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First, let me state for the record: I do not believe that I am a "god" or "goddess" in the sense that I believe I am a deity of any kind. I consider myself to be part of what is the collective consciousness of the universe; which, to me, IS the Goddess. That being said: For those who need labels, I am, for all intensive purposes, classified as a Dianic Eclectic Wiccan. I’m female, 31, and have been studying Wicca since I was 16. I dedicated myself to the Craft at the age of 19. I practiced with a coven for nearly three years, and enjoyed the experience immensely. Currently, I practice with my partner, Avalon, and have a beautiful 7-year-old son. For my thoughts on Wiccan parenting, click here.Please feel free to browse my site and comment. I truly want to know what YOU want to see......Is there a spell/ceremony/recipe that you haven’t been able to find? Is there an ethics issue that you don’t feel has been addressed on the web? TELL ME YOUR THOUGHTS! Please sign my guestbook before you leave.
I've received several inquiries as to why I go by the name of Inanna. It's as simple as this: during my purification ritual before my dedication ceremony seven years ago, I meditated upon the name to use during circle. Inanna is the name that came up and stuck. I had heard it before, but had no idea of the myths or story of Inanna. Since then, I've looked at the story, and do identify with some of the aspects. It's just an appropriate name, that the Goddess is nice enough to let me use for magickal purposes. (If you knew me, you'd understand). It is not intended to offend anyone, nor do I practice any particular Sumerian rites within my personal circles. If you are bothered by it, so be it. It is my path to walk, and I am grateful for the blessings of the Goddess, in whatever form they may take.
Inanna: Nanna's daughter Inanna, goddess of love and war. Inanna also visits Kur, which results in a myth reminiscent of the Greek seasonal story of Persephone. She sets out to witness the funeral rites of her sister-in-law Ereshkigal's husband Gugalana, the Bull of Heaven. She takes precaution before setting out, by telling her servant Ninshubur to seek assistance from Enlil, Nanna, or Enki at their shrines, should she not return. Inanna knocks on the outer gates of Kur and the gatekeeper, Neti, questions her. He consults with queen Ereshkigal and then allows Inanna to pass through the seven gates of the underworld. After each gate, she is required to remove adornments and articles of clothing, until after the seventh gate, she is naked. The Annuna pass judgment against her and Ereshkigal killed her and hung her on the wall.
Inanna is rescued by the intervention of Enki. He creates two sexless creatures that empathize with Ereshkigal's suffering, and thereby gain a gift - Inanna's corpse. They restore her to life with the Bread of Life and the Water of Life, but the Sumerian underworld has a conservation of death law. No one can leave without providing someone to stay in their stead. Inanna is escorted by galla/demons past Ninshubur and members of her family. She doesn't allow them to claim anyone until she sees Dumuzi on his throne in Uruk. They then seize Dumuzi, but he escapes them twice by transforming himself, with the aid of Utu. Eventually he is caught and slain. Inanna spies his sister, Geshtinanna, in mourning and they go to Dumuzi. She allows Dumuzi, the shepherd, to stay in the underworld only six months of the year, while Geshtinanna will stay the other six. As with the Greek story of the kidnapping of Persephone, this linked the changing seasons, the emergence of the plants from the ground, with the return of a harvest deity from the netherworld. Geshtinanna is also associated with growth, but where her brother rules over the spring harvested grain, she rules over the autumn harvested vines.
In Polynesian mythology, Ina is a two-faced great goddess of the sea, healing and death. She is an enchanting tapa-beating woman of the moon. In Sumerian mythology, Inanna is the sister of Utu. She must choose as a husband between Enkimdu and Dumuzi. Both gods were keen to marry her, but she eventually married Dumuzi.
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