Inanna the Babylonian Goddess Queen of Heaven
Humbled Herslf so much so She left Her world of rule and control and comfort
Descending deep into the underworld
Discovering there was a journey She must take not just for Her but for us all
Lessons for us and a journey She invites us to
But it is a Journey we go alone She will guide us
But it is a personal journey
It is a journey to the core self
To know thyself
we must journey to the core
Are we willing to surrender our comforts and glory our reputation
Are willing to surrender the image of ourselves we love to portray to other people?
If we are then She says come
Are you willing to confront and lay aside your own ego
for ego is the greates hinderance to the true self and growth
if we are the we may go
Are we willing to suffer pain that we may learn
Then go iwth Her with out fear
Blessings..................
The Descent of Inanna
From the Great Above to the Great Below
From the Great Above she opened her ear to the Great Below.
From the Great Above the goddess opened her ear to the Great Below.
From the Great Above Inanna opened her ear to the Great Below.
My Lady abandoned heaven and earth to descend to the underworld.
Inanna abandoned heaven and earth to descend to the underworld.
She abandoned her office of holy priestess to descend to the underworld.
In Uruk she abandoned her temple to descend to the underworld.
In Badtibira she abandoned her temple to descend to the underworld.
In Zabalam she abandoned her temple to descend to the underworld.
In Adab she abandoned her temple to descend to the underworld.
In Nippur she abandoned her temple to descend to the underworld.
In Kish she abandoned her temple to descend to the underworld.
In Akkad she abandoned her temple to descend to the underworld.
She gathered together the seven me.
She took them into her hands.
With the me in her possession, she prepared herself.
She placed the shugurra, the crown of the steppe, on her head.
She arranged the dark locks of hair across her forehead.
She tied the small lapis beads around her neck,
Let the double strand of beads fall to her breast,
And wrapped the royal robe around her body.
She daubed her eyes with ointment called "Let him come, let him come,"
Bound the breastplate called "Come, man, come!" around her chest,
Slipped the gold ring over her wrist,
And took the lapis measuring rod and line in her hand.
Inanna set out for the underworld.
Ninshubur, her faithful servant, went with her.
Inanna spoke to her, saying:
"Ninshubur, my constant support,
My sukkal who gives me wise advice,
My warrior who fights by my side,
I am descending to the kur, to the underworld.
If I do not return,
Set up a lament for me by the ruins.
Beat the drum for me in the assembly places.
Circle the houses of the gods.
Tear at your eyes, at your mouth, at your thighs.
Dress yourself in a single garment like a beggar.
Go to Nippur, to the temple of Enlil.
When you enter his holy shrine, cry out:
'O Father Enlil, do not let your daughter
Be put to death in the underworld.
Do not let your bright silver
Be covered with the dust of the underworld.
Do not let your precious lapis
Be broken into stone for the stoneworker.
Do not let your fragrant boxwood
Be cut into wood for the woodworker.
Do not let the holy priestess of heaven
Be put to death in the underworld.'
If Enlil will not help you,
Go to Ur, to the temple of Nanna.
Weep before Father Nanna.
If Nanna will not help you,
Go to Eridu, to the temple of Enki.
Weep before Father Enki.
Father Enki, the God of Wisdom, knows the food of life,
He knows the water of life;
He knows the secrets.
Surely he will not let me die."
Inanna continued on her way to the underworld.
Then she stopped and said:
"Go now, Ninshubur -
Do not forget the words I have commanded you."
When Inanna arrived at the outer gates of the underworld,
She knocked loudly.
She cried out in a fierce voice:
"Open, the door, gatekeeper!
"Open the door, Neti!"
I alone would enter!"
Neti, the chief gatekeeper of the kur, asked:
"Who are you?"
She answered:
"I am Inanna, Queen of Heaven,
On my way to the East."
Neti said:
"If you are truly Inanna, Queen of Heaven,
On your way to the East,
Why has your heart led you on the road
From which no traveler returns?"
Inanna answered:
"Because . . . of my older sister, Ereshkigal,
Her husband, Gugalanna, the Bull of Heaven, has died.
