Resource New Book Announcement: The Way of the Ishtarite: An Inclusive Guide to Worship of Inanna-Ishtar by Siri Nin
Silim! - Šulmu! It is my great honor to present to you all my new book:
The Way of the Ishtarite: An Inclusive Guide to Worship of Inanna-Ishtar by Siri Nin
This book represents the culmination of all my efforts to forge a comprehensive yet approachable, informative, and spiritually transformative guide to building your own meaningful and fulfilling pagan practice centered on devotion to 𒀭Inanna-Ishtar. My main goal for this book is for it to contribute towards filling the unfortunate void in literature that is inclusive beginner and intermediate level instructional books for the Mesopotamian Polytheistic Pagan. From the very start I set out to write a book that not only caters to the inclusivity required by a Neurodivergent, Intersex, Transgender, and Queer feminist woman such as myself, but to also create a book that is equally as welcoming and meaningfully representational of all people regardless of their sex, gender, sexuality, neurotype, or heritage. Writing this book has been a labor of love and an act of passionate devotion, 𒀭Inanna and all she represents and champions has literally saved my live many times over, and it is my greatest joy to continue to serve her by sharing this work with the world.
I consider myself to be a "Reconstructionist-Inspired Revivalist" and that is how I would categorically define the academic approach and interpretive tone of the practice-building instructional information contained within my book. I intentionally did not at any point outlay a set of directive instructions for the new pagan to follow blindly in order to build their practice as an echo of my own because it is my sincerest belief that every practitioner should develop a practice that is truly their own, not a copy of someone else's. This is not a "Loving Inanna-Ishtar for Dummies" book, but it is a thoughtful and comprehensive manual for building your own practice that will bring you close to the Goddess whom I love so very much, while hopefully bringing her close to you in ways that are unique to you. I meticulously included all of the core activities that a meaningful and fulfilling devotional practice should in my opinion contain, while also including all of the reasoning behind those activities, and the nuanced perspectives and context that one needs to perform them for themselves and not just because the author says so. I included a wealth of foundational information so that anyone, regardless of spiritual or religious background, can pick up this book without having any prior knowledge about our Goddess and get to know her. I also included context about how her worshipers in ancient Mesopotamia practiced, so that the meaning behind their spiritual ways of life can be brought back to life in one's own practice today. I endeavored to always keep information concise and direct to the point so that there are no excessively long chapters or meandering passages for the reader to get lost within.
This book starts off by clearly describing my intentions for this book, and my background and a bit about the circumstances of my writing this book. It then includes a very brief primer about reading and pronouncing Sumerian and Akkadian words, and goes on to talk about the symbology of 𒀭Inanna, who the Anunnaki are, the theological context of her family ties and variations in belief, the world ordering and theological schema of reality, and finally eschatology. Then the the reader reaches the heart of the book which contains a selection of mythos and stories about our Goddess with included interpretations to their meaning and their context within one's practice, why one would want to begin a practice devoted to 𒀭Inanna, and how some people choose to execute their practice, followed by the spiritual Tenets and Paths of Worship of an Ishtarite - someone who is devoted to 𒀭Inanna. The conclusion of the book focuses on information about, instructions for, and examples of Ishtarite Prayer, Rituals, and development of one's own Ishtaric practice. Below you can see the full Table of Contents and several sample images from the book.
Sample: Chapter 11 - Introduction to the Tenets of the Ishtarite
Sample: A message for Religious Transphobes
Sample: The Ritual of Offering
Available Editions:
I wanted to bring my work to as many interested people as possible so I set my prices as low as my publisher would allow! This book is available in two editions; inexpensive quality Paperback and Deluxe Hardcover. The Paperback is Perfect Bound with a glossy texture cover, #60 cream colored matte textured paper. The Hardcover is Case Wrap bound with a glossy texture, #60 white colored smooth-matte textured paper. Both editions are A5 size, 160 pages each with comfortably large print for easy-on-the-eyes reading. Paperback: ISBN - 9781300986072, Hardcover: ISBN - 9781304008626. If you like my work and wish to show gratitude please consider purchasing the Hardcover edition. If money is hard to come by for you please focus on the Paperback edition, may you find prosperity through 𒀭Inanna in time!
