The world right now is full of loud, linear narratives — doomsday headlines, apocalyptic symbolism, and a fixation on catastrophic endpoints. I feel deep compassion for anyone who’s been caught in that fear. But I also believe those stories can trap us, keeping us stuck in paralysis.
Nature, and the feminine wisdom I work with, tells a different story. It speaks in cycles and spirals, in descent and rebirth. When we bring the goddess back into view, we remember that daybreak always follows night. We learn to inhabit the darkness with curiosity and tenderness, so we can hold space for birth, for others and for ourselves.
In this piece, I’ll share what the death goddess teaches us about initiation, how the underground waters offer a map for collective healing, and why plants, especially flower essences, are such powerful allies on this path.
WHY BEGIN WITH THE DEATH GODDESS?
Working with the death goddess is not morbid — it’s foundational. When we can resource ourselves to be comfortable in the darkness and notice what the void has to teach, we gain clarity, resilience, and compassion. That inner sufficiency is what allows us to act as guides — doulas who help others move through their own birthing processes without rescuing or rushing their initiation.
Many myths across cultures emphasize descent as the necessary precursor to true power. When we are initiated by darkness, we emerge with a stripped-down clarity, not diminished in any way, but shining more authentically.
INANNA'S DECENT & MYTHIC INITIATION
One myth that beautifully maps this process is the descent of Inanna, a Sumerian goddess tied to the moon and fertility. She begins adorned with every symbol of worldly power, yet feels an irresistible call to the underworld. At each of seven gates, she sheds a layer of identity until she reaches the raw core of herself. There, she is struck down, suspended between worlds, and finally restored, transformed.
The symbolism is rich: the seven gateways (mirroring lunar numerology), the stripping of false power, and the descent that leads to rebirth. Having gone through our own initiations, we become less afraid of endings and more capable of holding space for others who are in theirs.
THE UNDERGROUND WATERS
The underground waters are a metaphor for the deep psyche or the emotional undercurrents that move beneath society and within each of us. Sensitive people often read these currents without realizing it: sensing the unspoken tides of emotion and narrative. When nurtured, this sensitivity becomes a gift and a way of detecting what is ready to be birthed for the collective.
Working with the underground waters invites us to slow down, get quiet, and listen. In these inner caves and womb-like spaces, prophecy, renewal, and new cultural forms are born. This is also where we imagine hidden systems of care: seed-sharing economies, networks of mutual aid, cultural lineages that grow beyond the reach of extractive systems.
THE ROLE OF PLANT SPIRIT CONNECTION
Plants — and especially flower essences — help us navigate these depths. They attune us to subtle realms, amplify our sensitivity, and anchor us when we’re undergoing personal or collective initiation. Just as the moonlight doesn’t reveal everything at once but illuminates piece by piece, plants teach us patience and trust in mystery.
They remind us: initiation cannot be rushed, stolen, or bypassed. The impulse to fix or rescue is noble, but sometimes the most compassionate act is simply to witness, to resource ourselves, and to trust that each soul must undergo its own descent to gain its own wisdom.
If you’ve always felt sensitive or out of step with linear thinking, your attunement is exactly what the world needs now. Through descent and initiation, we become dowsing rods for the underground waters, locating what must be birthed next.
The goddess, the underground river, and the plants are our teachers. They invite us into the spiral of endings and beginnings, showing us that what dies makes way for what wants to be born.
