Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - The Children of Bastet

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey friends, for the best Get Sleepy experience, be sure to check out our supporters feed Get Sleepy Premium for our free listening weekly bonus episodes and access to our entire catalogue. Now, a quick word from our sponsors who make the free version of this show possible. Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy. I'm your host, Thomas. Thank you so much for listening. If you're new to the show, then let me take a brief moment to tell you how it works. It's quite simple really. You just pick an episode, press play, and make yourself comfortable in bed.

Starting point is 00:00:57 I'll begin with a short relaxation to help you settle in. Then either I or one of my fellow narrators will read you a soothing bedtime story designed to gently grasp your attention and help you ease into a good night's rest. Tonight you'll be hearing the voice of Abbey as we take a trip to Ancient Egypt, where we'll meet the children of the cat goddess Bastet. The story was written by a Shea, and I hope you enjoy listening. Remember you can drift off at any time. After all, you can come back another night and pick up wherever you left off. So, take a moment with me now, to transition into the peace and stillness of the night, of the night, relaxing your body and quietening your mind. If you need to make any adjustments to ensure you're as comfortable as can be in your bed,

Starting point is 00:02:21 go ahead and do so. Then when you're ready, allow your eyes to gently close and bring your attention to the breath. Follow the air in through the nostrils, expanding the chest and stomach, and then easing back out through your nose or mouth. Try to consciously slow the breath even if it's just by a fraction. Feel how your body and mind follow suit, relaxing further into the stillness of this moment. If you sense any tension still lingering within or busyness of thoughts, then on your next inhale, tell yourself that you are letting go of tension. Breathing calm.

Starting point is 00:04:16 Exhale and release tension. attention. Continue with this gentle rhythm, encouraging a greater sense of calm to wash And as your body continues to get comfortable in your present environment, allow your mind to be transported to ancient Egypt's house of Bastet. This is where our story begins. Many centuries have passed since the children of Bastet last met. It's impossible to say with any accuracy how many pharaohs have fallen since that time, or how many times the Nile has flooded its banks. They were merely children the last time they were in each other's company. They were born together, their mother's only litter. She fed each of the five of them the same warm milk. Her rough tongue licked them all clean from the tips of their ears to the ends of their tails. When they fought, she would pick

Starting point is 00:06:14 them up by the fur of their neck and separate them from each other. Like that was so long ago, and Bastet's children are no longer kittens. They meet deep in the heart of their mother's temple, which is surrounded on three sides by branches of the River Nile. Inside, the hieroglyphics on the walls are painted in vibrant reds and greens. Alabaster figures and masterfully craft statuettes of buster line the rooms. Thick pillars hold up the ceiling, and the walls a heavy stone. But even that is not enough to muffle the noise of the worshippers outside. The humans sing and wave sticks of burning incense in front of their noses.

Starting point is 00:07:12 They dance in the streets, and for one night only, they take on the guises of their gods. Their Pharaoh is born to his last resting place by a barge, rowing silently across the still surface of the river. Inside the temple, the Pharaoh's place has been prepared. This one refused to be honored with a pyramid to house a tomb of his own. Instead, as a devoted worshipper of the Cat Goddess,

Starting point is 00:07:47 he would only see himself ushered into eternity by Bastet's own servants. His procession is still hours away. Before he arrives, Bastet's children have time to slip forwards from the shadows and observe each other from opposite sides of the room. Iset is the first to appear, never passing up an opportunity to take centre-state. She is round-eyed and long-legged. Each step of her poor is gentle and graceful as Henners' dances' choreography.

Starting point is 00:08:32 Next comes Mahas, the eldest. His body is sinewy, his eyes sharp, and his ears constantly raised to attention. He hisses at his sister, but she only flicks her tail at him in response. Arman reveals himself next. His fur is well groomed, especially around his head, bearing her close resemblance to a small lion's mane. He blinks slowly and lowers his head to rest on his forepours. Hurt Haroo joins them, her tail and whiskers are long and her nose twitches as she takes in the sense of her siblings. Finally, comes the one they would have forgotten about. Little Serapis, who settles down in the corner

Starting point is 00:09:36 without a fuss. It is a wonder to see these five liturates together again at last. They are five African wildcats in their mother's temple. And then in the blink of an eye, the wildcats are gone, and there are five beautiful, dark, tall humans, each with an indescribably feline air about them. They eye each other wearily, but without the need for words. They all know why they are here. Their mother has called for them. The Pharaoh approaches, and he requires an escort to the afterlife. Bustet would trust none but her children with leading the Pharaoh to the field of offerings, but the God-esque could not choose which of the five deserved the honour. It was up to

Starting point is 00:10:41 each of them to try to convince their mother. Iset steps forwards again. She has a glow of mesmerizing beauty about her. Looking into her eyes is like gazing into starlight. With characteristic feline indifference, she yorns before she speaks, as though there was somewhere else she would rather be. Then, when she is ready, she addresses Buster. She tells of how she has been kept as an honoured guest at the Pharaoh's palace. She was given as a gift

