← Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories
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Get Sleepy is a production of Slumber Studios and is made possible thanks to the generous support of our sponsors and Premium members. If you'd like to listen ad free and access weekly bonus episodes, extra long stories and our entire back catalogue, you can try out premium free for seven days by following the link in the episode notes. Now a quick word from our sponsors before tonight's episode. I'd like to thank our amazing long term partner Shopify. Shopify is the all in one commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world. From household names like Mattel and Gymshark to brands just getting started. They've been supporting this show for a number of years and I know that many of our listeners have realized their dreams of starting a business with Shopify by their side. Shopify's got you covered from the get go with beautiful ready to go templates to match your brand's style and AI tools to help with everyday tasks like enhancing product images or generating discount codes. Shopify helps you find your customers with easy to run email and social media campaigns and their award winning customer support is always there if and when you need it. Like so many others using Shopify around the world, now is your time to turn those dreams into reality and give them the best shot at success with Shopify. Sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling today at shopify.com getsleepy go to shopify.com getsleepy shopify.com getsleepy for your $1 per month trial.
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John Legend, Sheryl Crowe, Elvis Costello and Alanis Morrison star in the MGM Original series Words and Music. Iconic artists share intimate performances and the stories behind the songs. New Episodes Sundays on mgm.
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Welcome to Get Sleepy where we listen, we relax and we get sleepy. I'm Tom and I'm your host. Your listenership and support means so much to everyone on the team. We are and always have been a small team of caring and genuine hard working folk who are passionate about helping as many people as possible all over the world get a better night's sleep. It's been our mission since we started the show back in 2019 and nothing has changed. We are so proud and honoured every time we have the pleasure of your company and I just want to remind you that now that we're family into the festive season, if you've been wanting to try our premium subscription, you might like to add it to your wish list for Christmas. Our Premium members enjoy ad free listening, access to the entire catalogue of episodes and a weekly exclusive bonus episode plus even more great perks so why not send over the link to a friend or loved one and perhaps you'll wake up on Christmas Day to a Get Sleepy Premium membership in your email inbox. Just go to getsleepy.com support and you'll see the option to gift a subscription on that page. I'll pop the link in the show notes as well. Tonight's story was written by Kayla and I have the pleasure of reading it for you. Will be traveling back to ancient Egypt to visit the Karnak Temple in Luxor, a magnificent spot to view the winter solstice. We'll witness the festivities and rituals that took place at this special time of year. But before we begin our tale, let's take a moment to settle in. Find a comfortable spot in bed. Adjust your pillows and covers until they are just right. When you're ready, bring your attention to your breath. Notice the natural rhythm of your breathing. Is it slow or quick? Deep or shallow? Or somewhere in between? Perhaps as you get sleepier, your breath will slow and deepen, but there's no need to try to change the way you're breathing. Just notice what the breath feels like in your body right now. If you feel your mind start to wander during tonight's tale, you might find it helps to return your attention to your breath and to simply notice the rhythm again before bringing your focus back to the story. Allow your body and mind to relax as we travel back in time to ancient Egypt, many, many winters ago. This is where our story begins. When the days get shorter and Osiris spends more hours in the sky than Ra, it's time for the priests of Karnak to prepare for the winter solstice. The megalithic temple complex sits on the eastern bank of the Nile River, a few hundred kilometres south of Cairo. Tall sandstone and limestone walls and pillars surround courtyards and house holy relics inside sanctuaries. The water of the river rushes over rocks and around banks, creating music while the priests work. The starry sky and solar system are of great importance to the priests of the God Amun and the Egyptian people. The long nights of the dark winter months make for a great time to study the stars. Through the movement of the moon, the stars and the gods who rule them, the cycle of life can be observed in a day, a month and a year. With the rising and setting of the sun each day, all the stages of life are seen. The winter solstice is an especially important time for the priests of the Temple of Karnak. This place was built to see the beautiful pink rays of the Rising winter sun. When the winter sun hits the special mark of the solstice, the people know the sun will soon spend more time in the sky, bringing warmer weather and an end to the long months of the flooding of the great Nile River. The Temple of Karnak is located in ancient Thebes and is the capital of the ancient Egyptian world. It's at this place that Egyptians can worship the God Amun, or Amun Ra in his temple. As the priests see to the temple grounds, sweeping the floors in a rhythmic motion and preparing to dress the great God for his journey, during the festival, they think about the ruler of this temple, Amun, the hidden God. Soon, people from all over the kingdom will come to visit the God, give thanks for gifts that were received, and ask for divine favours for the years to come. It's not often that anyone other than a priest is able to speak directly to the gods. But on special festival days, the priests will carry the