Happy Feast of Ishtar

This is perhaps the most pagan of all Christian-usurped holidays. Granted, Christmas is a close second, attempting to overshadow the winter solstice and wheel of the year celebrations in many cultures. But think of this. Easter is not celebrated on the supposed anniversary of Christ’s resurrection but rather on the very pagan calculation of the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox.

Inanna-Ishtar's most famous myth is the story of her descent into and return from Kur, the ancient Sumerian Underworld, a myth in which she attempts to conquer the domain of her older sister Ereshkigal, the queen of the Underworld, but is instead deemed guilty of hubris by the seven judges of the Underworld and struck dead. Three days later, Ninshubur pleads with all the gods to bring Inanna back, but all of them refuse her except Enki, who sends two sexless beings to rescue Inanna. They escort Inanna out of the Underworld, but the galla, the guardians of the Underworld, drag her husband Dumuzid down to the Underworld as her replacement. Dumuzid is eventually permitted to return to heaven for half the year while his sister Geshtinanna remains in the Underworld for the other half, resulting in the cycle of the seasons. (Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inanna)

The Mother-goddess Ishtar Evelyn Paul 136 AN ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION at the seven gates of Aralu represents the gradual decay of vegetation on the earth, and the resumption of her garments the growing beauty and verdure which mark her return. (Internet Archive Book Images [No restrictions])

What incredible coincidences that this myth originating 4000 years b.c. would have such familiar themes. Three days dead and then resurrected? And if you are a fan of the later Persephone myth of Greece, a husband who spends half the year in the underworld and the other half alive on earth. One of the earliest stories of death and resurrection, and how appropriate for it to belong to a goddess of sex and fertility.

And what better place could I be to celebrate incredible myths, sex, and fertility than Las Vegas, Nevada? I left Quartzsite on Tuesday 4/16 and arrived in Vegas on the 17th after a night in Laughlin.

I intended to stay only two nights and then move to Valley of Fire or Cathedral Gorge State Park. Imagine my surprise to be told this is the busiest weekend of the year for those state parks and it was unlikely that I could time my arrival in such a way as to grab a vacated space before someone else got it. So, I booked in for three more nights in Vegas.

I’ve written several chapters of the third book in the Double Take series (by Devon Layne) since I arrived, keeping my Camp NaNoWriMo commitment to produce a chapter a day through April (and probably May).

While writing, I’ve also been editing and preparing two books for publication on June 23, Wild Woods and Municipal Blondes. I’ve just confirmed that the release party for these two books will be held at Chandler Reach Winery Tasting Room in Woodinville, Washington, at 2:00 that afternoon until about 5:00. Of course, there will be a book signing and all my popular novels will be available. (And the other ones, as well.) You can treat yourself to a taste of some of Chandler Reach’s fine wines while we chat.

I’m now setting up reading events and author meet and greets for the summer. If you’d like to get in on it, shoot me a line.

Of course, I can’t be writing all the time, even though I have half a million words for the year so far. So, I had to do some exploring of downtown Las Vegas. Just a couple of blocks from me is the famous Mob Museum. What an impressive edifice to organized crime.

This reminds me of the memorials to Confederate Civil War Generals found throughout the south. You can’t really be proud of the guys who offered their lives in order to keep others in slavery. But ‘It’s mah her’tige.’ The south has General Lee; Las Vegas has Bugsy Siegel.

Just a block from the museum, however, is something that interested me much more. There’s a Farmers’ Market downtown every Friday and being a little low on supplies, I had to visit.

I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that it isn’t exactly packed. It had one aisle mostly with local crafts. At the end of the aisle is a little produce. I would love to have purchased a loaf of bread, but they were so huge, I’d have to cut them in quarters to put anywhere in my trailer and then three of them would mold before I could ever eat them.

I did get a few fresh salad makings and an incredibly good jalapeno pesto that I had on pasta with meatballs that night. At the other end of the aisle is a small restaurant with a limited menu. The eggs on toast special was superb and I’d recommend them if you ever visit.

While making a lot of progress, I am exhausted with the scale of the projects I currently have. I plan to release three books on June 23. Wild Woods, Municipal Blondes, and Double Time. Two by Nathan Everett and one by Devon Layne.

 

 

 

All three books are currently in pre-release readers’ hands, serialized on my website for patrons. While I have them prepared for posting there, I’m frantically working on the final files for layout and conversion to eBook. Advance Review Copies (ARCs) of all three books will be available by the end of May. Because I say they will.

In the meantime, my campsite in Idaho is waiting for me. I want to get there as soon as possible, but I also need to make sure the ground is dry enough I won’t sink in. My wonderful neighbors Doug and Colleen have included an immense amount of work on my site in their spring cleanup. I can’t even begin to say how lucky I am to have these two as friends.

So, tomorrow, maybe I’ll make it all the way to Cathedral Gorge. I viewed it from the north end on my way south. This time I plan to spend time viewing it from the south. So beautiful! You’ll see next week.

Cheers!