Be shining like Freyja, but know to put yourself first above all others.
Be humble like Iðunn, but know that you hold powers unimaginable that even they don’t see.
Be careful and shrewd like Frigg, but know when to cherish what you have before it’s gone.
Be wild and free like Skaði, but know that there is no shame in longing for what is home.
Be strong in your convictions like Hel, but know when to have your heart turn toward a worthy cause.
Be enchanting like Gerðr, but know that your radiance is something they can never take from you.
Be a comforting pillar like Sif, but know that it is alright to ask for a helping hand in return.
Be clever like Loki, but know that not everyone can distinguish between cunning and harmful trickery.
Be righteous like Njörðr, but do not bend others to your will and mind like a tyrant.
Be proud of achievements like Bragi, but do not forget the many hands that go into one great piece of work, and dole out thanks accordingly.
Be tender and loving like Freyr, but don’t forget how to fight for your survival with tooth and nail.
Be forever fighting for your loved ones like Týr, but be weary of those who would call you friend and kin only to feed you to the wolves.
Be full of grace and charm like Baldr, but know that not every battle can be fought with the power of soft speech and courtesy when life is on the line.
Be a lover of justice like Forseti, but know that not everyone is looking for advice to their ills.
Be ever keen of eye like Heimdallr, but know that not all secrets that your gaze sees should be shared in others company.
Be blameless like Höðr, but know that even then, all our hands will be stained blood red with some lie or deed eventually.
Be willing to stand tall by your own merits like Ullr, but do not shy from friendly hands that would see you whole and hale to the end.
Be ferocious and strong like Þórr, but know when to stay hand upon weapon and offer kind word instead.
Be a searcher of knowledge like
Óðinn, but be mindful that while we cannot know everything, that does not mean we should stop seeking.
My perspective is colored by experience and, well, my viewpoint as someone with Borderline Personality Disorder (which has some similarities to Bipolar and PTSD, among other things, enough that they get confused for one another) and with anxiety disorder. And psychosis, too. So take from this what you will.
My experience, and I’ve seen this mirrored with some other people who struggle with mental health, is that when things are extra stressful, all of that makes a whole lot of “noise” and you’ll feel abandoned. If you can normally see spirits, you won’t see them. If you can normally “hear” spirits, you won’t. You’ll overlook signs, or see signs that aren’t there that confirm your worst fears because your anxiety will be ramped up because you’ll be weirded out by the fact that you want reassurance and that sense of the gods being present just isn’t there.
What I’ve always done is realize that it’s unlikely I just got abandoned (unless I have a good, solid reason to suspect I’ve pissed a god off, like breaking a specific oath that I remember or something), that it’s just a normal swing of bad luck, and concentrate first and foremost on self-care and doing what work I, personally, can take care of, one step at a time. It’s really disconcerting to feel that the gods aren’t there, but it’s more likely that you’re just so stressed out that that static noise is completely drowning out your normal sense. They’re there, you are just having trouble perceiving it. Keep talking to them, keep asking for help, but also work to help yourself. When you feel a bit calmer, your sense of presence should come back.
It’s not really any of my business what parts of Herself Sigyn chooses to show individual followers.
Do I sometimes disagree with some people? Yep. I puzzle out why I feel the way I do, and then I move on with my life. It doesn’t threaten my faith in the least.
No one is really an authority on a God but the God Themselves. Especially in a religion like Asatru where we don’t really have any written lore, especially about Sigyn. Sigyn has Her reasons for approaching who She does, and for showing which parts of Herself to show.
NOTE: If you are depressed and contemplating suicide, please, please get help. If you have a trusted friend or family member, counselor, teacher, etc… that you can talk to, do so. Otherwise (in the US) you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or chat online with someone who can help via IMAlive or CrisisChat. For international assistance you can check the International Suicide Prevention wiki for resources. No matter how bad things may seem right now, they will eventually get better. Taking your own life is not the best solution, and there are people out there who can help.
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Hello, I’ve had this question for a few months now and I’m still trying to find the right way to ask about it. I’ve been looking up people to ask, but it never seems to work. When I found you, I got excited. If you commit Suicide, will you not be welcomed in by the Great Mother and Great Father? I’ve been told that if you commit suicide out of Deep Depression, you wont be loved or forgiven by the divine. I’m sorry if the question makes you feel uncomfortable, but I had to ask.
In all the world there was only one who pitied him’, illustration from ‘The Heroes of Asgard, tales from Scandinavian Mythology’, by A & E Keary, 1930 (colour litho)
Holding the Bowl 