diff --git a/packages/core/pattern.mjs b/packages/core/pattern.mjs
index 0214ce41..3db6d720 100644
--- a/packages/core/pattern.mjs
+++ b/packages/core/pattern.mjs
@@ -13,6 +13,12 @@ import { unionWithObj } from './value.mjs';
 import { compose, removeUndefineds, flatten, id, listRange, curry, mod, numeralArgs, parseNumeral } from './util.mjs';
 import drawLine from './drawLine.mjs';
 
+let stringParser;
+// parser is expected to turn a string into a pattern
+// if set, the reify function will parse all strings with it
+// intended to use with mini to automatically interpret all strings as mini notation
+export const setStringParser = (parser) => (stringParser = parser);
+
 /** @class Class representing a pattern. */
 export class Pattern {
   _Pattern = true; // this property is used to detect if a pattern that fails instanceof Pattern is an instance of another Pattern
@@ -1561,6 +1567,9 @@ export function reify(thing) {
   if (isPattern(thing)) {
     return thing;
   }
+  if (stringParser && typeof thing === 'string') {
+    return stringParser(thing);
+  }
   return pure(thing);
 }