The Muses
Intention: Invite inspiration for a specific creative craft
Offerings & Symbols
- A journal or instrument tied to your craft
- Laurel leaves
- A candle lit while creating
Culture: Ancient Greek Domain: Inspiration in poetry, music, history, dance and the arts
The nine Muses, daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (Memory), each preside over a different art or field: Calliope over epic poetry, Euterpe over music, Clio over history, Terpsichore over dance, and others over comedy, tragedy, love poetry, hymns and astronomy. Ancient poets traditionally opened major works by invoking them for inspiration.
Associations
Creative inspiration, memory, the specific art each Muse governs, invocation before beginning work.
Ways people honor them (modern)
- Invoke the relevant Muse by name before starting a creative project
- Keep a dedicated tool or space for one specific art
- Study which of the nine best matches your own craft
- Read the opening invocations of the Iliad, Odyssey or Theogony as models
Approach any deity with respect and do your own research. Practices vary widely between traditions, and modern devotional practice often goes beyond what survives in ancient sources.
