I am my own muse.

I am the subject I know best.

The subject I want to know better.

— Frida Kahlo

Maybe Muses are Muses and people are Muses and places or moments are Muses. And maybe you can be a Muse too. Maybe you already are. Even if you never know it, you have inspired people in your life to do things differently. While you may not like how you have inspired people at times, your presence in the world has an impact.

What you have done, or not done, has inspired someone to take action, even if that action was no action at all. The fact that you are alive has made someone take notice, and often in ways you will never fully understand or know.

Think about someone who you despise in the world. How have they already inspired you to action? Have they inspired you to speak up? What have you decided NOT to do because you know this person exists?

A Muse isn’t all lyres and song; a Muse can also encourage reflection and redirection.

Practice: Stepping into the Mind of a Muse

You will need something that inspires you, a physical object that can represent inspiration for you. I might grab a book of Sappho’s poetry, but you might have a seashell or a crystal. I invite you to find something that can act as a Muse for you. And you can repeat this exercise with other items in the future.

Once you have this item, I invite you to close your eyes and feel that item in your hand. You can also look at the item and notice everything you can about it. If this is an item from a particular time or moment of your life, travel back in your mind to that time.

What did it feel like?

What did you feel like?

What happened?

What is powerful for you about this memory?

When you feel connected to this item, feel the item’s energy travel along your skin from your fingertips to your forearms, to your shoulders and to your heart. Notice how this inspiration makes you feel and how it enters your thoughts. This might be a moment to just see what you notice happening in your body and mind. Take time there.

You can also use this time to ask yourself what inspiration this item might have for you.

What does this item have to tell you about your life and your direction?

What does this item want to tell you about inspiration or creativity?

What does this item have to share?

Sometimes, it can help to have a specific question in mind before allowing the item’s energy to travel along your body, but I notice when I just open up to whatever comes, this is also powerful.

Take the time you need to see what happens and what you might learn from this item. When you are ready to be done, allow the energy to travel back out of your body and back into the item. Move the item away from you so you are no longer connected.

This is a good time to write down anything you may have learned or record anything in a voice note. You might also respond with a drawing or some other creative expression.

When you step into being the Muse, what do you offer to yourself?

Once you are comfortable, you might also hold onto an item for another person and speak from the energy of that item to answer questions another person might have. You can repeat this practice for as long as you like, with as many items of inspiration for as many questions you might have.

If you feel complete, thank the Muse that is you, that is the Muse that is the question and the answer and the curiosity and the bravery to become inspiration. You are already inspiration. Sometimes, it helps to be reminded.

This piece was adapted from The Muses: Calling to Creativity and Inspiration (2026)

For more details: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/our-books/pagan-portals-muses