Is Miley Cyrus a Modern-Day Avatar for Sumerian Goddess Inanna?

Christopher Knowles over at The Secret Sun has an intriguing post about poplet Miley Cyrus and her alter-ego Hannah Montana. I can't even do it justice in a recap--just read it. He basically wonders if she's channeling the Sumerican goddess Inanna--or something like that. And the whole Inanna/Montana illiteration--clever.

It caught my eye because I do think Miley is talented (albeit a bit too packaged at the moment), I just had a goddess energy workshop and I'm partial to all things Sumerian.

To all you self-righteous pop culture haters out there, Miley might be much more than meets the eye.

Hmm, always wondered exactly what message she was sending with that ironic, throwback peace sign ...

Inanna

Is Miley Cyrus a Modern-Day Avatar for Sumerian Goddess Inanna?

Christopher Knowles over at The Secret Sun has an intriguing post about poplet Miley Cyrus and her alter-ego Hannah Montana. I can't even do it justice in a recap--just read it. He basically wonders if she's channeling the Sumerican goddess Inanna--or something like that. And the whole Inanna/Montana illiteration--clever.

It caught my eye because I do think Miley is talented (albeit a bit too packaged at the moment), I just had a goddess energy workshop and I'm partial to all things Sumerian.

To all you self-righteous pop culture haters out there, Miley might be much more than meets the eye.

Hmm, always wondered exactly what message she was sending with that ironic, throwback peace sign ...

Inanna

Post Shamanic Weekend Re-Entry Is a Bitch

I'm very fortunate--I just spent 2 full days with quasi-strangers who have become friends trying to figure out the deeper questions of life. We all have our opinions and quirks, but there's a deep respect and admiration for one another. Yeah, and it took me practically all weekend to realize that, to slough off the armor required to live in this culture and open myself up enough to experience the reality that truly is, the reality that can truly be.

And now it's over, and I'm left with paying bills, deadlines at work, traffic jams, boring TV shows and so on. It's almost as if my weekend was a dream. It felt so real and now, *poof*, it's gone. Makes me wonder, did any of that happen?

"Goddesses Gone Wild!"
We had fun with that line, speculating which of our activities might wind up on YouTube. But sorry to disappoint, we didn't actually get beyond a little dancing and some racy humor.

As a quick recap, I'm in this shamanic mystery school based on the 7 chakras. This past weekend, we focused on the heart chakra and goddess energy. Situated in the middle of the chakra system, the heart chakra is about balance, and we directed our energy toward a love-centered foundation for compassion and service to others. Here are a few highlights:

• Love is always unconditional. If it's conditional, it isn't love. Duh.

• Prior to the workshop, we each meditated on the moon and journeyed there. I've developed a strong spiritual connection to one other workshop participant. She showed up in both my meditation and my dream the first night of the workshop.

• We talked about male and female energy (I'm not convinced there's a difference, actually). But the facilitator had constructed this "cylinder" out of 2 hula hoops and ribbon that we could step into. Allegedly, male energy spins one way while female spins the other. Naturally, my hoop rocked back and forth! But while standing there, I totally had serious deja vu, a flashback to a dream or whatever---but I recall an image of me standing inside this thing, not knowing what it was but very curious. Took my breath away and gave me the willies!
  

• We listed 13 goddesses in our own lives and their lessons. Then we discussed various goddesses from different cultures. I pulled Artemis, and it read:

  "I am Artemis, the Greek Goddess of Selfhood. I am here to say that now is the time to pay attention to the whispering voices of your own needs. Now is the time to take yourself back and celebrate and strengthen who you are."

  Which is so appropriate it's scary, given the issues I'm having with my partner. Thank you, Artemis. I don't know how accurate that is historically, but it works for me!
  

• We also learned about cool, freaky stuff like the 13 Egyptian chakras and their harmonies/tones, how to do a crystal chakra layout for someone, huna energy balancing and healing, crystal grids and shamanic body journeying (which I'll briefly explain). We also participated in a heart chakra activation ceremony. And lots of drumming, shaking rattles and a little goddess dancing for those who felt so inclined.
  

My Goddess and Gender Issues
You probably know the pagan world is pretty much divided into goddess energy and god energy, and I get why all that's important. But for those of us like me who don't really fit in either world, it's a bit of a riddle. Where do we fit? I can appreciate feminine qualities and goddess perspectives, but I believe and know there is something beyond that. Gender is so limiting, whether you're male or female. We're so much more.

This came up during our shamanic body journey to the heart. I'll spare you the logistics since they're quite complicated. All that's important is this: I saw a beautiful and fierce sea goddess (and this photo is a pale imitation) whose hair was of seaweed and sea anemones, her limbs were undulating sea creatures, and she swayed with the ocean's currents. This was supposed to be my "goddess within." Most gay men have already found their inner goddess--ha, ha--but was this all?

