Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - Aquarius’ Dreamy Day on Earth

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Starting point is 00:01:56 Creativity, intelligence, and independence mark Aquarius. In the spirit of this art-loving air sign, we'll join Aquarius as he meanders through the National Gallery in London. It's the eleventh installment of this wonderful series written by Frankie. If you haven't heard the others yet, you can always go back and find the rest of them anytime you like. You might particularly enjoy listening to the tale of whichever star sign aligns with your birthday. Maybe you'll discover some similarities in those characters and their stories. For now, it's Aquarius' turn to visit Earth, so let's make sure we're ready to listen

Starting point is 00:02:56 by taking some time to unwind. Few things are more meditative than a stroll through the peaceful rooms of an art gallery, and for that reason we must prepare our bodies and minds. You'll be taking this journey in your mind, so use this time to lay your body down for the evening. Your body's only responsibility now is to relax and prepare for sleep. Release the tension from your limbs and let your weight sink into the bed. Allow the layers of cushioning and fabric to cradle you in a cozy little cavern of warmth. Feel the heat from your core radiate outwards to the rest of your body as you lie still, relaxed, and peaceful. As your body softens, so too can you let your mind become warm and malleable. malleable. Anything that seems sharp, shiny, or too bold can be put away for the evening.

Starting point is 00:05:01 Take those thoughts and file them away for tomorrow. Your mind is precious and hard working, so these moments before sleep are a good way to repay it for how it serves you. Give your brain a treat as you close your eyes, blocking out reality and stepping gently into the world of imagination. Under a cornflower blue sky sits a large ornate building. The winter sun shines on the stones of the stairs to the building, and this is where our story begins. The steps that lead from Trafalgar Square to the columns of the National Gallery are long, wide, and deep. Groups of people in twos or threes are sat along the stairs at various points. Aquarius, however, only has eyes for the building. The art gallery takes up an entire side of the square and extends back a whole city block. Opened in 1838, the edifice was designed to be a temple to the arts, as signified by its

Starting point is 00:07:32 commanding columns at the front entrance. Above them resides a small dome, referring to the way in which the National Gallery was inspired by the Italian practice of creating houses for their art collections that are as beautiful as the art within. Aquarius takes this all in for a few moments. He's back to the rest of the square. His body buzzes with excitement as he climbs the steps and enters. The National Gallery holds over 2,600 paintings and pieces of art, and each one seems to call Aquarius into the building. When it came time for Aquarius to decide how he would spend his day on Earth, the choice was made quickly.

Starting point is 00:08:52 Always a lover of things clever and beautiful, Aquarius knew he wanted to witness the most lovely and powerful art that humanity had made in his interim away. The difficulty was deciding which of the world's fantastic galleries he would wander through. With many tempting options such as the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy, the Museum of Latin American Art in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the Mausoleum of the First Xin Emperor in Xi'an, China. It was no easy feat. Xi'an, China, it was no easy feat. As Aquarius steps through the doors and into the vast entry hall, the quiet calm of the gallery washes over him. It's like snow settling over a vibrant landscape, the bustle and noise of the city outside kept at bay. Every entrant inherently starts to speak more softly, to walk more slowly and to allow the reverence of the place to fall on them.

Starting point is 00:10:28 The first great masterpiece that Aquarius finds his way to is Bacchus and Ariadne by by the great Renaissance painter Titian. The painting is nearly six by six feet, giving Aquarius the impression that he is in the scene himself. Aquarius takes in the painting, all the while remembering his own interactions with the now mythological subjects. Bacchus was known to the ancient Greeks as Dionysus, the god of wine and joyful freedom. The oil painting depicts the moment when he first laid eyes on the human woman who would eventually become his wife and consort. It is a moment of literal love at first sight. Bacchus leaps from his chariot at the head of his entourage, desperate to be close to the Cretan princess Ariadne reside now in the heavens, just as Aquarius and his siblings do.

Starting point is 00:12:13 The painting even hints at this fate with a crown of stars in the top left corner of the sky, representing the constellation that would become Ariadne. Aquarius turns his attention away from the painting as a whole and focuses on the beautifully expressed details in the scene. beautifully expressed details in the scene. Bacchus's chariot is pulled by two cheetahs, both of whom are painted with remarkable realism. Their spotted fur looks so soft that Aquarius almost believes he could reach out and touch it. The rest of the God's retinue is a group of dancing, laughing, and music-making figures. They all seem to be captured in perfect movement. Some hold food and wine, while others carry drums and tambourines. There is even a young thorn in their midst, a boy with the legs of a furry goat playfully looking out from the painting. Bacchus is in mid-leap. In his long hair sits a crown of ivy, and a red silk is wrapped around his body. His eyes are glued inexorably to the figure of Ariadne

