Queen of Heaven and Earth

Greetings beloveds,

This has been a busy season hasn’t it? There’s a meme that says “Capricorns are so boring, I forgot it was even your season”. No offense, but it’s true. I distinctly can remember the energy of Aries, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, and Sagittarius season. Now, in Capricorn season it seems very active but in a different way. At the winter solstice we reach the 7th gate of the underworld. We lay down our physical form to embrace the spirit of death and change. We enter the 8th gate to explore our subconscious dreams. The things that we only dare to express in the quiet of our journals.

There’s the celebration with friends and family, the liminal space of the time outside of time between the holy-days and the honoring of our pasts in the Gregorian new year. Then it’s go time. We rise from the 8th gate and begin our ascension. What do you leave behind? What do you take with you? We clear out our homes, set goals, buy a gym memberships, and fill our fridges with fresh vegetables. Yet, when we look at the astrology of this time in 2019, it is ruled by the energy of Saturn. Of planning, organizations, structure, time.

Inanna, who has made it clear for me that this is her preferred time of year to be honored. At what other time are we so clearly connected to the earth and the heavens. When a powerful narrative of the birth of a King being foretold by the stars in the sky is so richly woven through Western culture. Another narrative exists though. One of a Queen. A Queen who was selfish, strong, self-assured, slightly narcissistic, determined, ambitious, kind, and giving. A Queen who knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to go after it even if that meant playing some tricks along the way. The kind of tricks that gained her the 7 ME’s, brought her life where only the dead were allowed to tread, and eventually lead to her transformation from Queen to Goddess.

When thinking of Inanna, I remember her feisty side. She was so active and alive. She made me want to be like her. Brave. Secure or perhaps foolish enough to defy all expectations to accomplish her goals. She didn’t wait for anyone to give her permission. She made a decision and acted. I think about her in relation to winter, the stillness that seeps into our lives. It seems so far removed from her stories, yet this is the time when she wants to be heard.

What wisdom does she have to share with us? To slow down instead of rushing into things. We don’t always know what lies beyond the next gate. We cannot be sure that our beloved will mourn for us when we leave. That even with all the power, beauty, and magic of the world we still experience loss. We still make mistakes and have to make amends for what we have done. Above all else we have to do better. When we rise from the depths of the underworld and are initiated into a new form it is a gift. One that no one else has had the honor to receive. We should treat this experience with respect and to assist others. At the very least to help ourselves.

Kamilah Rose