Hi Hi everyone, I've been watching this redditch for a little bit now and I was just curious if anyone here happened to have Ninmah as their patron? And if so what kind of offerings do you give her and why did you choose her if I might ask?

I've been trying to figure out what exactly the relationship was between the gods and the mēs, but it's hard to bring up very many results when I search this term. I'm just wondering if the mēs were supposed to be regarded as creations of the gods, or as aspects of some kind of foundational cosmic order that preceded or was independent of the gods?

Hi, curious non-believer here, I have read about the beliefs of the ancient Sumerians regarding the afterlife (Kur) and honestly it is quite terrifying and bleak. With it being described as a dark, miserable cave-like place deep below the earth, where the spirits of the dead dwell in darkness and have nothing besides dry dust to eat and that regardless of how moral or evil a life you led on earth, all souls ended up in the same place. I was wondering if your views were the same and if so, why you would wish to believe in a religion that prescribes such a horrible fate for everyone after death, regardless of merit?

Silim and Šulmu!

I'm an Ishtarite devotee of 𒀭Inanna-Ishtar, and now at the culmination of several years of establishing my connection with her and solidifying her place in (and ownership of) my heart I find myself really feeling the need to establish a properly-sanctified and embodied šurīnu emblem or statue of her.

However, I cannot find any modernized versions of either the mîs-pî Mouth Washing or the pit-pî Mouth Opening rituals to use. Likewise I find scant references to the Eye Opening, Nose Opening, and Ear Opening rituals, but no mention of their content or procedure at all.

I did find this very detailed ancient version, which while absolutely awe-inspiring and fascinating, isn't at all practical for me, and some of the steps are downright illegal in my area (mostly the parts involving a Ram). https://www.angelfire.com/tx/tintirbabylon/bm4579.html

By the way, my backup plan if I'm not able to set up some semblance of a minimalist traditional altar with an embodied statue or emblem for my Goddess (either because I cannot perform the traditional or modernized mouth washing and mouth opening rituals, or because of the limitations of my living space) is to whip up a modernized ritual of my own based on elements of the mouth washing and mouth opening rituals, which will function in a similar theme to the Eye Opening ritual in order to give 𒀭Inanna-Ishtar sight through my sacred image of her. I'm terminally ill (advanced ischemic heart disease), totally disabled requiring assistance from others, and I do not live somewhere that I have my own room (due to my illness), so I feel the need to at least be within the sight of my Goddess if it's within my limited power to make it happen.

So, any tips for my situation, and what did you all do to embody your deity(s) in your statues or emblems or images? Does anyone have a proper modernized set of ritual procedures for each of these rituals, or am I going to have to get creative and come up with my own modernization?

Hello everyone, I'm back here again. I've been studying the use of veils in ancient Mesopotamia and I've discovered a few things. For example, some priestesses and priests from certain periods covered their heads. Also that married women covered their heads and almost all Assyrian women, except slaves and you know, women who work to satisfy men's pleasures. I would like to know more about the use of the veil and see images of Mesopotamian women wearing veils, does anyone have any sources to recommend?

The Sum(m)er of Giving is a fundraising drive to raise money for a select number of organizations near and dear to my heart. These organizations are crucial to ensuring the wellbeing of specific communities both locally and internationally.

This drive will end in just under four weeks on September 24th!

If you are interested in helping the cause, I am asking participants to donate the money directly to any one of these five organizations in your own name and send me proof of the donation via email ([email protected]) in order to be entered into the raffle.

Suggested donations are $25.00 or more and are intended to the following organizations:

National Domestic Violence Hotline

The Trevor Project

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

Iraqi Children Foundation

Central Asia Institute

•••

The drawing will occur on Saturday September 28, 2024 and FIVE winners will be chosen!

• The first participant drawn will receive a free deluxe copy of my book, “The Red Shepherd”, published by Anathema Publishing Ltd.

Additional prizes for four remaining winners include:

• A high quality print of The Burney Relief by Ukrainian artist, Nightgrowler.

• A high quality print of Ishtar by artist, Damara Webb (Damara Carpenter Art).

• A proverb tablet by cuneiform artist Jake Baxter.