Starting point is 00:14:12 with a look of pure love and devotion. Ariadne turns away from the horizon to face him, her red and blue dress wrapping around her. Sailing off in the distance, Aquarius can see the ship of Theseus, the hero who loved her and left her, not to be found by the god that will forever be by her side. Aquarius takes particular pleasure in the way Titian has signed his name on his work, as if it's engraved in a small golden chalice on the ground of the scene. The overall effect of the painting is to impress upon Aquarius the powerful impact that love can have, even on the gods. Though he feels very much that he could sit in front of this painting all day without regret, Aquarius pulls himself other artful wonders. He marvels to himself how the artists of the Renaissance, who lived

Starting point is 00:15:53 and worked generally in the 15th. All around him, Aquarius finds paintings attempting to depict legends and myths that took place thousands of years before the painters were even born. Another Renaissance painting of ancient Greek figures is Sandro Botticelli's Venus and Mars. Botticelli is famous for his painting of Venus known to the Greeks as Aphrodite, rising from the sea on a clamshell. The birth of Venus may be his most famous painting, but this more domestic scene of his auburn haired Venus shows her watching over her sleeping lover Mars, known as Aries to the Greeks. Aquarius admires the strange shape of the painting.

Starting point is 00:17:20 Most paintings are square or rectangular like a piece of paper. This one is longer and thinner than most, like a stretched landscape. It perfectly suits the image of Venus reclining in her bed on one side, reclining in her bed on one side and Mars fast asleep on the other. Mars, known as a fierce warrior and the god of war, sleeps so soundly that he doesn't even notice a little satyr boy blowing a conch shell in his ear, nor the satyr's siblings playing with his helmet and lance. The way that Venus, the goddess of love and beauty sits so regally and calmly sends the message to the viewer that love overcomes war every time because love is constant. The bright colors and smooth shading technique used by Botticelli are some of the things Aquarius admires most about this painting. However, he also appreciates that it's an image of two

Starting point is 00:19:00 larger-than-life figures in a domestic and relaxed scene, almost as if the viewer is getting an insight into what day-to-day life is for these two deities. Aquarius moves on smiling to himself. Another Renaissance painting grabs his attention, though this time his interest grows slowly as he begins to notice the incredible detail. Janfonik's Arnulfini portrait appears at first to be a painting of a wealthy couple holding hands in their bedroom. Closer inspection shows the true artistic genius of the image. Aquarius takes in the details in the figures faces and clothes. As he travels down their bodies, he spots the little terrier dog at their feet, which brings a layer of domesticity to the seemingly

Starting point is 00:20:27 formal painting. Aquarius is only truly blown away by the circular convex mirror in the background of the painting. Van Eyck has managed to distort the image in the same way the mirror would have, while also including tiny figures of the couple and himself, the painter. Even more remarkable is the way the sunlight from the window shines through a set of amber beads on the wall next to the painting. Aquarius wishes desperately for a magnifying glass to inspect all the tiny, fantastic details. Aquarius reads the information about the painting and learns that it is considered one of the most magnificent because of the

Starting point is 00:21:59 symbolism in nearly every piece of the image. From the color of their couple's clothing, to a handful of fruit on a sideboard, everything was placed to indicate that this couple would love to have a happy life together. The symbolism is why so many scholars have theorized that this picture is of the wedding of Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife Costanza Trenta. Giovanni was a wealthy cloth merchant in Bruges during the 15th century. Aquarius moves on from the great painters of the Renaissance to another, though much later, master of painting. A burst of yellow breaks before his eyes, like the welcome rays of the sun after a morning of clouds.

Starting point is 00:23:18 A vase of sunflowers against a yellow wall, and the simple signature of Vincent draws Aquarius in for further inspection. This is not an attempt at realism but something else. Vincent van Gogh's famous still life seems to be to Aquarius less about representing the sunflowers as they looked, and more of an attempt to capture what sunflowers are. Some droop while others face up and away from the viewer. It is a simple painting, but Aquarius is grabbed by the sense of what it's like to be amongst the sunflowers, to hear them rustle against one another in the wind, To hear them rustle against one another in the wind, and to see their heads bobbing to and fro. Desperate to see more from this esteemed painter, Aquarius searches the rooms and finds a wheat field with cypresses.

