Ishtar the Babylonian Goddess of War and Fertility Statue

Cold Cast Resin.

Ishtar – Mesopotamian Goddess of Love, War, and Sacred Power

CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:

• Ishtar (also known as Inanna in Sumerian tradition) is the powerful Babylonian and Akkadian goddess of love, fertility, war, and the heavens. She is one of the most complex and revered deities of ancient Mesopotamia, embodying both tender sensuality and fierce sovereignty.

• A sky goddess associated with the planet Venus, Ishtar ruled over passion, eroticism, political power, and divine justice. She was both lover and warrior, able to bless with life or bring destruction. Her descent into the underworld and return is one of the earliest myths of death and rebirth.

• Ishtar was widely worshipped in temples with sacred rites that honored the balance of masculine and feminine energies, and her legacy strongly influenced later goddesses such as Astarte, Aphrodite, and Venus.

FAVORITE OFFERINGS:

Crystals:

• Carnelian – passion, feminine strength, and vitality

• Rose Quartz – love, beauty, and emotional healing

• Garnet – sensuality, loyalty, and personal power

Herbs:

• Myrrh – sacred sensuality and underworld connection

• Damiana – love, fertility, and sacred union

• Rose – devotion, divine femininity, and heart energy

Oils:

• Patchouli – grounding erotic energy and sacred embodiment

• Rose – beauty, affection, and heart-centered devotion

• Cinnamon – fire, attraction, and spiritual heat

Colors:

• Red – passion, love, and sovereignty

• Gold – divinity, power, and celestial radiance

• Deep Pink – erotic magnetism and spiritual allure

Rituals:

• Love and attraction rituals combining roses, mirrors, and affirmations of self-worth

• Invocations for strength and courage before conflict, competition, or leadership roles

• Ceremonies honoring both the ascent and descent cycles—used for transformation, grief, and personal rebirth

• Sexual and sensual rites (solo or partnered) to honor divine embodiment and sacred union

MODERN WORSHIP PRACTICES:

• Create an altar with symbols of lions, stars, doves, or the eight-pointed star of Ishtar

• Offer honey, pomegranates, wine, incense (especially myrrh or frankincense), or red candles

• Call on Ishtar for love, empowerment, confidence, beauty, and transformation through adversity

• Honor her on Fridays (linked with Venus) or during Venus alignments and moon cycles

• Use affirmations such as: “I am sacred. I am sovereign. Ishtar, goddess of love and strength, rise through me.”