Tarot Portions XII - Observation on Knights (Wands & Pentacles)

    Knights in the Suits represent the energy of fire, motion, moving forward, passion, dedication to a cause. All Knights (or Princes) are aligned with the symbol of Major Arcana VII. The Chariot, meaning moving forward, going on a quest, journey, also spiritual, moving away from the past, transition, change, courage, signs for victory, being brave, using your power. That’s how Knights are Yang energy or masculine. 

The VII. Chariot represents basic concept of:

-        transition

-        movement forward

-        motivation, courage

-        balance of qualities

-        fight and being brave

-        putting efforts in cause

-        determination, willpower

All the Knights in tarot are aligned with the cards: VII. The Chariot – XVI. The Tower and 7 of all suits. They are reflection of Fire element (passion, strength, endurance, will).

As we see in all Knights there is motion, so they are mostly the travellers, they are dedicated to change, transition, going ahead and overcoming obstacles. All Knights have some challenges to overcome, and their energy and will points to success in the end.

The Archangel of 7. is Metatron.

Knight of Wands *

Each knight holds they keys to transformation, change, motivation. He is the ultimate traveller. The horse is the symbol of travel, road, unknown destination, but also dedication and freedom. When Knight appears in reading he usually is a free person, which means also a single. Another important aspect of Knight of Wands is taking risks, going out of his comfort zone. The Knight is opposite of the dreamful and innocent Page (usually Yin feminine energy). Knight of wands can be related to:

-        travel for a quest or project

-        in a love reading – impatience, sexual desire, fast action

-        focused energy, passion, determination

-        Spiritual journey to another place with challenges

Knight of Wands is double fire – ones he has the element of Fire, and the numerical relation with 7 is fire too. He is dedicated to a quest, transformation, announcing quick changes, risk and impatience. Some of negative aspects of this knight are war, battle, comflict, resistence. 

It can mean also quick travel to a South destination, usually with Sun. key words: motivation, transformation, travel, fast action. 

Knight of Pentacles *

      This Knight combines elements of Fire and Earth. He is going on travel or a quest related to success in work, projects, carrier, creative ideas, home and family. It can also mean taking action to a goal related to property or finances; travel in the nature, or going on a trip in a village or place in the mountain.

Knight of Pentacles loves being in nature and working in the nature, gardening, dedication for building a beautiful home. He loves travelling, but he also likes planning and observation, before taking action. He is not impatient, but more balanced. Knight of Pentacles can mean also:

-        short business travel

-        going on a quest and taking care of finances

-        buying a new property

-        Travel to destination East

-        Planning or collecting money for a travel or moving

This Knight is also related to the symbolic energy of 7 of Pentacles. – determination, patience, dedication to a growth, efforts, steady progress.

Nina Lea-Nour *

Angel`s medium 

Reiki master 
Tarot intiutive 

Inanna -Devas of Blue ray -III

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Underworld trial of Ishtar ~

Ishtar didn’t meet any mercy from her sister Ereshkigal, who held her prisoner in the darkness and torture her using three plagues as test. That event symbolizes the three days and nights when Inanna was dead, before she was revived again. But she was too important goddess to be lost in Underworld, without to be able to go out. Her brother sun god Shamash and god of the moon Sinn asked help from powerful Enki (god of water and wisdom and father of Ishtar). Enki send Asushu-Namir to the Underworld with powerful spell with magic words, that made Ereshkigal lose her power and free both Ishtar and her husband Dumuzi.

She had to be brought to life. For this reason Enki created two strange beings (named Kurgarra and Calaturra) from the dirt under his nails. They sprinkled Inanna with waters of Life and gave her magical fruits from the Tree of life. In this way goddess was revived and saved.

In more famous version of the story, Ishtar and Dumuzi came back from the seven gates. At each gate goddess was given back her attributes, clothing and accessories. In this time the moon waxed from Dark to Full again, representing returning of magic abilities. Now Ishtar had the power over the Underworld together with Heaven and middle earth. Her husband Dumuzi was required to repeat his descend to land of death and stay there for some time each year. During this time the earth was without growing and vegetation, plants were asleep or wilting. When he returns back, he revived the nature again. The rains start to fall.

Symbolically the act of descending to the Underworld mean connection between consciousness and sub –consciousness, spiritual trials, overcoming obstacles and achieving soul rebirth. Her soul was revived again, in this way Ishtar wins the death and ascends in higher level of Mind. That experience made her power even stronger than before. The whole cycle is also metaphor of reincarnation cycle, where the human soul is born again for new life in higher levels.