statue of Amun out onto the banks of the River Nile, so everyone will have a chance to participate directly in worship. Amun is the God of creation and is full of contradictions. According to the myths, he created himself before creating the world, sometimes referred to as the obscure one or the hidden one. Unlike other gods, Amun can't be seen in physical form, but can be felt with the other senses. Perhaps that's what made this God so special to the priests. In the dark winter months, the mysterious form of the God can lend himself to any aspect of existence. And the darkness is a perfect time for transformation. Amun is also connected to the sun God, Ra. And as this darkest day draws near, it's a reminder of what's to come. The spring and then summer, when Ra will spend more time in the sky. The priests carry colorful decorations for the festivities as they move through the walls of the complex. The temple is built with the orientations of the zodiac. The way the stars hit certain places in the temple and change position on the horizon helps the priests and astronomers observe celestial movement and see the precession of the equinox. It's because of these observations that they know when to celebrate the solstice. Watching the planetary movements helps the farmers know when to plant their crops, providing food for the entire kingdom. And now that the Nile flooding has come to an end, the fields will be fertile for the farmers to begin their work. But first, they'll have a night of celebration and enjoy watching the sunrise through the temple gates. The Karnak Temple, sometimes known as the Mansion of the Gods, is the largest temple complex in the Egyptian empire, perhaps in the entire world. Wanting to get everything just right for the festival, the priests come together at the Avenue of Rams, the entrance to the temple complex, where the people will gather for the festivities. In other temples in Egypt, these would be statues of sphinxes, creatures with the body of a lion and the head of a human. But in honour of Amun, who is associated with rams, these figures have the body of a lion and the head of a ram. The priests walk down to the rows of tall sandstone statues, marveling at the talented artisans who call Egypt home and who have made so many wonderful works of art that will be remembered for centuries to come. They enter the first gate slowly making their way towards the inner temple complex. They leave decorations on the walls and statues as a way to say thanks to the gods for all they've received this year. Passing through the courtyards and ceremonial halls, the priests continue through each of the six gates, the inner chambers of the temples getting smaller and darker as they proceed. Just like the days of the year leading up to this moment. Rows of columns tower into the sky as they pass through the sixth gate and reach the most important sanctuaries. On one side is the temple of Ramses iii, statues of pharaohs lining the outer mud brick wall. On the other is the Hypostyle hall, the largest religious building the world. They enter Ramses Temple. Hieroglyphs and bright wall paintings providing a delicate sense of warmth as the priests burn incense and leave offerings Here with only a few hours of daylight, the priests work quickly, wrapped in woolen robes, to stay warm in the cool winter air of the Mediterranean. When they are done, the priests move back through the courtyard over to the other side, where they enter the Hypostyle Hall. The large, colorful columns in this part of the temple create a sense of being in a stony forest. The priests wander through in silence, in awe of this beautiful place. They are able to spend time in. The inscriptions and reliefs on the columns, praise the gods and pay tribute to the people who live and work in Egypt, having contributed to the construction of the temple. Finally, the priests reach the sanctum sanctorum, where the grand statue of Amun is housed. They are especially mindful of how they cover the God, not only to show him respect, but because on the day of the festival, they will carry Amun from his place here out to the people, giving them a chance to speak directly to the God. The covering will keep the statue safe in its venture out into the world. Armen's statue has a beard and is wearing A headdress with bright blue feathers, the color of the primordial waters. When the priests are finished, they stand for a moment to admire their work, gazing up at the great God and leaving their own offerings at his feet. On the day of the festival, they'll only be in service of the people, so now is their time to commune with Amun. When they've finished their work, they wander back outside and leave Amun's temple, heading to the sacred lake. Here is where they'll make the final preparations for the festival with a ritual washing. During the festival day, the priests will not only lead the ceremony, they'll serve food to any of the Egyptian people who join in the celebrations. While the priests are spiritually preparing by the lake, the temple staff make and knead dough, feeling the cool mixture on their hands that will soon feed so many. The kitchen is a flurry of activity. Onions and lettuces are chopped, lentils are boiled, and the smells of baking bread fill the air. Of course, they can't forget some of the sweet treats that will be handed out on this festive occasion. In contrast to the silent work of the priests, the temple kitchens are filled with chatter, laughter. It's a joy to be able to come together on special occasions. The rhythm of the preparations feels like an old friend. Chopping, mixing, kneading, rolling and baking. The hours until the festival eve pass by merrily. The night before the solstice, people travelling from all over the region begin to gather at the temple gates. Here they'll be able to witness the solstice sunrise. In the morning, old friends greet each other, extended families reunite and children play, running around until they're out of energy, and then sitting down to a game of backgammon with their grandparents, uncles and cousins. The priests walk amongst the people, handing out bread and sweets and answering any questions