September Full Moon Altar: Queen of the Night

The Goddess at the centre of this month's altar is a bit of a mystery. Her image comes from an alleged Mesopotamian / Sumerian / Babylonian ancient plaque of uncertain provenance, said to date from 1800-1750 BCE. The plaque first came to public attention in the 1930s when an antiquities dealer tried to sell it to the British Museum, which declined to buy it. Known as the "Burney Relief," the plaque remained in the hands of private collectors until later loaned to the British Museum. Despite ongoing questions around its authenticity, the British Museum did finally purchase the popular plaque in 2003, renaming it the "Queen of the Night Relief."

Scholars disagree with each other about who is depicted. By reason of her crown, handheld symbols of power, and standing on the backs of lions, some say she must be Ishtar, the Great Goddess of Babylon. Others theorize for similar reasons that she is the Mesopotamian / Sumerian goddess Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth, or even (because of the wings) her sister and nemesis Ereshkigal, Queen of the Underworld.

A fourth group of scholars point to her wings, bird feet and talons, and flanking owls to argue instead that she is, in fact, a representation of the Sumerian Goddess / Night Demon, Lilith.

Whoever this Goddess is meant to be, I purchased her charming statue from Sacred Source about 25 years ago. (Alas, the online store no longer sells this reproduction). When I bought the statue, it had a natural terra-cotta clay colour, just like the original Burney Relief. Instinctively, I felt that such an earthy colour did not do this Goddess justice, so I immediately spray-painted her silver.

And when the time came to construct this altar to honour the Queen of the Night, I chose to use a colour scheme limited to silver and black. 

Because, after all, what is more beautiful, awesome and mysterious than the bright silver stars in the pitch black night sky?

[Photos © Debra She Who Seeks, 2026]