1. What do you mean by difficult relationships?

First and foremost, this is not a site for enabling or somehow encouraging others to stay within abusive relationships in ANY WAY. If you are being verbally, emotionally, physically or sexually abused… PLEASE GET HELP!

If you need assistance finding resources in your area, please don’t hesitate to Contact Us, and we will try our best to direct you to the assistance that you need.

In this case a difficult relationship is just what is sounds like – one that literally almost drives you to your knees, when the effort of keeping it going is nearly more than you can take. This can be any relationship – spouse, significant other, partner, parent, child, friendship, etc… anyone where your love for that person gives you the fortitude and enduring strength to carry on, when all others might give up and walk away. Probably worth noting as well, that sometimes that relationship can also simply be with yourself.

These are relationships where the other half is someone who is struggling with depression, disability, or debilitating chronic conditions – severe anxiety, etc… anything that generally prevents them from potentially having “normal” (whatever that word means) interactions with others, or where (understandably) it might be difficult for them to focus on the wants and needs of a partner, because sometimes it’s all they can do just to get out of bed in the mornings, much less function. A situation where they desperately need someone to be holding the bowl for them.

Staying in such a relationship is difficult, especially if you love someone. It’s painful, it’s frustrating, it’s demoralizing, emotionally and physically draining. It’s often giving up on your own dreams, sacrificing your own needs – all for the well-being of someone else. But in the end you know that if you don’t… maybe no one else will. It’s being faithful, steadfast, and in some cases honoring the vows that you made until the end. Enduring!

2. What do you mean by holding the bowl?

When Loki was bound by the other Gods, with the entrails of his own son (killed by his other son after being turned into a vicious wolf), and a venomous serpent set above him – it was left to Sigyn to hold the bowl over him, to keep the venom from dripping into his eyes. She did this out of love, out of duty and out of faithfulness to her husband, day after day, year after year, until her arms ached with it all. Only taking a break when the bowl became too full, and she stopped long enough to empty it, and start her vigil again.

Holding the bowl is a monumental task – one that pushes us all to the breaking point. Hopefully with support, we can make it that much easier. We may not be able to take the burden from you, but through sharing, we can make the weight seem lighter and more manageable.

3. Why this blog?

It’s sort of funny. I’ve been Pagan for quite a number of years, mostly as an eclectic witch, with a primary interest in Wicca (though I was never initiated). I spent a large part of my early years honoring the Goddess, and to a lesser degree the Horned God (within a NeoPagan framework), but otherwise never had any sort of “patron deity” type relationships with any particular God(ess).

Possibly the closest I ever came to such was with Isis (and yes, in that form rather than Aset), but still no real regularly religious practices or devotional type work.  I’ve had affinities for particular Gods over the years (Tyr and Lugh, occasionally Odinn) – not necessarily a calling to serve, but definitely a personal connection of sorts, or maybe an empathy with certain challenges (not quite the word I’m looking for, but it serves well enough) that they’ve faced based on UPG and the lore surrounding them. But again, no real concrete practices involving them – other than an vague “Hail” every now and again.

I’ve had a passing interest in Heathenry for a while, but despite doing quite a bit of academic research on the subject, never have been an actual practicing Heathen. Even now, I don’t see that changing all that much, but it’s clear that there is at least one Goddess from that pantheon that I cannot ignore. Strangely, up until this point, I’d really only seen her name in passing, and never with any detailed information associated with her. But when such did finally cross my path, it was like a giant neon sign screaming at me – HEY YOU!!!!! Even odder still, was that I felt immediately called to make this blog in her honor. The idea came fully formed… poof… DO THIS! DO IT NOW!! In the couple days it took me to actually get it up and running, I’d literally go to sleep and dream of it and spend most of the day contemplating it as well. So there was really no choice in the matter.

It’s a bit weird, because clearly I haven’t had any time to get to truly know her, but hopefully that will change in the near future. In the meantime, I will do my best to honor her via the task that she has set me on.

4. Are there particular tags that you use?

In an effort to organize information as best as possible, there are certain tags that I will try to use regularly for certain topics. I’ll add to this list as necessary, but this is the current list…

• #personal stories – what it says on the tin
• #resources – links, numbers, etc… for help, support and information
• #tools – similar to resources (and potentially overlapping), but maybe a more specific way of dealing with a particular issue, or situation.
• #recreation – fun things that are inclusive of those with special needs, or other disabilities.
• #sigyn – content posted in relation to the Goddess and/or her family.