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

Starting point is 00:00:00 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 7 days by following the link in the episode notes. Now, a quick word from our sponsors. Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy. My name's Thomas, and it's so lovely to have your company. Remember as well as listening here on the podcast feed, you can find all our Monday and Wednesday episodes on our YouTube channel. There, our soothing stories are accompanied by equally soothing visuals, and it's a great place to connect

Starting point is 00:01:05 with us and with fellow listeners, and to leave comments on your favorite episodes. There's a link to it in the show notes, or you can simply search for us on YouTube and hit subscribe on our channel. Tonight we join the third sign of the zodiac, the Gemini twins. They are the patrons of travelers and sailors who will take us around both the modern and ancient Aegean Sea. This is part of a series of 12 stories we're releasing on a monthly basis. The first two followed Aries and Taurus, so if you enjoy listening tonight and you haven't heard those ones yet, you can always

Starting point is 00:01:56 go back and listen to them anytime you'd like. They're all beautifully written by Frankie, who we're blessed to have on the Get Sleepy writing team. So, settle into the comfort of your bed and allow your breathing to fall into a so relaxed and consistent pattern. An adventure with these inquisitive Gemini brothers requires us to prepare before we set off. before we set off. As you lie in your bed, imagine it is a calm, glassy sea that cradles you gently. Your body is completely relaxed as you float on the surface, allowing the soothing waters to wash of your unique and beautiful body. Like a heated pool, the water is a warm temperature that soaks into your muscles,

Starting point is 00:03:39 releasing them from their long day of hard work. As much as your body needs these moments of rest, so does your mind. As the water laps gently at your head, let it absorb the thoughts that have been swimming there all day. Allow the thoughts to float away on the subtle tide. You don't need them now and they will find their way back in the morning when you do. For now, listen to the sound of distant waves as they wash onto a sandy beach. The water is crystal clear aquamarine and the warm sun is bright yellow. These waters have been traveled by intrepid sailors for thousands of years, and you are about to embark on them in the company of two such heroes. The Gemini twins stand on the beach ready and waiting to start their next adventure.

Starting point is 00:05:33 This is where our story begins. Caster and Pollux wiggle their toes in the golden sand of the beach and take in a view that they have not seen in many years. The Aegean Sea stands before them, beckoning them to ride across the waves, as they did in ancient times. These two are divine twins, and chose long ago to spend eternity together in the stars, to spend eternity together in the stars when their mortal lives as heroes had come to an end. Now they have returned, lured back to Earth by their inquisitive minds and their insatiable taste for discovery. Like the sea, they are versatile, adaptable, and changeable.

Starting point is 00:07:22 In fact, there have never been two more charismatic and sociable twins. They have decided to start their travels near the ancient home of Sparta. When they were mortal men, they were princes of Sparta. They had two twin sisters, the clever Clytemnestra and the famously beautiful Helen. Though they now have eleven zodiac siblings in the heavens, they remember their earthly sisters with fondness. They recall the way the four of them would play in the water of this very beach, chasing one another and searching the tide pools for interesting creatures. In those days, Sparta was a great city-state, powerful and plentiful. It sat on the western edge of the ancient Greek world, bridging the gap between the

Starting point is 00:08:41 Aegean and the wider Mediterranean Sea. They have always had a deep love of the sea and sailing, which is why they have been patrons of sailors for many years. For centuries after they made their home in the stars, castor and pollocks have been respected by the brave humans who venture across the waters of the world. Occasionally, the twins would appear to sailors as a sign of good fortune before impending storms in the form of beautiful electrical discharge. This phenomenon appears as a blue glow from the ship's masts or other rod-like objects. In the modern age, it is known as St. Elmo's Fire. Now, the twins have created a ship for themselves, smooth and sleek with bright yellow sails. Many things about shipbuilding have changed since their legendary quest for the Golden Fleece

Starting point is 00:10:19 with Jason and his agronauts so long ago. but they have still named their vessel the Argo in memory of that adventure. The wind picks up and tells them it is time to begin. them, it is time to begin. Laughing and teasing one another, they dive into the refreshingly cool waters and swim to the new Argo. As they walk the deck, preparing for their voyage, As they walk the deck, preparing for their voyage, they call to one another, each one always trying to make his brother laugh. They set sail, and the Aegean welcomes them back like an old friend. The first spot the twins make land is Athens. In ancient times, the twins knew the peninsula under the name of Attica when young Theseus was king. They pull their ship into the port of Piraeus

Starting point is 00:11:52 and make their way into the city. Pollux and Castor are amazed and astounded by the way the city has changed. They take great joy in stopping and talking to people, discovering the history and stories of the city, bit by bit. it. They make their way to the Acropolis, finding endless enjoyment in wandering through the marble cobbled streets and peeking are ones that they remember well. Thousands of years of tourists, worshippers, and pilgrims have worn the stones smoother than any tool could. When they arrive at the top, they don't see ancient ruins, but the grand splendor of Athena's greatest temple that once stood.

