won't think they're a threat or intruders.

I did think it was silly, you probably think it's silly, but some of the weird things he told me did help me with my anxiety at the time. Most likely a placebo effect, like the sleeping pills I had to take at the time, but my insurance didn't cover anxiety meds or therapy. So I was willing to try any non-medical aid to my anxiety, and his 'home remedies' of carrying little rocks, amethyst I think it was, and drinking chamomile tea did make me feel better.

I still have anxiety of course, no amount of shiny rocks or flower tea will make that go away, and he did say as much to me when I made a joke about it 'curing' me.

So at least he cared to make sure I wasn't misinformed.

So when I finally moved into my own house, which happened to be in the middle of the local forest- what can I say? It was cheap. I thought back to what he said.

Of course I waited until I was fully moved in before I cooked anything, and figuring that animals would be the only thing eating what I made, I made sure it was all animal safe ingredients. I remember him telling me that salt can make the earth infertile so I made sure to use mostly plant based ingredients, the only thing that wasn't plant based was the milk and butter. I made myself a few cupcakes and took the first one out to the edge of my property, or atleast the rough estimate of my properties edge, and set it down. I hesitated, thinking if I should say anything and figuring that, since this was another one of those placebo rituals, it didn't matter.

But I did, half jokingly, say "Please don't hurt me." under my breath before leaving.

I didn't think much of it until the month ended, I was walking my newly adopted dog, a little three legged sweetie named Pumpkin- poor thing was almost put down before I got to her, around the property, and I saw a bush had been completely ripped up.

One quick image search later and it turns out that bush & its berries are poisonous to dogs. I looked back at the ripped up plant and there were no footprints, no tool marks, nothing that implied a person had ripped the plant up.

A memory of my friend telling me that the forest spirits and guardians around his house would often do things to protect those in the house. Especially the animals.

That gave me a strange mix of relief and worry.

Safe to say the next day, the start of august if I remember correctly, I made myself a pie and left it on the edge of the forest. Again, all animal safe ingredients, especially dog safe ones because Pumpkin can and will eat whatever she gets her mouth on.

This little ritual continued on for a few months afterwards. I noticed more strange things happening around my yard. It started small, lost items would usually end up right in the space where I usually put the food. Even things I knew I had lost far away from my house, like the house key I had dropped in a subway drain.