Making Peace with
the Dark Goddess
And the Ascent Journey 

by Cayelin K Castell

Updated for the 2026 to 2027
Libra Scorpio Cycle

July 06, 2027 Venus disappears into the glow of the Sun beginning the underworld phase of her 19 month journey. Venus and the Sun make their exact conjunction on August 11, 2027  at 19°Leo 07′. The underword initiation lasts until September 17, 2027 when Venus rises (04°Libra 36′) into the evening sky as the Libra/Scorpio Meta Goddess beginning her ascent to reclaim her true self. 

In the descent and underworld time Venus (representing the Divine Feminine) releases and transforms all the distortions she carries in relationship to each of the chakras. 

When Venus rises into the evening sky she is a fully initiated Goddess having gone through a shamanic death and rebirth. She is rising up into who she truly is as a Self-Sufficient, Confident, Wise, Relational Goddess, playful, magical and telling NEW Stories that inspire a NEW way of experiencing this reality. If we have been paying attention to this journey (and even if we haven’t) this is true for us all. 

In the Underworld, Venus/Inanna comes face to face with her sister Ereshkigal, the Dark Goddess, Queen of the Underworld. This phase of the Inanna journey is a magnificent opportunity to explore whatever we have disowned or denied within ourselves. 

It is a time to also grieve any losses we have encountered including the loss of self, the loss of misconceptions, the loss of limiting perspectives and beliefs, and the loss of who we thought we were. 

Face to Face with Our Dark Side
At first the Dark Goddess is terrifying. Erishkigal is angry, filled with her own pain, her own immense losses and grief that she expresses as rage toward her sister Inanna. She fixes the eye of Death on Inanna, strikes her dead and hangs her on the wall as if her dead sister is her triumphant revenge trophy. 

The story goes onto describe the Dark Goddess surrendering to her grief, frustration and lament. Two beings sent to the underworld arrive in time to witness the Dark Goddess expressing her pain. Erishkigal finds her feelings are being witnessed and reflected back to her, without judgment. She feels understood, heard, gotten! She feels healed from the deep agony of her pain. In a sense she too is reborn. 

You can read the Inanna Story HERE

Making Peace With The Dark Goddess is as simple as acknowledging and honoring the pain we have all felt and buried inside. The underworld time is a time to honor and engage all the hurt and pain, guilt and shame, fear and blame etc. we have not fully acknowledged within ourselves for the purpose of releasing it, transforming it, and ultimately no longer being at the affect of it but transforming it into a gift of love, forgiveness, and understanding.

Being willing to Face the Dark Goddess and being willing to offer up the pain, frustration, wounding, trauma, fear of not being good enough, or not being loved, or not having enough, or not being enough or whatever it is – facilitates the intended initiation and transformation needed for the Goddess (YOU!) either the emerging feminine self or for men your intended inner connection to the feminine within as the Goddess returns in her full glory. 

No matter how accomplished we are in the outer world, no matter how much philanthropic work we do, no matter how kind and caring we are toward others, until we can accept and acknowledge the deep, dark, scary places within, we will always be at the effect of this pain within our own inner Dark Goddess.

When we can face her, cry with her, rage with her, feel what we feel with her, kick, scream, yell, cuss, vent, hit a pillow, or express in other ways that are safe – not directing it at someone because as much as it may feel like it this is NOT about someone else, this is about you. When we embrace that understanding then we are liberated and free to express our genuine essence buried under all that pain. 

The Wisdom that originally orchestrated Inanna’s descent into the underworld also arranges her return. This story is a profound teaching that describes what is needed to successfully navigate the initiations of life we all go through.

As Inanna passed through the gates of initiation into the Underworld she encountered her shadow parts – the uncertainties and inconsistencies she carried inside – giving them all up to the gatekeepers when she turned over each vestment symbolizing a specific chakra, surrendering all the distortions connected to that chakra energy. 

This is the underworld initiation of death and rebirth that we all encounter. This is the gift of Inanna’s journey as she faces her own shadow, her own dark goddess that is a part of us all 

Rebirth through Surrender
The Dark Goddess resides in everyone (men and women) and when we finally embrace her, acknowledge her, and allow her to heal – we are reborn anew! Surrender is key to this part of the initiation process. It is through the wisdom of surrender and trusting the death and rebirth process that brings us through this passage to a whole new more empowered and magical way of being. And so it IS!!!! 

When Venus rises into the evening sky this represents the phase of the journey where the Divine Feminine is beginning to reclaim her true self without all the distortions she had been conditioned to believe were true but never actually were. 

Each Venus Moon conjunction in the evening sky represents Inanna reclaiming a NEW healthy connection with what she had to surrendered – being reborn anew within her, within us. 

Questions to Ponder As the Goddess Rises
During the time Venus is traveling with the Sun representing the underworld initiation it helps to consider what new awareness is being illuminated by the Sun for you around your personal shadow issues.

Picking one or more of these questions to ponder and meditate on, journal around, engage in a conscious way –  is a powerful way to gain insights and understanding about where you are in this initiation process. You might also choose to create your own questions or modify these in way that works for you. 

In what ways do I still feel in the dark about my life path, who I AM, and what is next for me? 

What have I resisted looking at within myself that still needs my attention and awareness?

What would it take for me to rise into the light of awareness and fully trust this journey of awakening and empowerment? 

What have I embraced and transformed that has led to even deeper understanding and healing for me? 

What new possibilities can I now explore that reflects my true self, my purpose, and the gifts I have to offer? 

A Collective Perspective
Clearly, the darkness of hatred, pain, and suffering have been in heightened evidence on the world stage. This is a reflection for us all – because if it is something we are seeing outside of ourselves, it is in some way within us. When we transform what is within us – it will be reflected in our outer world. Maybe at first it is only our immediate world and what better place to begin? 

How can we access and transform this pain within ourselves? Knowing when we heal it within – it also helps to heal the greater collective. 

Are You Ready?

This video was created when Venus was in her Leo Underworld Phase in 2016
though relevant for any Venus cycle.