November 30, 1963
(After a meditation with Mother)
Do you believe in Muses?
In Muses?!… [Satprem is taken aback]… I believe in inspiration.
Because I saw … It was so precise, so concrete, material, that for a moment I wondered whether it was physical or not. There was only the arm and shoulder of someone who stood behind you, but veiled, that is, as if behind a mist so as not to be seen. It was a woman’s arm, very young, a very milky white, and a little rounded – not fat (!), but without angles. There was a hand and an arm, very white-skinned – a milky white – and I could see the beginning of a sort of silver dress. She had words and sheets of paper, and she was arranging words on the sheets, and then the words were written in black on the sheets – she had the words and the sheets separately, and she arranged the words on the sheets and then put the sheets in front of you. She was standing behind you. But not a vague and imprecise vision, it was very, very material…. (smiling) So I wondered if you have a Muse?
It was only her right arm – she wasn’t very tall, but very young,
Page 397
and a shape without angles (I can’t say plump!), a well-rounded shape. And with her small fingers she took the words and arranged them on the sheets, then when it was arranged (the sheets weren’t covered all over with words: in places only), she put the sheet in front of you.
It lasted a long time.
A Muse …
It was a being from the subtle physical, she didn’t seem human at all.
And there were no letters: the words were ready-made, she took them and arranged them; then when there was a certain number of them on the paper, she would put the paper in front of you.
(silence)
So there’s someone helping you.[[ Satprem is at the moment working on the final revision of his book on Sri Aurobindo. ]]
(silence)
At night, I often see beings who are like the genii of literary form – I’ve seen quite a number of them lately. Oh, they are extremely interested in small points and details of form so it may be very harmonious and exact at the same time. I surprised some (two or three together) almost arguing about the best way to say a certain thing. So it means you must be in the company of people like that.
They are certainly the beings that were in the past taken for the Muses, the genii of inspiration. They are the genii of the form. Not so much for what has to be said as for the way to say it.
They are a pleasant company; there is a sense of harmony, something that doesn’t clash. It’s a company that gives the feeling that everything unfolds harmoniously – which isn’t all that common!
Page 398