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Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy.
My name's Tom and I'm your host, and it really is lovely to have your company for another bonus episode to help you get some rest tonight.
Now I said last week that we have four extra bonus episodes coming out in October.
But I was wrong.
This is the second of five extra episodes we'll be releasing every Friday in October.
That's because, during this month, we're offering a 90-day free trial to any new subscribers of Get Sleepy Premium or the entire Slumber Studios podcast bundle.
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Slash premium, and I'll put a link in the show notes too.
For now though, let me tell you about our story.
Shortly, I'll be accompanying you on a journey into the forest to visit Baba Yaga's hut.
It's a unique and enchanting tale that was brilliantly written by Kayla.
There are many stories about this witch from Slavic cultures, but perhaps she's most famous for helping Vasilisa in the tale Vasilisa the Beautiful, a Cinderella story where a young woman earns the trust of Baba Yaga, who then gives her the tools she needs to fight back against her evil stepmother.
Before we head into the forest, take some time to get comfortable in bed.
Fluff your pillow or adjust your blankets if needed, and find a comfortable position to lie down in.
Take a few deep breaths in through the nose, then out through the mouth.
Let any stress or worry in your mind float off into the room as you exhale.
You can return to these thoughts tomorrow once you're well rested.
Allow your breath to go back to its normal rhythm.
Perhaps you'll find it's naturally deepened or slowed down as we move into our sleepy tale of nature and witchcraft.
Now, close your eyes and imagine yourself on a path through the deep old woods.
This is where our story begins.
Entering the woods, you follow the winding earthy trail through tall pine, oak and maple trees that line the forest path.
The soft path cushions your feet as you walk step by step through the quiet forest.
The night sky above is clear, and you can just make out some of the constellations.
Andromeda and Draco are especially visible, the bright dots linking shapes together.
Baba Yaga is very familiar with the stars and has a great understanding of astronomy and astrology.
Perhaps she will tell you more about those arts tonight when you reach her hut.
Occasionally, you hear a twig snap beneath your foot or the crunching of fallen leaves.
The air is fresh here, away from the city, and filled with the sweet scent of forest flowers, sticky maple and herbs.
Baba Yaga's hut isn't always easy to find.
That's because the hut has legs of its own, giant enchanted chicken legs.
This lets Baba Yaga live a nomadic lifestyle without having to pack up her mortar pestle, herbs and flowers anytime she wants to move.
Her comfortable bed and cozy hearth are a constant wherever she goes.
Some storytellers think that Baba Yaga built her hut on chicken legs to symbolize the power in things that other people throw away.
Others say it shows her connection to the animals that she shares the forest with.
Others still tell tales of her using chicken feet in her mysterious potions and elixirs.
Her nomadic living quarters mean that most people can't find Baba Yaga only because they want to.
It's usually by the will of the universe that a wandering hero or heroine stumbles upon her hut in need of some of her healing magic.
But tonight, Baba Yaga is expecting you for a very special and relaxing visit.
And she's told you exactly how to find her.
Reaching a clearing, there's a small wooden hut nestled near some particularly old-looking pines.
It's surrounded by a small wooden fence that, even from a distance, you can tell has been hand-carved, each piece of wood placed with care.
The folded chicken legs underneath the cottage let you know that this is Baba Yaga's hut.
Walking through the clearing, you hear birds singing and wind rustling through the tree branches.
The air is fresh and cool and it will be nice to have a small wooden cabin to cozy up in for the night.
The sweet scents of flowers and sap are soon overtaken by the smells of herbs – rosemary thyme basil, ginger and more – that Baba Yaga uses in her potions and medicines.
The front porch and grass surrounding the hut is covered in plants that Baba Yaga grows.
The hut itself is unremarkable, other than the chicken legs underneath.
A simple log cabin that looks timeless in these woods.
Walking up the three front steps, you knock on the door and say the words turn your back to the forest and your front to me.
Footsteps approach, and Baba Yaga opens the door.
She's wearing a wool coat and long, loose linen trousers.
Her wrinkled face turns into a smile when she sees you, her ancient eyes glittering in the moonlight.
Behind her, a fire is crackling in the hearth, keeping the whole hut warm.
She welcomes you in, inviting you to take a seat.
You find a soft chair near the fire, noticing the drying herbs hanging from the ceiling, scenting the entire hut.
The place is small, but the witch has made good use of it.
Wooden cutting boards and mixing bowls line the long counter in the cooking area.
They are filled with various types of herbal remedies and cooking spices.
Baba Yaga tells you what each one is.
This one is to heal a cough, another to help with sleep, and a third to bring about happiness.
But some are for more mundane purposes as well.
A spice mix for a stew, or rising yeast for bread that she'll make freshly over the fire.
Some medicines are best served as a potion, others as a tea, and others still baked into a loaf of bread.
It just depends on the person and what they are seeking.
Plants are growing everywhere, poking in from the windows, slithering up the walls and balanced on small stools.
The witch tells you how much she enjoys gathering plants and living amongst them.
