Tag: Navajo

The Beauty Way

A dream came as Venus made her descent into the underworld, disappearing from the night sky and sinking below the horizon. The story of Inanna reminded me she is also present in this underworld journey.

In this case, the path of beauty was invoked as a prayer prior to entering sleep, stemming from my need to feel the protective powers of beauty, harmony, and balance.

Underworld Path Rising – October 2026

I laid down many brown Earthen panels on the red Earth in an underground realm, yet close to the Earth surface, where the sun shown through even into the underworld. I observed the designs and sigils scribed into the tablets, Earthen panels made of clay were like ceramic tablets that had not been fired, but dried, and woven together one after the other to form an underworld path. The panels were light brown color, surrounded by Red Earth territory. I looked back at what my path had already laid down, and was pleased with what I had created on this Earthwalk.

A Dine’ Native elder was there guiding me in the dream, he showed me I only needed three more tiles to complete the underworld path, before it rises to be seen Earth side. I saw the three remaining clay panels, already made, that only need to be laid down to rise as the Earthside path.

It strikes me that this underworld path in my dream, coincides with the recent path of Venus and her underworld journey. Friday, she met up with the heart of the Sun, and entered the Sign of Libra, ending a 100 year cycle of this underworld journey in Scorpio. Like the Phoenix rising, she transforms from an evening star, to a morning star, and will reach the horizon within ten days.

The path of Inanna, also known as the star Venus, and the Queen of Heaven, is opening above me, before me, behind me, and below me. Just as the Navajo Blessing Way prayer lays a path of beauty and harmony with life in all directions, sending prayers of healing, protection and resources to the Dine’ people near Shiprock, New Mexico, who have been impacted by the recent floods.

The Mesopotamian story of the journey of Inanna, was recorded on ancient clay tablets much like those seen in my dream. In my dream, I observed them close up, as if I were to write upon the blank slate in the middle, but what to write? I held a stylus in my hand, ready to write upon the clay surface. The stylus tool is made from a reed, and according to my research, called a reed scribe. In my dream, I observed the clay tablets up close, and saw the writings in the corners, and noticed they were air dried tablets, not kiln fired, which checks out with my later research, the clay tablets being air dried, and made with marks and a few signs in the corners to perhaps indicate a record of goods traded, or the lunar date. As I gaze at the center of the blank clay slate, I wonder what story wishes to be seen, what path of the past will rise like the star Venus, ready to be seen as a morning star in the light of day. Today I will explore the dream with making clay tablets, and paint a painting from a dream I had yesterday, that was about the Venus Cazimi.

As the earliest woman Reed scribe, Enheduanna, was the first known author in literary history. A Preistess and princess who lived over 4000 years ago. She is known for her masterpiece, Exaltation, an invocation of Inanna. In celebration of the Venus Cazimi, and rising of Venus, and the Reed Scribe Enheduanna, I offer this humble poem.

Venus Cazimi Rising

Path of the Sun, underground,

hidden in the deep,

Creatrix of path making,

Awakening from a long sleep.

It is here we dream,

entering the unknown.

Death reborn, and

Venus transformed.

She has traveled far

In the dark.

Now rising…

Becoming,

a morning star.

Her path known,

and her beauty shown,

she burns constraints of the past,

painting a prophecy, rising at last.

Becoming a Phoenix

rising with the fire,

As she transforms

her spirit flies higher

Ascending seven gates.

picking up her power,

Rising to her fate,

This is the hour.

Inanna has returned.

Where her heart

was burned,

and lessons learned.

A descent decreed

by underworld shades,

Someone must take her place.

Inanna has chosen

the death he must face.

A debt must be paid

For a love betrayed.

When trust is forsaken

You lose what was taken.

Taking her seat

upon the throne.

Returning from death

and rattled bones.

She regains her place

as ring wearer.

Her shining face

Brings a new era.