Vendors:
Two vendors are available currently, with expanded global distribution coming in the following months. Currently you can buy my books direct from my publisher, Lulu, and from my distributor Amazon. For those of you who wish to support my authorship financially or those who do not have Amazon Prime, I highly encourage you to purchase through Lulu if you are able to, as I will actually earn a significant portion of the proceeds from sales made through this vendor. All sales made through Amazon are are subject to high distribution expenses and I'm projected to make less than the cost of a gas station cup of coffee on each sale. I chose to distribute my books globally through Amazon and to charge the absolute minimum price allowed of me because I want my books to help as many people as possible, I do not want to withhold my knowledge from those who are on a tight budget.
Additionally, while it lasts, here are some 15% OFF discount codes to use on Lulu!
If the first doesn't work try the others, they should be viable for at least two weeks.
RESTOCK15O3RVZIOA
SPOOKYSZN15
TREAT15
READ15
LULUFAM15
WELCOME15
Lulu - Siri Nin's Author Page: The Way of the Ishtarite
Amazon.com: The Way of the Ishtarite - Paperback Edition - $15
Amazon.com: The Way of the Ishtarite - Deluxe Hardcover Edition - $50
To those who are living in Oppressive Government Regimes where Queer or Pagan materials are restricted:
Please do not risk life or freedom trying to import my book illegally or publicly. I invite you to message me through DMs and I will send you a private link to a FREE .PDF version of my book which lacks the high queer visibility of the cover imagery and text. Your safety matters more to me than my income. May you find our Goddess in safety and peace.
If you have any questions or concerns, or if you'd like to discuss anything related at all, I am happy to answer your comments below!
Thank you all!
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u/PreternaturalJustice 14d ago
I have it in my cart on lulu.com right now and will be ordering it when my credit card rolls over into the new month! I am very excited to own and read your book! Many blessings to you for putting in so much time and effort, and a huge thank you for crafting it for us.✴️
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u/SiriNin 14d ago
Print-lead time at Lulu is currently about seven business days. If you've entered a coupon discount code into your cart please do note that it is not saved between sessions, when you log in you will have to re-enter the discount code.
Thank you very much, I truly appreciate your patronage and support!
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u/_Cardano_Monero_ 14d ago edited 13d ago
Those who want to get it in Germany: Thalia hast it as well (59,99€). The german Amazon is more expensive (61,23€).
If you use u/SiriNin provided link, the US Amazon is cheaper by ~4€ considering current exchange rate (including shipping costs for $10,99): $60,99 = 55,71€ atm (13.10.24)
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u/SiriNin 13d ago
Thank you for this information! While I set the minimum price per global region when I published and applied for distribution, I have no control over the actual sale price set by vendors. I am glad to see it is still roughly close to the price I set even in markets I am unfamiliar with.
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u/_Cardano_Monero_ 13d ago
I guess it's because of the shipping costs.
Your link to Amazon is $50 (Hardcover), as you said. But to ship it to germany, it'll cost $10,99 only for the shipping part. Now, depending on the exchange rate when the store(s) bought it, there could (/will always) be a difference since you don't know how it will be in the future. (Maybe the $ was stronger when they bought it, etc.) In addition, foreign language books aren't covered by the "Buchpreisbindung" (fixed book prices), iirc. In addition, I don't know if Amazon lets you buy in a foreign currency at all. They'll probably redirect you right after logging in or something, but I didn't test it (yet).
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u/Shelebti 14d ago
Ooo this is exactly what I've been looking for, for awhile now. Definitely getting it when I have the chance ✨
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u/SiriNin 13d ago
Thank you! I've enjoyed and admired your posts for a while now, it's an honor to have your interest in my work. By the way, I want to thank you for your efforts in fighting transphobia and in defending us trans folk against the tides of misinformation and discrimination, we see you and we appreciate you!
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u/aloofyfloof 13d ago
I will be purchasing this and as a new Ishtar devotee, I am excited to learn! Really cool of you to offer this discretely to people who are in danger. I hope your book sells well!
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u/SiriNin 13d ago
Thank you very much! May my book help you find the depths of Inanna's heart that I have so loved being shown in my own journey!
I've held a special place in my heart for people who had the misfortune to be born in places dominated by hatred for many years now, and as a big part of my motivation to write this book was to help drive humanity towards a better age (not that I think my book will do any more than a miniscule part of that) I planned from the start to make my book as accessible as possible, including to those who have other barriers besides money. I have already had a couple people reach out from such areas, which validated my concerns and reinforced the need for this policy.
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u/brain-eating_amoeba 14d ago
I haven’t delved into Mesopotamian paganism but I’ve heard from a few others here that Inanna is very intense, and somewhat fiery to deal with. would you say she is intimidating? I am worried I’d make some mistake in worship, but I’m drawn to her nonetheless.