Each plant is a living thing that can teach us something, she says.
People think of Baba Yaga as lonely, but she says that is never the case when she's in nature.
She speaks to the plants and has great respect for them.
This is part of the magic of plants.
Like an old friend, Baba Yaga feels that when she's kind and caring towards them, the plants are kind and caring back to her.
It makes her potions stronger and more effective when the plants want to lend their full powers to the brood.
Baba Yaga tells you that the origin of her name has many meanings, but they all suit her at different times.
Baba, in various Slavic languages, could mean grandmother, old woman, midwife, or fortune teller.
Yaga means witch, which has been either a positive or negative based on the time period.
But she tells you she's never used her skills to harm anyone.
Mostly, she uses her power to heal, and she's an expert in the craft of medicine.
She uses plants and herbs to brew potions and make traditional folk remedies.
The making of medicines and potions is so important to her identity that Baba Yaga doesn't fly around on a broom like other witches.
She travels in a flying mortar and pestle.
The witch shows you the mortar and pestle now, stowed in the corner of the main room.
It's made from rough stone and is sturdy enough to withstand flying through the night sky.
It's the size of a giant bathtub and is filled with herbs and plants that she found on her last flying journey.
Baba Yaga tells you that she never feels more free than when she's soaring through the clouds under the moonlight.
From above, she can search for the ingredients she needs to strengthen her magic and help the people who come to visit her.
The mixture of flying with magic and collecting medicinal plants and herbs from the earth makes her feel like these journeys are a true meeting of the natural and supernatural.
Taking in the craftsmanship of the mortar.
It's hard to imagine something so heavy flying through the sky, but it radiates a feeling of magical power, something that doesn't need to follow the rules of physics to function.
Next, Baba Yaga invites you into her apothecary.
Unlike the rest of the hut, covered in wild plants and dirt from boots, the apothecary is clean and organized.
Dried plants are neatly labeled in drawers, and ground powders and liquid tonics line the shelves in glass jars, each identified by their core ingredient and use.
For example, valeriana for treating insomnia and anxiety.
Pot Marigold for skin conditions and liver function.
And Motherwort for good sleep.
Baba Yaga walks you through her process of making medicines.
Once she collects the plants and herbs, she dries them in her house.
Then, once dry, she moves them into her apothecary to label and classify them.
After this, the ingredients can be ground and used to make liquids and powders.
Her workroom is split into two sections one for curing acute illnesses, treating infections or healing wounds.
The other is focused on improving quality of life, helping people sleep better or feel happier.
She enjoys doing this work the most as it's something not often done by other healers or doctors found in town.
Many people come to visit her for these reasons.
Once she's sorted the plants, she can get to work making medicines.
She's collected many books of spells for healing tonics and potions.
But more than books, much of the knowledge she's gathered has been passed on orally.
Cures told to her from other witches and medicine women.
Sometimes, she says, the most skilled healers are found in small villages.
They may not have the means or desire to record their work, but they have very effective cures.
Baba Yaga remembers these medicines since she's lived for so long.
Sometimes she records them in a book or scroll, so others can use them.
But there are too many to write all of them down.
Some live only in her head, to be recalled at just the right moment.
Since you'll be spending the night in Baba Yaga's hut, she wants to make a sleeping draught for you to help you get the deepest night's sleep possible.
She putters around the apothecary taking a small handful of dried valerian flowers, a few sprinkles of chamomile, a couple of dried spearmint leaves and a sprig of lavender.
For this, she says, it's best to make a tea.
She fills a kettle with water and throws in the herbs.
She then disappears for a moment to put it over the fire.
Standing in the apothecary alone, you take in the sights colors, textures and smells of these ingredients that bring so much good to people.
Nature has an abundance of offerings that make our lives better.
Much wisdom is contained within this small hut.
When Baba Yaga returns, she shows you a few mixtures she's working on.
One to help relieve pain for one of the townspeople, another to help with lowering anxiety.
But Baba Yaga says it isn't only the plants that help citizens.
When people come to see her, they get to spend time in this beautiful wilderness amongst the plants and animals, the earth and the skies.
And that alone makes people feel more alive.
She tells them the stories of the other people she's known and helped over the years.
She learns about their lives.
Baba Yaga lives alone and is often on the move, so she loves being able to connect with people and communities in this way.
Even if it's only for a short time, it doesn't make the connection any less special.
One potion that's been stewing all week, Gurgles, a sluggish purple color.
Another experimental potion is set up in three stages.
Bright yellow in the first cup, a pale blue in the second, and black in the third.
Baba Yaga says she's still working on this one.
It's meant to be read in the third cup.
But when she finally gets it right, it might be one of her most powerful healing tools yet.
The witch grins as she talks about her work.
It's clear she loves what she does and enjoys being able to continue growing and developing her skills in the magical arts.
It takes time to learn how to make tonics and requires discipline and attention to detail.
Baba Yaga says she knows there have been stories about her that make her seem like a mean old witch.
