The Star of Ishtar is an eight-pointed star that represents the ancient Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar, who was the goddess of love, fertility, and war. The symbol that was associated with Venus throughout history. In astrology, Venus is associated with love, beauty, and harmony. The Star of Ishtar is seen as a symbol of these qualities.
What is the Star of Ishtar?
The Star of Ishtar is also referred to as the Venus Star or Star of Inanna, and it’s a symbol most frequently connected with Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess of war and love. The Sumerian counterpart of the ancient Babylonian deity Ishtar was the goddess Inanna.
Ishtar has two prominent symbols: the lion and the eight-pointed star. The goddess was also frequently associated with the planet Venus.
As a result, her star symbol is also known as the Star of Venus. Assyrian Ishtar is also known as the Morning and Evening Star Goddess.
What is the Meaning of Ishtar?
Initially, Ishtar was referred to as the Mother of the Universe or the Divine Mother. The star was associated with the sky and heaven. In this context, Ishtar was viewed as the gleaming light of primordial passion and creativity, representing life from conception to death.
Ishtar was later explicitly identified and associated with Venus, the planet of beauty and pleasure, by the Old Babylonian period. As a result, the Star of Ishtar is also known as the Venus Star, representing passion, love, beauty, balance, and desire.
The Star of Ishtar’s Eight Cosmic Rays
Each of the eight Cosmic Rays of the Star of Ishtar corresponds to a different color, planet, and direction.
- The Cosmic Ray 0 or 8th represents Earth and the colors white and rainbow. It represents femininity, creativity, nutrition, and fertility. Colors are symbols of purity, unity, and connection between the body and the spirit, the Earth and the universe.
- The first Cosmic Ray points to the northeast and corresponds to Mars and the color red. It represents determination and strength. Mars, as the red planet, represents ferocious passion, energy, and endurance.
- The Cosmic Ray 2nd is associated with the East, Venus, and the color orange. It symbolizes creative power.
- The third Cosmic Ray points to the southeast and is associated with the planet Mercury and the color yellow. It symbolizes awakening, intellect, or the higher mind.
- The 4th Cosmic Ray represents the South, Jupiter, and the color green. It represents harmony and inner balance.
- The 5th Cosmic Ray points southwest and corresponds to Saturn and blue. It represents inner knowing, wisdom, intelligence, and faith.
- The 6th Cosmic Ray corresponds to the West, the Sun, Uranus, and indigo. It represents perception and intuition through intense devotion.
- The 7th Cosmic Ray points to the Northwest and is associated with the Moon, the planet Neptune, and the color violet. It represents a solid spiritual connection to one’s inner self, as well as great psychic perception and awakening.
Other Symbolisms
The eight points of the Star of Ishtar are thought to depict the eight gates that encircled Babylon, the capital of ancient Babylonia. The Ishtar Gate is the central gate of the eight and serves as the city’s entrance.
The doors of Babylon’s walls were devoted to the most celebrated godheads of the ancient Babylonian kingdom, symbolizing the grandeur and authority of the time’s most influential city.
What Planet Does Ishtar Represent?
In mythology, Ishtar’s goddess represents the planet Venus. Unlike Venus, the brightest object in the sky after the Sun and the Moon, Ishtar shines bright as the universal Mother. Venus is often referred to as the Morning Star or the Evening Star, and Ishtar is associated with the sky and heaven.
Is Ishtar Good or Evil?
Ishtar was a complex deity who embodied both the good and evil aspects of several goddesses. She was regarded as the Mother of gods and humans and the creator of all corporeal blessings as a benevolent mother figure.
In some stories, she is described as a goddess of love, fertility, and war, while in others, she is depicted as vengeful and destructive.
In ancient Sumerian mythology, Ishtar was known as the Sumerian goddess Inanna and was associated with the planet Venus. She was the daughter of the god Anu and the sister of the god Ereshkigal.
People revered Inanna as a goddess of fertility, love, and war, and she was often depicted as a powerful and influential figure in ancient Mesopotamian culture.
The Epic of Gilgamesh depicts Ishtar as a fierce and demanding goddess. She demands the love and devotion of her followers.
She is also defined as being capable of great destruction, as she is responsible for unleashing the Bull of Heaven, which causes great destruction and death.
What is Ishtar’s Number?
Ishtar was occasionally assumed to be the moon god Sin’s daughter. Sin’s sacred number is 30 because the lunar month has 30 days. Ishtar’s sacred number is 15, as she was Sin’s daughter.
However, she forms a secondary astral triad with Shamash, the sun god, and Sin, the moon god. Her symbol in this manifestation is a star of 6, 8, or 16 rays inside a circle.
What Does the Star of Ishtar Have to Do With the Bible?
The Star of Ishtar does not have any direct link to the Bible, but the phrase Queen of Heaven is stated in the Bible. Several scholars linked it with various goddesses, including Ishtar, Astarte, Anat, and Ashtoreth.
However, the link with Ishtar of Mesopotamia has grown strong since she is related to fertility, known as the Mother of the Universe, and associated with the sky and heaven.
What Are the Other Meanings of an Eight-pointed Star?
In various cultures and religions, there are numerous octagrams. For example, an eight-pointed star called the Khatim Sulayman is the prophets’ seal in Islam. The Dharmachakra, also known as the Wheel of Dharma, represents the Buddhist Eightfold Path.