Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Secret Chapel in the Peacock House (Peacock House #4)

Starting point is 00:00:00 Get Sleepy is a production of Slumber Studios. To listen, add free, access our entire catalogue of episodes and support the show directly. Check out our premium feed by going to get sleepy.com slash support. Now, a quick word from our sponsors. Hear that? It's your money calling. It wants a promotion. Elevate your savings with the Scotia high-interest savings account. Always earn high regular interest rates that grow the more you save and invest.

Starting point is 00:00:37 Conditions apply. Visit scotiabank.com slash h-i-sa to learn more. Scotia Bank. You're richer than you think. Welcome to get sleepy. Where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy. My name's Thomas, and as always, it's an honor to be your host. A couple of weeks ago, we released a three-part stitch of our previous visits to the Peacock House.

Starting point is 00:01:14 If you've not had a chance to hear that yet, or haven't heard the previous episodes individually before, don't worry. I assure you that you'll still enjoy this one in its own right, but you can always go back and listen to that compilation of the others another time. If you are familiar with this series already, perhaps you remember the house. It's a mysterious yet peaceful place with many rooms, which you can explore at leisure. But if this is your first visit to the peacock house, you can simply let the adventure unfold. There's nothing you need to know beforehand. You'll simply wander from room to room, making magical discoveries.

Starting point is 00:02:12 A big thank you to Alexandra for writing this excellent series, and as it's a Monday night, it's going to be mean a rating. So, in preparation for our return to this special series, let's take a moment to unwind and clear our minds. so that our imaginations are free to carry us through the journey. Begin by making sure you're comfortable, appreciating the support that your bed is providing to your body, holding you in its soothing embrace,

Starting point is 00:03:01 and you can just allow your breathing to slow a little, not forcing anything, but just subtly lengthening the out breath if it feels comfortable and remind yourself that you don't need to feel any rush in the process of falling asleep. Your body knows what to do instinctively and though many of us, myself included, struggle to allow sleep to just come our way at times. It really is one of the most natural things our body does. We just need to allow sleep to happen. So give yourself time and patience, compassion and reassurance. Breathe in slowly and then softly exhale.

Starting point is 00:04:18 welcoming the slow transition into the peace and stillness of the night. As you listen to my voice and gently follow along with our story, allow your body and mind to calm and slow further still and know that rest is already happening for you, and a dreamy sleep will soon. soon follow. For now, it's time to return to the Peacock House. This is where our story begins. Opening your eyes, you find yourself in the entrance hall. Tiles and mosaics glitter in the lamplight. In the center of the room, sunken into the floor is a small, trickling fountain.

Starting point is 00:05:56 You smile, pleased to be back here again. You're starting to feel at home in this house. As you listen to the soft gurgle of the fountain, you look around the room. In front of you is a grand sweeping staircase. And towards the back of the room are four arched doorways, each marked with a different symbol. The images have been created with the most exquisite mosaics. One is a moon, another a shell, then a flame, and a peacock.

Starting point is 00:06:59 You've already ventured through some of these doors. As your gaze drifts from one symbol to another, You recall previous visits. Images form in your mind, hazy and dreamlike. There was a secret garden, a library, and a ballroom filled with balloons and mirrors. You're tempted to return to these places, to see if they're still as you remember, but there's one door you've never been through. The one marked with a flame, you are so curious about what lies beyond, approaching the doorway.

Starting point is 00:08:04 You look up at the mosaic flame above the arch. You wonder what it represents, and if there's a connection with the rooms on the other side, You suppose you'll soon find out, despite your eager curiosity. You walk slowly through the doorway. You know that there's no hurry, and there's something about this place that encourages you to slow down. Even the air feels different somehow. You can't explain it.

Starting point is 00:08:54 The next room is a dimly lit. hallway, there are no windows, just soft lamplight from the sconces on the wood-panelled walls. As far as you can tell, there's only one door at the end of the hall. The doors in this house are often locked, and sometimes you have to find the key before you can move on to the next room. This door may or may not be locked, but you're in no rush to find out. You want to take your time exploring the hallway. The floorboards creak beneath your feet as you walk through the hall, admiring the furnishings.

Starting point is 00:10:07 To your left, large tapestries decorate the walls. It's hard to make out the details in the dim light. But you catch glimpses of knights and ladies, gardens filled with flowers, and a unicorn. The details are so tiny and intricate. It's as though the tapestries have been designed as a puzzle. If you look for long enough,

Starting point is 00:10:49 you're sure you'll spot a peacock's, somewhere, hidden among the other figures. After all, the peacock is the symbol of this house. On other visits, you've seen peacock designs hidden all over the place. You've even encountered the peacock itself wandering through the house. If only you could see the tapestries more clearly. Instinctively, you pull back the heavy material of one of the tapestries to look behind it. You half expect to find a hidden window or door, but there's nothing there. Just a bare wall.

