Her symbols are the star, rose, lion, wands encrusted with stones and leadership.
She is credited with bringing civilisation to humanity.
‘The Sumerian An (god of heaven), Ninhursag (Great Mother, also called Ki or Mother Earth), Enki (god of water) and Enlil (god of air). It was from this…pantheon that the Great Goddess Inanna descended.’ (Goddess Spirituality for the 21st Century Judith Laura Open Sea Press: USA 2008:62)
‘An and Ki mated and produced the early Mesopotamian divine family, whose most important member was Inanna…Inanna controlled the fates of mortals…Her totem was the owl, and she was also the goddess of wisdom. She had no domestic duties and lived like a young man.’
(The Alphabet Versus the Goddess: Shlain, Leonard 1998: USA)
The story of Inanna and Dumuzi is the story of Isis and Osiris, Ishtar and Tammuz and Aphrodite and Adonis. (ibid)
The main celebration was of new year at the autumn harvest festival when the king mated with the representative of the goddess to ensure the fertility of the crops for the next cycle.
The image is of Dumuzi and Inanna with her foot on a lion's back.
Image from Sunrise Magazine October/November 2002 copyright Theosophical University Press
 
An original poem of Inanna by Trish May
 
She rescued the tree from the flood,
                planted the tree in her garden.
 
‘From this tree will come
                my throne,
my marriage bed.’
 
She watched,
she waited,
she wept
She watched,
she waited,
she wept
‘Come Dumuzi,
 plough my fields and
                                 share the caresses of love.’
 
Inanna went to her father Enki
                The beer was good
                The beer was good
                The beer was very good
He gave her all
the holy me
                                High priesthood,
the enduring crown,
the arts of
power,
of treachery,
 of deceit.
The crafts of
 the woodworker,
 the copperworker, 
the scribe,
the builder,
the smith,
 the leathermaker,
 the fuller,
the reed worker
Communication
                perception,
                attention,
                fear,
dismay,
strife,
counselling,
 heartsoothing,
the giving of judgements,
 the making of decisions
                The art of song

Enki gave Inanna descent into the underworld and ascent from the underworld.
He could not get his gifts back when he regretted the giving of them.
 
Inanna’s sister Erishkegal grieved for her husband
Inanna,
went through seven gates
                leaving behind everything
                                until she stood naked
                Erishkagel looked upon her sister with the eye of death.
 
For three days Inanna’s corpse hung on a meathook in the underworld
                Her faithful servant sought help
There was none until she went to Enki
                He crafted creatures to help her escape.
She found her son in mourning,
                                                                She found Dumuzi celebrating his kingship,
she sent him to the underworld in her place
He shared it with his sister.
 
 
An altar to Inanna

I made the wand of rosewood and attached an amethyst.
The items are of earth, of loving gifts and my local area.
‘During spells and rituals point the crystal in the direction you want the energy to travel.’
(365 Goddess Patricia Telesco)


An original ritual to Inanna
After cleansing and purification of myself and my space use a red cloth,
for energy and a brown candle for health.
Invite Sedna for water, Pele for fire, Rainbow Serpent for earth and Sappho for air.
Invite Inanna for spirit.
After dedicating the wand cast the circle using it.
Perform a self-blessing, visualising what perfect health for me, my loved ones and all beings would feel like.
Raise power by chanting for example ‘we are the flow, we are the ebb, we are the weaver, we are the web.’
(Chant from Shekinah Mountainwater)
Wait to receive a message.
Ground excess energy and open circle.
Write down message.