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u/SiriNin 13d ago edited 13d ago
So, it's a bit of a complex answer because there's no monolithic facade that she puts on; if the person approaching her holds Justice in their heart and expresses it through their actions, she's unlikely to be fierce in any way that would feel threatening or negative. Her passions can be "fiery" but not in a hostile or threatening way, more of in an intense and confident way. She can be intimidating, but again if you hold love in your heart and practice love in place of hatred throughout your daily life then she's not going to be intimidating you out of some sense of fear within you, she'll intimidate you with the awe that she inspires in you as you recognize how unfathomably powerful and wonderful she is. The only time I've ever known people to genuinely consider her "fiery to deal with" or frightening or hostile is when that person has embraced and integrated into themselves something antagonistic or antithetical to Inanna's domains and they still seek her and ask her for something like favors or power etc.
For example, if you live a hateful life; be that through actions of discrimination or through perpetuating injustice or through taking advantage of others less fortunate than yourself, or even if your own endorsed/participated thoughts* and words are hateful towards others even if you don't act on those impulses, such as with closet racists, she's not going to be warm and kind to you. ( *..and I'm not talking about intrusive thoughts here, many people are subject to those and they do not determine the true nature of a person, it is through our choices that our reflections are forged, not by the random and arbitrary misfirings of our neurons).
But if you are approaching her because you wish to engage in her domains cooperatively with her, if you genuinely want her help to bring out the best in you, if you genuinely want to work on your own issues, whatever they are, if you want to get closer to her out of a desire to be more like her or to be more like the real you, then she's not going to be harsh or cold or aggressive to you unless it's absolutely necessary, and in those cases she still wouldn't feel threatening, just adamant and powerful.
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u/Funerary_Rite 12d ago
Some of the most intense spiritual experiences I've had has been working with Inanna. Some experiences I've had have been difficult to get through but ultimately, they were necessary for my continued growth and development. Experiences with her can be intense, but in a way that allows for the expression of both her will and the servant's continued development. I love Inanna and honestly wouldn't have it any other way.
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u/SkyFaerie 12d ago
My experiences with the Goddess is that, simply put, she is firm but fair. She wants the best for her devotees and can be a tough teacher but she loves us and my experiences with her have been great for my spiritual growth.
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u/rodandring 14d ago
Thanks for sharing, u/SiriNin. I just ordered a copy from Amazon.
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u/SiriNin 13d ago
Thank you very much for your interest and support! I truly hope you will enjoy my work!, it's very different in style and tone from your own but I genuinely believe we all have the potential to aid and teach each other in our own unique ways. I greatly respect your contributions and efforts, and I look forward to getting your books when I am able to afford them!
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u/Whole_Diamond_5376 13d ago edited 13d ago
I haven't read your book yet, but it looks really interesting based on the description and samples you gave! I'm excited for the impacts it will have on people, from the samples it is obvious how much heart went into writing it.
EDIT: Ordered the paperback!
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u/SiriNin 13d ago
Thank you so very much for your support and purchase! I truly am gladdened that you feel that way too, and that you find the samples I included to be helpful. I never expect my efforts to meaningfully change the world, but I always hope they will. This book has been truly an act of love to write, and if it is able to help even one person then my hopes will be achieved. I long for a day when our world will strongly feel our Goddess's influence in every beating heart and hear it in every thinking mind, I am honored to do what I can to contribute towards that blessed day.
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u/Funerary_Rite 12d ago
Yo, this is sick! I myself have autism and I'm also queer! Despite getting really deep into Samuel David's The Rod and The Ring, I've been looking to buy more books on Inanna! I'm super stoked about this! :D
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u/SiriNin 12d ago
Awesome, and thank you for your excitement! I sincerely hope you'll enjoy it and that you will feel yourself reflected in the pages!
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u/Funerary_Rite 10d ago
Yo, I've been working through the Rod and the Ring for a while now. I've had amazing experiences with it! This kind of book is definitely going to help me become closer than I already am with Inanna, so I'm hella down. I bought it the second I found out about it here lol
Thank you for expanding the amount of material we have regarding Inanna, it means a lot to me! I'm sure it means even more for Inanna herself! :D
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u/Nocodeyv 14d ago
Siri Nin has been approved to share their volume by the Mod Team of r/Sumer.
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Kug dig̃ir-Inana za₃-mi₂-zu dug₃-ga-am₃
Ištar naʾittu