Venus stationed retrograde in Scorpio on October 3. This week we tell, in full and from a translation of the primary text, the Sumerian myth astrologers have come to pair with Venus retrograde: the Descent of Inanna. Inanna crashes her grieving sister's underworld in full regalia, grabs her throne, and dies. Two gender-nonconforming professional grievers made from fingernail dirt bring her back, not by fixing anything, but by mirroring her sister's pain. We follow how the story sorts everyone by how well they grieve, then turn that lens on the AI panic and how civilization tends to send things to the underworld so it doesn't have to grieve.

Astrology for October 5–11, 2026: Mercury conjunct Venus retrograde in Scorpio, a Leo Moon on Jupiter and the South Node, the Libra New Moon with Venus square Mars, and the Sun square Ceres. Grief is a full-bodied skill. This week, we’re remembering to practice.

Content warning: death and grief, ritual self-laceration in mourning, references to eugenics and racism, discussion of AI extinction risk, explicit language.

Keywords

Venus retrograde, Venus retrograde in Scorpio, Inanna, Descent of Inanna, Ereshkigal, Sumerian mythology, grief, grief work, mourning, gala priests, kurgarra, third gender, queer mythology, trans history, Libra New Moon, Venus square Mars, Mercury conjunct Venus, Ceres, evolutionary astrology, weekly astrology, AI panic, AI and race, eugenics, scapegoat, shadow work, parts work, This Erotic Timeline, Ephemeris Series

References

The myth

• Inana's Descent to the Nether World (ETCSL, Oxford)
• Inana and Iddin-Dagan (ETCSL, Oxford)

Gala, kurgarra, and third gender

• Masculinities and Third Gender, Ilan Peled (free open-access book)
• The powerful gender-diverse courtiers and religious leaders of ancient Mesopotamia
• Evidence for Trans Lives in Sumer

The AI news

• Anthropic researcher resigns, warns AI companies are "gambling with our lives" (Fortune)
• Anthropic researcher's resignation sends warning about the dangers of AI development (PBS NewsHour)

Intelligence and eugenics

• Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Eugenics (Frontiers in Public Health)

Nuanced conversations about AI

• Why I Don't Panic About AI, Shae O.
• AI, Humanities, and the Future of Work, Shae O.'s Substack
• AI Expert Reveals The Exploitation Behind AI
• Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR)

Chapter markers

00:00 Hungry Ghosts Walking Around 01:48 Welcome + Grounding 02:15 Intro to the Ephemeris Series 04:34 Great Excuses For Mythology 05:16 Monday: The Crown’s First Fitting 06:12 Tuesday: Drenched in Desire 08:49 The Descent of Inanna: She Set Her Mind on the Great Below 11:15 Let a Man Come, Let Him Come 13:43 Seven Gates, Seven Garments 16:11 A Coup in Hell 17:43 Fingernail Dirt, Professional Grievers 19:05 Oh, Your Heart 20:24 Sending A Substitute Down 22:44 Unpacking How The Story Sorts Us by Grief 26:52 The Monster We Make: Unpacking the AI Panic 34:07 Wednesday: Genius Isn't IQ 34:29 Thursday: The Exile Needs a Mirror 35:04 Friday: Dark Moon Hush 35:12 Saturday: Libra New Moon’s Two Mirrors 37:05 Venus Square Mars: Stink Eyes and Efficient Fighting 39:58 Sunday: What You Hand Over at the Gates 41:05 Summary and Reflection Questions