Latest / Abide Meditation App / 💤 RELAXING Story for the DEEPEST SLEEP 💤 Winter Solstice in Ancient Egypt _ No More Insomnia
Transcript
- 0:01Speaker 1: Welcome to Get Sleepy. Where we listen, we relax, and
- 0:09Speaker 1: we get sleepy. I'm Tom and I'm your host. Your
- 0:17Speaker 1: listenership and support means so much to everyone on the team.
- 0:22Speaker 1: We are and always have been a small team of
- 0:25Speaker 1: caring and genuine, hard working folk who are passionate about
- 0:29Speaker 1: helping as many people as possible all over the world
- 0:33Speaker 1: get a better night's sleep. It's been our mission since
- 0:38Speaker 1: we started the show back in twenty nineteen, and nothing
- 0:42Speaker 1: has changed. We are so proud and honored every time
- 0:46Speaker 1: we have the pleasure of your company. Tonight's story was
- 0:53Speaker 1: written by Kayla. We'll be traveling back to ancient Egypt
- 0:59Speaker 1: to visit the Karnak Temple in Luxe or a magnificent
- 1:04Speaker 1: spot to view the winter solstice. We'll witness the festivities
- 1:11Speaker 1: and rituals that took place at this special time of year.
- 1:19Speaker 1: But before we begin our tail, let's take a moment
- 1:24Speaker 1: to settle in. Find a comfortable spot in bed, Adjust
- 1:35Speaker 1: your pillows and covers until they are just right. When
- 1:44Speaker 1: you're ready, bring your attention to your breath. Notice the
- 1:53Speaker 1: natural rhythm of your breathing. Is it slow or quick,
- 2:02Speaker 1: deep or shallow or somewhere in between. Perhaps as you
- 2:14Speaker 1: get sleepier, your breath will slow and deepen, but there's
- 2:23Speaker 1: no need to try to change the way you're breathing.
- 2:28Speaker 1: Just notice what the breath feels like in your body
- 2:34Speaker 1: right now. If you feel your mind start to wander
- 2:43Speaker 1: during tonight's tale, you might find it helps to return
- 2:48Speaker 1: your attention to your breath and to simply notice the
- 2:54Speaker 1: rhythm again before bringing your focus back to the story.
- 3:06Speaker 1: Allow your body and mind to relax as we travel
- 3:11Speaker 1: back in time to ancient Egypt, many many winters ago.
- 3:20Speaker 1: This is where our story begins. When the days get
- 3:51Speaker 1: shorter and a Cyrus spends more hours in the sky
- 3:56Speaker 1: than Rah, it's time for the priests of Karn to
- 4:01Speaker 1: prepare for the winter solstice. The Megalithic Temple complex sits
- 4:10Speaker 1: on the eastern bank of the Nile River, a few
- 4:14Speaker 1: hundred kilometers south of Cairo. Tall sandstone and limestone walls
- 4:23Speaker 1: and pillars surround courtyards and house holy relics inside sanctuaries.
- 4:35Speaker 1: The water of the river rushes over rocks and around banks,
- 4:41Speaker 1: creating music while the priests work. The starry sky and
- 4:50Speaker 1: solar system are of great importance to the priests of
- 4:55Speaker 1: the god Amen and the Egyptian people. The long nights
- 5:02Speaker 1: of the dark winter months make for a great time
- 5:06Speaker 1: to study the stars. Through the movement of the moon,
- 5:15Speaker 1: the stars and the gods who rule them, the cycle
- 5:20Speaker 1: of life can be observed in a day, a month,
- 5:25Speaker 1: and a year. With the rising and setting of the
- 5:31Speaker 1: sun each day, all the stages of life are seen.
- 5:40Speaker 1: The winter solstice is an especially important time for the
- 5:45Speaker 1: priests of the Temple of Karnak. This place was built
- 5:51Speaker 1: to see the beautiful pink rays of the rising winter sun.
