As many of you now I no longer work with Goddesses or Gods other than Mary and Jesus, BUT I’ve always loved history and mythology and finding links within stories and folklore. Recently, I came across the story of Inanna, the ancient Sumerian goddess, and it deeply resonated with me.
Her journey, the unveiling of jewels and adornments, the beauty within felt so aligned with the energy of Venus retrograde, which began on March 1st and ends on April 12th 2025. It feels like the perfect time to share this story, not just for its historical and mythical significance, but also for the guidance and wisdom it offers during this powerful period.
Inanna is one of the oldest known deities in human history. Her worship dates back to at least 4000 BCE in ancient Sumer (modern-day Iraq). That makes her over 6,000 years old in terms of recorded history!
She was later syncretized with the Akkadian and Babylonian goddess Ishtar, and her influence carried into other cultures, evolving into goddesses like Astarte and Aphrodite. Her story is also similar to Isis! I find it so fasinating how many stories from all over the world are so similar. All these myths, particularly her descent into the underworld, are some of the most ancient spiritual stories ever written.
Ianna is one of the oldest recorded deities of love, fertility, and war. She is often associated with Venus, the brightest planet in our sky, mirroring its cycles of rising and descent. Known as the Queen of Heaven and Earth, Mistress of the Underworld, and Lady of the Vulva, Inanna embodies the sovereign feminine, holding the ancient keys to transformation, initiation, and sacred union.
Inanna and Venus: The Celestial Connection
Inanna’s myth closely follows the path of the planet Venus. Venus appears as the Morning Star before disappearing from the sky and later re-emerging as the Evening Star—a cycle that mirrors Inanna’s famous descent into the Underworld. This celestial journey represents death, rebirth, and the cycles of initiation that many of us experience in our own lives.
The mythology of Venus and Inanna teaches us about the feminine path of surrender, death of the ego, and the reclamation of our power. The Venus cycle has been followed by priestesses for thousands of years as a map of transformation and divine feminine wisdom.
The Descent of Inanna and the Seven Gates
The most well-known myth of Inanna is The Descent of Inanna, an ancient Sumerian text that tells the story of how she journeyed into the Underworld to visit her sister, Ereshkigal. At each of the seven gates of the Underworld, Inanna was stripped of her royal garments, jewellery, and symbols of power, until she stood naked before her sister. She was then killed and left hanging on a hook, symbolizing complete surrender and ego death.
Yet, Inanna’s story did not end there. With the help of divine intervention, she was revived and allowed to return to the world of the living, reclaiming her power and wisdom. She rose, reborn, having undergone the ultimate initiation.
This myth reflects the hero’s journey many of us undertake—a journey of facing our shadows, surrendering old identities, and emerging wiser and more whole. The descent teaches us that transformation requires letting go of the illusions of power, security, and identity before we can rise again in our full radiance.
Venus Retrograde: The Descent in Astrology
Currently, Venus is in retrograde, an astrological period that mirrors Inanna’s descent into the Underworld. Venus retrograde happens every 18 months and is a time when love, relationships, self-worth, and old wounds resurface for deeper healing. Just as Inanna had to strip away all her adornments, Venus retrograde asks us to let go of illusions about love, beauty, and what we value.
This is a time to reflect on:
-Relationships– Are they built on truth and reciprocity, or do they need recalibration?
- Self-Worth– Where do we seek validation outside of ourselves?
- Sacred Feminine Power– Are we embracing our full expression, or are we still holding back?
Venus in retrograde is not a time to rush into new relationships or big financial decisions. Instead, it is an invitation to go within, to examine our desires, and to reconnect with our true essence, much like Inanna did before she could reclaim her throne.
Reclaiming the Jewels of Wisdom
After her descent, Inanna returned to the world having gained profound wisdom. She did not simply reclaim her old power; she emerged with NEW knowledge of both the light and dark aspects of herself.
This mirrors the feminine journey of initiation, losing oneself, shedding old identities, and then rising with renewed strength and sovereignty.
As Venus moves through retrograde, we are invited to do the same. It is a time to embrace our inner Inanna, to strip away what no longer serves, and to reclaim our sacred jewels—not as egoic adornments, but as wisdom earned through experience.
How are you being called to surrender and transform? What must you release in order to rise again?
Inanna’s myth is a powerful reflection of our own journeys. Whether through love, loss, or spiritual initiation, we all experience descents into the underworld of our psyche. But just like Inanna, we have the power to rise again, reborn and sovereign.
As Venus retrogrades, take this time to honor your own cycles of transformation. What parts of yourself are being stripped away, and what wisdom will you bring back from your descent?
Reference: The Descent of Inanna, an ancient Sumerian text.
With love and grace,
Amanda xx
Yorumlar