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Sigyn, Pain, and Grief—and Healing

As the Mourning Mother, Sigyn understands your pain when you grieve. She understands your rage at the unfairness of life, and she understands your desire to strike back, and your impotent fury that there is no real way to do so. Sigyn reminds you to feel your pain, to weep your tears, to let your heart break fully so that you can begin to heal.

Allow yourself to feel the grief, to mourn the loss, to weep and wail and keen. Suppressed grief is dangerous, eating at the heart and soul, darkening your spirit for the remainder of your years.

Mourn, bless, and release; the release includes not only releasing the pain once you have acknowledged it, but also releasing yourself from the cave to rejoin life after the period of mourning, and to live fully each day.

As the Lady of Victory, Sigyn reminds you to persevere, to persist, to keep going. No matter how dark the cave, no matter how many times the bowl fills and must be emptied, no matter how many times you want to cry or scream or collapse in frustration, Sigyn reminds you that you can do this. Whatever it is, you can make it through the darkness, and emerge from the cave victorious, ready to once again be part of your family and community, to live and thrive and create a full, rich life.

May Sigyn bring you comfort in your pain, and help you move through your grief so that you can return to the world stronger in heart and soul, and ready to reconnect with your life and your purpose.

Sigyn Speaks Comfort by Anastasia Haysler

Listen, Dear One. Hold my words in your heart. Know you are safe and loved. Let your heart fill with peace.

I, who am Mother to the lost, the sorrowful, the mad; I am here, and you are under my protection.

Wrapped in my mantle, safe within its folds, You may rest, and let your mind be at ease, your heart be at peace, your soul find rest and comfort.

All is well, Dear One, and all shall be well.

fauna-and-mythos

Sigyn, Goddess of Fidelity

all photos are mine

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Photo by Joanna Nix on Unsplash

I just had to share this because my Sigyn candle wick literally looks like a woman holding a bowl.

#SIGYN #victory bringer

lokeansuz

Small Devotional Acts to Sigyn

Endure hardships with dignity.

Stand by your loved ones when they are struggling.

Be gentle with others.

Love with your whole heart.

Leave her offerings of flowers or milk thistle.

Do not bend to the will of others.

Wear greys, browns and earthy tones.

Offer sweet wine in a bowl for Her.

Devote time to honouring Narfi and Vali.

Be committed in your relationships.

Wear the rune Berkana as a talisman.

Accept others for who they are.

Keep fighting. Even when all feels lost.

Volunteer at a hospital, soup kitchen or retirement home.

Hold the bowl.

Take care of others, but do not neglect yourself.

Be mindful of others and respect their struggles.

Do not allow the world to make you grow harsh and cold.

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Mary Oliver, from “Honey Locust”, Devotions

#quotes

lokeanwelcomingcommittee

A Bowling Tutorial

Alright, I have a ritual to share with new Lokeans. But first, storytime!

Once upon a time, Loki got really drunk at a dinner party, told off all of the gods, and bragged to Frigg about killing her son. The guests, understandably, were a little upset, and bound him to a rock forever. Then they hung a serpent over his head to drip burning venom onto his flesh.

Loki’s wife, Sigyn, did not appreciate this. She took a bowl and held it over his head to catch the venom, and so she continues to this day. Occasionally, the bowl gets full, Sigyn has to go empty it, and Loki shudders in pain as the venom hits him. That’s how the Vikings explained earthquakes back in the day. And the rest, as they say, is Ragnarök.

Sad, huh? While there aren’t any universal Lokean rituals, one of the more common ones is to hold a bowl in honor of Sigyn. Most normal, non-pun-addicted people refer to it simply as “holding the bowl.”

As with most Lokean-related practices, there is no one right way to perform the ritual, and you are in no way obligated to do so in the first place. I’m just describing the basic format that you can modify and add to as you see fit.

Commit to a certain amount of time. Many people find that having a set goal beforehand gives a bigger sense of accomplishment and prevents guilt from pushing them to keep going past what they find meaningful. 10-15 minutes is probably a good benchmark to start with.

Find a bowl. I use my ceremonial offering bowl, but any liquid-safe bowl will do. A bigger bowl, like a mixing bowl, gets the point across a little better than a smaller one.

Fill the bowl with water.

Go to a place where you won’t be disturbed. Stand or kneel, depending on what feels right and what your physical condition allows, stretch out your arms, and hold the bowl.

Contemplate the meaning behind this act: Sigyn’s devotion, Loki’s suffering, what wisdom you can draw from it, etc. Or meditate, if you’d prefer.

Appreciate that holding things that don’t seem all that heavy to begin with for extended periods sucks.

When you’re done, dispose of the water as you see fit. My irrational lab tech self tends to flush the bowl water down the drain with more water because “OMG, IT’S ACID!”, but others might find it more meaningful to use it to water flowers or something.

I like this ritual because it’s a very simple process that only requires things most people have around already, yet it can be very powerful if approached with the right mindset.

#offerings #worship