The Muses (listed below) are the 9 daughters of Mnemosyne and Zeus. Mnemosyne is the goddess of memory and Zeus is the ruler of the Olympians and psychologically, the supreme organizing force in ones inner world.The Muses are the Greek goddesses of music, song, dance, and poetry. Together, they are the embodiment of the arts in the culture. Their parentage is a wonderful expression of the myriad ways that one can find their way to the mother through her daughters. The arts, particularly music reconnect us with our memories in wondrous ways. Let me explain:Imagine you hear a song from the 60’s or 70’s. A Beatle’s song perhaps. Even though you haven’t heard that particular song in years, you find yourself singing along…words you haven’t thought of in years. When we walk into a grocery store, it is often songs of our younger years that are playing the background. Music that is what french composer Erik Satie might have called “furniture music,” music that decorates the space.In a more concrete idea of mother to daughter transmission, one can know that daughters might look or sound a bit like our mothers, or have similar eye color or hair texture, or body shape. For me, I have a white forelock. When my mother first noticed it, the first thing she said was “Your Great Grandma had that same forelock.” And in that moment, I watched my mother slide into a lovely melancholic moment as she recalled her beloved grandmother.All imaged in the Muses and Mnemosyne. Beautiful.The 9 Muses: (as described by Theoi-com)Kalliope, epic poetry
Kleio, history
Ourania, astronomy
Thaleia, comedy
Melpomene, tragedy
Polyhymnia, religious hymns
Erato, erotic poetry
Euterpe, lyric poetry
Terpsikhore, choral song and dance.