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INANNA
EEA
Inanna was a queen of earth who descended within the earth, then ascended into the air of
consciousness.
Who is Inanna?
(Sumerian INA NA; Akkadian
INANA )
She is the ancient Sumerian Goddess best known for her journey of descent into the Underworld,
death and subsequent resurrection. It is this aspect of the Goddess that is the subject of her portal.
Inanna is related to Goddess Ishtar and here represents all ‘Descent Goddesses’. She emblazons
the vision that you cannot be whole unless you have integrated the dark, hidden side of yourself.
She is the embodiment of the ‘Heroine’s journey’.
Shedding of her body symbolizing purification of the earth’s life blood.
When she emerges from the Underworld she becomes the Queen of Light.
Goddess Inanna represents wisdom, justice, harvest.
Her symbols are the crescent moon and eight pointed star (Venus).
Location/Sphere of Influence
Mesopotamia/ Cradle of civilization/ the Underworld
Allies
Lions
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Nature & Description of Dakini
Inanna stands amidst her world. The whole image is a version of the Sumerian cosmogram,
adapted for our Dakini. Behind her is the mountain at the center of the universe, shown as a
golden ziggurat, embellished with carvings depicting her glory as ‘Queen of Heaven’. Her
adornments represent aspects of the Me, the Sacred Measures of Heaven and Earth, blueprints of
civilization. She is crowned with the ‘horned crown of the Steppe’, she wears the gold
breastplate of attraction called ‘Come man, come’, is winged and clad is a golden royal robe. She
holds the lapis measuring rod and line.
She has a crown of tiers of lunar horns - symbolizing the sacred mountain and her ties to earth,
heaven and the underworld. She leaves a garment or piece of jewelry at each of the seven gates
(waning moon). When she comes back, the cycle of life is complete (waxing moon). Inscribed in
the air above is the eight pointed star, her guiding star.
Below her the ‘Palace of the Underworld’ extends downwards. It is said to have seven gateways
and Inanna had to pass through all seven, leaving an item of her clothing - representing aspects
of her power - at each gate to enter, naked, at the seventh.
Erishkigal, her dark sister, awaits her. She judges Inanna, finds her guilty, for which she kills her
and hangs up her body. Erishkigal is shown with blood on her hands.
Only when the God of wisdom sends his emissaries to help and they acknowledge Erishkigal’s
pain is Inanna released and order restored to the world.
This aspect of the mythology points to its association with ancient blood rites, the belief that only
through the offering of blood can the Gods be appeased and earthly life prosper.
In this depiction the association is made with menstrual blood as Inanna enters the underworld
though a golden Yoni (vagina).
Divinatory Meaning
Inanna has come to you to assist you in your deep and personal work of self integration. She is
here to lend you her courage and fortitude for the journey of self discovery, self excavation.
All the Dakinis assist in the work of self actualization, but Inanna’s energy form is specific and
quite intense. Her path demands surrender of all your ego armor, all your props, your idea of
yourself and all the ways you have developed to function in normal life. But it is in a worthwhile
cause, it about uncovering the true nature of self.
Inanna holds up a shining mirror, showing that she, with all her great accomplishments and
position of worldly and spiritual power, was impelled to take on this quest, to delve the depths
and lay bare that part of herself which no one else could see. She lived out her deepest fears. She
even died, but she was reborn.
Excavation is indicated, on a physical or psychological, emotional level.
This is the Dakini whose role it is to introduce you to your shadow, so that you may move from
denial to acceptance, from acceptance to forgiveness and from forgiveness into full integration of
all parts of yourself.
What is it that lies deeply hidden in the dark recesses of your being, but calls out to be heard?
There is nothing to feel bad about. Everyone has these places in their psyche. Now is their
chance to see the light.
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Where do you catch glimpses of your shadow? In dreams?
Inanna says you can lay anything at her feet, at her gateway. She has earned the right to be the
gatekeeper of your shadow. She has gone through the process herself so she can stand as witness
to your ceremony of completion. She can stand by you in the darkest depths where you are
naked, cold, alone and afraid. You are no longer alone. Inanna is at your side. You can lean on
her experience.
In the current situation, you need to delve deeply, look beneath the surface and how things
appear, especially in relation to how someone, or something, presents itself to the world. In depth
investigation is required. That investigative process may be a path of action in itself.
If you apply the Inanna Principle to a situation or relationship, you must not neglect to do some
inner depth-sounding too.
What may be a painful process but, if you stick to your purpose with integrity and diligence,
great rewards are indicated.
What do you need to look at about yourself that you have been resisting?
What is your hero or heroine’s journey?
Unearthing darker sides of yourself and owning them.
Do you need to be the guide for someone else who needs to do this?