Starting point is 00:13:18 They wander between columns and under arches, occasionally reminding one another of the statue that used to stand just here, or the mosaic that was over there. They descend from the site with the warm glow of nostalgia in their bellies and make for the ship. Castor and Pollux set sail for the first place they stopped with Jason and the Argonauts, the island of Lemnos. When they last visited, the island was populated entirely by women due to the interference of the goddess Aphrodite. Currently, it is home to all kinds of Greeks. The twins lay anchor on the western edge of the island andled with the dark green of wild olive trees. They make for a small valley between the hills, pausing now and then to point out a feature of the landscape, playfully debating whether or not they recognize it

Starting point is 00:15:08 from millennia past. The sun caresses their skin as they hike, following a small stream through the valley. The stream gets steadily wider and stronger as they venture further inland. At one point, Castor grabs his brother's arm to stop him and points to a pool father's arm to stop him and points to a pool fed by the stream. As they watch, small turtles sunbathe and swim in the shallow water. The little reptiles watch the brothers with interest. Their gold and green, water-streaked shells glisten in the sunlight. The brothers watch for a few minutes, until a man and his dog come down the trail in the opposite direction. Caster and Pollux wave the man over and point out the colony of turtles. His dog, a tan and white collie, sniffs in the direction of the turtles, clearly perplexed.

Starting point is 00:16:56 They leave the man, the dog, and the turtles with many bouts of laughter and waving of hands as a path between the hills. Finally they arrive at their destination, a crystal clear waterfall that runs between the white rocks. In the shade of the valley, the water remains cool. They dip their toes in the running water and play a game of riddles. Each brother tries to outdo the other with the silliest answer until Caster slips and tumbles into the water, which only makes Pollux laugh even harder. Pollux helps pull his brother out of the stream, and they make their way back to the shore.

Starting point is 00:18:26 Back on the sea, their ship cuts through the surf like a knife through warm butter. It moves impossibly fast, catching the wind in its cheerful yellow sails. They leave the Aegean behind and follow their old course towards where the great city of Troy once stood in the east. When they were mortal men, they never had the chance to visit Troy, but sailed by with the other members of the Argonauts. As they sail up the Dardanelles Strait and past the place where Troy was, their thoughts turn to their sister, Helen, and the story of her life. She was said to be the most beautiful woman in the ancient world, but they knew her merely as a sister, sweet and funny from a young age.

Starting point is 00:19:44 sweet and funny from a young age. The Dardanal Strait leads to the Sea of Mamara, which was called the Proppontis many years ago. As the new Argo comes out of the strait, it heads along the southeastern coast of the sea. The second place Castor and Pollux landed when they followed this path with Jason was a small peninsula called Bear Mountain as it sticks out into the water in the shape of a bear. The company of the Argonauts was received and given a feast by the locals, who were all descendants of Poseidon, the god of the sea. The spot is now part of Turkiya and has since seen many centuries of history.

Starting point is 00:20:59 Unable to resist, castor and pollocks anchor their ship in a small bay on the north side of the peninsula. A village rests in the bay between green hills, white sand, and water so clear so clear, it looks like living glass. Castor and Pollux swim easily to the shore. Being brothers, they decide to race to land and both collapse on the little beach. Pollux is certain he won, but Castor asserts that is only because his brother had a head start. They allow the sun to dry them and revel in the feeling of sand beneath their bodies. It is several long minutes before they get up, brush sand from themselves and each other, and walk to the village.

Starting point is 00:22:29 They find a small cafe with two round tables outside. An elderly couple sits at one table. Pollux and Castor immediately introduce themselves and take great joy in asking the locals if they are still descendants of Poseidon. They laugh and invite the brothers to sit with them for a while. The couple regales them with the history of the area and stories from their own long lives. Not to be outdone, the twins tell them about their current sailing trip. Hours pass in happy company before the twins set off again, waving goodbye to their new friends, and racing back to the water. The brothers return to the ship and smile at one another as they again prepare to weigh anchor. There are many stories about who was the father of the mortal men Pollux and Castor. It could have been Tindra Reus, the noble king of Sparta, but it also could have been Zeus, king of the gods. Some people even the other the son of the king.

Starting point is 00:24:29 Castor and Pollux never paid too much mind to these stories when they were mortal men. All that matters to them is that they are brothers. is that they are brothers. The modern Argo floats along the surface of the Sea of Memara as beautifully as a swan on a lake. The Gemini twins continue along the southern coast of the sea. Though many years have passed, the landscapes remain the same. The rolling green hills and the pale beaches remain largely unchanged over time. Sometimes, there is an unfamiliar city or town glinting in the sun as a signpost to the new age of humans.