Starting point is 00:11:27 to the Pharaoh's favourite daughter, and now she lives just as well as the princess. The palace servants, Thai gold necklaces around her neck. She is given silver unks and jade scarab beetles to hang from her ears and tail. They sweeten her breath with the finest rose and lemon oed. Every morning, a maid brushes her fur three thousand times. The gentle feel of the bristles running over her spine sent chills through her body that make her purr. They place a high chair with a silk cushion at the dining table and let her eat off the Pharaoh's own plate, and the food is always served from a banquet of dreams. Whatever tastes she desires,

Starting point is 00:12:29 the palace cooks place before her. Iset is the gem of the palace and the envy of streetcats. She's already sat in the Pharaoh's lap many times. Of course, it should be her who leads him to the field of offerings. As I set finishes her speech, her siblings share a look between them while her back is turned.

Starting point is 00:12:59 They are not surprised at Isat's gloating and they do not think their mother, Buster, will be impressed. Isis Glossifur and bejeweled tale grow back, returning her to cat form. Although her siblings would not admit it, she is just as magnificent as she described herself to be. Mahas takes Isis' place. It is hard to keep eyes on his human face. He always seems half-bathed in shadow. Nevertheless, he is a comforting presence like the warm darkness of nighttime. Before he says a word, he unfurls every muscle in his body in a very cat-like stretch. His whole body is alert, ready to move at a moment's notice.

Starting point is 00:14:03 And then he speaks to Bustand. He tells her that he is the best hunter that Egypt has ever known. No prey has ever escaped him because he knows how to go unseen when he so wishes. He lives by night, but with his sharp eyes, darkness is no disadvantage to him when he hunts. He moves so silently, he's like the breath of the wind. When he pounces, it is as though gravity loses hold of him and he flies. And there is no one who is as patient as him. He can stalk prey and lie and wait for days before he reaps his reward. And while he waits, he practices the breath of the hunter. waits, he practices the breath of the hunter, deep breaths in, and slow exhale that allow his body and mind to relax. The Pharaoh will be in need of protection, and who better to ensure his safe passage than Mahez himself?

Starting point is 00:15:34 Master's other children wrinkle their noses at the description of their eldest siblings, triumphs and feasts. They know their mother is far too gentle to ever put her faith in a predator. That is more the domain of Bustet's counterpart, the Cat Goddess, warrior queen, Sechmet. Before anyone can even notice his move,, Mah has shifts back into cat form and disappears into the temple shadows. Armin is next to come forward. He wears a gentle smile on his lips and hums a sleepy tune. Everything about him is like a lullaby that fills anyone who passes him by with an overwhelming sense of calm. Even in human form, arm and drops

Starting point is 00:16:40 to all fours and curls his legs around his body, as if he were about to go to sleep right there. Instead, he blinks slowly and scratches behind his ear, and only then begins his speech. He reminds Buster to have how, in times long past, he was the ferocious lion. He terrorized the world with his roar, his claws and his bite. He had been a proud and angry beast who believed himself invincible. But one day he went on a rampage through Egypt that eventually led him right here to his mother's temple. He wished to storm in and break her doors down and tear her shrines apart just to show how strong he was.

Starting point is 00:17:48 But the River Nile that surrounded Bustet's temple on three sides confused the lion, Armin. He could not think of how to pass over to Dryland. But he was a great beast and this was only a little water. He had conquered greater foes. So he tried to swim across. But at Bustets Command the river waters raged and swirled. Armin fought through, and when he made it to the other side, drenched and humiliated, he was no longer a lion, but a small African wildcat. He had learned his lesson, and now he never sought a fight. Temples had been built to commemorate Armin's newfound peacefulness.

Starting point is 00:18:52 It was important for the Pharaoh's soul to be at peace in order to gain entry into the field of offerings. He would be the Pharaoh's best guide. I sit and Mahas both yowl and disapproval as Arman finishes his tale. He's too do not agree on much, but neither of them much cares for their peace-loving brother. They preferred him when he was still a lion. Anyway, surely Bastet had not yet forgiven him for his attempted raid of her temple. As he begins to lick himself clean, Armond tosses his main like head of hair and returns to his true form.

Starting point is 00:19:47 Hutteroo makes her way slowly to the center of the room. She moves like a heavy wave, coming into lap at the shores of a midnight beach. Now that she is in human form, her belly is more apparent. Her round belly is striped with stretch marks in the same pattern as her wild cat fur. She rubs it in such a way as to soothe her unborn kittens to sleep. When she speaks, her voice is a drowsy mule. When all of Bustet's other children left her to go out into the world, Hart Turu was the only one to stay.

Starting point is 00:20:45 Every sunrise, when Egypt's sands became tinged with a golden light of ra, Bustet's father, Hart Tarou entered her mother's sanctuary. On her back, she would carry a lighted candle to all the corners of the room. Hart Tarou would then lead the priests in their prayers and hymns. She would take the effigies from the shrines, and with all the gentle care of a daughter, washing her mother's back, she would anoint Bustet's image in paint and holy oils.

