The Way of Inanna

Myth Made Manifest

Over 4000 years ago in ancient Sumer, some of the first mythographers inscribed the stories and myths of the Goddess Inanna on clay tablets in cuneiform. These incredible findings were unearthed, and the fragments were painstakingly pieced together and translated.

What they discovered were the ways Inanna was heralded as a goddess who embodies polarities: impatient and deliberate, an attentive lover and fierce warrior, connected to fertility as well as death—making her an accessible, relatable, and inspiring representation of the Divine Feminine as she stands in her power and multidimensionality. The Way of Inanna: A Heroine’s Guide to Living Unapologetically is a field guide to heart-centered living through the wisdom of the Sumerian Goddess of Love.

Each chapter deconstructs sacred narratives in which the Goddess navigates the seven gates of her soul’s journey from awakening to ascension. More than a simple retelling, the book is myth made manifest in which Inanna becomes a means to accessing our own ascension and alchemical magic within our modern, contemporary context.

With a combined psychotherapeutic and spiritual approach, author Seana Zelazo offers rituals and practices to help readers connect directly with Inanna. From harnessing your sensual energy to reclaiming the generative capacity of the Divine Feminine and identifying and amplifying your life’s purpose, you will discover the ways Inanna’s process is your own.

Book club questions for The Way of Inanna by Seana Zelazo

Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.

With which myth or hymn do you identify the most? Why? What aspects of this hymn or myth and Inanna’s message therein feel most resonant? How might it apply to your own life?

Inanna is never a victim of her circumstances or other people’s actions. She is always the heroine of her own story which is to say that she actively participates in her process— even her own death is a choice she makes. Her willful determination, perseverance, and commitment to her evolution are the strengths by which she achieves her ascension. How do your strengths come to light when you see yourself as the heroine of your own story?

Gate Three explores the myth The Huluppu-Tree and overcoming addictions. Three beings take up residence in Inanna’s sacred tree, including Lilith, who makes her home in the tree’s trunk. What does Lilith represent? When Gilgamesh strikes the snake, Lilith destroys the tree in anger and flees. How do you interpret the symbolism of this action?

Gate Five is about learning how to erect sacred boundaries to honor the self. The three hymns reflect Inanna’s cyclical nature and various roles. It is easier to keep our boundaries firm when we have a strong, healthy root chakra. Are there ways your root chakra could be reinforced? Did witnessing Inanna’s ability to fully embody her multiplicity of selves through the various cycles as Venus help you to conceive of doing the same within? If so, what are some of the adjustments you will make in your own life to ensure your boundaries are solid?

Gate Seven depicts the ascension of Inanna. In her process, Inanna must find a replacement for herself in the underworld. Many people are dismayed by Inanna’s choice to cast her beloved Dumuzi in this role. How did you experience this choice? To your mind, is it a loving or controlling choice? In what ways do the conscious or unconscious conditioning and messaging you may have received in your own life shape how you interpret Inanna’s action?

Taking care of unfinished business requires a deep look within and an honest assessment of your actions and relationships. Inanna doesn’t let things linger. When she feels something inside ready to be addressed, she leans into it as she does in her myth The Descent of Inanna. The chapter “Next Steps for a Present Day Priest/ess of Inanna” examines the process of resolving unfinished business, providing examples of how doing so or not impacts us at the end of life. Did these accounts of transition in a hospice setting help you see what sacred contracts may be unfinished in your own story?

The Way of Inanna Book Club Questions PDF

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The Way of Inanna: A Heroine’s Guide to Living Unapologetically is a wonderful summation of the myths of Inanna and a how-to guidebook for living her mysteries. As Zelazo weaves these myths she illuminates the way forward for all of us. —William Henry, ascension scholar, art historian, and author.

This book is a magical journey through myth, personal discovery, and transformative ritual using the ancient wisdom legends of the Goddess Inanna. Deeply insightful, the author, as a psychotherapist, historian, and mesmerizing storyteller, brings Inanna’s trials and tribulations to life. Along the way she gives us tools, revelations, and rituals for our own healing and transformation. —Tricia McCannon, author of Return of the Divine Sophia and The Angelic Origins of the Soul.