(There are many versions and variations on this myth, as it was very popular between Mesopotamian people.)

Incense of Ishtar/ Inanna ~

Every deity in the ancient times was related to specific food, musical instrument, color, number, symbol and incense or ritual smell. The same is valid for Ishtar/ Inanna. Her incense can be made with the following ingredients:

~ 2 parts cereal grains

~ 1 part date palm leaves

~ 1 part vine leaves

~ 1 part flax flower

~ 4 parts myrrh

~ 1 part juniper oil

~ 3 parts of crushed juniper berries

~ 1 pinch cinnamon powder

Magical symbols/ attributes of Ishtar ~

Element – blue fire, light

Direction – west, north

Incense: juniper, frankincense

Flower: blue rose, blue lotus

Geometry form: pyramid, step ziggurat

Crown: diadem with thousand (seven) petals

Sacred sign – pentagram, eight pointed star

Planets, stars: Venus, Neptune, moon

Minerals: Lapis Lazuli, sodalite

Other names: Queen of Heaven, Star of Heaven, Morning star, The brilliant one; Ninanna (Queen of Sky).

Angelic color: dark blue, indigo

Earth color: red, crimson red

Birds: owl, crane, dove 

References ~ 

Inanna- goddess gifts

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[ nina Lea-noura * 

Inanna - Devas of Blue ray -II

Descent to the Underworld (version 1)~

As many other goddesses Ishtar was symbolically connected to the space of Underworld (Persephone, Isis, Rhiannon) or where the death abide. This was place where her sister Ereshkigal ruled. Inanna wanted to spread her power in all levels of the world –middle and underworld, so she decided to take a risky adventure and show to her sister, she has stronger magical abilities than her and not afraid to descent to world of darkness. This was something like ritual of self-prove. Ereshkigal condemns her sister to death, for this highly arrogant act.

Descent to the Underworld (version 2)

Ishtar as a newly married with god Dummuzi, finds out that her sister Ereshkigal recently lost her husband. Filled with sadness and compassion, she decided to take the risky trip and descend to Underworld, the kingdom of her sister, where she has no power. Her aim was to console her sister in her loss. Instead to achieve that, she found herself in trap of Ereshkigal, who wanted to destroy her, and not to return Inanna in the middle earth.

Descent to the Underworld (version 3)

This story is similar to the Osiris –Isis – one day the god of harvest Dumizu was injured by a boar and died from his wounds. Inanna mourned her husband, so she went after him to the Underworld; this event is celebrated in special festival every year in July-August.

Seven gates to Underworld ~

Inanna`s way to the world of Death goes trough the seven Gates. These major gates were thought to represent the Seven main chakras in human body. By each of the gates she was demanded to strip and give to the gatekeeper one of her garments from her body. Finally she was required to enter the Underworld naked. Each gate cloth or accessory had symbolic meaning.

~ the first gate was symbol of the Crown chakra (violet). Here the goddess should give her belt or sandals. That diminished her Will.

~ the second gate was Third eye symbol (indigo). Inanna had to give to the keeper her bracelets or anklets. In this action she had to abandon her Ego.

~ Third gate represented Throat chakra (blue). Inanna should surrender her robe – in this way she abandons her Mind.

~ Fourth gate symbolized the Heart chakra (green). The lady of the moon should give away her Breast Cups. This made her separated from her Sex Role.

~ Fifth gate symbolized the Solar plexus chakra (yellow). Here Inanna had to give to gatekeeper her Rainbow necklace. In this way she gave away her Illumination.

~ Sixth gate represented the Sacral chakra (orange). At this gate Inanna had to separate from her precious earrings. In this way she abandons her Magical abilities.

~ Seventh gate symbolized the Root chakra (red). In this last gate the goddess has to surrender her authority with giving away her thousand petal diadem (crown). By this action she surrenders her being Goddess.

So, naked and vulnerable, stripped from all her authority and magical powers, she was forced to enter the sacred place of Underworld.

Visualization of Ishtar/ Inanna ~

Visualize her with long waving black hair, dressed in dark blue gossamer skirt and with covered breasts (breast cups). Her arms and belly are open, as she is goddess of sensual love. She is carrying pentagram of lapis lazuli round stone in her left hand, and has a headwear with star (Pentagram or eight pointed star) falling on her forehead. Her eyes are dark and sparkling with confidence and strength. She is lead by two lions. Above her head and above Crown chakra you can see blooming blue rose in a sphere. She is carrying caduceus with golden snake entangled on it. She has rainbow necklace shining in white light, bracelet on right arm with sign of the full moon with moons in two sides. She has also the sign of “fish” on her skirt. Sometimes she has golden girdle (belt) in form of snake on her waist.  