- 5:59Speaker 1: When the winter sun hits the special mark of the solstice,
- 6:04Speaker 1: the people know the sun will soon spend more time
- 6:08Speaker 1: in the sky, bringing warmer weather and an end to
- 6:13Speaker 1: the long months of the flooding of the Great Nile River.
- 6:22Speaker 1: The Temple of Karnak is located in ancient Thebes and
- 6:28Speaker 1: is the capital of the ancient Egyptian world. It's at
- 6:34Speaker 1: this place that Egyptians can worship the god Amen or
- 6:40Speaker 1: amen Rah in his temple. As the priests see to
- 6:48Speaker 1: the temple grounds, sweeping the floors in a rhythmic motion
- 6:54Speaker 1: and preparing to dress the great God for his journey.
- 6:57Speaker 1: During the festival they think about the ruler of this temple, Armen,
- 7:05Speaker 1: the hidden God. Soon people from all over the kingdom
- 7:14Speaker 1: will come to visit the god, give thanks for gifts
- 7:18Speaker 1: that were received, and ask for divine favors for the
- 7:23Speaker 1: years to come. It's not often that anyone other than
- 7:32Speaker 1: a priest is able to speak directly to the gods,
- 7:38Speaker 1: but on special festival days, the priests will carry the
- 7:43Speaker 1: statue of Armen out onto the banks of the River Nile,
- 7:49Speaker 1: so everyone will have a chance to participate directly in worship.
- 8:00Speaker 1: Amen is the god of creation and is full of contradictions.
- 8:07Speaker 1: According to the myths, he created himself before creating the world,
- 8:17Speaker 1: sometimes referred to as the obscure One or the hidden One.
- 8:23Speaker 1: Unlike other gods, Amen can't be seen in physical form,
- 8:29Speaker 1: but can be felt with the other senses. Perhaps that's
- 8:38Speaker 1: what made this god so special to the priests. In
- 8:42Speaker 1: the dark winter months, the mysterious form of the god
- 8:49Speaker 1: can lend himself to any aspect of existence, and the
- 8:54Speaker 1: darkness is a perfect time for transformation. Amen is also
- 9:04Speaker 1: connected to the sun god Ra, and as this darkest
- 9:09Speaker 1: day draws near, it's a reminder of what's to come.
- 9:16Speaker 1: The spring and then summer, when ra will spend more
- 9:21Speaker 1: time in the sky. The priests carry colorful decorations for
- 9:30Speaker 1: the festivities as they move through the walls of the complex.
- 9:39Speaker 1: The temple is built with the orientations of the zodiac.
- 9:46Speaker 1: The way the stars hit certain places in the temple
- 9:51Speaker 1: and change position on the horizon helps the priests and
- 9:56Speaker 1: astronomers observe celestial movement and see the procession of the equinox.
- 10:05Speaker 1: It's because of these observations that they know when to
- 10:10Speaker 1: celebrate the Solstics. Watching the planetary movements helps the farmers
- 10:20Speaker 1: know when to plant their crops, providing food for the
- 10:25Speaker 1: entire kingdom. And now that the Nile flooding has come
- 10:31Speaker 1: to an end, the fields will be fertile for the
- 10:36Speaker 1: farmers to begin their work. But first they'll have a
- 10:43Speaker 1: night of celebration and enjoy watching the sunrise through the
- 10:48Speaker 1: temple gates. The Karnak Temple, sometimes known as the Mansion
- 10:58Speaker 1: of the Gods, is the largest temple complex in the
- 11:03Speaker 1: Egyptian Empire, perhaps in the entire world. Wanting to get
- 11:12Speaker 1: everything just right for the festival, the priests come together
- 11:18Speaker 1: at the Avenue of Rams, the entrance to the temple complex,
- 11:25Speaker 1: where the people will gather for the festivities. In other
- 11:33Speaker 1: temples in Egypt, these would be statues of sphinxes, creatures
- 11:41Speaker 1: with the body of a lion and the head of
- 11:44Speaker 1: a human. But in honor of Amen, who is associated
- 11:51Speaker 1: with Rams, these figures have the body of a lion
- 11:57Speaker 1: and the head of a ram. The priests walk down
- 12:04Speaker 1: to the rows of tall sandstone statues, marveling at the
- 12:10Speaker 1: talented artisans who call Egypt home and who have made
- 12:16Speaker 1: so many wonderful works of art that will be remembered
- 12:20Speaker 1: for centuries to come. They enter the first gate, slowly
- 12:29Speaker 1: making their way towards the inner temple complex. They leave
- 12:36Speaker 1: decorations on the wars and statues as a way to
- 12:41Speaker 1: say thanks to the gods for all they've received their share.
