Nine

There are nine muses in Greek mythology, daughters of Jupiter and Mnemosyne. Goddesses of memory, arts and sciences, they each have special domains.

I find them magical, alluring, as real as I want them to be, and evoke them often.

I'm a writer - somewhere, sometime, I was told this is what I was supposed to do.

But even before I began to write (early teens), I had seen a movie about nine beautiful women who go in between worlds (on rollerskates-which made perfect sense to me as a kid). It came out in 1980, and it had a very melodic soundtrack (think you know which movie? post a comment!).

And coincidentally I was given Bulfinch's Mythology for my fifth birthday. The 957 page book was already worn when I looked up the muses at age ten.

The muses, and their "domains" are...

Calliope/epic poetry

Clio/history

Erato/love poetry

Euterpe/lyric poetry

Melpomene/tragedy

Polymnia/sacred poetry

Terpsichore/choral dance

Thalia/comedy

Urania/astronomy

....When I lose something in my house, I say the prayer to St. Francis. When we travel, I have my St. Christopher pendant with me. When I need answers, I call on Athena, but as I write, which is everyday, I call on Calliope, Clio and Euterpe. Calliope helps me put things in perspective, and helps me wrap it all together in a universal, circular ending. Clio humbles me by letting me see the past, showing me how minuscule, yet significant, I am in the divine scheme. And Euterpe helps me write, think, and speak poetic ways, she's my voice. Thalia visits me sometimes when I write about my husband, he provides comical opportunities to good to pass up.

I'm a writer, and I believe to write clearly and righteously I need to see clearly. But I'm human, I can't do this on my own. I need help...and I trust the ancients.

I trust in the Nine, no they didn't wear rollerskates, but they've inspired more than one poem, screenplay, song, dance, and book.

~Samantha Gianulis