Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - Dreams of a Warrior Queen

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Starting point is 00:01:27 and sign up, follow the link for Get Sleepy Premium in the show notes, or you can subscribe directly with in Apple podcasts. Thanks so much for your support. Welcome to Get Sleepy. The podcast where we listen, we relax and we get sleepy. I'm Thomas, your host, thanks for tuning in. Tonight, Evie is back to read our story as we return to the library of time and visit ancient Britain, where we'll meet Queen Budica, a folk hero and real life warrior queen. So let's settle in for our story now and let go of any remnants of tension or energy from the day. Begin with some deep breaths, drawing the air in, feeling the chest and stomach rise. Then gently easing the air back out as your diaphragm relaxes back down. Starting at the top of your head, let's just scan over each area of your body, acknowledging any tension, discomfort, excess energy, or

Starting point is 00:03:10 whatever you feel as we go. Continue to breathe deeply and let your focus rest on your head and face for a moment. If there's any tension, allow the calming depth of your breathing to bring a sense of relaxation to your head and face. Then, scan down through the neck and into the shoulders. This is where most of us tend to hold a lot of stress and tension. So spend a moment here, cycling through a couple of deep breaths, allowing that tension to flow away with each exhale. Continue this process as you scan whole top half of your body. Now, focus on your upper legs and allow a greater sense of ease in that area as you breathe. and into the lower legs now. Through the ankles and into the tops of your feet. With one last deep breath in and back out, feel your whole body relax. As you continue making your way to sleep, let your imagination guide you on this adventure

Starting point is 00:06:19 into the past. Our story begins late one night, standing outside a library. It's old, very old, and there's something magical about it. This is the Library of Time. Let's make our way in and see what the Library has in store for us tonight. Standing in front of these doors, you were enchanted by their rich, woody aroma and smooth, glossy finish. Each of the mahogany door frames is bordered by a pattern. It's one that you recognise as a Celtic knot, having no end and no beginning. having no end and no beginning. It's a beautiful design, even more so upon the dark wood. Curious, you reach out a hand and trace your fingers across the endless twists and turns. Together, the two doors meet to form a central picture, a figure carved into the mahogany.

Starting point is 00:08:19 She is a beautiful and formidable woman with a crown upon her head and a mane of curly hair flowing wildly behind her. In one hand she holds a spear, whilst the other is raised in proud defiance. There she stands, magnificent upon a glorious chariot pulled behind two stallions, rearing up on their hind legs. Trailing your fingers over them, you can almost hear them winning. Who is this remarkable woman you wonder? And what stories can be found behind her through these ancient doors? handle. The heavy doors creak open softly. You find yourself on the threshold of a magnificent library. You pause for a moment and take in your surroundings, from the white marble floor to the stunning sunken panels of the coffered ceiling, the walls are made of stone dotted with stained glass windows depicting various scenes.

Starting point is 00:10:01 Daylight shines through them, bringing their pains to life in glorious colours that dance across the ground. You walk forwards now across the smooth floor under the glow of an impressive chandelier, dripping with crystals. In its soothing light, you notice two curving stairways with a golden plaque positioned between them. Curious, you step closer and read aloud the words upon the sign. It says, Welcome to the Library of Time, only the most curious of souls can find this place. Each and every book connects to a different

Starting point is 00:10:59 time and place. While in the past, you will need to be seen or heard. You cannot change the past. After all, you wonder silently? With a smile upon your face, you head up the spiral staircase. Gradually the second floor comes into view, revealing row after row of bookshelves, separated by white marble columns. Each shelf is crowded with books, ancient tones, letting off a familiar scent that is both musky and magical. After casting your eyes around the room, you wandered to the right where a particular book has caught your attention.

Starting point is 00:12:13 Its forest green in colour, with a spine bordered by that same Celtic knot you saw upon the doorframe. There's no title on it's thick spine, only a date, 60 CE. Pulling it down, you are surprised by the velvety softness of its cover and how light it is in your hand. You walk onwards now, pass the rows of shelves and columns that touch the ceiling. You are drawn towards a cozy corner and the gentle glow of light radiating from it. Here you find a mound of cushions positioned directly beneath a skylight in the ceiling. Some of the cushions are the same forest green as the cover of your book. They glow like emeralds under the spotlight of the window.