Starting point is 00:24:50 Aquarius stands open-mouthed before the painting. It's like looking through a window into a fantastical world. Aquarius can feel his brain fizzle and spark with joy as he inspects the painted sky. The clouds curl and swirl around one another in such a way that Aquarius can practically feel the breeze that moves them. Their majesty is mirrored by the sea of golden wheat that dances at the bottom of the painting. The ripple of wind through the stalks of wheat is so visceral that Aquarius needs little imagination to see them move in his mind's eye. Aquarius admires each brush stroke on the cypress trees. on the cypress trees. From a distance, they appear to be dark green, but up close, the viewer can see that each purposeful stroke of the paintbrush places another shade of green in overlapping layers

Starting point is 00:26:22 to mimic the wonderful variation that is found in nature. The leaves of a tree are not just green, but a hundred different shades of green. Not every painter did portraits, but Rembrandt, a Dutch master of the 17th century, is famous for his. Aquarius stumbles across his self-portrait at the age of 34 and is stopped in his tracks by the face of a calm and soulful man. Rembrandt wears a velvet hat and expensive clothing, though his pose and slightly give the impression of self-assurance. Rembrandt painted dozens of self-portraits over the course of his career. He would often use himself, his wife Saskia, or even his son as models for his paintings. Sometimes they would be portrayed in different poses and clothing, or he might use the face of a

Starting point is 00:27:56 loved one on an entirely made-up figure from his imagination. his imagination. As a working artist in Amsterdam in the mid 1600s, a lot of his work would have been to create portraits for wealthy clientele in whatever time, pose, or costume they requested. pose or costume they requested. As a result, status, humanity and illusions are all themes of his work. Aquarius draws himself away from Rembrandt, wishing for a moment that he had ventured back to earth sooner, to have met this confident man in person. Another portrait jumps out at Aquarius, though this one is of a woman. Artemisia Gentileschi's self-portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria shows the Renaissance artist depicted as a famous martyr. Like many of her paintings, this one features a strong female figure as the subject. Artemisia's face is crowned by the subtle halo that betrays all portraits of saints. Aquarius peers at the painting, noticing that the artist has crafted the image in such a way

Starting point is 00:29:54 that the eye cannot help but be drawn to her face. The contrast of the light on her face with the dark background encourages the viewer to take in the stern look and powerful gaze of the artist-come-subject. Artemisia Gentileschi was one of the few female painters to reach a high standing during the Renaissance period. She learned painting from her father and taught it to her daughter as well. Though she was popular and successful during her time, she was forgotten for several centuries. It's only in the past 50 years that her work has become recognized for its excellence and merit. She has had a renaissance of her own, 400 years after her life.

Starting point is 00:31:13 Aquarius continues his journey through the building, getting lost in the maze of the gallery. Every beautiful room has high ceilings and is filled to the brim with masterpieces. He feels like he can waft through the rooms in an art-filled rays, like the mist off a pasture in the early morning. The wide rooms occasionally feature benches in front pieces of art at their own pace. Groups of schoolchildren pass by Aquarius like schools of colorful fish from the tropics. They whisper to one another and point at the paintings, their eyes wide with wonder and excitement. Aquarius smiles to himself as they go past, thinking that his face has probably mirrored theirs at many points during the day. The groups of schoolchildren are all watched over by a teacher who splits their attention between the art and their charges. They remind Aquarius of mother hens watching over their broods.

Starting point is 00:33:11 His favorite thing is when two strangers end up in front of the same picture. They will admire it for some time, both wrapped up in their own personal experiences. Then, just before they walk away, their eyes will find one another, and they will smile. It's as if they have just shared some small precious secret. if they have just shared some small precious secret. Aquarius cannot help but think that art galleries such as this would not be nearly as wonderful if you had to visit them on your own. He sees older folks sitting on benches next to university students and thinks about the way great art transcends age and experience. He watches budding artists making their own sketches, studying at the feet of

Starting point is 00:34:27 masters who lived centuries ago. Aquarius doesn't know how long he has spent in the National Gallery, but once he exits the final room and makes his way back outside, the sun is beginning to set. The cloudy winter sky above London is splashed with oranges and pinks. Aquarius looks across Trafalgar Square. It still boasts quite a few people, though there are fewer than this morning. Admiral Nelson looks down from his column near the centre of the square. The fountain is currently free from its usual ring of tourists. There are four plinths in the square, though only three of them hold the traditional brass statues expected.

Starting point is 00:35:48 The Fourth Plinth has hosted modern art installations since 1999, bringing a sense of London's current identity to an area so steeped in history. The cooler weather and encroaching night are drawing people into many of the light-filled pubs and restaurants of the A golden warmth spills from their windows onto the London streets. Aquarius watches people move through the city and the traffic glides slowly around the square. Every few cars are interrupted by a large red double-decker London bus, carrying Londoners here and there. Humanity bustles around him, and Aquarius can feel a hum in the air. He and his siblings have watched so many changes on earth happen from afar. Even taking one day to come down and visit is a joy.

Starting point is 00:37:30 one day to come down and visit is a joy. Humanity is capable of so many incredible things Aquarius thinks to himself. From beautiful buildings filled with thousands of incredible pieces of art, to cities bustling with life, and even the ability to form a connection with a stranger simply by observing the same painting. Aquarius takes a deep breath and releases it with joy as a crescent moon peeks over the buildings. You You You You I'm going to go ahead and start the video. You You You You The I'm going to go ahead and close the video. You You You You The You You You you

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - Aquarius’ Dreamy Day on Earth

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