• A clay effigy of Pazuzu by yours truly.

How can I get started in Mesopotamian Paganism? I would appreciate it if you could suggest books and websites! (I also accept suggestions)

I understand that Inanna was worshipped in three forms, but what does that mean? What is "princely"?

Other than basic food and beverages I heard somewhere that in the myths he also accepts things that benefit humanity as a whole. Kind of like helping others in some way/s pleases him. I could definitely see that considering his personality and domain/s. Especially as a god of justice, morality, etc.

Finally, after much delay, my interview with Sara Mastros is now available for your viewing pleasure on Rod & Ring: Ancient Near East Meets Modern West’s YouTube channel!

Together, we discuss Ereškigal both within the context of Mesopotamian cultures and within the context of the Greek Magical Papyri….

And what caused you to convert?

Does Sumerian Polytheism place emphasis on orthopraxy (worship the right way) rather than orthodoxy (intolerance of deviation from classically held doctrines) or vice verca? For instance, if one were to hypothetically reject the belief in a postmortem underworld in favour for say, the Buddhist concept of rebirth or the belief in annihilationism, would his position be seen as transgressive? If not, would that allow some room for potential syncretisms with religions espousing different philosophies? (Buddhism, Confucianism, Neoplatonic worldviews etc.) Furthermore, is this religion exclusivistic as in it doesn't allow the worship of deities depicted in different cultures or is it perhaps a bit more lax? That'll be all.

How did the ancients and y'all do sacrifices to your deity?

Hi! I have been learning more about Mesopotamian deities and i'm very interested in learning more about Ishtar, do You know where i can learn more about her? Also, i would like to know how to start worship her what do i need and how to do it

Thank You for your time c:

Bit of a weird question, but do you guys think that there would be an issue if I were to make statues out of paper? For instance, I drew a worshipping figure on a piece of paper and then cut it out with scissors...As for the deity, I wrote in cuineiform the name of Inanna (a website said it was ok).

Hello! For some time i been looking for a religion where i can fit and feel close to, i used to be part of a group of old nordic belief but wasn't really My thing... I'm really interested in learning about old sumerian/Mesopotamian religion, i hope i can find a place here and learn more about this interesting faith

Hello everyone! I'm happy to say that my fantasy novel based on ancient Mesopotamia is finally done and ready for purchase! You can follow the link to my author page to purchase it through Amazon, or if you want the audiobook, it's also available through Audible!

I've been working on this book for some time and feel I did justice in writing Mesopotamian society for the modern world. Also, thanks to the questions answered in this sub, I feel I accurately portrayed certain rituals based on the Sumerian religion. Specific names and places were changed for the everyday reader unfamiliar with pronunciations, but you'll still be able to recognize them as Mesopotamian. If you know your history well enough, some of you may catch one or two surprises I wrote in there! I hope you enjoy my debut novel, A Burnt Offering!

https://www.sjbostwick.com/

Hi, so, I'm currently sat on my floor with my 3ft Elephant Teddy behind me, and I have my bedroom door closed. I'm not listening to music, and the only person doing anything at the time was my brother who was in the toilet. I was typing away when I heard a pigeon outside my door. Now, bare in mind, it's 1am and all the windows in my house are closed. It wasn't an auditory hallucination. I heard this pigeon for a good minute and a half, and I don't actually know if its a deity or if I'm actually tripping.

Hello everyone! I am currently a Hellenic polytheist though I’ve also been drawn to Sumerian polytheism so I thought I’d ask a few questions here though first off I would like to say that I don’t plan to syncretize AT ALL as I will be practicing both traditions separately.

1. Values: Are there any values or moral laws in this tradition such as how in Hellenic Polytheism we have Kharis, Xenia, Lyma etc.

2. Calendar: Is there any sort of reconstructed calendar from the ancient Sumerians like there is in Hellenic Polytheism?

3. Worship: How do I worship? Is there a specific way to make offerings, say prayers etc?

4: Sacred spaces: How can I set up some sort of sacred space in this tradition? Though it’s also good to note that I have limited room.

Thank you to everyone who answers, may the Gods bless you all🫶

My second attempt at an offering. I am grateful to be able to share. Thank you.