References ~ 

Inanna -goddess gift

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[ nina Lea-noura * ]

Inanna - Devas of Blue ray -I

Who was Ishtar?

Ishtar was East Akkadiean, Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of earth, fertility, love, sensuality, feminine power, moon, war and fight. Her counterparts were Sumerian Inanna, and later goddess of North west Semitic Aramean goddess Astarte (Ashtaroth) took similar role. The first goddess in pantheon was Inanna (her name means [ Enah-nah] Queen of heaven ). Her prominent symbols were planet Venus (she was personification of it) and the Eight pointed star. Later Ishtar had the same functions.

   Inanna was goddess associated closely with fertility of land and herd, rain, land, grains, and with sexuality, desire, love. She was depicted as strong independent woman wearing weapons. To underline her connection with freedom, free will and power, she was depicted with wings, rainbow necklace and burning eyes. According to some myths she was daughter of Mesopotamian creator god Anu.

Variations of her names are: Nanna, Nina, Nanna, Ninmesarra. Some see direct link to the Greek goddess of love Aphrodite. But I would be skeptical about that, as many goddesses have similar functions, and features of Aphrodite were quite different.

Ishtar/ Inanna was amazing deity symbolizing feminine sexual power, love, land nourishing, fruits, protection, and war fights. She was called “Goddess of heaven” , of moon and “shining one”, “producer of life”, “Lady of battles and victory”. Her temple of worship was in city Uruk, called Eanna temple (dating back to 4500 BC)

Family of Inanna ~

She was daughter according to some myths to the creator god of Heaven –Anu, and in others she is daughter of Moon god Nanna. Her brothers were the Sun god Uta, the storm god –Iskur. She was in sacred marriage with the god of Vegetation or harvest –Dumizi (Tamuz).

Outlook of Inanna ~

Shown with wings, wearing crown with horns and skirt. Her sacred stone was Lapis Lazuli, and very similar to Egyptian Isis, she was associated both with life and death (underworld), as Morning and evening star (Venus).

Ishtar name means “Star of heaven”. Ishtar had many dedicated temples and were she was worshipped by priestesses (the theory of sacred “prostitution” in her temples is controversial, as there were many sacred ceremonies to express symbolically goddess qualities). The planets, associated with this power goddess were Venus (linked to sensuality, love), Moon (mystical powers, healing), Uranus (sacred knowledge and power), Neptune (psychic abilities, dreams). She was accepted as both giver of life and feminine energy and sending destruction, death. As war fighting goddess she was fearless and great protector of her people.

III. Inanna –Ishtar as Oracle, dream reader ~

She had ability to appear in dreams to people who worship her, and connect with them revealing what they need to do. In this way she was also called for defense, victory in battle and overcoming any other obstacles. Her special gift quality to humans were inner strength and fearlessness.

    She gave to humanity of her period (Sumerian people) the arts, culture and civilization; examples of them are reading, writing, music, architecture, speech, truth, temple rituals, art of love and singing. Her father Enki (Anu) was the god of Wisdom and possessed the Tablets of destiny. Innana took all the gifts of arts and civilizations by tricky way from her father (letting him to be drunk with wine).

Symbolically Ishtar –Inanna was depicted holding a bow, and arrows, and riding a chariot with seven Lions. (seven chakra gateways, suggested by *see references). These animals of great power were some of the main totem animals of the goddess. She sat on a throne made of Lapis Lazuli.

Other totem animals, often seen in Ishar attributes of royal status and power were: Snake, serpent, dragon, dove, scorpion, cow, fish, spider. Her main cities were in north Mesopotamia – Nineveh, Ashur, Erbil. To her were dedicated over 180 temples. She has also temples of so “Eye goddess” named so because inside were found many figures of her depicted with wide open eyes, similar to eyes of owl, with coiled snakes. (In Syria, Tell Bark, 3000 BC).

Other ancient symbols of Ishtar/ Inanna – reeds, rosette, eight pointed star (found in Star card of Tarot and mason symbol); Seven pointed star (septagram, or elven Star and linked to the Fairies), Pentagram –five pointed star, linked with other blue ray goddesses –Isis, Morgana Le Fay, Persephone. Inanna had crown with crescent moon or cow horns, linked to fertility and feminine energy. Inannas fruit was apple, and food wheat. She was goddess of Axis Mundi (or Tree of life, represented in Mesopotamian versions in date palm tree). 

References about Inanna ~ 

Inanna -Ishtar- pagan pages

[ nina Lea-noura * ]

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