Starting point is 00:11:52 Turning around, you look for other possible clues. On the other side of the hall, there are a couple of elegant cabinets. filled with crystal glassware. Perhaps you should open them and see if there's something hidden inside. As you stand there, contemplating the cabinets, you become aware of a sound.

Starting point is 00:12:29 You didn't notice it before because when you were moving, the creaking of the floorboards drowned it out. But now that you're standing still, You can just about make it out. It sounds like running water. But where could it be coming from? There are no fountains in this room, no visible sources of water.

Starting point is 00:13:04 Maybe there's a pipe in the wall. You move closer to the right-hand side of the room, where the cabinets are. As you approach the wall, the trickling sound. sound becomes louder, and when you press your ear against the wood paneling, you can hear it distinctly, walking alongside the wall, past the cabinets. The sound continues. You can still hear it when you reach the end of the hallway, where the door is. It would be so easy to turn the handle and continue on into the next door.

Starting point is 00:14:00 room, but for some reason, the sound of water intrigues you. Again, you press your ear against the wall. The sound has changed slightly. It seems as though the water is now flowing downwards, rather than horizontally. On a whim, you place your hand against the wooden panel on the wall, and move it gently, the panel seems loose. Not loose enough to take out, but to move to one side perhaps, and indeed, as you glide your palm over the panel. You discover that it slides over, revealing a hidden nook. Inside is what appears to be a drinking fan.

Starting point is 00:15:14 fountain. Water trickles down from a curved spout. You're delighted by this discovery. It's such a simple thing, yet somehow satisfying, and come to think of it, you are a bit thirsty. You go over to one of the cabinets and help yourself to a delicate glass, shaped like a champagne flute. Then, you You take it over to the fountain and fill it with water before you drink. You gaze at the glass in your hand. For a moment, the bubbles in the water look like tiny stars. The water itself appears dark against the background of the wood-panelled wall, as dark as a night sky.

Starting point is 00:16:34 It almost looks as though there's a little universe, contained in the glass. You know it's only an illusion. But there's something about this place that makes you see things differently. The water is cool and has a fresh mineral taste. Once you've quenched your thirst, you leave the glass on the side table and decide that you are ready to explore the next room. Of course, that's assuming the door is unlocked, but when you press down on the handle, it opens easily. Part of you is relieved, but you like to encounter a locked door every now and then, knowing you'll have to search for a key. A puzzle here and there, pushing open the door,

Starting point is 00:17:52 you step into the next room. It looks like an elegant parlour, decorated in yellow. The walls are covered in patterned yellow wallpaper. The plush carpet is a shade of mustard, and the heavy curtains have yellow stripes. The sofa and armchairs match this colour scheme, while the rest of the furniture is mostly made from a dark, glossy wood. Mahogany, perhaps, as the curtains are closed. The only light comes from a chandelier on the ceiling and lamps in the corners. The lighting feels cozy,

Starting point is 00:18:55 adding to the warm, secluded feel of the room. But you're curious to see what's outside. So you cross the carpet and peek through a gap in the curtains. Through the window, you have a tantalizing glimpse of a garden. You can see rose bushes and a mulberry tree, ripe with red berries, but the greenery is so dense that you can't see beyond it. You have no idea how big the garden is, or if it's one you've been in before, still, it looks lovely. And it's a beautiful day outside. The sky is a bright, pure blue, and the plants are dappled in sunlight. Closing the curtains, you take a step back and look for a door. There doesn't seem to be one that leads outside.

Starting point is 00:20:19 The only door in the room, other than the one you came through, is in the corner on the far side. Before you continue your exploration, you decide to check the door. You cross the room and try the handle. As you suspect it, it's locked. That means you'll have to find the key. With this realization, you feel a slight rush of excitement. Another puzzle to solve. The parlor isn't large, but it's filled with furniture.

Starting point is 00:21:20 In addition to the sofa and armchairs, there are several tables, some bookshelves, a mantelpiece lined with ornaments, and a beautifully carved, cellarette for storing drinks. The key could be hidden anywhere. You begin by looking at the coffee table. There is a chess set which seems to have been abandoned mid-game and an assortment of books and newspapers. Then you turn your attention to the nearby bookshelf, but there are so many books crammed into every inch of space, that taking them out will be challenging. Besides, you don't really know what you're looking for, unless one of the book titles refers to a key or a peacock. They're not obvious clues. With a sigh, you decide to take a break.

Starting point is 00:22:45 the yellow sofa looks soft and inviting. Perhaps inspiration will come to you there, so you slip off your shoes and make yourself comfortable on the sofa, sinking deep into the cushions. Now all you can see is the ceiling and the glass chandelier. It's a little over the table, top, but beautiful nonetheless.