- 12:50Speaker 1: Passing through the courtyards and ceremonial halls, the priests continue
- 12:57Speaker 1: through each of the six gates, the inner chambers of
- 13:01Speaker 1: the temples, getting smaller and darker as they proceed, just
- 13:08Speaker 1: like the days of the year leading up to this moment.
- 13:17Speaker 1: Rows of columns tower into the sky as they pass
- 13:22Speaker 1: through the sixth gate and reach the most important sanctuaries
- 13:30Speaker 1: on one side, is the Temple of Ramses, the third
- 13:35Speaker 1: statues of pharaohs lining the outer mud brick wall. On
- 13:44Speaker 1: the other is the Hyperstyle Hall, the largest religious building
- 13:50Speaker 1: in the world. They enter Ramses Temple hieroglyphs and bright
- 14:00Speaker 1: wall paintings, providing a delicate sense of warmth as the
- 14:06Speaker 1: priests span incense and leave offerings. Here with only a
- 14:14Speaker 1: few hours of daylight, the priests work quickly, wrapped in
- 14:20Speaker 1: woolen robes to stay warm in the cool winter air
- 14:25Speaker 1: of the Mediterranean. When they are done, the priests move
- 14:34Speaker 1: back through the courtyard over to the other side, where
- 14:39Speaker 1: they enter the Hyperstyle Hall. The large, colorful columns in
- 14:48Speaker 1: this part of the temple create a sense of being
- 14:52Speaker 1: in a stony forest. The priests wander through in silence,
- 15:00Speaker 1: in awe of this beautiful place. They are able to
- 15:04Speaker 1: spend time in the inscriptions and reliefs on the columns,
- 15:13Speaker 1: praise the gods, and pay tribute to the people who
- 15:18Speaker 1: live and work in Egypt, having contributed to the construction
- 15:24Speaker 1: of the temple. Finally, the priests reach the Sanctum sanc Taurum,
- 15:35Speaker 1: where the grand statue of Armen is housed. They are
- 15:43Speaker 1: especially mindful of how they cover the god, not only
- 15:48Speaker 1: to show him respect, but because on the day of
- 15:53Speaker 1: the festival, they will carry Armen from his place here
- 15:58Speaker 1: out to the people, giving them a chance to speak
- 16:03Speaker 1: directly to the God. The covering will keep the statue
- 16:11Speaker 1: safe in its venture out into the wild. Armand's statue
- 16:20Speaker 1: has a beard and is wearing a head dress with
- 16:25Speaker 1: bright blue feathers, the color of the primordial waters. When
- 16:34Speaker 1: the priests are finished, they stand for a moment to
- 16:38Speaker 1: admire their work, gazing up at the great God and
- 16:44Speaker 1: leaving their own offerings at his feet. On the day
- 16:52Speaker 1: of the festival, they'll only be in service of the people,
- 16:58Speaker 1: so now is their time to commune with Amen. When
- 17:07Speaker 1: they've finished their work, they wander back outside and leave
- 17:12Speaker 1: Armand's temple, heading to the sacred lake. Here is where
- 17:20Speaker 1: they'll make the final preparations for the festival with a
- 17:24Speaker 1: ritual washing. During the festival day, the priests will not
- 17:33Speaker 1: only lead the ceremony, they'll serve food to any of
- 17:38Speaker 1: the Egyptian people who join in the celebrations. While the
- 17:46Speaker 1: priests are spiritually preparing by the lake, the temple staff
- 17:52Speaker 1: make and need doe, feeling the cool mixture on their
- 17:56Speaker 1: hands that will soon feed so many. The kitchen is
- 18:05Speaker 1: a flurry of activity. Onions and lettuces are chopped, lentils
- 18:12Speaker 1: are boiled, and the smells of baking bread fill the air.