The Weaver

Since the Spring Equinox of 2021, I’ve been dreaming with the Weaver. She paid me a visit in my dreams on that night, and I’ve been tracking her wisdom in myth, stories and dreams.

The Weaver – 3-21-21

I woke this morning from a mysterious dream of an older woman who was tall and slender and learned as a weaver. She was there to teach me her skill at weaving, and told me it was time for me to learn what she had to teach me, I can no longer put it off. I knew it was true, but I did not feel a desire to learn from her, whose energy seemed harsh to me, and I felt weaving is not a skill I am prone to naturally. I could see by learning this skill, it would set my path to a crossroads where I would have to make a choice about the direction of my life, but without this skill, I would not make it to this crossroads. The deeper teachings being transmitted through the practice of weaving include connection, discernment and inclusion. The ability to see the threads of fate and destiny and make choices. I knew internally I need the teachings of the weaver, but I do not want these lessons to be harsh. The weaver teacher has a need to share her wisdom, and if the student does not choose to weave, then she cannot share her life’s work and her gifts go to waste. She carries both a sadness and resentment about this, that weighs on her slight frame. She is a Crone and guide, able to teach me about the strands of my life, that can be woven into a beautiful path and sacred container.

Waking – Aware of the struggles of being at the beginning of something, and learning something new that will affect my life journey, leading me to a crossroads.

Action – Invite the weaver into my dreams open to learning and practicing her gifts.

Spider Woman of Teotihuacan, Mexico

There are many stories and myths about the Weaver, she is the ancient wise woman who weaves the world. The Mayan Goddess Ix Chel brought weaving to women, was a midwife and psychopomp who oversaw all phases of life and death, fate and destiny as measured by the moon and the stars. The Spider Woman of Teotihuacan, Mexico predates the Aztec culture, and is also called the Great Mother Goddess. Similar stories of Grandmother Spider as Weaver can be found in by indigenous people of the Anasazi (Pueblo), Hopi, and Dine’ (Navajo) Southwestern Native Indian stories. Canyon de Chille, AZ in the four corners area holds a site sacred to Na’ashje’ii Asdzaa (Grandmother Spider). Spider Woman Rock is a red rock spire rising over 800 feet from the canyon floor like a giant needle. Spider Woman was said to have woven a web from this place that covers the vast area of the Navaho lands.

Spider Woman Rock in Canyon de Chille, AZ

Baba Yaga of Slavic origin, Athena and Arachne of the Greek Myths and Ariadne of the Labyrinth in Crete are all weavers. There is the well known western fairytale of Sleeping Beauty, who pricks her finger on a needle from a spinning wheel to fulfill her fate. There are the 3 Fates also called the Norns in Scandinavia, and the Moirai in Greek myth known as Clothos (spinner), Lachesis (allotter) and Atropos (unturnable). The Primordial Greek Serpent Goddess Ananke is said to have created herself, before weaving the world. The Egyptian Goddess Nuit is another Cosmic Weaver and one of the oldest weavers of the Universe. So many stories of weaver, so many webs to unfurl.

Web Walker 4-15-21

I am conscious in this dream, suddenly transported to a dark desert canyon, where a woman stands dressed in a sheer white cotton blouse and skirt. She has black hair with a few white streaks. She has a round sweet Native face. The narrow canyon she enters is in striated grey tones. She walks in her bare feet on a sandy path deeper into the narrows of the shadowy canyon. She steps into a circle of moonlight shining on the path. She makes eye contact with me, and looks down at her feet, showing me the layers, upon layers, of webs loosely wrapped around her ankles. The webs carry stories, and she walks with ease and keeps a slow and careful steady pace. They do not constrict her movement, but her stride is small, and she must walk with intention in every step she makes, to be sure and safely carry the many folds of webbing draped around her ankles. Deeper she goes into this ancient sacred place. She carries the dreams and stories of her people to awaken them in the deep womb of the Great Mother.

“Web Walker Canyon” by Valley Reed
in watercolors all rights reserved.
Valley Reed © 2021