Starting point is 00:23:30 Like transparent vines and flowers are growing out of the ceiling. It reminds you of creations from Venice. The glass they make on the island of Murano, gazing at the chandelier, your mind wanders. And you begin to feel sleepy. Perhaps you drift off for a while, you're not really sure whether you're asleep or awake. But at some point, you become aware of a presence in the room, opening your eyes. You sit up slowly, and then you see it. The peacock, the magnificent bird, glides across the room.

Starting point is 00:24:40 its feathers brushing lightly against the furniture you've encountered the peacock before on other visits and you've learned that it's a good omen when it appears it seems to mean that you're on the right path sometimes the peacock helps you of course you can't know for sure what the the bird is thinking, or even what it's doing here, wandering through the house. Still, you feel instinctively that it's a benevolent presence. You smile at the peacock, which bobs its head, and makes a kind of bowing movement. The bird comes closer, making its way across the room at a regal pace. It stops near the coffee table, so that it's now standing directly opposite you. In the middle is a chess set.

Starting point is 00:26:13 White pieces on your side. Black on the other, the peacock stands there patiently. It's almost as if it's inviting you to play. Out of curiosity, you pick up a piece, one of your nose. nights and move it. Wouldn't it be amazing, you think, if the peacock knew how to play chess, you imagine it picking up a piece in its beak and making a move. In this place, it feels like anything is possible. But after a pause, the peacock does something just as unexpected. It It jabs its beak at the chess piece you just moved, knocking it over.

Starting point is 00:27:30 You're not sure what to make of this. The peacock seems to be looking at you, waiting for a reaction. When nothing happens, it pecks at another piece. The white pawn also falls over and rolls across the board. Then the peacock turns and walks away, feathers swaying, as you ponder this puzzling interaction. You notice that the peacock is now heading towards the door you came through. It's leaving the room, so if it had a message for you, that was it. You pick up the chess pieces it knocked over.

Starting point is 00:28:35 The night and the pawn, the wooden pieces feel light and smooth. But there's nothing out of the ordinary about them. Still, there must be something about this chess set. The only thing you can think of is to copy the peacock, knocking over the pieces one by one. With your finger, you knock each one over. the pawns fall, then the rooks, then the queen. But the queen feels different, heavier, as the piece hits the board, there is a clink. You pick up the piece and shake it, and a key falls out. You smile to yourself, wishing you could somehow thank the peacock, but perhaps it already knows somehow. This was what it wanted for you to find the key and enter the next room.

Starting point is 00:30:11 The key turns easily in the lock. When you open the door, you find yourself in a stairwell. There are two doors to your right and a spiral staircase leading to a floor above. For a moment, You're undecided. You're intrigued by the doors, but you also want to see what's upstairs, and this time there's no gut instinct. But perhaps it doesn't matter too much. You can explore one first, then the other.

Starting point is 00:31:09 After all, you have all the time in the world. you decide to begin with the staircase, making your way up the winding steps. At the top, you find yourself in a long, white hallway, and you are struck with a sense of deja vu. Have you been here before? You don't think so. Yet it feels so familiar. Perhaps it belongs to a wing of the house that you explored on another occasion. Long ago, the hallway seems to go on forever. At the far end, daylight streams through a tall window. There must be lots of rooms on this floor. From where you're standing, you can see at least eight doors, four on either side. Some of them are ornately decorated, But the one closest to you is a simple white door with a brass handle.

Starting point is 00:32:43 You might as well take a look inside, although you weren't sure what you were expecting. It wasn't this. A walk-in linen closet, the room seems almost too ordinary, too mundane for a house like this. you switch on the wall light and look around. The shelves are filled with neatly folded towels and bed sheets. Breathing in, there's the most wonderful smell. Fresh, floral, and deeply comforting. Again, it somehow feels familiar,

Starting point is 00:33:46 like something from your childhood, or even longer ago, if that were possible, simply being here, breathing in the scent of the sheets and towels fills you with a sense of well-being. You're so glad you came here. You linger for a while with your eyes closed, content to simply breathe in and savour the fragrance. When you open your eyes, you notice something unusual. Attached to one of the shelves is a wooden ladder, similar to the ladders you sometimes see on library shelves. But it's so tall, instinctively, your gaze drifts upwards, and you're amazed by what you see. The ceiling is unbelievably high, the shelves go up and up, until they're out of sight. This isn't an ordinary linen closet,

Starting point is 00:35:18 but a tower, gazing up in awe. You wonder how high it goes, and how many rooms there must be in this house if there are all these towels and sheets. But then again, perhaps the ceiling, isn't as high as it looks. Maybe it's another illusion, a trick of the light. There's no obvious explanation, and the only way to find out would be to climb the ladder, but you don't feel like climbing right now. The discovery of the room has been its own reward, and you can always come back another time. time, for some reason, seeing the ladder stretching up has given you an urge to do the opposite. To go back downstairs and see what you might have missed there, you remember the stairwell with two doors on the ground floor. So, you leave the linen closet, closing the door gently behind you.