- 18:20Speaker 1: Of course, they can't forget some of the sweet treats
- 18:25Speaker 1: that will be handed out on this festive occasion. In
- 18:32Speaker 1: contrast to the silent work of the priests, the temple
- 18:37Speaker 1: kitchens are filled with chatter and laughter. It's a joy
- 18:44Speaker 1: to be able to come together on special occasions. The
- 18:52Speaker 1: rhythm of the preparations feels like an old friend chopping,
- 18:59Speaker 1: mixed kneading, rolling and baking. The hours until the festival
- 19:10Speaker 1: leave pass by merrily. The night before the solstice, people
- 19:21Speaker 1: traveling from all over the region begin to gather at
- 19:26Speaker 1: the temple gates. Here they'll be able to witness the
- 19:32Speaker 1: solstice sunrise in the morning. Old friends greet each other,
- 19:41Speaker 1: extended families reunite, and children play, running around until they're
- 19:49Speaker 1: out of energy, and then sitting down to a game
- 19:55Speaker 1: of backgammon with their grandparents' uncles and cousins. The priests
- 20:06Speaker 1: walk amongst the people, handing out bread and sweets and
- 20:12Speaker 1: answering any questions that people have about the celebration. Amen
- 20:22Speaker 1: is an especially important god to the Egyptian people, and
- 20:27Speaker 1: not only because he is the creator. Unlike the other
- 20:34Speaker 1: gods that live in their own realm and only come
- 20:39Speaker 1: to Earth on special occasions or through a pharaoh or priest,
- 20:46Speaker 1: Alman's presence can be felt everywhere, not with the eyes,
- 20:53Speaker 1: but with the other senses. Perhaps because of his close
- 21:01Speaker 1: connection to the people that Arman's following is one of
- 21:06Speaker 1: the most powerful and popular in all of Egypt. The
- 21:15Speaker 1: dark night will be long, but with so much to celebrate,
- 21:21Speaker 1: nobody minds the black sky stretching over the length of
- 21:25Speaker 1: the winding Nile. People build fires and gather round under blankets,
- 21:36Speaker 1: telling stories, catching up with old friends, and sharing thanks
- 21:43Speaker 1: for all the good things that have happened in the
- 21:46Speaker 1: past year. Fires spark and crackle, and smells of fresh
- 21:56Speaker 1: bread and beer mingle with the scent of the waters
- 22:01Speaker 1: of the Nile, the river that supports and dictates so
- 22:08Speaker 1: much of the rhythm of life in this place. As
- 22:17Speaker 1: the night becomes quieter, the priests return to the temple's
- 22:22Speaker 1: halls to sleep. Campfires turn to coal and ash. Gentle
- 22:34Speaker 1: breathing from under wool and cotton blankets can be heard
- 22:40Speaker 1: from all directions. The nile continues to flow like a lullabi,
- 22:51Speaker 1: putting the people of Egypt to sleep. The priests are
- 23:00Speaker 1: the first to wake in the morning before the crack
- 23:04Speaker 1: of dawn. The day of the solstice is finally here,
- 23:11Speaker 1: and nobody wants to miss the sunrise. They exit the
- 23:19Speaker 1: temples to the crisp dawn air and walk out through
- 23:24Speaker 1: the gates, singing and ringing bells to wake up the
- 23:29Speaker 1: sleeping crowds. People yawn and rub their eyes. Some even
- 23:40Speaker 1: roll over and try to go back to sleep before
- 23:44Speaker 1: being shaken awake by their loved ones. When the sun sets,
- 23:52Speaker 1: they can rest again, but for now, nobody wants to
- 23:58Speaker 1: miss the magnificent solstice. A line of light cracks on
- 24:08Speaker 1: the horizon and the sun begins to rise. The crowd
- 24:17Speaker 1: looks on in awe as it hovers between two massive
- 24:23Speaker 1: pillars and casts a bright beam of light through the
- 24:28Speaker 1: gates of the complex. They watch in silence as they
- 24:37Speaker 1: see this beautiful piece of architecture lit up by the sun.