Starting point is 00:13:27 Others are patterned with bright green tartan and display a crisscross design of blues, whites and reds. You take a seat amongst the cushions, relaxing into them and appreciating the soft woolen texture against your skin. Once you are comfortable, you turn your attention to the book, enjoying the crinkling sound of pages being turned, you begin to read. In 43 CE, the new Emperor Claudius looked to expand the mighty Roman Empire further. King to establish power and regard, he set his sights on the long sought after island

Starting point is 00:14:32 of Britain. Then known as Britannia, it had been inhabited by indigenous tribes since the Iron Age, many of whom are thought to have migrated from what is now Europe. History wore a third of these people collectively as the Celts, but in truth there were great differences among the tribes. Each one had its own kingdom, dialect, customs and traditions. Something that the Celts did share was a reputation for being fierce and warriors. Yet still, they were no match for the power and might of the Roman legions. Upon Claudius' orders, 40,000 troops landed in the southeast of England.

Starting point is 00:15:39 They defeated the Eastern tribes with relative ease. From then on, many of the tribal leaders had few options other than to work with, rather than against their Roman conquerors. One such leader was the king of the Eastern I-Scenini tribe who continued to rule as an independent ally of Rome. Like many of his neighbours, in what is today Norfolk and Suffolk on the southeast coast, his people traded with the Romans and began laying the early foundations of a Romano-British culture. And there was peace, though sadly, it wasn't to last.

Starting point is 00:16:39 When he died, he bequeathed his kingdom to his two daughters and to the Roman Emperor. His wife, Queen Buduka, became sole ruler of the Icini. In Celtic culture, it was possible for a woman to rise to such a rank. To the Romans, however, a woman would never be acknowledged or respected as a leader. And so, they disregarded the peace treaties and annexed the kingdom, taking taking the icing eye by force. But underestimating Buddhika was a mistake. She proved to be a ferocious opponent and a skilled and capable leader. She persuaded local tribes to unite under her rule against their common enemy, the Romans. Fuelled with the fire of vengeance, Buddha commanded a powerful and organised uprising. With each move, she gained new followers and by the time of her final battle, had a

Starting point is 00:18:07 mast and army of 230,000. Ultimately, Buduka and the Icni were unable to stop the Roman conquest of Britain, though it would take another 40 years. She did teach them an important lesson, though, one that shook the great and powerful empire to its core. As Roman statesman and historian Cassius Dio wrote, all this ruin was brought upon the Romans by a woman, a fact which in itself caused them the greatest shame.

Starting point is 00:18:59 The name Budica or Bodhisheia as she is sometimes called comes from the Celtic word meaning victory. And despite her eventual defeat, her legacy seems as victorious as any person might hope for. To this day, she is known as the warrior queen who defied the greatest army in the world. You pause for a moment. What a story you think to yourself. Setting down the book by your side, you place your hands behind your head and look upwards

Starting point is 00:19:49 into the atrium window. Your mind returns to the library door and its central figure, a crowned woman with a sword in one hand and the other arm raised, her wild hair flowing behind her. For just a moment you allow your eyes to close. A strange sensation takes hold of you. At first, it feels as if you're sinking deep into the soft, evergreen cushions beneath you. And then, you are floating through time and space, to a place that feels safe

Starting point is 00:20:51 and familiar, and yet like nowhere you've ever been before. Opening your eyes, you see that same figure you was carved upon the library door. And so you assume you are still daydreaming. Only now, before your very eyes, something seems to be happening. The wood begins to take on colour. The queen's face and body come to life, decorated with the bright blue of Celtic battle paint. Her hair is a fiery red, and her dress is a stunning shade of green tartan, not unlike the pattern pillows on the atrium floor. The chariot she stands upon is gold, and the horses that pull it are chestnut brown. You are utterly transfixed by the beauty and stature of this warrior queen

Starting point is 00:22:11 and the magical transformation taking place before you. Looking down, you see your standing on muddy ground. Fresh air fills your lungs. All around you is the English countryside of centuries past. The air begins to tremble with sound of movement. Behind the two majestic horses, her golden chariot rolls towards you, glistening in the sunlight. She circles the area once and then again, never losing her poise for even a second, despite the somewhat bumpy ride. Her wild mane of long red hair, twists and turns in the wind, dancing about her face. Her tarting cloak below, so round her, pinned at the neckline with a beautiful gold brooch.

Starting point is 00:23:30 As she rides around you, a mischievous smile plays across her face. Eventually the horse is slow and Budacar brings her glorious chariot to a stop, just meters away from where you stand. Up close, she is even more impressive, tall and imposing. Every bit the warrior queen with her face painted in swirling sapphire patterns. She looks in your direction and for a moment you wonder if she can see you. But soon her piercing green eyes move on, looking right through you as if you were invisible. You remember the plaque upon the library wall. While in the past, you will need to be seen nor heard. How wonderful you think to have a front row seat without anyone knowing you are there.

