Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - The Origin of Snowflakes

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. My name is Thomas and I'm your host. Thanks so much for tuning in. Tonight's episode is a story within a story. A mother tells her young daughter a tale about why every snowflake is unique. There are of course scientific reasons for the differences between snowflakes. As a flake falls through the air, it's affected by the humidity and vapor in the atmosphere.

Starting point is 00:01:07 But for as long as we can trace back, humans have invented stories about the phenomena around snowflakes. There are myths about the sun and moon, the Milky Way, the elements of fire, earth, wind and water, and the snow. In just a moment, we'll listen to one of these myths, as Jessica reads to us. Thank you to Alexandra for penning this beautiful tale. Do you want to hear even more Get Sleepy episodes? Receive weekly bonuses and listen completely ad-free, all while supporting the ongoing production of the show. Well, my friends, I would love for you to try our supporters' feed, Get Sleepy Premium.

Starting point is 00:02:02 It's the best place to listen to Get Sleepy as you'll have access to our entire catalogue of nearly 650 stories and meditations. There are tons of extra long episodes and series stitches on there too, which our premium supporters adore. Thursday nights are extra special on the premium feed, because we release an exclusive episode for our supporters every single Thursday. Like tomorrow when I'll be reading an original Win Tree Fairytale about a prince and princess that bring joy to their castle while exploring their musical talents. The first seven days of your premium subscription are free, and you can cancel at any time. You can also gift a subscription to a friend or loved one

Starting point is 00:02:54 this Christmas or any time of the year. A gift that will truly show your love, care, and thought towards their well-being. For more information on all of our plans and on gift subscriptions, visit GetSleep.com-support or just follow the link in the show notes. Thanks so much everyone. Okay, my friends, it's time to relax and on wind now so we can really enjoy it tonight's story. Make sure you're comfortable in bed, allowing your body to adjust in any way needed and resting your head softly into your pillow. Any tension or stress you can feel within can melt away as you allow the weight of your body can melt away as you allow the weight of your body to completely relax.

Starting point is 00:04:22 If your feeling sleep you're ready, then just enjoy that feeling and allow yourself to go with it. There's no reason or need for you to resist sleep, as you can always come back and listen to this episode again. So feel free to drift off at any time. If you're not quite there yet, though, and you sense excess energy towards your neck, allowing tension to collect there. Then relax them back down when you gently exhale. Again, breathe in and squeeze your shoulders up to your neck. Hold for a moment and enjoy the release as you exhale, feeling that tension falling through your body and out through the tips of your toes.

Starting point is 00:05:55 We'll do one more together that you're welcome to continue in your own time for as long as you'd like. Breathe in, hold the tension, and slowly release, feeling flow away. Now that we're nice and relaxed, it's time for tonight's story. It begins with a mother and her child resting by the fireplace as the snow forms outside. Once, on a winter's night, a the snow was coming down in streams of thick white flakes. But inside, it was warm and cozy. There was a crackling fire, the bright orange flames dancing in the earth, and the mother and daughter were snuggled up together so close that they could feel the warmth of each other's body eat.

Starting point is 00:07:57 For a while they sat there in silence, watching the glow of the fire and listening to the comforting sounds. The mother felt her mind empty as she thought of nothing but the mesmerizing flames and the warm weight of her daughter's body pressed against her. She stroked the girl's soft hair, breathing in its fresh, clean scent, and felt herself slowly falling asleep. It would be easy to drift off right here on the sofa cushions that seemed perfectly molded to the shapes of their bodies, but the little girl was not sleepy yet. She was a curious and

Starting point is 00:08:49 observant child, always asking questions, and her mother usually had the answers. Seeing that her mother was on the verge of falling asleep, the girl tugged gently on her sleeve. The mother rubbed her eyes and stifled her yawn as she listened to the girl's question. Why are all snowflakes unique? The girl had read in a book that each snowflake had a completely unique pattern. No two were alike. But why she wanted to know? The mother knew that there must be a scientific reason, but in her sleepy state she couldn't even begin to guess. Tomorrow said the mother will find out together, but tonight I'll tell you a story. She glanced out the window. Outside the snow was still coming down in thick flurries.

