Myth Analysis: Descent of Inanna

In this session, we turn to one of the oldest hero myths ever recorded: The Descent of Inanna—a Sumerian story that predates much of the symbolic structure later found in Western religion, psychology, and literature.

The Descent of Inanna tells the story of a goddess who voluntarily descends into the underworld, passing through seven gates where she is stripped of power, identity, and protection. What remains is not triumph, but exposure, death, and eventual transformation.

We will explore:

• Why does the psyche produce the image of the underworld across cultures—and why does it take the form of a place where power fails?
• What are the “seven gates” in modern life—what are we actually forced to give up when we undergo real psychological descent (status, control, identity, meaning)?
• What does it mean that Inanna is not humbled, but killed?
• What does it actually mean to “return” from a descent—and what, if anything, can never come back with us?
• How does the Inanna myth reflect an evolution of consciousness through the historical God-image?