The ancient myth of Psyche and Eros, seen here in a sculpture at The Louvre, tells the story of two spirits who love and then lose each other; who find their way, after many years and many trials, back to each other once again.

Peel away the romantic layer, and the story of Psyche and Eros holds much deeper meaning--one of rebirth and transformation. The word psyche, in Greek, means "soul." Eros, the Greek god of love, is often associated with passion and creative power. That they--soul and passion and creativity--become separated mirrors our own separation between who we are and who we dream to be; that they must overcome many tasks in order to reunite reflects our innate journey to reconnect with the deeper meanings in our own lives.

In her book Psyche's Seed, Jacquelyn Small explains that "to be whole, the soul must express itself completely through every aspect of our life....for us to heal, the shadow parts of our nature must be brought full into consciousness." She explains that we must "learn to live creatively from our center...rather than [be] driven by the expectations of others or by society's unconscious drives to succeed."

When we can, "we marry our soul to love and give birth, as Psyche does when she unites with Eros, to a child named Joy."

"Breath of a Muse" narrates this reconnection --when the soul is joyfully resuscitated by passion and creativity once again.

This piece, and its imprinted quote by Pablo Neruda, is offered as a gift of thanks to the muse who inspired me to embrace that reconnection.

"I love you as one loves certain dark things,
secretly, between the shadow and the soul."

--Jen Payne, October 2006