Starting point is 00:24:53 Realising this, something inside of you begins to relax. Your shoulders drop an inch lower and your legs and arms feel free and lightweight You follow the queen as she descends from her chariot and walks ahead Only now do you take a moment to truly study your surroundings to truly study your surroundings. You are standing atop a great dug out hill, or hill fort to be precise, an easily defendable community settlement of Iron Age Britons. Casting your gaze from left to right, you note that much of the settlement is enclosed by a high timber wall. This adds to the feeling of protection that naturally comes from being so high up on the land. From here you have a bird's eye view of the vast acres

Starting point is 00:26:09 of lush green countryside beyond the wall. Immediately beneath the fort are cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, penned in by wooden fences and carefully tended to by men and women. There is also a large crop field where many people are currently at work farming the land. Men cut through the heavy soil with wooden plows pulled by huge plodding oxen, leaving straight lines behind them. Further away, you notice a thin blue strip of water visible under the horizon. You must be on the eastern coast of Britannia where the ice-sceny reside. That means the water is the English channel or the narrow sea as the Romans called it. Even from a distance, its rhythmic tranquil waves greet you like an old friend.

Starting point is 00:27:32 A salty, refreshing scent hangs upon the air. For a moment, you are mesmerized, taking it all in. You are mesmerised, taking it all in. Eventually, your attention shifts to life inside the hill thought. Here the air is filled with the sound of many hands and feet at work and is occasionally peppered with conversation. There are huts or roundhouses, with walls made of earth, stone and timber. Their roofs are rounded and thatched with reeds. Some have animals outside, lounging happily upon sun-soaked grass. Others boast vegetable patches, with rows of cabbages and corn popping up above the ground, climbing towards the patchy daylight.

Starting point is 00:28:42 You walk into the middle of the settlement with round houses on either side. The sounds of life become livelier here. There are people everywhere, happily going about their day, completely unaware of your presence. The men where tunics tied at the waist were the belt, while the women wear floor-length dresses. Both have cloaks of tartan, always the same shades of criss-cross by the Queen. The exact design that decorated the library cushions. In many ways, you were amazed by the quality and style of these fabrics. The colours are so bright and vivid, the lines are so straight, the lines are so straight and the needlework is so smooth. And just as you're imagining how such a material might be made,

Starting point is 00:29:53 you pass a group of women doing that very thing. Near the entrance to a round house, a young woman stirs thread of wool into a barrel full of liquid. It makes a tranquil sound, like the waves of the narrow sea, lapping against the coastal shores. Closer examination reveals that the liquid is an intense shade of blue. As you stand above it, you catch a whiff of the sweet aroma of blueberries. Beside her, another woman stands at a wooden loom, with already dyed thread of green, white, red and blue. Carefully she draws thread across the loom, weeping with expert dexterity and attention

Starting point is 00:31:01 to detail. It's incredible to you that people who lived 2000 years in the past could produce such beautiful and flawless designs. Now you can see first-hand how resourceful and talented they are, and how peaceful they look as they work so diligently. Evidence of the tribe's hard work lies all around you in this ancient village. In the roundhouse just next door you hear the sound of Iron Age tools. Following the sound you enter the hut and find a group of metal workers. One heats a pot of gold upon a sizzling fireplace, before pouring the boiling liquid metal into a large circular mold.

Starting point is 00:32:17 Alongside him, another man flattens a strip of cooled gold with his hammer, making the rhythm of clinks and clangs. The third man has the most labour intensive job of all, though his face doesn't show it. With the use of his iron and leather tools, he hammer strips of flattened gold around a circular piece, causing them to twist and turn. The result is stunning, a coiled golden neck ring or torque necklace fit for the Celtic elite. You've never seen jewelry quite like it before. Wandering onwards, you pass many more roundhouses, observing various scenes outside and in. There are metal workers making shields and swords ready for battle. Occasionally, you see children crafting wooden slingshots and then firing them at nearby targets.

Starting point is 00:33:40 There's an elderly woman sitting cross-legged at a large pottery wheel. She spins it using a wooden stick. With wet hands, she smooths andchaping clay is transformed into an elegant bowl. You watch her for some time as you find this peaceful scene to be quite soothing. The air is lovely out here. It's cool and refreshing with a hint of something tantalising. You track the mouth-watering scent past homes and villages until you arrive at a big, rounded hut.