Is it the darker side of our current human predicament that you have not wanted to acknowledge?
You need to recognize what it is if you are to change it for the better.
Resolution, integration, but not without putting in the necessary work to achieve this result.
The time when you are called on to bring your most heroic stance to the situation in hand.
Support for that decision.
Making a decision that may not be popular or understood. It should be followed through, as long
as one maintains a position of pure intention and integrity.
Be prepared to sacrifice material aspects of your life in order to maintain that integrity.
Trust your intuition.
A test.
The fruits of a difficult assignment or life passage.
The result prophesied for Inanna’s journey is that she gains ‘Truth and the Art of Lovemaking’…
Indications
Look for clues in dark and hidden places. Be prepared for an unexpected journey that will affect
you in some deep way.
Be aware of dream omens and what the subconscious reveals about what you need to own
consciously.
 NB For women only
Inanna’s journey is associated with blood rites, as mentioned above.
The need to sacrifice life to offer blood is barbaric. However a woman’s body naturally releases
life giving blood each month. If you are a woman of an age where you bleed, Inanna suggests
that she would be honored if you made an offering to her in the form of your menstrual blood.
Ceremonially offer it to the earth. Sprinkle it on the ground or bury it. As you do so mentally
offer this sacred sacrament to the earth and to Goddess Inanna, honoring her and requesting her
to be with you, imbuing you with her courage and fortitude to go through whatever is necessary
for your evolution and integration.
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Practices
1. Inanna says you need to share her journey, to experience your version of her epic descent.
She says it need not be as dramatic as hers - she had to actually die to be reborn - as she has
laid the way and you can go there in visualization.
See Inanna before you in all her glory. Focus intently upon her until you can see yourself as
her and there is no separation between you.
Now, as Inanna, take the journey of descent. At each gateway you will remove an item of
your adornment to gain admission. This symbolic ritual is the essence of the process that any
being has to go through who seeks to awaken from the dream of who they are and be rebirthed into realization of their undying essence.
At the first gate you remove your crown. As you do so you see yourself surrendering all your
worldly power and position, as Inanna surrendered her queendom and her special special
connection to Heaven. You surrender your intellect and its power to control.
At the second gate you surrender the circle of beads around your neck, meaning you leave
behind reliance on your cleverness, charisma and creativity, as Inanna surrendered her magic
and ability to manifest.
At the third gate you remove the double strand of beads and as you do so you surrender your
‘niceness’ and ability to see things in a positive light, as Inanna left here her protection of
positivity and her ‘rapture of illumination’.
At the fourth gate you relinquish your breastplate, your armour and your emotional defenses,
as Inanna let go her protection, her sexual allure and the power of her emotions.
At the fifth gate you leave your will behind as you remove your gold bracelet, your power to
act, as Inanna here abandoned her ability to do anything.
At the sixth gate you lay down the lapis measuring rod and line, surrendering you critical
judgment, as Inanna surrendered her authority to discern.
At the final seventh gate, you remove your robe, and divest yourself of your persona, of the
way you present yourself to the world, your sexual identity, and enter the underworld naked,
as did Inanna.
The seven gateways are connected to the seven chakras, energy centers, of the subtle body.
When you enter the final seventh gate, you are naked as you were when you were born. We
enter and leave life that way.
Once inside the darkness of the primeval womb which you have just re-entered, you must
confront your ‘dark sister’, that part of your pain body which you have denied and has been
relegated to the hidden depths of the underworld.
Meditate on the things you find you hard to accept in yourself.
Own what you call forth completely, first by fully experiencing the negative feelings you
have about that aspect of yourself or that action. Own them then release them.
You must hear your ‘dark sister’ and recognize her pain. Sit it this place of darkness and call
up this pain, this guilt, this unheard part. Do not leave this place in your meditation until dark
sister has presented herself. Feel the pain, really allow yourself to feel it and call out ‘I feel
your pain, I feel your pain, I feel your pain’ seven times. Allow that acknowledgement to
ring through the darkness. In the dark place, embrace the dark sister of your painbody, hold
her close to you and tell her, ‘I love you’, seven times and ‘I release you’ seven times, talking
to yourself and that part of yourself that could never see the light…
64DakiniOracle.org © Penny Slinger 2010
2. Open yourself to recognize the pain that is being experienced in the region of the planet
where Inanna arose. In your recognition you own this as part of yourself, your history and
your future.
May healing be with the people and the land.
Dakini Transmission
What is a Queen
Who is not whole?
All power withers
Without roots
That delve down deep
Into the dark
And embrace the untouchable
Affirmations
I am able to descend
Into the darkest parts of myself
And integrate
My shadow
64DakiniOracle.org © Penny Slinger 2010