Ishtar

Ishtar was a major Mesopotamian goddess associated with love, war, and fertility, worshipped by cultures such as the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, and Assyrians. Also known as Inanna, she was a complex and powerful deity, sometimes called the "Queen of Heaven," who had both a passionate, life-giving nature and a fierce, destructive side. She is linked to the planet Venus, and her symbols include the eight-pointed star, lion, and red rose. 

• Goddess of love and fertility: Ishtar was the patroness of sexual love, beauty, and fertility, and she was connected to the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
• Goddess of war: She was also a powerful warrior goddess, embodying strength, courage, and assertiveness. She was invoked for victory in battle, and her temper could lead to destruction.
• Queen of Heaven: By later periods, she had taken on the powers of other major deities, becoming the "Queen of the Universe".
• Association with Venus: Her identity became strongly linked to the planet Venus, and her symbol is the eight-pointed star. 

• Complex nature: Ishtar's character is defined by its contradictions, as she embodies both fire and fire-quenching, joy and sorrow.
• Epic of Gilgamesh: Her dual nature is evident in myths like her relationship with Gilgamesh, where she appears as a powerful seductress but also a vengeful figure.
• Descent into the underworld: One of her most famous myths is her descent into the underworld and subsequent revival, which symbolizes the cycle of the seasons. 

• Widespread worship: Ishtar was worshipped in major Mesopotamian cities, with famous temples like the E-anna temple in Uruk and the Ishtar Gate in Babylon.
• Temple prostitution: Some of her cults included practices like temple prostitution as a way to honor her and promote fertility.
• Equivalents in other pantheons: The worship of Ishtar influenced and was influenced by similar goddesses in other cultures, such as Astarte (Canaanite), Aphrodite (Greek), and Venus (Roman