that people have about the celebration. Amun is an especially important God to the Egyptian people, and not only because he is the creator. Unlike the other gods that live in their own realm and only come to earth on special occasions or through a pharaoh or priest, Amun's presence can be felt everywhere, not with the eyes, but with the other senses. Perhaps it's because of his close connection to the people that Amun's following is one of the most powerful and popular in all of Egypt. The dark night will be long, but with so much to celebrate, nobody minds the black sky stretching over the length of the winding Nile. People build fires and gather round under blankets, telling stories, catching up with old friends and sharing thanks for all the good things that have happened in the past year. Fires spark and crackle and smells of fresh bread and beer mingle with the scent of the waters of the Nile, the river that supports and dictates so much of the rhythm of life in this place. As the night becomes quieter, the priests return to the temple's halls to sleep. Campfires turn to coal and ash. Gentle breathing from under wool and cotton blankets can be heard from all directions. The Nile continues to flow like a lullaby, putting the people of Egypt to sleep. The priests are the first to wake in the morning, before the crack of dawn. The day of the solstice is finally here and nobody wants to miss the sunrise. They exit to the temples, to the crisp dawn air, and walk out through the gates, singing and ringing bells to wake up the sleeping crowds. People yawn and rub their eyes. Some even roll over and try to go back to sleep before being shaken awake by their loved ones. When the sun sets, they can rest again. But for now, nobody wants to miss the magnificent solstice. A line of light cracks on the horizon and the sun begins to rise. The crowd looks on in awe as it hovers between two massive pillars and casts a bright beam of light through the gates of the complex. They watch in silence as they see this beautiful piece of architecture lit up by the sun. The priests begin to perform the ceremony of welcoming the rising sun, inviting Ra to continue spending more time in the mortal realm across the coming months. In the cold winter months, the God lived mostly in the underworld, but now he will be spending more time on earth. Incantations are quietly chanted by the priests as they move their arms and hands toward the rising sun, performing the ritual that opens the senses. The ritual symbolizes birth and renewal, making those gathered for the festival think of all the new things to come in the next cycle of seasons. The sun continues rising in the sky, and by midday it illuminates the inner sanctum where the statue of Amun awaits. The priests enter the temple and together they move the statue of Amun onto a float. They carry it through the colourful temple gates until they reach the temple entrance where the people are situated. Taking in the representation of the God, the people wait their turn to speak directly to Amun. For most of the year, only the priests can access the inner temple where the God lives. But now anyone can greet the God to leave an offering, give thanks or ask for help. It feels especially joyful to get a glimpse of the hidden God, who often can't be seen by mortals or even other immortals. Though he can often be felt through the other senses or be seen through his work, helping those in need. As they move through the crowd, the priests listen carefully both to the questions of the people and the answers from the God. Depending on the directions they receive from Amun, they may tip the statue at a certain angle or answer directly with words. The sun continues to twinkle over the temple. Those who aren't speaking with the God watch the movement of the sun, singing songs and enjoying the food handed out by the temple's staff. The sun is at its furthest point from the equator today in the Tropic of Capricorn. But despite it being the shortest day of the year, it's a time for hope and renewal. Just as each morning the gods return from the underworld to bring a new day, the winter solstice feels like the morning of the year when the sun God returns from his winter slumber and will start to stretch the days out to be longer and warmer once again. It will set the stage for other festivals celebrating rebirth in the year to come, like the Wepet Rempet festival on New Year's Day that celebrates the rebirth of Osiris. On this day, the priests will lead a beautiful song, the Lament of Isis. Then there's the Opet festival, which takes place in the summer months and is one of the most important to the followers of Amun. Once again, at that time, the statue of Amun will leave the temple and take a ride down the Nile to consult with the reigning king. Around Egypt, the architecture of the temples is set up to celebrate important days. For example, at Aswan's Abu Simbel temples, the sun's rays fall on the temple of King Ramses to celebrate the anniversary of his coronation. But on this special winter day, when everyone who wanted to has received a chance to speak with Amun, the priests return the statue to the temple, removing the veil and letting the representation of the God rest until their next special celebration. Outside the walls of the temple, the sun is starting to set, but the celebrations are far from over. The people of Thebes and the surrounding cities of Egypt are enjoying this chance to take a break from their usual routine. Tomorrow they'll return to their homes, tend to their fields, open their market stores, or design some of the beautiful architecture of the empire that will bring awe and wonder to the world for thousands of years to come. But for now, the people have the long night ahead to feast, celebrate, and spend time with their family, friends and community. The festivities last long into the night, but gradually the people begin to return to their homes or encampments to sleep. Snuggled under warm woolen blankets, they hear the sounds of joy and festivity mixing with the rushing of the Nile river and the wind rustling through the desert bushes as they drift off into a restful slumber.