Starting point is 00:21:25 Then, she would change the effigies clothing, draping them in fine, spun silk and golden veil. She would place meals around for her mother, fruit, vegetables, and freshly baked bread. The delicious sense of those dishes would waft up to the heavens and say she ate Bustet's hunger. Hart Tarou ends her speech by declaring her intentions to model her own motherhood after Bustet's instruction. She would forever enfold her kittens in her warm embrace, and she would treat the Pharaoh

Starting point is 00:22:15 as one of her own. Only a devoted daughter and expectant mother, such as she could be trusted to bring the Pharaoh to the field of offerings. Her siblings bristle as hot-teroo's words die into an echo. They do not appreciate the insinuation that they are less devoted to Buster than she is. But they're not worried because they know Buster's instinct is to protect all mothers and the journey to the afterlife is certainly too dangerous to send Hut Haru in her present state. to send Hut Teru in her present state. Hans Kradling her belly Hut Teru lowers herself to the ground at the feet of Bustet statue.

Starting point is 00:23:16 When she's a wild cat again, she reclines back with a look of pride. reigns back with a look of pride. I said, Mahas, Arman and Hutteroo all perk up their ears in close attention now as they wait for their mother's verdict. They have all presented themselves before her. Now it is up to her to make her choice. The youngest of Bustet's children, Serapis, draws no attention to himself as he comes forward to address his mother, he knows that his siblings have forgotten about him, or else already discounted him as a threat. He has always been the most unimpressive of the litter.

Starting point is 00:24:20 When they were kittens, his four siblings would scramble over him and knock him out of their path. Although Bastit herself always remembered him, even through the haze of her mother's love, she struggled to see anything remarkable in her youngest child. Sarapis speaks quietly as though he is already apologizing for his voice, disturbing his mother's peace. He does not tell her anything she doesn't already know. He tells her that he is the youngest and the smallest. And unlike his sibling, he has not yet made a name for himself in Egypt.

Starting point is 00:25:10 There are no palaces that serve him, and there are no temples that he serves. His prey does not fear him, nor has he ever made peace. Surapis tells Bastard that he likes to spend his time crouched beneath the stalls of the bazaar. He learns from the streetcats who use their sharp claws to swipe food and hiss at anyone who gets to a near. He listens to the humans, especially recently, when all they've spoken about is the health of the pharaoh. He tells her that he likes to watch the world because he still feels that he has a lot to learn. He has learned much simply by coming here today and listening to his sibling speak. He thanks his mother for including him, but he does not think he should be the one to escort the Pharaoh to the field of offerings.

Starting point is 00:26:22 He is not ready. At some point, Serapis's speech did gain his siblings' attention. Now, they can barely contain their laughter as he regains cat form. Poor little Serapis. he never had a chance. Once the eldest four recover from their amusement, the halls of the House of Buster to blanket it in silence. Only the slow drip of melting candle wax disturbs the peacefulness in the air. The noise from outside has gotten louder, as the Pharaoh's procession gets ever closer to the temple doors. Iset sits with her back straight like feline royalty. Mahas digs his claws into the ground with a hunter's anticipation.

Starting point is 00:27:32 Armin flicks his tail with the nonchalance of a much older cat. Hutta Roo bows her head still a kitten in the shadow of her mother's image. Surrapid watches. A rumbling pear fills the temple, shaking the pillars and walls. Four of the five African wildcats feel bust its eyes sweep over them appraisingly. Her gaze is like the brush of the wind. It is there and then it's not. And then a golden glow descends upon Bastet's youngest. Surapest his eyes widen as he regards his halo. His siblings' gars been disbelief. But there has been no mistake.

Starting point is 00:28:42 He has been no mistake, he has been chosen. The one with the most to learn. Bustet knows that neither beauty nor bravery, neither peace nor piety, will be of use on the path to the field of offerings. The one to lead her beloved Pharaoh must be observant and adaptable, and most of all, humble. No one dares to protest against Buster's decision. They can already hear the steps of the Pharaoh's retinue, descending the temple staircase. The golden aura around Seraphis spreads to also sway the Pharaoh's final resting place in its life. The doorway opens there where his sarcophagus will be laid. The siblings squint, unable to discern what lies beyond the doorway. Only Sirapha sees what is on the other side, but he doesn't say a word. 1 by 1, I said, Mahas, Arman and Hutteroo, file past their youngest sibling. Iset shakes off one of her gold bangles and lays it at his feet, in case he needs it for

Starting point is 00:30:29 his journey. Mahas gives him a nod of approval. Arman playfully bites at his left ear. dear. Hart Tarou roughly licks the spot of fair clean so that he's presentable for the Pharaoh. And then the eldest children of Bastard step out of Seraphah's way. He walks forward on his own toward the golden doorway where he waits to meet the Pharaoh you ... you ... ... you you you ... you you you you you 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. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing.

Starting point is 00:36:27 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. ... ... you you you you you you you

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - The Children of Bastet

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