Muse

You’ve already completed your mythological Hero’s Quest.

  • You were Frodo, carrying the ring into Mordor. Your guide was Gandalf – at first, he was Gandalf the Grey, and then he became Gandalf the White.
  • You were Luke Skywalker. Your guide was Obi-Wan Kenobi, and later, you studied with Yoda.
  • You were the young Zorro, training with the elder Zorro.

You successfully completed your quest, yet you know that there is a journey beyond the journey.

You’re here because there is something beyond being a hero, and having a quest.

You’re ready for the next stage.

If You’ve Gone Beyond the Hero’s Journey

A mentor will teach you to become like himself. He will, essentially, re-create himself in you.

Don’t you just LOVE these scenes of Alejandro as young Zorro (Anthony Banderas) training with the elder Zorro (Anthony Hopkins)?

And here’s Luke Skywalker training with Yoda. (He doesn’t quite get it the first time.)

But what do you do when you’ve already BECOME Zorro, when you’ve already studied with Yoda?

Whom do you call on when you’ve gone beyond the Hero’s Journey?

Working with a Muse

A Muse elevates you so that you re-create yourself from within yourself.

Not a copy of someone else.

A Muse sees the “you” that you can be – and helps you emerge from the ordinary.

Not an overnight process.

And it’s important that you choose your Muse with care.

Themesis as Your Muse

You work directly with a Muse, one-on-one, when there is no other choice.

When you need to make breakthroughs – but those breakthroughs can’t be achieved through calling on youthful strength or force of will.

You call on a Muse when you need someone who is outside of yourself to elicit and hold the consistent vision of who you are. To help you chisel, refine, and focus. To get clarity.

When you work with such a person – a Muse – you can do the true work that empowers greatness.

Working with a Muse is powerful, transformative work.

Socrates worked with Aspasia as his Muse, and founded the entire system of thought that underlies Western philosophy.

Socrates studied with Aspasia, who was credited as being “no mean teacher of rhetoric” for him – meaning that she helped him develop not only his way of thinking, but how he expressed himself in public speech.

Sometimes You Need Themis

Themis was the Greek goddess of justice, the one who gave “good counsel.” She had the ability to see into both the future and the past of every creature. Because of this ability, men and women would make the arduous journey to Delphi to seek her wisdom.

Men and women would consult the Oracle of Delphi. to access wisdom from Themis, the Goddess of Justice and Divine Counsel.

There’s a bit too much AI-generated content and voice-over here – but there’s some good content in this YouTube on Themis.

Nemesis – When Wisdom Is Not Enough

Sometimes you have to go to war.

Gladiators invoked the goddess Nemesis, who was their protector, before entering the arena.

The Greek goddess Nemesis – for when you need justice or even vengeance.

The Greek philosopher Socrates considered Aspasia to be his Muse.

Also, the Greek general Pericles sought his Muse in Aspasia.

Pericles led the Athenian army in their wars against Persia and Sparta. We remember him the most because he introduced a broader concept of democracy into the Athenian government.

Pericles, the Athenian general who sought Aspasia as his Muse.

Aspasia, as Muse, influenced not only the evolution of Western philosophy (Socrates), but also the notion of a democratic government (Pericles). Her ability to help Pericles define his concepts of “government by the people” has had a lasting legacy – through the introduction of the Magna Carta in England, to the American and French revolutions, and to a widespread belief in the power of democratic ideals today.

Sometimes these ideals are worth both fighting for and even dying for. These are legacy ideals – the kind that shape the world.

Themesis: Themis Plus Nemesis

We don’t pretend that it’s easy.

We are building REAL AIs – actually, AGIs (artificial general intelligence systems).

There is a great deal at stake – for you, for your company, for society as a whole.

Sometimes, you need both aspects – the goddess of wisdom, of good counsel – and the goddess of vengeance.

You need Themesis.

Working with Themesis – The Discovery Process

When you work with Themesis, we begin with the Discovery process.

Discovery is a deep-dive. It might be with you, or it might be with a team, or it might be with your entire corporation.

At the end of Discovery, we have a vision of the new quest, the new journey. At this point, we can truly begin.

Discovery is an investment – of yourself, your company, your intention to create something beyond what already exists.

Go HERE to enroll in the Discovery process.

Short Bursts with Themesis

Sometimes you don’t have the time for full Discovery.

There are times when you need a fast consultation. We call this the “Mini-Consult,” because the idea is to get rapid feedback on a very specific proposal, project, paper, or task.

A Mini-Consult is an iterative process, typically completed within two-to-three weeks:

  • Initial meeting and focus clarification,
  • Review/task cycle done separately by both you (the client) and Themesis,
  • Follow-on assessment/strategy meeting,
  • One more review/task cycle, and
  • A final “action plan” meeting.

The total hours from Themesis are approximately five hours. Themesis may devote additional time at its own discretion.

The client is typically expected to devote about 20 hours to the process.

Go HERE to enroll in the Mini-Consult with Themesis.

One-Shot Consulting

Sometimes you just need a single conversation. We call this “one-shot consulting.” This gives you a single one-hour conversation with us, on a topic of your choice.

Go HERE to enroll in the One-Shot Consulting with Themesis.