So I have been thinking about muses a lot lately: how different people understand the nature and role of muses, as well as how they listen to and interact with their respective muses. A couple days ago, I got hooked on the idea of presenting your muses with offerings. What forms would these offerings take? Would they be different for each muse? I have been ruminating over this idea ever since and have finally come up with what I, at least, would offer my own muses*. I wanted the offerings to be something I could easily obtain (though I may never actually set physical offerings out for my muses), so I limited them to one drink and one food per muse. This is what I have come up with:
Shakespeare’s Sister:
Milk – here milk represents femininity, childhood, nature, strength, and motherhood. I chose milk as Shakespeare’s Sister’s drink because she is the embodiment of both the classical idea of a muse and of feminine energy itself. She is a manifestation of both the mother, sister, and the lover, and in my eyes milk is a substance inherently linked to that sense of womanhood. Milk is also a substance which has long been offered to muses and deities alike, and I have always seen Shakespeare’s Sister as a personal reincarnation of the timeless muse. Therefore, milk seemed fitting for her.
Chocolate – here chocolate represents childhood, whimsicality, inner peace, relaxation, indulgence, and intimacy. As I said before, I consider Shakespeare’s Sister to be mainly a feminine muse and nothing is more feminine than indulging in a rich piece of chocolate after a stressful day. Shakespeare’s Sister is also in many ways the muse of my childhood, so she would of course be delighted by an offering of anything sweet. At the complete opposite end of this spectrum, chocolate can also represent shared intimacy when Shakespeare’s Sister is presented in the role of lover.
Tanim:
Hard alcohol – here hard alcohol represents a need for calm, numbing, removal from a situation, and purposefully ignoring one’s sorrows. I chose hard alcohol as Tanim’s drink because Tanim is a high-strung man who often becomes focused on one thing to the point of obsession. Since he is often focused on either his own emptiness or whatever heartache is generated from his interactions and/or relationship with Daren, Tanim often turns to alcohol to ease his misery. Not particularly healthy, but I believe a shot of whiskey to calm one’s nerves is a fitting offering for Tanim. The poor guy could use a break.
Baked goods – here baked goods, especially breakfast foods, represent abundance, indulgence, devotion, and generosity. Despite the fact that he spends a majority of his life alone, Tanim is a very devoted man who really wants nothing more than to dote on the object of his affections. Since his generosity is often channeled through a desire to stuff his lover full of food, I thought an offering of baked goods would especially please him. Baked goods, after all, require time, effort, forethought, and especially love to produce a tasty final product. Also, most baked goods, like waffles or scones or cookies, are considered food that you want but do not necessarily need. Baked goods are an indulgence, and therefore a symbol of the baker’s devotion.
Daren:
Red wine – here red wine represents blood, namely Tanim’s, and therefore devotion, loyalty, oneness, sacrifice, and bondage. I chose red wine because it is often used as a substitute for blood in actual spiritual offerings (though theoretically I could also use Tanim’s real blood as an offering in a literary form). Red wine obviously represents sacrifice and devotion because the offering is of one’s own blood and thus a submission both of body and of spirit. By consuming that blood, then, Daren accepts Tanim’s submission and is therefore forever bound to the man. However, the interesting thing about Daren is that I had an incredibly hard time choosing offerings for him because there is nothing he wants from another person. Devotion especially troubles him because he does not want to be elevated to the status of deity or obsession, something which often occurs in his interactions/relationship with Tanim. So while an offering of blood or red wine suits Daren because of his integral role as the object of both my and Tanim’s affections, it is also an offering which seals Daren in a bond he does not necessarily accept willingly.
Recovery food (soup, toast, oatmeal, crackers, etc) – recovery food here represents healing, warmth, comfort, being cared for, and wellness. I chose recovery food as an offering for Daren because he struggles his entire life with a body highly susceptible to weakness and illness. Compounded by a poor diet and sleep constantly interrupted by night terrors, this leads to Daren being sick more often than he is healthy. Since he often cannot take care of himself, recovery foods like soup or toast not only represent a chance for healing, but also the presence of another willing to care for him (namely Tanim). Also, unlike Tanim’s baked goods which are considered food you want but do not need, recovery foods are food you need but do not necessarily want when you feel fine; yet in the midst of a serious flu or fever, dry toast and soup can be the most comforting meal in the world. Such an offering would speak to Daren’s need for strength and healing.
*To be honest, I’m not entirely comfortable calling Tanim and Daren my "muses". I just use the word because I lack a better one at the moment and everyone else seems to use it for their own characters/creations/inspirations/whathaveyou.
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