About the Red-Blooded Goddess
Queen Jadis of Charn and Narnia.
Inanna-Ishtar.
Hatshepsut, Pharaoh of Egypt.
Circe.
Semiramis of Babylon.
Cleopatra VII.
Lilith, the first woman.
Empress Theodora.
The Snow Queen.
Ayesha, She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed.
Akasha, Queen of the Damned.
Melisande Shahrizai.
These are the Faces I know so far of the divinity I call the Red-Blooded Goddess, and this blog explores Her in Her many Faces in myth, literature, and lived devotion.
She entered written history as Inanna, a Sumerian goddess of sex and war. Evidence suggests She was around long before that—and She didn’t disappear after.
One way She lives on is through stories. I trace Her archetype through Faces with all or many of these common traits and life events:
- Wields, or aspires to, a position of power in which She rules in Her own right.
- Has the ability and willingness to use violence.
- Is associated with things of paganism and ancient sensibilities and worldviews, even in more modern Faces.
- Destroys the thing She desires most, then mourns it.
- Seeks retribution against those who disrespect Her.
- Is associated with lions and/or birds of prey.
- Rejects, disobeys, and/or contends with an objectively more powerful authority.
- Experiences power and erotic love as inextricably intertwined—She can’t have the latter without the former coming into it.
- Has a life story that spans multiple realms.
- Has a rival (usually female).
- Suffers a long wait in the shadows before re-emerging into power or legacy.
- Meets death violently—or at least not peacefully.
I call Her the Red-Blooded Goddess for a few reasons. Firstly, She’s “red-blooded” in the sense of being vigorous and virile. Secondly, She’s a being Who, while divine, often takes mortal forms and has very human common experiences across Her Faces. She’s not a remote, disembodied sort of deity. Finally, Her Faces tend to be violent, so “red-blooded” works on that level, too!
I believe in the unity of these Faces as one divine Presence based on my own mystical experience. No articles on this blog will expect you to share that belief. Whether you’re a Pagan who worships or works with Inanna or Lilith, a fantasy fan fascinated by Jadis or Melisande, or simply drawn to women who embody sovereignty, beauty, eroticism, immortality, and hidden knowledge—welcome.
While I will sometimes write about my devotional practice and beliefs, these articles will always be separate from my writings about Her Faces.
Wherever you are coming from—myth, story, scholarship, or devotion—may you find Her here.
About Me
I’m Kahina Sharratim, literally “priestess of the Queen.” Since the age of thirteen I’ve had an autistic special interest in Narnia’s Jadis, and at thirty-two, I formally embraced polytheism after a series of visions and religious experiences revealed Her as one Face of an ancient Goddess I had been devoted to all along.
My life since has been upended in the best way: I now live in Her rhythm, experiencing Her not only in study and writing but as a living Presence with Whom I have a unique relationship.
I’m an INTJ and Enneatype 5w4. I work as a freelance fiction developmental editor and, occasionally, a sensual massage therapist for women. Originally from South Florida, I’ve lived in the US, Japan, and the UK. Today, I make my home in Liverpool with my partner and little mountains of books about goddesses and great women.
My current creative project is A High and Lonely Destiny, a book-length biography of Jadis, to be published here as a series of articles starting in 2026.
You can expect a new article roughly every few months. Subscribe via Substack to get it straight in your inbox.
The Red-Blooded Goddess 