Traditional Armenian dances usher us into a special state of mind. The act of mirroring movements found in nature – plant, animal, wind, or water – is an archaic means of bringing their blessings into the human world. It is easy to see the link here to early shamanistic practices of Central Asia; Sumerian ritual practices, too, show evidence of links to ancient shamanism. Present-day circles of women all over the world are finding that women’s ritual dances – Armenian, Balkan, or Greek – offer ‘an embodied spiritual practice which can nurture and guide their inner process’, in which they ‘may receive personal insight and understanding, and connect to sources of healing energy and ancient wisdom.’
Shakeh Tchilingirian’s arrangement of the Armenian Dance of the Reed, Dou Im Yeghek, has been just such an ever-deepening journey for me. Long-term practice of this dance has brought me a wealth of insights and a deeper understanding of the Goddess Inanna, which I would like to share here, illuminated by Betty Meador’s exquisite translations of hymns to Inanna which relate to my experience of the dance.

In Inanna's Ascent: Reclaiming Female Power, edited by Trista Hendren, Tamara Albanna and Pat Daly. Girl God Press, 2018. Available from www.thegirlgod.com