Starting point is 00:36:57 You take another look at the long white hallway and resolve to return for further exploration. Then you make your way back downstairs to the ground floor. The stairwell is a simple space. There's nothing here except for a potted plant in the corner, an oval window letting in the sunlight and two doors. But which one to choose? This time the decision is easy. You find yourself drawn towards the door on the left.

Starting point is 00:37:57 As if by some energetic pull you turn the handle and push the door, which swings open with a creek. Now, you find yourself in a short stone hallway. Light pours in through dusty windows. The hallway has a hushed, almost sacred atmosphere. It feels as though no one has walked here for hundreds of years. At the end of the hall is a doorway hidden behind yellow, curtains. You slowly walk towards it as your footsteps echo on the stone. You gaze at the windows.

Starting point is 00:39:03 They are high up, so all you can see is a glimpse of blue sky and some leafy branches. The sunlight filtering through the leaves creates beautiful shifting patterns across the floor. The shadow Those remind you of feathers. For a moment, you think you sense the peacock silently brushing past. But it must be your imagination when you reach the end of the hall. You stop to admire the curtains. They're an unusual shade of yellow, one that you associate with the past for some reason. A kind of faded gold, the curtains make you think of old churches.

Starting point is 00:40:17 They might have been hanging there for decades, untouched, when you brush your fingers over the silken fabric. Moats of dust rise and sparkle in the sunlight. Then you notice a scent. a fragrance coming from behind the curtains. It smells like incense, like myr or frankincense. Intrigued, you push back the curtains and step through the open doorway and with a tingling awe, you realize where you are.

Starting point is 00:41:13 In the most beautiful chapel, at least At least, that's what it appears to be. There's no religious objects or decorations. But the design of the room reminds you of a small chapel. The kind you might find in a stately home, it's an intimate space, no more than a few square meters in size. There are two rows of pews. a display of white candles, and a kind of altar surrounded by ornate wooden carvings.

Starting point is 00:42:08 The decorations are mostly floral patterns, petals and vines. But on the back wall, at the centre, is a design that looks familiar. A gilded peacock's feather, you take a seat on the front pew, the wooden bench creaking beneath you, and look around in wonder, even more than the other rooms in the peacock house. This place feels like a sanctuary, and although every room is a kind of secret, there's something special about the chapel. It feels particularly hidden and tucked away. As though only you could find it, you are so grateful to have discovered the chapel as you sit here, breathing in the heady scent of the incense. You close your eyes and let everything sink in.

Starting point is 00:43:35 when you open your eyes, you turn your attention towards the candles. There are seven white candles in the holder in front of you, but only six are lit. You remember the beginning of your adventure. Walking through the doorway with the flame symbol, perhaps there's a connection. All of a sudden, an idea comes to you. You stand up and light the seventh candle using one of the others. Once the flame catches, you place the candle in a different slot so that it's slightly raised above the others. You don't know why you do this. It just feels right somehow. Now, the candles create a triangular formation. As the candle slots into place, you become aware of a creaking sound, similar to the sound

Starting point is 00:45:11 of a door opening, but it's a long, drawn-out sound, followed by mechanical clunks and worse. The sound seems to be coming from the altar space in front of you. For a moment, you're bewildered, but then your eyes are just, and you realize what's happening. To your amazement, the wooden walls of the chapel are moving. They are opening out, unfolding. The chapel is like an intricately designed mechanism. A mechanical box or watch made up of many different parts. parts. The clunks and whirs continue as the walls retract ever so slowly, revealing new layers of

Starting point is 00:46:26 glossy wood, shining panels and carved decorations in the shapes of flowers, feathers, and mythical creatures. This might be the most magical thing you've ever seen. You watch. You watch. in awe as the altar space gradually expands, blossoming like a flower. The ceiling is also transforming, moving higher and higher as the wood recedes. By the time the movement stops and the chapel falls silent. It feels as though the space has almost doubled in size. You can hardly believe what you've just witnessed. Mesmerized, you sit back down on the pew and let your gaze drift over the chapel, taking

Starting point is 00:47:44 in every detail the gilded peacock feather above the altar, the wooden flowers blooming from the walls, and the intricately carved structures at the side. which remind you of Indian temples as you sit here for a while. The sense of awe and excitement subsides. Once again, you find yourself in a dreamy, reflective mood. The chapel is silent now. The smell of incense lingers in the air. You can stay here for as long as you like, resting in the secret chapel, until you're ready for another adventure.

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Secret Chapel in the Peacock House (Peacock House #4)

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