I have come to witness the funeral rites.
Let the beer of his funeral rites be poured into the cup.
Let it be done.
Neti spoke:
"Stay here, Inanna, I will speak to my queen.
I will give her your message."
Neti, the chief gatekeeper of the kur,
Entered the palace of Ereshkigal, the Queen of the Underworld, and said:
"My queen, a maid
As tall as heaven,
As wide as the earth,
As strong as the foundations of the city wall,
Waits outside the palace gates.
She has gathered together the seven me.
She has taken them into her hands.
With the me in her possession, she has prepared herself.
On her head she wears the shugurra, the crown of the steppe.
Across her forehead her dark locks of hair are carefully arranged.
Around her neck she wears the small lapis beads.
At her breast she wears the double strand of beads.
Her body is wrapped with the royal robe.
Her eyes are daubed with the ointment called, 'Let him come, let him come.'
Around her chest she wears the breastplate called 'Come, man, come!'
On her wrist she wears the gold ring.
In her hand she carries the lapis measuring rod and line."
When Ereshkigal heard this,
She slapped her thigh and bit her lip.
She took the matter into her heart and dwelt on it.
Then she spoke:
"Come, Neti, my chief gatekeeper of the kur,
Heed my words:
Bolt the seven gates of the underworld.
Then, one by one, open each gate a crack.
Let Inanna enter.
As she enters, remove her royal garments.
Let the holy priestess of heaven enter bowed low."
Neti heeded the words of his queen.
He bolted the seven gates of the underworld.
Then he hopened the outer gate.
He said to the maid:
"Come, Inanna, enter."
When she entered the first gate,
From her head, the shugurra, the crown of the steppe, was removed.
Inanna asked:
"What is this?"
She was told:
"Quiet, Inanna, the ways of the underworld are perfect.
They may not be questioned."
When she entered the second gate,
From her neck the small lapis beads were removed.
Inanna asked:
"What is this?"
She was told:
"Quiet, Inanna, the ways of the underworld are perfect.
They may not be questioned."
When she entered the third gate,
From her breast the double strand of beads was removed.
Inanna asked:
"What is this?"
She was told:
"Quiet, Inanna, the ways of the underworld are perfect.
They may not be questioned."
When she entered the fourth gate,
From her chest the breastplate called "Come, man, come!" was removed.
Inanna asked:
"What is this?"
She was told:
"Quiet, Inanna, the ways of the underworld are perfect.
They may not be questioned."
When she entered the fifth gate,
From her wrist the gold ring was removed.
Inanna asked:
"What is this?"
She was told:
"Quiet, Inanna, the ways of the underworld are perfect.
They may not be questioned."
When she entered the sixth gate,
From her hand the lapis measuring rod and line was removed.
Inanna asked:
"What is this?"
She was told:
"Quiet, Inanna, the ways of the underworld are perfect.
They may not be questioned."
When she entered the seventh gate,
From her body the royal robe was removed.
Inanna asked:
"What is this?"
She was told:
"Quiet, Inanna, the ways of the underworld are perfect.
They may not be questioned."
Naked and bowed low, Inanna entered the throne room.
Ereshkigal rose from her throne.
Inanna started toward the throne.
The Annuna, the judges of the underworld, surrounded her.
They passed judgment against her.
Then Ereshkigal fastened on Inanna the eye of death.
She spoke against her the word of wrath.
She uttered against her the cry of guilt.
She struck her.
Inanna was turned into a corpse,
A piece of rotting meat,
And was hung from a hook on the wall.
When, after three days and three nights, Inanna had not returned,
Ninshubur set up a lament for her by the ruins.
She beat the drum for her in the assembly places.
She circled the houses of the gods.
She tore at her eyes; she tore at her mouth; she tore at her thighs.
She dressed herself in a single garment like a beggar.
Alone, she set out for Nippur and the temple of Enlil.
When she entered the holy shrine,
She cried out:
"O Father Enlil, do not let your daughter
Be put to death in the underworld.
