Journey of Inanna

This spread is based on one of the magnificent myths of Sumer. It tells us about the depths of our soul. What is hidden in our subconscious? What deep forces and events lie dormant in our 12th house? It presupposes great intuitive abilities and deep sensitivity. The meaning of the myth reproduced in this spread is as follows: on her path into the dark depths, Inanna must leave behind and discard much of what she previously considered important and valuable. To meet her shadow, she must come to it completely naked (unprotected) and humble. And this encounter will mean her death. She must free herself from her former Self. After this, with the help of her faithful ally, she will return to life and re-enter the world of light as the new Inanna. Liberation from former ideas about oneself, from one's shadow, means renewal, wholeness and healing. But for this she must also make a (thanksgiving) sacrifice in the upper world, parting (at least for a time) with something important.

Shuffle the deck while focusing on a question about the deep processes of your psyche. Draw 15 cards. Lay them out according to the diagram: card 1 (Inanna) and card 14 (New Personality) at the top side by side. Card 2 (Neti) below on the left — the beginning of the descent. Cards 3–9 zigzag downward — the seven gates of the Underworld. Card 10 (Ereshkigal) at the very bottom — the point of meeting the shadow. On the right: card 15 (Sacrifice) at the top, card 11 (Ninshubur) in the middle, cards 12 and 13 (Living Food and Living Water) at the bottom. The key to understanding is cards 1, 10, and 14: meditate on them until you understand the contradiction between the light side (1) and the dark side (10), and how their fusion occurs in the new personality (14). Only then proceed to interpret the descent cards (2–9). Note: everything that cards 3–9 speak about represents things you should let go of, regardless of whether they are favorable or challenging cards.

If, for example, the Ten of Swords appears in positions 3–9, it means you should not interrupt something yourself — you must walk your path to the end without giving in to the temptation to abruptly stop everything. The Nine of Swords advises not to repent, and the Five of Cups — not to despair, but to continue your journey. Kings and Queens mean the querent must free themselves from the influence of certain people, or from fixating on their own problems if these cards point to themselves. Then analyze cards 11–14, representing the ascent, and finally determine what sacrifice card 15 speaks of — what attachments or actions should be given up for a time. The sacrifice does not have to be painful — sometimes the querent even feels relief, having stopped thinking about something and finding peace of mind.

Comments are temporarily closed — the site is in development.