Prayer to Isjtar

"Gracious Ishtar, who rules over the universe,
heroic Ishtar, who creates humankind,
who walks before the cattle, who loves the shepherd...

Without you the river will not open,
the river which brings us life will not be closed,
without you the canal will not open,
the canal from which the scattered drink will not be closed...
Where you cast your glance, the dead awaken, the sick arise;
the bewildered, beholding your face, find the right way..."

Representations

A statue of Isjtar, dated at 2,000 BCE, once stood in the palace of King Zimrilin in Mari. It was a stone fountain. She was presented as the bringer of water, and thus life. She was the eternal virgin, renewing her virginity by bading in a lake with two musicians playing. This is also known from the Greek goddesses Hera, Artemis and Aprhodite as well as of the German goddess Hertha and Nerthus.
Isjtar was also associated with the eye goddess, or with the all-seeing eye. In her temple at Tell Barak in Syria, dating back to 3,000 years BCE, many little statuettes were found where the head was all eyes.
Isjtar is known to be the pre-successor or Astarte, whose name is also refered to as the GermanCeltic Ostara, the name giver to the feast of Easter. In German it is even more obvious: easter is called 'Ostern' there. Even the biblical story of Esther is associated with Astarte and Isjtar: it is a changed version of the story of Isjtar and the great Babylonion god Mardoek. In Esther's story her oncle is called Meredoch.
As for Isjtars aspect as goddess of the heavens and caretaker of the Tree of Life, her connection to the Zodiak and the watercarrier, she resembles the Egyptian goddess Noet.

Ostara