Do not let your bright silver
Be covered with the dust of the underworld.
Do not let your precious lapis
Be broken into stone for the stoneworker.
Do not let your fragrant boxwood
Be cut into wood for the woodworker.
Do not let the holy priestess of heaven
Be put to death in the underworld.'
Father Enlil answered angrily:
"My daughter craved the Great Above.
Inanna craved the Great Below.
She who receives the me of the underworld does not return.
She who goes to the Dark City stays there."
Father Enlil would not help.
When she entered the holy shrine,
She cried out:
"O Father Nanna, do not let your daughter
Be put to death in the underworld.
Do not let your bright silver
Be covered with the dust of the underworld.
Do not let your precious lapis
Be broken into stone for the stoneworker.
Do not let your fragrant boxwood
Be cut into wood for the woodworker.
Do not let the holy priestess of heaven
Be put to death in the underworld.'
Father Enki said:
"What has happened?
What has my daughter done?
Inanna! Queen of All the Lands! Holy Priestess of Heaven!
What has happened?
I am troubled. I am grieved."
From under his fingernail Father Enki brought forth dirt.
He fashioned the dirt into a kurgarra, a creature neither male nor female.
From under the fingernail of his other hand he brought forth dirt.
He fashioned the dirt into a galatur, a creature neither male nor female.
He gave the food of life to the kurgarra.
He gave the water of life to the galatur.
Enki spoke to the kurgarra and galatur, saying:
"Go to the underworld,
Enter the door like flies.
Ereshkigal, the Queen of the Underworld, is moaning
With the cries of a woman about to give birth.
No linen is spread over her body.
Her breasts are uncovered.
Her hair swirls about her head like leeks.
When she cries, 'Oh! Oh! My inside!'
Cry also, 'Oh! Oh! Your inside!'
When she cries, 'Oh! Oh! My outside!'
Cry also, 'Oh! Oh! Your outside!'
The queen will be pleased.
She will offer you a gift.
Ask her only for the corpse that hangs from the hook on the wall.
One of you will sprinkle the food of life on it.
The other will sprinkle the water of life.
Inanna will arise."
The kurgarra and the galatur heeded Enki's words.
They set out for the underworld.
Like flies, they slipped through the cracks of the gates.
They entered the throne room of the Queen of the Underworld.
No linen was spread over her body.
Her breasts were uncovered.
Her hair swirled around her head like leeks.
Ereshkigal was moaning:
"Oh! Oh! My inside!"
They moaned:
"Oh! Oh! Your inside!"
She moaned:
"Ohhhh! Oh! My outside!"
They moaned:
"Ohhhh! Oh! Your outside!"
She groaned:
"Oh! Oh! My belly!"
They groaned:
"Oh! Oh! Your belly!"
She groaned:
"Oh! Ohhhh! My back!"
They groaned:
"Oh! Ohhhh! Your back!"
She sighed:
"Ah! Ah! My heart!"
They sighed:
"Ah! Ah! Your heart!"
She sighed:
"Ah! Ahhhh! My liver!"
They sighed:
"Ah! Ahhhh! Your liver!"
Ereshkigal stopped.
She looked at them.
She asked:
"Who are you,
Moaning - groaning - sighing with me?
If you are gods, I will bless you.
If you are mortals, I will give you a gift.
I will give you the water-gift, the river in its fullness."
The kurgarra and galatur answered:
"We do not wish it."
Ereshkigal said:
"I will give you the grain-gift, the fields in harvest."
The kurgarra and galatur said:
"We do not wish it."
Ereshkigal said:
"Speak then! What do you wish?"
They answered:
"We wish only the corpse that hangs from the hook on the wall."
Ereshkigal said:
"The corpse belongs to Inanna."
They said:
"Whether it belongs to our queen,
Whether it belongs to our king,
That is what we wish."
The corpse was given to them.
The kurgarra sprinkled the food of life on the corpse.
The galatur sprinkled the water of life on the corpse.
Inanna arose. . . .
This is only one versin of Her Descent
http://www.soulrebels.com/beth/bos/inanna.html
