muse

(noun) in ancient Greek mythology any of 9 daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne; protector of an art or science. Synonyms: Muse.

(noun) the source of an artist's inspiration. Example: "Euterpe was his muse."

(verb) reflect deeply on a subject. Synonyms: chew over, think over, meditate, ponder, excogitate, contemplate, reflect, mull, mull over, ruminate, speculate. Examples: "I mulled over the events of the afternoon." "Philosophers have speculated on the question of god for thousands of years." "The scientist must stop to observe and start to excogitate."