Inanna is one of the most ancient deities mythology remembers.
This Queen of Heaven is in charge of beauty, love, passion, 和 war.
Her city was Uruk, one of the first true cities in human history, and her most famous devotee was Enheduanna.
This priestess wrote hymns to Inanna in 2300 BC, and is known as the first named author in recorded history!
Her worship and its 授权 of women strike us as revolutionary to this day. So, let’s see how she might benefit modern women!
1. Understand Different Sides of Her
As modern women, it’s crucial to understand why Inanna refuses to be confined to a single domain.
She’s not just a goddess of love and beauty, and she isn’t a warrior goddess.
She’s tender and dangerous. She rules both beauty and justice.
Ancient texts call her the Queen of Heaven and Lady of the Largest Heart. She is also the one who loves the beauty of truth!
Her temple in Uruk was a grand religious complex, and her priests and priestesses honored all sides of her.
That’s the first thing she can teach us: being whole doesn’t mean being easy to define.
By connecting with her and understanding her paradoxes, we can begin to accept our own.
2. Learn Desire Without Shame
Inanna teaches us to seek pleasure, love, connection, and beauty without apology. Ancient Sumerians didn’t treat is something to apologize for, either.
Poems written in her honor celebrate physical love, treating 愿望 as a 神圣的 力。
For a lot of modern women, despite the revolution in the 50s and the hookup culture, this idea remains radical.
Somehow, most women still suppress their desire, even in committed relationships.
We grew up with the idea that wanting anything loudly made us 太多.
The goddess offers a different model for us to learn.
Connecting with her can look like giving yourself permission to enjoy food, slow mornings, movement, and intimacy without the shame attached.
Make a list of the things that truly make you happy, and when you do them, consider them offerings to her!
Desire is sacredness in Inanna worship!
3. Let Inanna Teach You About Power
One of Inanna’s most popular 迷思 shows her visiting Enki, getting him very drunk, and stealing the sacred decrees that governed civilization and craft.
She never asked permission; she simply used the means at her disposal to reach her goals.
This myth has a lesson for all women who were taught to shrink themselves. No one will hand you authority; it’s something you must reach for yourself.
To connect with the goddess, write down a list of skills and talents you’ve been downplaying. Ask yourself if you did so out of politeness or because you were afraid of being called arrogant?
Return to this list and read it aloud whenever you encounter doubts.
Also, Enki chases Inanna down and tries to take back the decrees, but she outsmarts him for the second time.
This part is teaching us that claiming your power once isn’t the end of it. You have to defend it.
4. Experience Your Descent Through Hers
In another myth, Inanna descends into the underworld to visit her sister, Ereshkigal.
She passes through seven gates, losing parts of herself at each one, until she arrives stripped bare. She dies there, but gets help from outside to come back to the world above.
Women’s psychological growth also comes with difficult changes attached. Whether it’s teenage years, first period, motherhood, or menopause, it feels like the old you is gone.
In the modern world, we rarely stop to recognize this. Instead, we power through, hoping things will eventually come into place.
Connect with the goddess by exploring your own seven gates.
Ask yourself what made you feel as though you were losing parts of yourself, and don’t run from the answer.
This is pure shadow work, and it’s truly necessary.
5. Write Her a Hymn
You might also connect with Inanna by devoting a text or a poem to her, much like Enheduanna did.
You don’t need writing talent; only honesty. Think about what you admire in the goddess, and what you feel like worshipping her brings you.
Some women keep a devotional journal, writing a few lines whenever they need her strength or softness. Others write it once and feel like that’s enough.
Either is good.
The point is to turn toward something greater than everyday tasks. If you don’t have a divine presence in your life to empower you, the goddess can become that.
6. Search for Her in the Sky
Inanna has long been associated with the planet Venus.
This planet shows up both as the morning and the evening star, just as the goddess shows up in opposites.
Venus is the brightest star in the sky, and you can almost always spot it.
Overall, taking some time to quietly watch the stars is the luxury we often forget we have. You can also use it to set intentions!
At night, as you look at the stars, think of the goddess, and set intentions around love and the things you wish to release.
Early in the morning, set empowering intentions around what awaits you for that day.
It’s a short ritual that anyone can fit into their day, and it can make you calmer and more confident.
7. Build Her a Small Altar
In Inanna worship, intention is what matters. You don’t need anything grand; just small symbols that help you feel connected to the goddess.
ǞǞǞ eight-pointed star 和一个 lion are some of the most common symbols associated with her.
Red and blue or black and white candles can be a nice touch, since these colors represent her dual nature. Fresh flowers can also be placed on the altar as an offering.
And if physical space is tight, you can improvise by including her imagery in your decor.
Again, the intention is important.
Light a candle when you want to feel her presence and reflect. Small gestures are enough, as long as they’re 一致的.
8. Honor the Strength and the Softness Within You
Although we’re able to embrace many more roles as modern women, somehow, we’re still forced to choose a lane.
Either you’re a boss babe or a trad wife; you’re either desirable or respected.
The goddess rejects that split, and through her worship, you can, too.
Stop feeling like you owe people predictability. Just because you’re usually patient and soft, your 边界 don’t have to reflect that.
拥抱 warrior side of Inanna by building physical and mental strength. Her lover side can be experienced through self-care, beauty, music, or your relationship.
Duality is what made her so powerful in the ancient world. It can do the same for us, now.
9. Connect With Other Women
Inanna was never worshipped in isolation. Priestesses gathered in temples and festivals to celebrate her and draw inspiration from her power.
You might not be able to find actual Inanna worshipers nearby, but you don’t have to.
Simply connect with other women. Be there for them as they discover themselves, and invite them to witness your progress.
Be a girl’s girl and celebrate womanhood.
Share the worship if you’re comfortable and other people are interested, or keep it to yourself.
You connect to the goddess through your 生活方式, not missionary work.
A little Aquarius, devoted to writing and embroidery. Through my writing, I hope to empower readers to align with their true selves and navigate life’s mysteries with confidence.