Musings On... Inanna's Story, a Venusian Tale

Have you noticed how golden and lush nature is right now? Have you felt a sense of serenity in quiet moments when inhaling feels easier?

The Moon will be full in Taurus on Sunday, and Luna loves the sign of the Bull.

There's so much to this exquisite Full Moon, and much of it begins on Friday.

It begins with Inanna's story. Inanna is Venus, the star of the Heavens, the Queen of Heaven and of Earth.

There was a time, when Inanna, perched upon her brilliant throne, was feeling at peace with the world, when she heard a cry from far away. Someone was in agony. Though she tried to ignore it, the cry continued. By and by she recognized the voice as her sister's. Ereshkigal was the Queen of the Underworld, and she began calling Inanna's name. Eventually her curiosity got the better of her. She had never ventured to her sister's realm, and suddenly she was overcome with a need to experience the unknown. Everyone told her it was a terrible idea, so naturally she made up her mind to do it! 

Inanna carefully laid plans, and backup plans. In the event that she did not return in the span of three days, her faithful advisor, Ninshubur, was to alert the gods, so that she could be retrieved. 

Like the goddess she was, she began preparing for her journey. She adorned herself with her most elaborate jewelry. Beautiful necklaces and bracelets, her royal crown, her ring, and her royal breastplate. She cloaked herself in her royal, heavenly robe. 

When she arrived at the first of seven gates that stood between her and her sister's realm, she announced herself as Inanna, the Queen of Heaven and of Earth. She stated that she had come to see that which she had never seen, and to experience that which she did not know. In order to enter, the guard demanded that she relinquish her royal crown. As she removed it, she felt a core piece of her identity vanish. Inanna stepped through the gate, and heard the door slam and bolt behind her. There was no going back. The only way was forward.

At each consecutive gate the Queen was required to remove an item of her finery, and each time the gate locked behind her. Steadily the path narrowed, until she had to crawl on her hands and knees to the seventh gate. Here, Inanna's royal robe was taken from her. Everything that defined her was gone.  She hardly remembered why she had come. Stripped naked and on bleeding hands and knees she arrived before her sister Ereshkigal, Queen of the Underworld. Here Inanna was struck dead, and her corpse was hung on a meat hook. Her surrender was complete.

Three days passed, and of course her faithful companion Ninshubur ran to the gods to announce that Inanna needed to be retrieved from the Underworld. Enki, the god of Wisdom, crafted two genderless creatures from the dirt underneath his fingernails. Being neither male, nor female, they were able to slip through the seven gates. They carried with them the food and water of Life.

In Ereshkigal's realm, they were required to beseech her for permission to revive and retrieve Inanna, but they couldn't get a word in edgewise for the Queen's crying. She was moaning and crying in pain. Some say she was grieving, some say she was in labor. 

What happens next is pivotal. These two little mystical creatures mirror Ereshkigal's crying. "Oh, my insides!" She would cry. "Oh, your insides!", they echoed. "Oh, my outsides!" she moaned. "Oh, your outsides!" they replied. Every part of her was in pain, and each time she cried she was affirmed. Feeling seen and understood for the first time, Ereshkigal felt comfort. In her gratitude she offered the little beings anything their heart desired. Of course they requested to revive Inanna and return home with her. 

Resurrected by the food and water of Life, Inanna began her ascent up through the seven gates. In order to reenter the Light of Day, someone was required to take Inanna's place, and remain below. Upon learning that her husband had not grieved for her in her absence, she agreed to send him in her stead. He was to spend part of the year in the Underworld, and was permitted to live in the Light of Day the rest of the year. Being a deity associated with agriculture, this fluctuation explains our seasons. 

In summary: Inanna descended, was stripped of everything that defined her, surrendered, and returned again to Life. Before she went she was a young and joyful goddess. Perhaps some would describe her as headstrong and naive. She returned to her throne stronger, wiser, and humbler. Her values were realigned. Her newfound knowledge of her own vulnerability did not make her weak, rather it afforded her the opportunity to take responsibility for herself, her choices, and her actions. By this she was empowered. 

Em - in, into, imbued with  POWER  ment - a state of being resulting from an action 

Today, Friday, October 22, is the day that Venus, known to ancient Sumerians as the goddess Inanna, holds sacred communion with the Sun. This is called Venus cazimi. It is the moment in Venus' retrograde (Underworld) journey, that she disappears from sight. This is a holy time. A time in which we may feel compelled to withdraw some from the outer world, in order to go inward, into the sacred caverns of our souls. 

One way to interpret this story is to imagine all of the characters within it as a component of our own psyche. 

Deep within, we take inventory. What parts of us have been cast into the dark corners of our being? Which parts are crying for attention, though we do our best to ignore them? Can our wise, higher selves hold space and provide empathy for these outcast components of our psyche? Can our rejected parts feel our care, thus returning to a state of wholeness? Can we be our own best friend, and recognize when it is time to resurface, to return to our daily lives? 

How many of us have felt an overwhelming urge to follow a bad idea? I mean, who among us would willingly march through the gates of hell on a whim? Can you relate to the soul's need to experience something new? Inanna was drawn to the unknown, because her own soul called her there in order to learn. She needed to retrieve a part of her that was lost in order to become whole. Innocence was sacrificed on the altar of experience. Thus a new woman was born. This one Stronger, wiser, and humbler. 

This age old cycle of Life Death Life is an ongoing process of spiritual maturation that marks chapters throughout our lives. These are micro-cycles mirroring the macro cycle of our entire Earthly journey, and all of it is a process of remembering who we are, and becoming.

Happy Venus Cazimi!