Starting point is 00:10:03 Infinite snowflakes., infinitely unique. Then the mother closed her eyes, allowing the image to linger. She could still see the falling snow behind her eyelids in an endless whirling dance. The inspiration for the story came to her in that instant, as if by magic. Telling the tale would be as easy as reading from a book. Once upon a time, said the mother, murmuring in her door to his ear, there was a snow goddess. Her name was Eida. Her hair was as white as fresh, untouched snow, and her eyes were grey like December clouds. Although she was as old as time itself, it was hard to tell her exact age. Somehow she looked both young and old. As a goddess, it was her job to create the snow. Each winter, she would send the flakes down from her mountain

Starting point is 00:11:27 home. I'd a lived in a castle at the top of the highest mountain where the air was cool and fresh all year round. It was a charming old building of rough charcoal grey rock which seemed to blend into the mountain side. Ida had lived there ever since she could remember, right at the top of the mountain, and she knew the castle would always be her home. Within those thick stone walls, she felt a sense of peace and deep contentment. It was where she was meant to be. Over the years, the castle began to feel even more like a home as she welcomed her growing family.

Starting point is 00:12:29 Aida had ten children who were also deities just like her. Her eldest son was the god of the North Wind and her youngest daughter, a little girl who was only just learning to speak, was the goddess of animals who lived in snowy regions. She was the protector of the Arctic Fox and the snow shoe hair, even though she was so young that she didn't quite know it yet. Eida and her ten children spent most of the year inside the castle enjoying its comforts. There was a luxurious bathroom with an ivory tub the size of a swimming pool where Eida would soak in warm water for hours at a time.

Starting point is 00:13:27 Then there was the kitchen with its huge crackling fireplace. The room was often filled with the delicious sense of roasts and stews. And then, of course, there were the bedrooms. Each of the gods had their own cozy room with a big, four-post-a-bed draped in warm quilts and covered with the softest pillows. In the quiet times of the year, when Ida wasn't working, she would often spend most of the days snuggled up in bed. She would drift in and out of sleep while her youngest children played quietly around her.

Starting point is 00:14:19 The soft voices of the children merged into her dreams, until she could hardly tell whether she was awake or asleep. Those were lovely, lazy days, and Eida was quite content. But there were other moments when she found herself growing a little restless. In spring, summer and autumn, most of her children would be out exploring the mountains and forests. When she was young, Ida had gone exploring too, but these days she preferred to stay at home, wandering from room to room.

Starting point is 00:15:08 She was happy to hibernate until winter came. And yet, she had to admit that there were some days that seemed to last too long. It was as if the clock slowed and then stopped altogether. For most of the year, Ida had very little to do. In spring, summer, and autumn, the other gods were busy making the flowers grow or turning the leaves gold. Eider could only wait patiently until it was her turn. In the last weeks of autumn, Eider would begin to prepare for the winter. She'd go into her workshop and craft snowflakes, one at a time, cutting them into tiny, individual pieces.

Starting point is 00:16:10 Back then, all the snowflakes were identical. Each one a perfect replica of the one before. Because of this, it was simple, mindless work, and it didn't take I'd along to finish them all. In just a couple of weeks, she could single-handedly create enough snowflakes to last for the entire season. After that, the fun would begin. Eida savored every moment of the winter. Together with her children, she would enjoy sleigh rides through the forests

Starting point is 00:16:55 and go ice skating on frozen ponds under the light of the moon. It was a magical time of the year. But inevitably, all too soon, it was over. The snow melted, and the gods and goddesses of the spring made their presence known, with colorful flowers appearing all across the valley. The world rejoiced, but when I saw the first purple crocuses emerging through the melting snow, she sighed. Another year, she thought.

Starting point is 00:17:40 Another year with nothing to do but wait. Of course she needed the rest. After a busy winter she would usually spend most of the spring tucked up in bed in a deep, rejuvenating sleep. But sooner or later she would find herself growing restless once again. The mother paused her story as she thought she heard her daughter say something under her breath. But as soon as she looked at her, she realized that it was nothing more than a quiet, sleepy

Starting point is 00:18:24 sound like a muffled yawn. The mother smiled, thinking that just a short while ago, she was the one falling asleep. Now the girl was nodding off, slowly lulled into sleep by her mother's bedtime story. Go on, the girl murmured, I'm listening. So her mother continued. One day, she said, towards the end of autumn, the air began to grow cooler. Eida could sense the arrival of winter with each breath of fresh mountain air. Once again, it was time for her to get to work.