Starting point is 00:25:40 There is one spot they pass that rekindles a memory in both brothers. It's the spot where the Argonauts landed, and where Heracles, the greatest of all heroes, left their party to continue on his own great adventure. their party to continue on his own great adventure. From talking to humans during their trip, they know that the stories of Heracles are still alive and well. The twins remember him as a brave man and a loyal friend. They hope that his legacy as a hero will live on throughout the ages to come. Pollux lies on the bow of the ship, enjoying the combination of the baking heat and the cold sea spray. He gazes at the land slipping by. He knows that this land they travel past now was once a great kingdom where he himself wrestled the king in a match

Starting point is 00:27:09 of strength. He chuckles to himself at the memory, marveling at the things the young will do for fun. for fun. Caster walks over to him and, as if reading his brother's thoughts, pretends to wrestle an invisible opponent. Pollux bursts into laughter at his brother's pantomime. The brothers make for the Bosphorus Strait, the narrow waters that lead from the Sea of Mamara to the Black Sea. When they sailed with the Argonauts, they went too far north and happened upon the Harpies. Though the story of the Harpies turned out well for the Argonauts and Phineas, the seer they rescued from these birdwomen, the Gemini twins twins are not eager to visit that site and relive the experience. The Bosphorus now holds no such dangers, it's just home to

Starting point is 00:28:41 the city of Istanbul. Pollux and Castor have been looking forward to reaching this city for some time. The city was known first as Byzantium, which comes from the name of Beisus, another child of Poseidon. It then became Constantinople in honor of a Roman emperor, before settling as Istanbul in the past century. The city has played a major role in history for over 2,000 years. It now stands as one of the largest cities in the world with an incredibly rich culture and history. Its location on the Bosphorus Strait made it a key trade route for the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires. As soon as the twins dock their ship and enter the city properly. They are struck by its unique and beautiful architecture. They can read millennia of history just by walking around the city and looking at the buildings. The usual playful and inquisitive nature of the twins leads them from one beautiful sight

Starting point is 00:30:32 to another. They visit the Hagia Sophia, one of the largest places of worship in the world, and the Hippodrome of Constantinople, which can host tens of thousands of spectators. Eachuity and creativity that have passed. Pollux practically has to drag Caster out of the grand, columned interior of the Basilica Cistern to return to the ship. system to return to the ship. The day is winding down, and although their ship moves at a magically fast pace, they still have up the Bosphorus Strait for the Black Sea. This part of their journey was perhaps one of the most exciting when they made it with their fellow Argonauts. At the time, there were two huge stones at the entrance to the Black Sea

Starting point is 00:32:19 that were repeatedly smashed together by the wind and water. A ship that wanted to get to the Black Sea had to be incredibly fast to make it through. The twins and the other Argonauts had full sails and the power of every single hero at the oars, except one. Orpheus, who was blessed with an incredible musical talent, sat at the stern. He was the only one who could see the stones and trace their progress. and trace their progress. And due to his gift, he was able to motivate his fellow Argonauts to row with incredible speed through the smashing stones and safely into the Black Sea. As a result of their adventure, the stones came to rest and never moved again. Caster and Pollux can practically hear the clear, lovely voice of Orpheus singing to his mates as they pass through the shadows of the huge stones. The sun is dipping lower in the sky, warming the color of the once-forboding stones

Starting point is 00:34:02 and casting a sepia filter on their memories. As their new Argo passes into the Black Sea, the sound of the waves around them brings up memories of the cheers that went up from the Argonauts when they made it another step closer to their destination. That expedition was many years ago, but it was the one that assured Pollux and Castor the title of heroes. The way they courageously followed Jason, their leader, through many trials to the Golden Fleece, outlined not only their but also their loyalty and honor. It was that journey that convinced Zeus, the King of the Gods, that they deserved a home in the heavens after they had finished their time on Earth as mortal men.

Starting point is 00:35:32 earth as mortal men. The twins take down their yellow sails and let their ship float in the dark calm waters of the Black Sea. They sit on the bow, enjoying a simple, yet delicious meal of bread, olives, and cheese, as the sun begins its descent. Pollux looks at his brother. He remembers when Zeus offered the two of them their eternal choices. The first option was that Zeus would reveal which one of them was his son and thus a god, and thus a god, and bring that brother to Olympus, while the other was to spend eternity in the beautiful fields of Elysium with his fellow heroes. The second choice was for both brothers to be sent to the stars as part of the zodiac and be together always. The choice had been easy to make. Pollux and Castor told Zeus their decision at the very same moment, hardly even thinking about it. They had spent their time as mortal men together and would not be parted from one another,

Starting point is 00:37:21 even in the heavens. other, even in the heavens. The sun now makes its way towards the western coast of the Black Sea. The sky is clear of clouds, offering an unbroken view of the perfect gradient, from the deep blue of the oncoming night to the fiery orange of the sunset. The sea ripples with glittering motes of light that sparkle in shades of red, orange, gold, and pink. The brothers watch the world darken, and the stars come out. In the blink of an eye, the Gemini twins and their Argo burns that much brighter in the heavens. You You You You I'm going to go ahead and start the video. You You You The You You You You The You You You you

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

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.