Inanna: Descent, Boundaries, and Reclaiming Your Sovereignty

In this episode, we dive into the story of Inanna, the ancient Sumerian goddess of love, war, fertility, and sovereignty. We explore her famous descent into the underworld, what her story teaches us about boundaries, and how patriarchal cultures have tried to silence her voice, and how we reclaim it today.

This episode is perfect for anyone ready to step into their own sovereignty, honor their boundaries, and embrace the raw, transformative power of the divine feminine.

Ritual: The Seven Strips of Inanna

(Simple, embodied ritual to reclaim your power and sovereignty)

You’ll need:

• 7 small slips of paper (or sticky notes)

• A pen

• A bowl or box to collect them

• A little space where you can move

Steps:

1. Set the Space
   Sit comfortably with your 7 slips of paper. Take three deep breaths and call Inanna into your space:
   "Inanna, She-Who-Descends-and-Rises, I call on your fierce presence now."

2. Name the Layers
   On each slip of paper, write one thing you’re ready to release:

• old identity

• fear

• toxic relationship

• outdated belief

• people-pleasing

• shame around sexuality

• anything else that feels heavy or false

1. The Descent
   Stand up. Imagine yourself at the first gate. Hold the first slip to your body, then drop it into the bowl/box as if leaving it behind. Repeat for each slip, one by one. By the seventh, imagine yourself stripped down, raw, and open.

2. Pause in the Underworld
   Stand or sit in stillness. Feel the rawness. Ask yourself: What is left when I release all of this? Who am I without the masks?

3. The Rising
   Place your hands on your heart and speak aloud:
   "Like Inanna, I descend. Like Inanna, I rise. I reclaim my sovereignty."
   Take three deep breaths, imagining your energy returning brighter, fuller, freer.

4. Close
   Keep the slips of paper in the bowl for three days (mirroring Inanna’s three nights). Then dispose of them, burn, shred, recycle, whatever feels right.