Starting point is 00:19:28 So she went to her workshop, which was a large room on the ground floor of the castle. It had a sloping ceiling, like a church. And although there were no windows, there was plenty of light, which came from the long white candles that floated through the room. Ida summoned the candles towards her, so they were suspended right above her large wooden workbench. Then, using her powers, she conjured up a large solid piece of snow, which nearly covered the entire table. And then, she took out her silver hammer and chisel and began tapping away. The block of snow was gradually transformed into hundreds, thousands, and then millions of individual flakes.

Starting point is 00:20:27 They were so beautiful, glistening in the candlelight as they floated down and settled on the table. And because of idors precision and expertise, they were all identical. Each new snowflake was a perfect copy of the others. Although the work became a little repetitive after a while, Eida took pride in her work. After a long day of breaking snow into flakes, she put down her hammer and chisel and washed her hands in a basin of warm water. This was one of her favorite parts of the day, feeling the life flow back into her fingers. Once she was satisfied that the box of newly created snowflakes was safely stored, ready for winter, Ida left her workshop.

Starting point is 00:21:37 Now she was looking forward to a hearty dinner with her children. The family ate in a cozy yet elegant dining room with the finest furniture and an enormous fireplace. Now that it was nearly winter, they kept the fire burning most of the day and the warm, smoky scent filled the room. Ida and her children sat around a large circular table by the window, with a view of the mountain side. As night had fallen, it was difficult to see much, apart from the outlines of a few silvery rocks in the moon night. Soon, I'd a thought, this landscape would be transformed by the snow. Under the moonbeams, everything would look white and luminescent.

Starting point is 00:22:50 white and luminescent, and the snowflakes, her snowflakes, would be falling past the window. The family had a wonderful dinner prepared by one of Idors' middle children. He was the god of winter flowers, like snow drops and cyclamen. And he was also the most talented chef of the mall, cooking up succulent roasts and vegetable dishes full of flavor. Ida ate with pleasure, mopping up the sauce with a piece of crusty bread. And as she ate, she looked around the table at the faces of her ten children. Whenever she looked at them, she thought about how peculiar it was, this sense of both strangeness and familiarity. They were so much like her, and almost a part

Starting point is 00:23:49 of her, yet she could also see how different they were, and not just from her, but from each other. While they all shared some similar features, each child had their own distinctive differences. At first glance, two of her middle daughters seemed like twins, but looking closer, there were all kinds of differences, from the shapes of their noses to the patterns of frackles on their cheeks. One of her sons had dark brown eyes, completely unlike those of his siblings. And when her youngest daughter smiled, there was a dimple in her cheek that was hers and hers alone. Each child was utterly unique in appearance as well as character. It wasn't the first time I'd had noticed it, but on this particular night, it struck

Starting point is 00:25:03 her differently. An idea was warming, slowly but steadily, like a seed under the winter frost getting ready for the new season. I, as mother, the goddess of the sky, had always told her to sleep on it. Your best ideas will come after a good night's rest, she used to say. So Ida went to bed and slept peacefully, dreamlessly, with her two youngest children snuggled up beside her. When she awoke the next morning, she knew exactly what to do. But first, she had some other things to attend to, such as feeding and dressing her younger

Starting point is 00:26:04 children. Afterwards, she went to check that the older ones were studying, even the gods had to study when they were children. As well as reading books, they would practice making plants grow or changing the direction of the wind. One of Ida's sons was the god of the northern lights. As I'd passed his bedroom, she noticed a mystical green glow around the edges of the closed door. He must be practicing right now, she thought with a smile, conjuring up a light display in his very own bedroom. Once Ida had checked on all her children, she went downstairs to the workshop. The seed of the idea from the night before had now grown into something beautiful and fully formed.

Starting point is 00:27:13 After lighting the floating candles one by one, I replaced a new block of snow on the workbench. Then she took out her tools. This time, as well as her hammer and chisel, she had a tiny pair of tweezers and a knife so delicate that the blade was almost invisible. There was also a large round magnifying glass suspended in mid-air above the surface of the table. I'd began as usual, shipping away at the block of snow. But once she had a small pile of flakes, she used the tweezers to pick up an individual snowflake and held it close to the magnifying glass.