- 24:47Speaker 1: The priests begin to perform the ceremony of welcoming the
- 24:51Speaker 1: rising sun, inviting Rah to continue spending more time in
- 24:57Speaker 1: the mortal realm across the the coming months. In the
- 25:03Speaker 1: cold winter months, the God lived mostly in the underworld,
- 25:11Speaker 1: but now he will be spending more time on earth.
- 25:20Speaker 1: Incantations are quietly chanted by the priests as they move
- 25:25Speaker 1: their arms and hands toward the rising sun, performing the
- 25:32Speaker 1: ritual that opens the senses. The ritual symbolizes birth and renewal,
- 25:44Speaker 1: making those gathered for the festival think of all the
- 25:48Speaker 1: new things to come in the next cycle of seasons.
- 25:56Speaker 1: The sun continues rising in the sky, and by midday
- 26:02Speaker 1: it illuminates the inner sanctum, where the statue of Armen awaits.
- 26:11Speaker 1: The priests enter the temple and together they move the
- 26:17Speaker 1: statue of Armen on to a float. They carry it
- 26:24Speaker 1: through the colorful temple gates until they reach the temple entrance,
- 26:30Speaker 1: where the people are situated, Taking in the representation of
- 26:38Speaker 1: the God. The people wait their turn to speak directly
- 26:44Speaker 1: to Armen. For most of the year, only the priests
- 26:52Speaker 1: can access the inner temple where the God lives, but
- 26:58Speaker 1: now anyone can greet the God to leave an offering,
- 27:04Speaker 1: give thanks, or ask for help. It feels especially joyful
- 27:14Speaker 1: to get a glimpse of the hidden God who often
- 27:18Speaker 1: can't be seen by mortals or even other immortals, though
- 27:26Speaker 1: he can often be felt through the other senses or
- 27:30Speaker 1: be seen through his work helping those in need. As
- 27:39Speaker 1: they move through the crowd, the priests listen carefully, both
- 27:45Speaker 1: to the questions of the people and the answers from
- 27:50Speaker 1: the God. Depending on the directions they receive from Amen,
- 27:58Speaker 1: they may tip the statue at a certain angle or
- 28:02Speaker 1: answer directly with words. The sun continues to twinkle over
- 28:12Speaker 1: the temple. Those who aren't speaking with the God watch
- 28:18Speaker 1: the movement of the sun, singing songs and enjoying the
- 28:24Speaker 1: food handed out by the temple's staff. The sun is
- 28:31Speaker 1: at its furthest point from the equator today in the
- 28:36Speaker 1: Tropic of Capricorn, but despite it being the shortest day
- 28:42Speaker 1: of the year, it's a time for hope and renewal.
- 28:51Speaker 1: Just as each morning the gods return from the underworld
- 28:56Speaker 1: to bring a new day, the winter solstice feels like
- 29:01Speaker 1: the morning of the year when the Sun God returns
- 29:06Speaker 1: from his winter slumber and will start to stretch the
- 29:10Speaker 1: days out to be longer and warmer. Once again. It
- 29:20Speaker 1: will set the stage for other festivals celebrating rebirth in
- 29:25Speaker 1: the year to come, like the wapet Rempet festival on
- 29:31Speaker 1: New Year's Day that celebrates the rebirth of Asiris. On
- 29:39Speaker 1: this day, the priests will lead a beautiful song the
- 29:44Speaker 1: lament of Isis. Then there's the Opet festival, which takes
- 29:54Speaker 1: place in the summer months and is one of the
- 29:57Speaker 1: most important to the follow of Armen. Once again, at
- 30:05Speaker 1: that time, the statue of Armen will leave the temple
- 30:10Speaker 1: and take a ride down the Nile to consult with
- 30:15Speaker 1: the reigning king. Around Egypt, the architecture of the temples
- 30:25Speaker 1: is set up to celebrate important days. For example, at
- 30:32Speaker 1: Aswan's Abu Cymbal temples, the sun's rays fall on the
- 30:38Speaker 1: temple of King Ramses to celebrate the anniversary of his coronation.