Then a watery shock wave broke the sea goddess image; it became more androgynous, and then another shock wave made the figure disappear altogether, leaving nothing but pure formlessness and essence. This is it! THAT is me! THAT is all of us! We are not bound by what's between our legs--gods, how limiting! All I could see was water, representing pure energy and spirit. It brought tears to my eyes.

We were also to ask questions of the goddess, so I'll have to backtrack a bit. I asked, "What am I supposed to be doing?" Because I'm always unsure and seem to be going in various directions that never pan out. I initially heard, "Just be," which really bothered me because I'm totally Type A. But then, as I meditated on that image of formlessness (is there such a thing?), I distinctly heard: "I Am."

Whoa--for us former Christians, that smacks of heresy! But it isn't really. It isn't quite the same thing as the Christian god saying, "I am that I am." Sure, I'd still be burned at the stake if this were 1509 but whatever. What that meant to me, if I can even begin to put it into words, is that whatever I'm doing is good and fine and perfect. Whomever I am or become is good and fine and perfect. The same energy in me is the energy is each and every person in this world, past, present and future. And it's the same energy in the plants, the animals, the water, the sun and the stars themselves.

So the goddess in Riverwolf says, "I am. And it's all good, y'all."

Post Shamanic Weekend Re-Entry Is a Bitch

I'm very fortunate--I just spent 2 full days with quasi-strangers who have become friends trying to figure out the deeper questions of life. We all have our opinions and quirks, but there's a deep respect and admiration for one another. Yeah, and it took me practically all weekend to realize that, to slough off the armor required to live in this culture and open myself up enough to experience the reality that truly is, the reality that can truly be.

And now it's over, and I'm left with paying bills, deadlines at work, traffic jams, boring TV shows and so on. It's almost as if my weekend was a dream. It felt so real and now, *poof*, it's gone. Makes me wonder, did any of that happen?

"Goddesses Gone Wild!"
We had fun with that line, speculating which of our activities might wind up on YouTube. But sorry to disappoint, we didn't actually get beyond a little dancing and some racy humor.

As a quick recap, I'm in this shamanic mystery school based on the 7 chakras. This past weekend, we focused on the heart chakra and goddess energy. Situated in the middle of the chakra system, the heart chakra is about balance, and we directed our energy toward a love-centered foundation for compassion and service to others. Here are a few highlights:

• Love is always unconditional. If it's conditional, it isn't love. Duh.

• Prior to the workshop, we each meditated on the moon and journeyed there. I've developed a strong spiritual connection to one other workshop participant. She showed up in both my meditation and my dream the first night of the workshop.

• We talked about male and female energy (I'm not convinced there's a difference, actually). But the facilitator had constructed this "cylinder" out of 2 hula hoops and ribbon that we could step into. Allegedly, male energy spins one way while female spins the other. Naturally, my hoop rocked back and forth! But while standing there, I totally had serious deja vu, a flashback to a dream or whatever---but I recall an image of me standing inside this thing, not knowing what it was but very curious. Took my breath away and gave me the willies!
  

• We listed 13 goddesses in our own lives and their lessons. Then we discussed various goddesses from different cultures. I pulled Artemis, and it read:

  "I am Artemis, the Greek Goddess of Selfhood. I am here to say that now is the time to pay attention to the whispering voices of your own needs. Now is the time to take yourself back and celebrate and strengthen who you are."

  Which is so appropriate it's scary, given the issues I'm having with my partner. Thank you, Artemis. I don't know how accurate that is historically, but it works for me!
  

• We also learned about cool, freaky stuff like the 13 Egyptian chakras and their harmonies/tones, how to do a crystal chakra layout for someone, huna energy balancing and healing, crystal grids and shamanic body journeying (which I'll briefly explain). We also participated in a heart chakra activation ceremony. And lots of drumming, shaking rattles and a little goddess dancing for those who felt so inclined.
  

My Goddess and Gender Issues
You probably know the pagan world is pretty much divided into goddess energy and god energy, and I get why all that's important. But for those of us like me who don't really fit in either world, it's a bit of a riddle. Where do we fit? I can appreciate feminine qualities and goddess perspectives, but I believe and know there is something beyond that. Gender is so limiting, whether you're male or female. We're so much more.

This came up during our shamanic body journey to the heart. I'll spare you the logistics since they're quite complicated. All that's important is this: I saw a beautiful and fierce sea goddess (and this photo is a pale imitation) whose hair was of seaweed and sea anemones, her limbs were undulating sea creatures, and she swayed with the ocean's currents. This was supposed to be my "goddess within." Most gay men have already found their inner goddess--ha, ha--but was this all?

Then a watery shock wave broke the sea goddess image; it became more androgynous, and then another shock wave made the figure disappear altogether, leaving nothing but pure formlessness and essence. This is it! THAT is me! THAT is all of us! We are not bound by what's between our legs--gods, how limiting! All I could see was water, representing pure energy and spirit. It brought tears to my eyes.