Starting point is 00:28:10 Then, with the lightest, most careful of movements, she began to sculpt the snowflake. The icy crystal was soon transformed into the shape of an exquisite flower. With perfect hexagonal petals, it was a miniature work of art. Gazing at her creation through the magnifying glass, I just smiled. It felt satisfying to create something so delicate and detailed. And the sculpted snowflake hadn't taken her that long, when inspiration struck, she was a quick worker. Ida repeated the process with the next flakes, and each time she made some changes. She would carve out thin arms which resembled the branches of trees in winter, or she would experiment with intricate geometric patterns, each one more complex than the last.

Starting point is 00:29:29 Soon she had filled an entire box with thousands of unique snowflakes. Ida usually felt tired by the end of the day, but this time, when she finally set down her work tools, she was still full of energy and enthusiasm. She could have happily worked throughout the night. Before dinner, she called her eldest daughter down to the workshop and invited her to look in the box of snowflakes. Then, seeing the confusion on her face, I'd atolled her daughter to pick up a snowflake with her finger and hold it underneath the magnifying glass. When the goddess's daughter saw the flake beneath the glass, she gasped in amazement. It was like a tiny flower or a minuscule puzzle made of ice. Moments later, the snowflake melted on her finger, leaving nothing behind but a cool drop of water.

Starting point is 00:30:49 I der reassured her that it didn't matter. There were plenty of other snowflakes. While none of them were quite the same as the one that had melted, that was the beauty of it. And it didn't matter that they would all melt in the end. After a long, satisfying day at work, I defaults that creating the snowflakes was fulfilling in itself. Their loveliness was transient, but so was everything in nature. In fact, I'd alike the idea that the snowflakes would only retain their perfect form for a brief time. It felt like a wonderful secret between her and the air. And it was a secret that she shared with her family, of course. At dinner that night, she told all her children about her new project and how they themselves had been her inspiration.

Starting point is 00:32:05 From now on all the snowflakes would be as lovely and unique as they were. On the first day of winter, Eida and her children woke up early, full of excitement. After wrapping up in their warmest clothes, they collected the boxes from the workshop and went outside. On the mountain side, just a short walk from the castle was a kind of of natural terraces, a large open space with a rocky border. From here they had a magnificent view of the valley below. They could see the forests, villages and fields crisscrossed by silver streams. by silver streams. Many of the trees were bare, and the colours of the land were still the colours of autumn, shades of grey, orange and brown. But with the arrival of winter, the landscape would change completely. And now, the time had come. I'd returned to her children who were lined up on either side of her, each holding a box. Then she nodded. And all together, they emptied their boxes over the land. The snowflakes fell through the air in swirling clouds, sparkling in the light. They fell over the forests, villages and fields, until everything below was covered in a gleaming white blanket.

Starting point is 00:34:12 Ida's children laughed and clapped their hands in delight. It was the same scene they witnessed every year, but they never grew tired of the ritual. And this year it was different because they knew that these were no ordinary snowflakes. After that, Eida turned her work into a year round project. Instead of waiting until the last weeks of autumn, Eida would craft her snowflakes all through the spring and summer too. She took pleasure in making each one perfect. Sometimes her children would join her in the workshop. Sometimes her children would join her in the workshop. Together, they made millions upon millions of flakes, each one completely unique. Every winter, when Ida watched the shower of flakes from the mountainside, she wondered

Starting point is 00:35:24 about the people who live below. Secretly, she hoped that one day someone would look closely at her snowflakes and appreciate their beautiful designs. But no matter what, she knew that she would continue with her creations year after year, with a little help from her family. And that's the end of the story, said the mother. So now you know why each snowflake is special and unique, just like you. Her daughter had been half asleep for most of the story. Hearing the words, the end, she She gave in and sank into a deep slumber. The mother smiled, glad that the bedtime story had worked its magic. She got up slowly, taking care not to wake her daughter and covered her with a woolen blanket.

Starting point is 00:36:49 Then she settled down on the sofa once more, yawned and closed her eyes. Soon it would be time for both of them to go to bed, but it was so warm and comfortable here. but it was so warm and comfortable here. Culled up together in front of the crackling fire, while outside, the snow continued to fall. 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.

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Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - The Origin of Snowflakes

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