On Godspouses
Godspouse discourse has existed for as long as godspouses have, so decades, if not hundreds of years.
This is a post to say: my blogs are godspouse-safe and I am a godspouse-friendly practitioner!
And for the many years to come of discourse — positive and negative, as discourse only means discussion — may this be here for friends and strangers alike.
I personally think it's possible to critique the bastardisation of religion via social media at the same time as not invalidating the experiences of godspouses.
It's possible to not only attribute the existence of godspouses to social media. Social media is our window to the experiences of others including those who have these connections with the gods, but that doesn't make social media the primary motivator.
At the same time, because social media has become an accessible platform of sharing our experiences with the world, I'm sure there are godspouses out there who realised what their relationships with the gods were through places like these, or learnt about the term, or used it as a jumping pad for research, or — in finding out more about this — maybe that's how their deity decided it was time to reach out about it.
We can acknowledge a lack of historical sources at the same time as knowing that there is information that's been destroyed or lost, that we may never see again.
And some of the history we do have may very well be what we know godspousing as today, even if the words are different. Even if language has evolved.
And if it turns out that we don't have much on it historically? That's okay. Mortals, religion, and gods all change. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here today worshipping our lovely divinities.
We can be respectful of the gods and utterly pious while knowing that from the beginning of time, both mortals and gods have sought connection with one another.
That connection can take on a variety of appearances!
That includes if someone doesn't want to use the word godspouse but the concept is close to what their relationship is. It includes not having anything to do with godspousing and still having meaningful connections with the gods. It includes using the word proudly with deep, deep resonance. It includes the word being "good enough". It includes the in-between and vague, blurry lines.
We can express caution to young people diving into this path, because it's true, growing up takes a lot of time (see: forever). I do believe young people (especially those under-age) should seek to learn more about themselves, about life, about love, about education, about career, about family, about their values in life first — because perhaps they will find what they desire once they move out of home and have an income of their own and a social circle that isn't restricted (if that might be the case under one's household). A deity doesn't have to be all or any of the above for them.
(So that there is no doubt about it: I don't think minors should engage with godspousing)
I don't worry about "the ones on tiktok" or those who get referenced in anti posts because, chances are, they'll realise how cringe they are one day (we all have before and we all will continue to). Or they might learn and learn and learn and realise that it's not for them, or maybe that there is something meaningful there for them. In any case, the gods will handle it better than we can.
At the same time, I commend the godspouses/consorts/partners and more (even those involved with other spirits: infernal, angelic, fae or beyond) who post about their experiences and talk about them. It is a privilege to have access to another person's website or blog or platform. I think it's great for combating misinformation (whether intended or not), and I think it's great if they just want to exist rather than educate anyone.
Not all see this (these opinions, this post, this topic) in the same way I do. Not all see the gods as individual beings who enjoy relations with mortals, or see the gods as beings who can express these desires or emotions in a reciprocal manner. That's all okay.
Maybe you can find what you're looking for here — a bit of validation, some food for thought, a different perspective.