by Mary Scarlett Moon and Callista Deep River

This article was transcribed from SageWoman Magazine, Issue #17, Samhain 1991 (or Autumn 1991).

Inanna is just the other name of Hecate, who includes all three phases of the Moon, all dark and light qualities on Goddess.

INANNA        Journey to the Dark Center

I am the daughter of the Ancient Mother,
I am the child
of the Mother of the World.
I am your daughter
O Ancient Mother,
I am your child
O Mother of the World.
O Inanna! O Inanna!
O Inanna!
It is you who teaches us to die, be reborn and rise again.
Die, be reborn, and rise!
Herstory/Lore
Queen of Heaven and Earth

The Goddess Inanna ruled the people of Sumer, and under Her rule, the people and their communities prospered and thrived. The urban culture, though agriculturally dependent, centered upon the reverence of the Goddess -- a cella, or shrine, in Her honor, was the centerpiece of the cities. Inanna was the queen of seven temples throughout Summer. Probably the most important Sumerian contribution to civilization was the invention and creation of standard writing and literature; the Sumerians even had libraries. Their literary works reveal religious beliefs, ethical ideas, and the spiritual aspirations of the Sumerians. Among these works are the hymns and stories of Inanna -- important here because they were recorded at a time when the patriarchy was beginning to take hold, and the position of the Goddess, although strong, was changing.

My Lady looks in sweet wonder from heaven.
The people of Sumer parade before the holy Inanna.
Inanna, the Lady of the Morning, is radiant.
I sing your praises, holy Inanna.
The Lady of the Morning is radiant on the horizon.

Inanna's Descent
The hymns to Inanna are beautiful, poetic, and a testament both to Her power and to Her humanity. She outwitted Enki, the God of Wisdom, and her grandfather, and she endowed the people of Sumer with the seven me - wisdom and gifts that inspired and insured their growth sensuous lover in The Courtship of Inanna and Damuzi. Indeed, Inanna is herself the Goddess of Love, and it is this aspect and power -- creativity, procreativity, raw sexual energy, and passion -- that generates the energy of the universe. In the Courtship, Inanna is both the shy virgin and the sensuous mistress. Her coupling with Damuzi is one of the most erotic and passionate passages in literature. The marriage is one of body and spirit, and Inanna's passion and expectations link her to women all over the world. After their lovemaking, when Damuzi asks for his freedom, Inanna's poignant lament is "How sweet was your allure..." The Descent of Inanna plays a key role in Sumerian literature.

The Goddess Inanna descended twice: first from Heaven to Earth to rule her people; second, to the realm of the underworld, the domain of her sister Ereshkigal. It is the second descent of Inanna that is the focus here. Inanna was Queen of Heaven and Earth, but she knew nothing of the underworld.

Her quest for clarity and knowledge, as well as her sense of duty as Queen and Goddess, led her to the Earthly realm in the first place. She was a powerful ruler, and yet she felt a strong desire to challenge herself further. "My daughter craved the great below," was the response of her father upon learning of her descent and death in the other realm. In her naivete, she wrapped herself in theme, transformed into garments and jewels, and began her descent.

Her sister Ereshkigal, upon hearing Inanna at the gates of the underworld, demands that Inanna must give up all of her earthly trappings before she can complete her journey. There are seven stations through which Inanna must pass before she meets Ereshkigal, her sister, and rival. At the seventh and last, she meets Ereshkigal, who seizes Inanna and hangs her on a peg to die.

What Inanna discovers about herself and about life itself as she makes her descent is not implicit in the texts. However, by the time she relinquishes her final garment, she is no longer the commanding Queen. She is open, exposed, and vulnerable. This knowledge, and acceptance of her vulnerability, as well as her first-hand discovery of the necessity of sacrifice and death for the cycles of life to continue, increased her power, her understanding, and her beauty.

Her sister learns a lesson as well: she has her heart opened to compassion. When Enki sent two creatures, Galla, below to rescue Inanna, Ereshkigal was struggling to five births, even though she was barren. The creatures moaned in sympathy with her -- for the first time in her life, Ereshkigal felt a connection to another. As a reward for their compassion, the Galla were permitted to take the corpse of the Goddess Inanna away with them, and revive her. But Inanna was not free to leave unless she ensured that there would be someone to take her place.

When she returned to earth, she found that her husband Damuzi did not mourn her; in fact, he had taken on even more power in her absence. Inanna allowed the Galla to take Damuzi to rule in her place in the underworld.

For the love of her brother, Damuzi's sister Geshtinanna volunteered to take that place half of each year so he could return to his Queen. This six-month cycle insured that the lands would maintain their abundance and fertility, and also served to humble the imprudent King.

Inanna Today
in the Inanna cycle, she is maiden, mother and crone. Her encounter with Ereshkigal can be seen as a meeting of the creator and the destroyer - the light and dark aspects of the Goddess. For modern women, Inanna is a powerful role model. She indeed has it all: she is Goddess, protectress, sensuous, a politician par excellence, intelligent, beautiful, and powerful. She is aware of Her position in the world, of Her great responsibility.

We, like Inanna, challenge ourselves, often taking ourselves to task to know more, learn more, be more. This is not necessarily good or bad. But in the doing, in living this life, we too must know the power of the underworld and its mysteries, as well as know the power of compassion. Our personal growth, suffering, and pain can be likened to physical death; our psyches journey to the underworld again and again. Old ideas, old visions, identities die; myths are shattered and are created anew. We rise up, like Inanna, aware of our vulnerabilities, and the strength created from them.

Dark Moon Ritual: Inanna's Journey

Things you will need:
Black candles
Candle (your favorite color)
Bowl of water
Mirror
Thurible
Incense (your choice of flavor)
Tarot cards.

The altar can be directional, Inanna-ular, whatever is your preference. All altars are perfect in their beauty. Each participant needs a necklace, a shawl, and one tarot card.

Preparation for the Journey:

Like the Goddess Inanna, you are choosing to travel to the underworld. Before you go, you clothe yourself, as Inanna did with “the me,” protecting, wrapping yourself in your Earthly powers and attributes. In this case, “the seven me” are symbolized by the necklace, the shawl, and the tarot card. The tarot cards are shuffled; as this is done, you ask the spirits to bring you a shield, a symbol of protection. Choose one, study it, hear your inner voice telling you what it symbolizes to you.  As you put on the necklace and the shawl, take time with each item, endowing them with the power you think you will need in the underworld.