- 30:50Speaker 1: But on this special winter day, when everyone who wanted
- 30:55Speaker 1: to has received a chance to speak with Armen, the
- 31:00Speaker 1: priests return the statue to the temple, removing the vale
- 31:07Speaker 1: and letting the representation of the god rest until the
- 31:12Speaker 1: next special celebration. Outside the wars of the temple, the
- 31:23Speaker 1: sun is starting to set, but the celebrations are far
- 31:28Speaker 1: from over. The People of Thebes and the surrounding cities
- 31:34Speaker 1: of Egypt are enjoying this chance to take a break
- 31:40Speaker 1: from their usual routines. To morrow, they'll return to their homes,
- 31:49Speaker 1: tend to their fields, open their market stores, or design
- 31:55Speaker 1: some of the beautiful architecture of the Empire that will
- 32:00Speaker 1: bring awe and wonder to the world for thousands of
- 32:05Speaker 1: years to come. But for now, the people have the
- 32:13Speaker 1: long night ahead to feast, celebrate, and spend time with
- 32:21Speaker 1: their family, friends, and community. The festivities last long into
- 32:32Speaker 1: the night, but gradually the people begin to return to
- 32:39Speaker 1: their homes or encampments to sleep. Snuggled under warm woolen blankets.
- 32:52Speaker 1: They hear the sounds of joy and festivity mixing with
- 32:58Speaker 1: the rushing of the Nile River and the wind rustling
- 33:03Speaker 1: through the desert bushes as they drift off into a
- 33:10Speaker 1: RESTful slumber.
- 34:26Speaker 2: N damn us stood at the features.
- 39:16Speaker 3: U m m M.
- 42:23Speaker 4: M m.
- 42:40Speaker 2: D n d.
- 45:01Speaker 5: Dais the.
- 46:26Speaker 2: Music stations in dus features wi.
- 50:01Speaker 3: D d.
- 52:35Speaker 6: L l.
- 52:38Speaker 2: D d.
- 53:25Speaker 1: D m.
- 55:29Speaker 2: M U s have features sai dad mc nab dat
- 1:05:05Speaker 2: as us containing.
- 1:07:10Speaker 3: Feature wo.
- 1:10:01Speaker 2: Us mucus dan dat am ven he stood moss features
- 1:16:45Speaker 2: us U.
- 1:20:19Speaker 3: M M.
- 1:21:08Speaker 2: D m n us sti us set us.
- 1:29:47Speaker 3: Ms mo.
- 1:30:20Speaker 2: Lagan dam at la Montai poss.
- 1:35:39Speaker 7: Features us.
- 1:36:36Speaker 4: Said m.
- 1:38:42Speaker 2: Damn movie The d.
- 1:40:50Speaker 6: D Woman.
- 1:41:59Speaker 2: Duties at us up und moments last dut.
- 1:53:29Speaker 8: Dust The.
- 1:54:37Speaker 2: Features up using dad until satis.
- 2:05:00Speaker 6: U m m m.
- 2:08:30Speaker 2: M m dats Dante.
- 2:13:30Speaker 3: Features d.
- 2:15:01Speaker 2: Us mus the most anyone, most day da until sat.
- 2:23:48Speaker 6: U us.
- 2:26:38Speaker 3: Ms most.
- 2:26:47Speaker 2: Und da as the us Idol features Sta Damascus dais.
- 2:40:00Speaker 3: The music.
- 2:40:18Speaker 2: Continued seat Sta.
- 2:45:01Speaker 3: Using the.
- 2:45:36Speaker 2: Most Dad.
- 2:46:10Speaker 5: Us M
- 2:47:28Speaker 2: Davenant must