Starting point is 00:34:48 This particular roundhouse seems larger and grander than the rest, and it soon becomes clear why. This is the residence of the Celtic Queen herself. Stepping inside, you find a warm and cozy room heated by a wooden fire pit in the middle of the floor. Sick cloud of smoke rise upwards, escaping through a gap in the thatched roof above, leaving only the aroma of cooking food behind. The floor is lined with luxurious furs.

Starting point is 00:35:41 Reaching down, you notice how soft they feel against your skin. Malthus are positioned among mounds of golden straw. It's bedding, you realise, for the warrior queen and her daughters. You see them now, seated around the fireplace. The queen serves a frequent meat stew from a cauldron at the fire. Bowls are soon filled with succulent meats and fresh aromatic vegetables. You take a ladle and a bowl and help yourself to a serving. And then you sit down upon the first, ready to dine amongst the Celtic royal family.

Starting point is 00:36:44 The stew is full of colourful homegrown leeks and cabbage, parsnips and carrots. You take a bite of the rich and hearty food. As the flavours dance around your tongue, you detect the tang of wild garlic and parsley too. It's a meal that fills you with comfort and warmth and makes you think of family and home. Beside you, Buduka and her daughters enjoy the last few mouthfuls of their dinner before placing the empty bowls upon a low standing wooden table behind them. From there they pick up goblets of homemade meat, which they sit happily. The aroma is honey sweet. The women talk merrily, sharing details of their day, their faces glowing in the blaze of firelight.

Starting point is 00:38:07 Only now do you notice that Budhaka herself is wearing a golden torque necklace, even nicer than the one you saw earlier. Countless bands are braided around its ornate heavy base, and its ends are decorated with intricate Celtic knots. Her bright blue war paint has been carefully removed and her tarting cloak now hangs upon the wall. The warrior queen is even more striking when her face is illuminated by the golden flames. Her hair is a mass of fiery red curls and her piercing eyes sparkle like polished emeralds. You can imagine the fearsome spirit that lies within her. But there is also a kindness and tenderness to her demeanor that you hadn't noticed before. She is undoubtedly the warrior queen, but in the privacy of her home, she is also a loving

Starting point is 00:39:40 mother. The girls talk happily about their day at the fort and Buda Kershere's stories from her adventures further afield. Her eyes shine as do the swords and shields position position against the roundhouse walls and her words lift spirits around the room. As you listen quietly, she tells her daughters that she plans to meet with the leaders of other local tribes to persuade them to join the Icni. She will then defeat the Roman enemy for her girls and all her people. This she says as a matter of fact while spreading the hair of her eldest daughter. What a privilege it is to watch this scene unfold around you. How relaxed and content you feel here. Little do you know that nightfall is about to bring even more happy surprises.

Starting point is 00:41:12 Seeing that the sky above has darkened, Boutica leads her daughters out of the house. In the nearby grass, they lay side by side. Joining them, you gaze upwards just as they do into a night sky gleaming with stars. You know that the Celts have a great reverence and respect for the stars, and you listen as they speak of the changing patterns and positions of constellations in hushed soothing tones. Budica points to the North Star. This is the place Celtic souls will ascend in the afterlife, following the twisting stairway of stars below it.

Starting point is 00:42:20 Here upon the grass, with a nighttime air brushing across your face, you are utterly at peace. Letting your eyes drift closed, you notice how light your body feels. so light that you are floating, transported through time and space, backed the library where this adventure first began. The glass ceiling of the atrium now separates you from the starfields night. And the greenery beneath you is that of the plush velvety cushions rather than the grass outside Budicus Roundhouse. Resting on a tarting cushion beside you, your book has fallen open to a central page. It's a picture of the warrior queen and her daughters. You look upon it with a smile, thinking to yourself that it doesn't quite do her justice. The real person is much more impressive.

Starting point is 00:44:10 Then, closing the book, you sink into the soft cushions and lay your thoughts to rest beside them. dreamy slumber. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room.

Starting point is 00:45:00 I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. ... I'm going to do a little bit of the work. I'm going to do a little bit of the work. I'm going to do a little bit of the work. I'm going to do a little bit of the work. I'm going to do a little bit of the work. I'm going to do a little bit of the work. I'm going to do a little bit of the work. I'm going to do a little bit of the work.

Starting point is 00:45:36 I'm going to do a little bit of the work. I'm going to do a little bit of the work. I'm going to do a little bit of the work. I'm going to do a little bit of the work. I'm going to do a little bit of the work. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing.

Starting point is 00:46:02 I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. ... ... ... ... ... ... I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room.

Starting point is 00:48:20 I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. ... ... ... you ... ... ... ... ... ... ... you you

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - Dreams of a Warrior Queen

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