Imagining the Muses                                                  In what ways are you connected lately to which of The Muses?

Leigh Melander, of The Imaginal Institute, has kindly provided the following introduction to the Nine Muses. She has been able to present them in ways both traditional and provocative. She’s says” the Muses are the daughters of Mnemosyne and Zeus -- memory and power”. What Parents!  I think they will be very helpful in developing yet another set of Imaginal Trading Cards and Imaginal Objects.  They provide the gentle “limits” we all need to start making. The questions attached to each description might be a starting point. But there are words in the descriptions that might also vibrate with you.  Read them all over, then pick one that a little more interesting, it may contain an idea about an image that will get you making.

Calliope: The Fair Voiced                        Muse of Epic Poetry:                      What Is Your Story?
The eldest and most distinguished of the nine Muses. She is the Muse of eloquence and epic or heroic poetry, bestowing eloquence to kings and princes. Calliope ("beautiful voice") is the mother of the bards Orpheus and Linus with Apollo. She was the arbitress in the argument over Adonis between Persephone and Aphrodite. Her emblems are a stylus and wax tablets.
Calliope is an image of the unfolding story in your life. What are the myths that you weave and live in?  What story lines and characters seem to repeat?       “oh, that again.”

Clio: The Proclaimer                                             Muse of History:              Where Do You Come From?
Clio (from Greek "kleo" for make famous/celebration) is the Muse of historical and heroic poetry. She was credited for introducing the Phoenician alphabet into Greece. Her attribute is usually a parchment scroll or a set of tablets. Hyacinthus was a beautiful young man much loved by Apollo. One day, while throwing the discus, Apollo accidentally hit Hyacinthus and killed him. In his sorrow, Apollo turned him into a hyacinth (actually probably a form of a lily), the petals of which bore marks of the God's sorrow.
What are your origins? Roots? Family/Ancestors? In the US, we’ve got a passion for re-inventing ourselves. Clio provides an invitation to remember where you began as you do so.

Erato: The Lovely                        Muse of Love Poetry:                                    What do You Love?
Erato (beloved/"eranos" or of love "eros," like Aphrodite's son Eros), is the Muse of lyric poetry, particularly love and erotic poetry, and mimicry or mime. She is usually depicted with a lyre.
What and whom do you love? And what is lovely in your life? Erato invites those who hear her to muse upon relationships, affections, beauty, and aesthetics.

Euterpe: The Pleasure Giver                   Muse of Music:                                What Do You Make?
Her name means "rejoicing well" or "delight". She is the Muse of music, lyric poetry of joy, pleasure and of flute playing
What brings you pleasure? What is melodic and musical in your life? Euterpe celebrates the discipline in making, and the pleasure in play, as well as reminding us to listen carefully to ourselves and the world around us.

Melpomene: The Songstress                   Muse of Tragedy:                  What Are Your Challenges?
The Muse of tragedy, (from celebrate with dance and song, "melpo.") She is represented with a tragic mask and wearing the cothurnus (the boots worn by tragic actors) and she wears a wreath of ivy and holds a knife or a club in one hand, and the mask in the other.  She was the mother of the Sirens in some myths; the Sirens were the three beautiful singers who lured Argonauts and Odysseus' men to their deaths. (They were originally Persephone's handmaidens; when she was abducted by Hades, Demeter turned them into birds to fly and look for Persephone. They eventually gave up and landed on the island of Anthemoessa.)
What challenges and hardships do you face? How can you face your own shadow? Melpomene evokes what we work against – the sand in the oyster that produces the pearl. She sings beauty, seeing the beauty in what is difficult or painful, and celebrates it.

Polyhymnia: She of Many Hymns  Muse of Sacred Poetry: What Do You See When You Look Inwards?
Polyhymnia (translation: many hymns) is the Muse of the sacred hymn, eloquence and dance. She is usually represented in a pensive or meditating position. She is a serious looking woman, dressed in a long cloak and resting with an elbow on a pillar. Sometimes she holds a finger to her mouth. Polyhymnia sings the sacred poetry of words, and of geometry, meditation, and things growing. She brings us an opportunity for introspection, looking at the patterns in our psyches.

When are you quiet? What geometries attract you? What kindnesses have you developed for your s’elf?

Terpsichore: The Whirler           Muse of Dance:                       Where is the Movement In Your Life?
Terpsichore (from delighting in or enjoying the dance, "terpsis/khoros") is the Muse of dancing and the dramatic chorus, and later of lyric poetry, and in even later versions, of flute playing. She is usually represented seated, and holding a lyre. According to some traditions, she is the mother of the Sirens with the river-god Achelous. She is also occasionally mentioned as the mother of Linus by Apollo.
In the sagas of Thebes, Linus was a skilled singer and musician who taught Orpheus and Heracles, until he reprimanded Heracles for mistakes that he'd made and the ungrateful student killed him. Terpsichore evokes the joy of movement, whether is in your own body, your life, or in the world around you. She presents dancing as a metaphor for that movement – with joy, grace, passion, abandon, delight, discipline, pleasure.

When does movement take you over?  Is it Dance, pacing, fidgeting?Do you know your own gait or amble?  When is the joy of movement mixed with fear of loss of control, danger?

Thalia: The Flourishing             Muse of Comedy:                                       What Makes You Laugh?
The Muse who presided over comedy and pastoral poetry. She favored rural pursuits and holds a comic mask and a shepherd's crook, which are her attributes. The name Thalia is an adjective to describe feasts and banquets, meaning rich, plentiful, blooming, luxuriant, abundant.

Thalia is also the name of one of the Graces (Charites).
Where is the play and laughter in your life? Where is the quicksilver lightness and the rich abundance? When are you frivolous? Thalia brings us the wisdom of silliness. What makes you flourish? How do you define that in your life?

Urania: The Heavenly                  Muse of Astronomy:                                   What Is In Your Future?
The Greek Muse of astronomy and astrology, translated from heavenly one, "ouranos." She is represented with a globe in her left hand and a peg in her right hand. Urania is dressed in a cloak embroidered with stars and she keeps her eyes towards the sky.  The ancient bard Linus is called her son by Apollo in some myths, and Hymenaeus also is said to have been her son. Hymenaeus (Hymen) was the love god of the wedding hymn sung by the bride's attendants as they led her to the bridegroom's house. He was also the god of the wedding ceremony in general.  Urania imagines the future, the stars, and infinity.

How do you imagine your future(s)? What hopes have you kept alive? Use stars or five-points in whatever you make.