Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It’s a relationship between equals. Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity.
Author: Sephira

STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters… S.T..R …
My friend sent this to me and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. I agree. If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks.STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
During a party, a friend stumbled and took a little fall – she assured everyone that she was fine and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. (they offered to call ambulance)They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food – while she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid’s husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital – (at 6:00pm , Ingrid passed away.)
She had suffered a stroke at the party . Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today.Some don’t die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead. It only takes a minute to read this…
STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke…totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.
RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Remember the ‘3’ steps, STR . Read and Learn!
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster.
The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions :S * Ask the individual to SMILE ..
T * = TALK. Ask the person to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (eg ‘It is sunny out today’).
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS .If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call the ambulance and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
NOTE : Another ‘sign’ of a stroke is
1. Ask the person to ‘stick’ out their tongue.
2. If the tongue is ‘crooked’, if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke.A prominent cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.
And it could be your own.


Even though some of the links go directly to the iTunes or Android store, still double check them because most of them are available of both platforms as well as others 🙂
- 12 Steps AA Companion (iTunes/Android)
- Alura: Cognitive Therapy
- ASK & Prevent Suicide (iTunes/Android)
- AutisMate
- Beating the Blues
- Beat Panic
- Beat Social Phobia (iTunes/Android)
- BellyBio Interactive Breathing
- Bipol-App
- BioZen
- Body Beautiful
- BrainHQ
- CBT Referee
- Circle of 6
- Cogmed
- CogniFit
- Cognitive Diary CBT Self-Help
- Cognitive Enhancement Therapy
- Constant Therapy
- COGPACK
- Control Alcohol (iTunes/Android)
- DBT Diary Card and Skills Coach
- DBT Self Help
- Depression CBT Self-Help Guide
- Eating D
- eCBT
- eMoods Bipolar Mood Tracker
- Emotions and Feelings – AutismFeelings Book
- Fit Brains
- Focus Trainer
- Guardly
- Happy Habits: Choose Happiness
- HAPPYneuron
- HELP Prevent Suicide (iTunes/Android)
- iCBT
- iCounselor
- iMoodJournal
- ImQuit – Quit Addiction
- iPromises
- iStress
- Just-in-Case
- Kissy Project
- Life Mood
- LifeLine Response
- Live Happy
- Lumosity
- Mobicip Safe Browser with Parental Control
- Mood and Anxiety Diary
- Mood Panda
- Mood Tracker
- Mood Tracking Journal and Diary
- Mood Watch
- MoodGYM
- MoodKit
- Moodlytics
- MoodMaster Anti-Depression App
- Moody Me
- MyBrainSolutions
- MindShift
- My Mood Tracker
- MyThoughts
- OneHealth Meeting Finder
- OnWatch (iTunes/Android)
- Operation Reach Out (iTunes/Android)
- Optimism
- Overcoming Social Anxiety
- Panic Aid
- Project Toe
- PSSCogRehab
- PTSD Coach
- QPR Suicide Crisis Support
- Recovery Box
- Recovery Record
- Rise Up + Recover
- Sad Scale
- SAFE Alternatives
- Safe Helpline
- Safety App
- Safety Plan
- SAM – Self Help for Anxiety Management
- SAS – Social Anxiety Support
- Scientific Brain Training Pro
- Self-Esteem Blackboard
- Self Help Classics
- Sobriety Counter
- Stop Panic & Anxiety Self Help
- Stop Drinking (iTunes/Android)
- STOP!T
- StopSelfHarm
- Suicide Lifeguard
- T2 Mood Tracker
- Take Control
- Teen Hotlines
- The Now
- This Way Up
- Thought Diary
- Watch Over Me – Personal Safety App
- Way of Life
- WhatsMyM3
- Wingman Project
- Worry Box- Anxiety Self Help