But those are only fairy tales.
In reality, she only wants to make sure things are done well.
When those young men and women from the stories come asking for great tools to help them on their quests, she assists them in ways they don't quite expect.
She doesn't see herself as a keeper of magical artifacts to dole out only to those she deems worthy.
She sees these connections as an opportunity to work together and to help the heroes and heroines to discover something of their innate skills.
That kind of discovery needs to be earned, not given.
Many heroes associate great deeds with conquest.
But for Baba Yaga, those deeds are about being aware of the living, breathing natural world around us.
It's important for a hero to be able to tell a cornstalk from a wheat stalk or a spearmint leaf from peppermint.
Understanding the world around us is essential, she says, and the more people I can teach to see every living thing in the world as important, the more my healing work will spread.
A distant howling outside reaches the hut and there's a soft Meow as a spotted cat jumps through the window.
Baba Yaga scoops up the cat and leads you back into the main room, where the gurgling sound of boiling water joins the noises from outside.
Hooting owls, chirping crickets, and wind swaying the tree branches.
Baba Yaga takes the pot off the fire, and you catch the scent of fresh herbs.
Spearmint, chamomile, valerian.
The tea needs a few minutes to cool, the witch says.
Would you like to take a ride in the mortar and pestle while you wait?
How could one say no to such a special offer?
With ease, the witch moves the heavy-looking stone cauldron outside and helps you climb in.
Then, she hops over the edge and makes herself comfortable, holding the pestle to steer.
She mutters the magic words, Lencha, Polite, Lenta, Cobra.
The stone basin hovers off the ground and slowly floats up into the sky.
Looking down below, you can see the smoke coming out of the chimney of Baba Yaga's hut, a small speck of human existence in the vast forests surrounding it.
Pine trees, white birch, weeping figs, oaks and apple trees all growing wild, creating shade and rich soil for so many plants and herbs to thrive in this place.
Above, you now have a clear view of the stars.
You remember you'd earlier wondered what the witch might have to teach you about the constellations.
And Baba Yaga tells you about how she uses astronomy and astrology in her craft.
The constellation Virgo, shining bright in the sky tonight, alongside the planet Jupiter, is an especially important constellation for reading the change of seasons.
This is important to Baba Yaga, for different plants grow at different times of year.
She doesn't have a clock or a calendar.
She just studies the sky and watches the world around her to track the passage of time.
Another nearby constellation Crater, signifies the coming of spring and reminds you a little bit of the mortar that you're sitting in.
A cool breeze brushes your face, and you lean back, gazing up into the night sky.
You feel perfectly safe here, knowing the skilled Baba Yaga is keeping you hovering above the forest clearing.
You feel weightless and able to fully relax in the sturdy stone basin.
Soon, Baba Yaga starts to lower the mortar by skillfully paddling the pestle.
It's getting quite late.
The tea will be cool enough to drink now, and it's almost time for bed.
Re-entering the cabin, you're greeted by the welcome warmth of the fire, comforting after being out in the cool night air.
The witch pours the tea into ceramic mugs.
Each mug is a little different in size and shape, as Baba Yaga has made them all by hand, with the clay she finds on her travels.
You return to your comfy chair near the fire.
You sit in silence with the witch for a few minutes, both sipping your tea.
Snuggling under a woolly blanket, you find the chair you're sitting in, rocking gently back and forth as you drink the fresh brew.
The ceramic feels warm in your hands and when you take a sip it relaxes each and every part of you.
You look down up to the mug and see the herbs floating in the liquid, each working together to warm and settle you.
While enjoying the tea, Baba Yaga tells you more incredible stories.
She's traveled all around the region to countries like Poland Ukraine Belarus Slovakia, Croatia and other places that have changed borders and names.
But the trees and plants remain the same.
She's met so many interesting people, young men and women who wander through the woods looking for adventure, and find themselves at the door of her hut.
Whether they've come on an epic quest or in search of a folk healing remedy, Baba Yaga knows that she has a unique perspective and valuable skills to offer anyone who comes to visit.
You take the final sip of tea, feeling thoroughly warmed from the crisp night outside.
You look at the herbs scattered in the bottom of the cup.
So much around us in nature is here to help us feel better and enjoy each day as it comes.
Baba Yaga has many more stories to tell, but those will need to wait for another night.
For now, the witch shows you to your room.
It's small, but the comfortable bed is made up with fresh, clean sheets.
Lavender is planted around the room to promote relaxation.
After making sure you have everything you need, Baba Yaga wishes you good night.
You climb into the bed, sinking into the supportive mattress and pulling the soft blanket over you.
After such an adventurous night, it's time to gently enter the realm of dreams.
Outside, owls hoot.
The wind whistles through the forest and tickles the window of the hut.
The cabin itself creaks as the chicken legs rock a little from side to side getting ready for their own slumber.
Tomorrow, there will be more exploring to do.
But for now, it's time to close your eyes and drift into a restful sleep.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for watching!
Thank you.
