Four Muses

I drafted a post and then read it and decided to start over. My original post was negative. It spoke of my frustrations. It spoke of all the things I'm struggling to adjust to and work through. I always have so many things going on at once. I can't slow down. For all the million things I've committed to, there are a million more I feel guilty for not pursuing.

I decided to start over today because if it's true that we attract what we put out into the world, I need to focus on what's right in my world as opposed to what's wrong in it. So what's right in my world? For one thing my four muses. Muses are described in Greek mythology as goddesses of art and science. They were the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory. These goddesses were muses of tragedy, history, various types of poetry, music, dancing, astronomy, and harmony.

I have four modern day muses. These wonderful women inspire me and possess qualities that I don't think they even realize they possess. Ms. LN is my muse of hearth, home, and family. She embodies generousity and joy. She gives selflessly, without hesitation, and brings sunshine into every life she touches. From day-to-day, she is my solice and comfort when I've lost hope. She is my closest sister.

M is my muse of history, accountability, self-awareness, and honesty. M embodies what it means to be responsible for yourself and the impact you have on the world around you. She cares. She's intelligent, respected, and diligent in her awareness of what can be versus what is and what will be if we do nothing. She is warm and bold, doesn't avoid the difficult, and is ever ready to help. She doesn't offer her allegiance or friendship lightly and once received, it is something to be deeply treasured. She believes in a circle of grandmothers that guide us spiritually. Envisioning these wise, timeless, women engenders a vision of who M is herself; timeless, wise, unruffled, practical, patient, and loving.

KAG is my muse of knowing. She's mysterious. I described her recently as having characteristics similar to Mata Hari. She's "spies like us" in a real world of high-level, self-important people. She's the woman behind the curtain, the imp laughing at the absurdity of it all, and the mirth realizing that none of it really matters anyway.

Ms. J represents the world that is unseen. She's such a deeply spiritual person, such a giving, and joyous person. I have a connection with her that reminds me that all is not what it appears to be. It reminds me to celebrate living and to not fear death. Ms J reminds me that we all have a song in our hearts, a dance to undertake with pure abandon, and that a woman lives within that is tied to an ancestry, a history of healers, teachers, mothers, daughters, and lovers who have suffered but survived. Not only did they survive, they ensured the survival of those around them. We are a part of that. As women, that is what we bring into the world, and it is ancient and pure, wild and powerful, and both our essence and legacy in this life.