Sigyn (and Norse deities in general)
I adore Sigyn. I’ve been interested in Norse mythology for… so long, however I was pulled in by Hindu deities – Kali especially. I cannot remember how I first heard of Hel… Which is odd, since this was only a month or so ago! However, when I did, I knew she was a patron deity of mine. I had that feeling. She feels almost like a sister, except a bit more on the formal side. I see her as being a regal, beautiful woman. Yes, I do mean regal. Yes, I do mean beautiful. I feel like she has this presence, this amazing presence that is serious, with a smile here and a warm gesture there. I feel like Hel takes care of her own.
Anyway! Sigyn. When I started reading about Sigyn, I smiled. Yes, it’s a serious situation (is, was or possibly didn’t happen depending on which bit of history you read.) However Sigyn is such a loyal wife, and being a loyal wife myself – and having a loyal wife – I feel like I just understand her love. You must love someone a lot to spend every minute with someone (I should know, because Jen and I do and we couldn’t imagine any other way of living) and take care of them like Sigyn does Loki.
I read last night that some people see her as being weak / abused / etc. because of the life she chose. If what we’ve read is true, if she is holding the bowl or was or will… She’s an amazing example of a wife, of a lover, of a partner, of a friend. She has a lot of strength. She teaches what one does for love.
For some reason, when people need advice, they come to me. I’ve only been in one relationship, and that is with Jen. We started dating when we were young teenagers, and married each other almost seven years ago. We’ve been together for ten. I don’t have experience in the break up department, however people still ask me for advice. So this is what I ask them…
“Can you imagine your life without this person? If yes, maybe you should consider leaving if you feel like that is best. If you can’t, and if they can’t imagine life without you, try everything you can. Maybe your relationship can be saved.”
I can’t imagine my life without Jen. She is my life. My best friend, my wife, my soul mate. My lover. I would sit by her side forever, and she would sit by mine.
In a way, she does. I have bipolar disorder, severe OCD and anxiety. I ask her a 100 times or more a day if this is okay, if that is, and she will answer and she will guide me. She also has bipolar disorder and severe anxiety, and I am there for her. Because I find that she is beautiful, inside and out, even when she doesn’t think she is – and especially when she feels this way about her mental disorders. They’re – for now, at least – a part of who she is and I love everything about her.
Now you have Sigyn. She does what she does because of love. She is strong, and she is selfless and she is loving and I am sure loved in return. You can’t spend that amount of time with someone if you don’t, at least not in my opinion.
I feel like Sigyn isn’t just she who holds the bowl. I feel like she is so much more and those parts of her should be focused on and respected as well.
I think I am starting to ramble. I apologize. But this is so important to me. I can be a real bitch sometimes. My OCD can get the best of me. I sometimes feel like a horrible wife. I feel like Sigyn can calm and guide me when I do. I also feel like she can help me do what is best, be selfless and be strong.
May I ask how you see Sigyn and how you honor her?
Most who see Sigyn as abused are speaking of the Marvel comics and not mythology. There is little to no evidence that Loki has treated her badly. In fact if I recall correctly Loki is called (something along the lines of) Sigyn’s burden at one point in the sagas!
Yes, there is so much more to Sigyn beyond the fact that she holds the bowl, though this is still a important piece!
The *Sigyn tag has much more myth and devotional works then the main Sigyn tag though you can occasionally find gems in there too ^_^
This site is amazing for Sigyn and her family devotion:
http://www.northernpaganism.org/shrines/sigyn/sigyn/who-is-sigyn.html
I have associated her with warmth and strength, loyalty and steadfast nature. As the Lady of Constancy, anything difficult I am having problems seeing through or finished, I dedicate to her.
,I see her as being motherly but never looming over me in a manner that would make me feel insignificant/wrong/guilty. (Affection in an equal manner, as my mother rarely uses her status as my parent over me, I felt the same with Sigyn’s motherly nature). Sigyn is hope, faith and of course, so much love.
I have never envisioned her physically as to me it personally limits the possibility within my own mind. It allows her to be any race or color, because such things are not important when it comes to the Gods.
Loki tagged along with Sigyn after a while, so I try to honor her family as I honor her. Her children and her husband. I have given wine to Sigyn and Loki and they quite enjoyed it. From UPG, Sigyn enjoys lavender, and rose quartz.
I hope that helped, this is the first time I have added my two cents about Sigyn. I can try to find you more resources if you need ^_^
Sigyn’s Son
Firstly—reminder the whole blog is UPG. I feel like I haven’t said that lately. Secondly—I had no idea had anything to say about Sigyn at all; I know last time someone spoke to me about her, I had nothing to contribute. Apparently I’ve been thinking about it. Thirdly—someone tell me if it’s “Sigynsson”, “Sigynson”, or “Sigynarson” because all that happened when I went looking is I got increasingly frustrated by the lack of knowing if the matro/patronymic had a special case ending or simply used the genitive. Anyway.
+
Songbird. A wolf, or wolves. Silence and noise. Narfi’s brother and Narfi’s killer.
I keep coming back to these false dichotomies. Songbird is not exclusive wolf—not when the wolf can be a metaphor for outcast, not when the songbird is a mimic, not when the whole is given to changing shapes around a fixed point. Silence is both quiet and—in the right context—deafening. Loving a brother does not mean not killing him—I’ve talked about that, circle around it over and over and over again even as I try to pull away. Kindness can be its own cruelty, spite does not mean you can’t offer someone else compassion.
Loki’s son.
This was absolutely beautiful and just, lovely. I will have to bookmark this to come back to when I want to read about Sigyn, there is only so about her. This fits the bill so much, and its wonderful to learn of her children too.

Celebrating World Autism Awareness Day
A post on our Communication Aids blog
http://communicationaids.info/world-autism-awareness-day-2014/
MYTHOLOGY MEME – [10/?] NORSE GODS/GODDESSES: SIGYN
“Hail to Sigyn, devoted wife and mother
Comforter to the forsaken
She, who embodies patience,
and braves all unearned scorn.”
If you’re battling a mental illness and didn’t want to wake up this morning but did anyways, you’re a motherfucking badass. Because living with a mental illness is hard and I’m damn proud of you for still being here and fighting. You’re metal as hell and tough as nails. So keep on fighting, you kickass Viking warrior. You can win this.