We were also to ask questions of the goddess, so I'll have to backtrack a bit. I asked, "What am I supposed to be doing?" Because I'm always unsure and seem to be going in various directions that never pan out. I initially heard, "Just be," which really bothered me because I'm totally Type A. But then, as I meditated on that image of formlessness (is there such a thing?), I distinctly heard: "I Am."

Whoa--for us former Christians, that smacks of heresy! But it isn't really. It isn't quite the same thing as the Christian god saying, "I am that I am." Sure, I'd still be burned at the stake if this were 1509 but whatever. What that meant to me, if I can even begin to put it into words, is that whatever I'm doing is good and fine and perfect. Whomever I am or become is good and fine and perfect. The same energy in me is the energy is each and every person in this world, past, present and future. And it's the same energy in the plants, the animals, the water, the sun and the stars themselves.

So the goddess in Riverwolf says, "I am. And it's all good, y'all."

Another Shamanic Weekend, All Things Goddess--and Artist Shepard Fairey

This weekend I'm participating in another workshop on shamanism. This will be the 4th of 7 workshops, all based on the chakras. We're now at the heart chakra, which apparently has some goddess connections. Don't ask me to explain--I'm sure I'll understand once it's over! In preparation, we've been asked to identify 13 goddesses in our own lives, women who have taught us important lessons. We've also been asked to use the moon as a focus in our meditations.

So I've been rummaging around online, collecting goddess images that appeal to me, when I came across the image above. Titled "Peace Goddess," it was created by Shepard Fairey, perhaps now best known for his iconic "Hope" poster of Barack Obama. He also created the "Defend Equality/Love Unites" image for gay marriage seen in my sidebar to the right.

In thinking about goddesses, his image stand out to me from what you typically see in Western culture--some airy, fairy (no pun intended) semi-naked woman cavorting with critters in some idealized Celtic forest. That's all fine and well, but I like that Fairey's "Peace Goddess" looks directly at you, conveying wisdom, strength and resolve. And we don't need to see her naughty bits to know she's special, regal and worthy of adoration. Ironically, she doesn't look all that peaceful, does she?

And then I got totally distracted. I actually know very little about Fairey, but depending on who ask, he's either a sell-out or a genius, a plagiarist or the next Warhol. He started out as a street graffiti artist who now has his own clothing line and major exhibits of his work. And just to "keep it real," perhaps, he still gets arrested for "tagging."

Well, good for him. But there's something about his images that speak to me. Some say his work too closely mimics the artistic styles of Nazi and Soviet propaganda (making it off limits?). Which is interesting to me, since I wrote a paper years ago on how such art was used by these regimes to help spread their political messages.

But back to goddesses! Thanks, Shepard, for providing me with a modern goddess that I don't have to be embarrassed to admire.

Another Shamanic Weekend, All Things Goddess--and Artist Shepard Fairey

This weekend I'm participating in another workshop on shamanism. This will be the 4th of 7 workshops, all based on the chakras. We're now at the heart chakra, which apparently has some goddess connections. Don't ask me to explain--I'm sure I'll understand once it's over! In preparation, we've been asked to identify 13 goddesses in our own lives, women who have taught us important lessons. We've also been asked to use the moon as a focus in our meditations.

So I've been rummaging around online, collecting goddess images that appeal to me, when I came across the image above. Titled "Peace Goddess," it was created by Shepard Fairey, perhaps now best known for his iconic "Hope" poster of Barack Obama. He also created the "Defend Equality/Love Unites" image for gay marriage seen in my sidebar to the right.

In thinking about goddesses, his image stand out to me from what you typically see in Western culture--some airy, fairy (no pun intended) semi-naked woman cavorting with critters in some idealized Celtic forest. That's all fine and well, but I like that Fairey's "Peace Goddess" looks directly at you, conveying wisdom, strength and resolve. And we don't need to see her naughty bits to know she's special, regal and worthy of adoration. Ironically, she doesn't look all that peaceful, does she?

And then I got totally distracted. I actually know very little about Fairey, but depending on who ask, he's either a sell-out or a genius, a plagiarist or the next Warhol. He started out as a street graffiti artist who now has his own clothing line and major exhibits of his work. And just to "keep it real," perhaps, he still gets arrested for "tagging."

Well, good for him. But there's something about his images that speak to me. Some say his work too closely mimics the artistic styles of Nazi and Soviet propaganda (making it off limits?). Which is interesting to me, since I wrote a paper years ago on how such art was used by these regimes to help spread their political messages.

But back to goddesses! Thanks, Shepard, for providing me with a modern goddess that I don't have to be embarrassed to admire.

Christina Aguilera: "Keeps Getting Better"

Xtina is simply a goddess, and I'm diggin' her new single. This is not the real video but I'm sure you'll enjoy the song.

"Some days I'm a super bitch, up to my old tricks!"

Christina Aguilera: "Keeps Getting Better"

Xtina is simply a goddess, and I'm diggin' her new single. This is not the real video but I'm sure you'll enjoy the song.

"Some days I'm a super bitch, up to my old tricks!"