This tarot spread is based on the myth of Inanna’s descent to the underworld, and is meant to guide you through your own version this myth to help you confront your own “dark side.” I found this spread on a WordPress blog called Occultopraxia, but the blogger says they got it from a book by Hans Banzhof (whom I can’t find any information on). This spread seems to draw on Jungian psychology, which has some issues, but I find that it’s still a useful spread.
Unlike the previous tarot spread I shared here, this one isn’t for communicating directly with the goddess. Instead, this one is to help you confront your own psychological “stuff,” drawing on the characters and plot of the myth as your guide. This spread takes you through the seven gates of the underworld, the confrontation with Ereshkigal, and the ascent out of the underworld.
The meanings of each card in the spread are as follows:
1. “Inanna” – bright or visible side of personality, which may become whole and healthy by confrontation with the shadow (10). 2. “Neti” or “Reception at the gate to the Underworld” – motivation to confronting the shadow, and what it looks like from the outside. 3–9. Values, ways to behave, habits, wishes, positions, expectations etc. which we must renounce. 10. “Ereshkigal” – the shadow to break free from or integrate with. The hidden or dark side of personality, what should be extracted, understood, what existence should be accepted. 11. “Ninshubur” – a helpful force, ally “in the upper world”. 12. The first stimulus to rebirth. 13. The second stimulus to rebirth. 14. The reborn, whole and healthy person. 15. “Dumuzi” – “the sacrifice”, motives and attitudes that we must give up for a long time.
The original author of the spread said to divide the deck into major and minor arcana, and shuffle these separately so that cards 10, 12, 13, and 14 are drawn from the major arcana and the rest from the minor arcana. I don’t do this. I just draw the whole spread from the whole deck, and it works just fine for me.
The blog where I found the spread also gives the following additional instructions for using the spread:
The interpretation begins with cards 1, 10 and 14, which constitute the skeleton of the spread. The first card represent the querent as she or he feels about her- or himself now, how she or he perceives her- or himself. Because of some reason, as Inanna who wanted to get into the Underworld, the querent wishes to look at some hidden features of her or his personality, even though finding and waking them up may be a dangerous path. Card no. 10 shows the querent what those features are. They may consist of suppressed emotions or abilities (like aggression, assertiveness, sexuality, sensuality, even artistic talents despised by the parents) or unhealed traumas. If the querent decide to confront them and accept them (if they are positive but neglected abilities) or ultimately get rid of them (in case of negative emotions or traumatic past), she or he will became a person represented by the card no. 14. This card actually shows if the process is worth going through.
Interpretation for other questions
The spread may be also used for questions concerning important decisions in life, like accepting a new job, changing a profession, moving to another city or state etc. Then the interpretation of cards differs slightly. Card no. 1 may tell about how the querent feels about her- or himself, but may also show her or his position in the society. Card no. 10 may indicate the qualities the querent will have to find within her- or himself and demonstrate, if she or he makes that decision. It may be, for example, aggressiveness or selfishness, needed for making a career. The interpretation of the card no. 14 doesn’t really differ from the described above. But cards no. 3 – 9 and 15 are very important and they can be decisive. They show all the things the querent will have to get rid of or will loose. Sometimes it may turn out that even though card no. 14 shows a successful, rich person, some cards from the group 3 – 9 or 15 indicate a family breakdown, lack of free time or loss of health, which may be a price the querent doesn’t want to pay.
Above is an example of a reading I did using this spread. I also included the base card. Two other cards also randomly fell out of the deck, so I included them in my interpretation as well.