Venus Retrograde: Inanna’s Descent Into the Shadows & The Rise to Power
Inanna descending into the underworld, surrounded by celestial light and shadows. This symbolizes the transformative cycle of Venus Retrograde—loss, surrender, and rebirth.
There is an ancient rhythm, older than time itself—a rhythm of surrender, loss, and rebirth. Every 18 months, Venus, the radiant Morning and Evening Star, slows, pauses, and begins moving backward in the sky. This marks the beginning of Venus Retrograde, a powerful cycle of renewal that calls us to turn inward and reassess what truly holds value in our lives.
As Venus retraces her steps, she disappears from view, veiled in the Sun’s light—her time in the underworld. This descent mirrors our own, pulling us into unseen realms within ourselves. It strips away distractions and dissolves illusions, forcing us to confront what we have long ignored.
Are you truly fulfilled?
Do your relationships, values, and desires align with your soul?
Or have you been living for the gaze of others?
This is a time of reckoning—a moment to choose between what is comfortable and what is true. Attachments we once clung to may fall away, revealing what remains when all else is stripped bare.
But Venus Retrograde is not just about love—it is about truth. It is about standing at the crossroads of past and future, between the comfort of illusion and the raw clarity of transformation. It is about surrender, reflection, and the kind of growth that can only come from daring to face what has been hidden in the shadows.
A Rare and Powerful Cycle
Venus Retrograde lasts only about 40 days within her 584-day cycle, making it one of the rarest planetary retrogrades. Yet, its impact is profound. This cycle influences everything Venus governs:
Love & Relationships – Past lovers may resurface, unresolved emotions demand attention, and the truth about our connections becomes undeniable.
Finances & Self-Worth – We are called to reassess what we truly value—both within ourselves and in material terms.
Creativity & Attraction – The usual flow of inspiration and connection turns inward, urging us to create from a place of depth rather than external validation.
This is a cosmic pause, a time when the usual flow of attraction, pleasure, and connection is disrupted. Venus Retrograde reminds us that pleasure without depth is fleeting and that connection without truth is fragile.
The Questions Venus Retrograde Asks Us
What do I truly desire?
Are my relationships aligned with my soul?
Am I living in integrity with my values, or compromising for the sake of appearances?
As our rose-colored glasses are removed, old patterns resurface, relationships shift, and we are given an opportunity to reevaluate where our heart truly lies. This is not just about revisiting the past—it is about choosing the future with clarity and intention.
Inanna stands before the gates of the underworld, illuminated by the last light of the heavens. Beyond the threshold, shadows beckon—the journey of surrender and transformation begins.
A Myth Written in the Stars: The Descent of Inanna
Venus Retrograde mirrors a story that has been told for thousands of years, etched into the very foundation of human history: the Descent of Inanna. This ancient Sumerian myth, first recorded over 4,000 years ago, tells the story of the goddess Inanna, who descends into the underworld, is stripped of her power, faces death, and rises again—transformed.
The Descent
Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth, set her mind on the Great Below. She abandoned her throne, left behind her temples, and prepared for the journey that no one returns from unchanged.
Before she left, she turned to her most trusted companion, Ninshubur.
"If I do not return, mourn for me. Seek the gods’ help to bring me back."
She gathered seven divine powers—protective talismans of strength and sovereignty—adornments symbolizing her celestial authority.
But as she entered the underworld, she was met with a decree:
"If she wishes to enter, let her be stripped of her power. Let her pass through the seven gates—one by one. And at each, let her leave something behind."
No one enters the underworld unchanged. At each gate, Inanna surrenders a piece of her power, stepping deeper into the realm of shadow, where the self is tested and transformed.
At each gate, Inanna was stripped of her symbols of power:
Her crown—her divine authority.
Her necklace—her wisdom.
Her breastplate—her strength.
Her robe—her protection.
Her golden ring—her celestial favor.
Her measuring rod and staff—her sovereignty.
Her jewels—her identity.
By the final gate, she stood bare. No longer a goddess. No longer a queen. She was nothing.
She was brought before Ereshkigal, Queen of the Underworld, her dark and silent sister. Without a word, the judges passed their sentence.
Inanna was struck down, her lifeless body hung on a hook—left to rot in the land of the dead.
The Rise
Three days and three nights passed. The world above withered.
But faithful Ninshubur did as she was commanded, pleading with the gods to return Inanna. Only Enki, the god of wisdom, devised a way to bring her back—without defying the laws of death.
He sent two unseen beings into the underworld. They did not demand. They did not plead. They listened.
Ereshkigal, overcome with sorrow, spoke:
"You have shown me kindness when none have dared. I will grant you a gift—whatever you desire."
They asked for Inanna’s lifeless body.
She was given the food and water of life. She stirred. She breathed. She rose.
But no one leaves the underworld without a substitute.
As she returned, demons followed, demanding a soul in her place. They found Dumuzi, her husband, who had not mourned her. And so, he was taken.
A compromise was struck—for half the year, Dumuzi would dwell in the underworld, and for the other half, his sister would take his place.
And thus, the cycle was born: the descent and return. The endless rhythm of loss and renewal.
She has faced the depths, surrendered all that she was, and now—she rises. Inanna ascends from the underworld, reborn in light, transformed by the journey only the soul can take.
The Descent and Return: Venus Retrograde
Inanna’s myth is not just an ancient story—it is a cycle written into the cosmos.
Every 18 months, Venus begins her own descent, retracing her steps in the sky, disappearing from view—mirroring the same passage through surrender, stillness, and renewal.
Just as Inanna was stripped at each gate, Venus Retrograde strips us of illusions, attachments, and outdated desires.
Venus disappears from the sky, entering her time in the underworld—a period of surrender, stillness, and deep introspection.
But she does not remain in darkness. She re-emerges, renewed.
Each Venus Retrograde asks us:
What must be surrendered?
What illusions must die?
What is being reborn?
This is a cosmic initiation. It strips us bare, forcing us to confront the raw truth of our desires, wounds, and attachments. But just as Inanna rose from the underworld, so too do we emerge—wiser, transformed, and ready to step into a new cycle.
A Final Reflection
Whenever Venus makes her descent, you can return here—to this story, to this moment, to yourself.
Let this be a guide through every Venus Retrograde, and any time you need to call your power back to you.
What part of yourself is being stripped away during this Venus Retrograde? What are you ready to leave behind?
Let me know your reflections in the comments.
And remember: like Venus, like Inanna—you will rise again.
