A Tale Of Time: The Witches' Cottage Sleep Story

Fall asleep fast in this relaxing sleep story for grown-ups.

You are listening to A Tale of Time,

A magical sleep story from the Witch's Cottage series.

Somewhere in time,

Einstein expressed,

Time is an illusion.

Hidden deep within an enchanted forest,

You escape to the Witch's Cottage to experience introspection and inner peace far away from the fast pace of the modern world.

The Witches offer wisdom and healing as you slow down the hands of time to immerse yourself in the present moment.

So get ready to drift off into a peaceful slumber and awaken feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

It's time to dream away.

I would like to welcome you to Michelle's Sanctuary.

I am Michelle,

And as you listen,

Think of my voice as that of your bedtime ally.

I advocate for you to take a mental holiday each night before you fall asleep.

Let the soothing messages in this sleep meditation story wash over you with softness and hope.

Let the magic you experience be customized to your beliefs.

As you proceed with an open heart and deep desire for repose,

Set your intention for this delicate transition between your waking and sleeping lives.

It can be anything you want to focus on as you let go of the day.

You deserve to feel good.

You deserve to get as relaxed as you can.

Elaborate or embellish any detail of this practice to what feels best for you.

As you settle into your bed and go deeper within the sanctuary of your body and mind,

Turn your attention to your breath.

Since taking your first breath,

Your body magically continues to breathe.

Whether you pay attention or not,

Feel gratitude for this function that serves to keep you well and alive.

Take over for a few breaths,

Consciously controlling each one.

Open your mouth and let out an audible sigh.

If you have ever been told to stop yawning or sighing,

Celebrate this time,

Where you can yawn and sigh all you want.

Both yawns and sighs are known to slow down your brainwaves to help you release tension and soothe anxiety.

Inhale slowly through your nose,

Pretending you are taking in the rich botanical smells of the enchanted forest where the witches live.

The air is misty,

Cool,

And transformative.

Open your mouth and yawn.

Enjoy how lovely it is to be transported somewhere else by a simple aroma.

Let sleepiness seep into every part of your body from head to toe as you sigh,

Letting go.

Continue breathing this way twice more,

At your own pace,

As you inhale,

Yawn,

And end with a sigh.

Visualize each molecule of oxygen becoming a sparkling orb that travels to the cells in your body.

Think of the journey this molecule has taken to arrive here,

In this moment,

Offering you life and vitality as you begin to stand down,

Becoming more and more relaxed with each breath.

One more time,

Inhale,

Yawn,

And sigh.

Surrender into your bed,

Imagining your mattress becomes like a sparkling cloud floating through the sky to deliver you to another realm.

The walls and ceiling have disappeared and you are drawn to the charming dreamscapes of the night.

It's time for the story to begin.

The late afternoon light filters through the canopy of evergreen trees above the witches' cottage,

Casting the home in a gilded aura.

Feathery branches sashay on the pine-fresh breeze.

Their susurrations accompany the distant,

Yet persistent ticking of clocks.

The melodic songs of birds and fairies come together to join the synchronous clicks of each second hand.

Not waiting for an invitation on this visit,

You show up to the cottage because you need to be reminded of a place in space and time where the things that empower your soul are of the utmost importance.

To a place where differences are celebrated,

Dreams are fostered,

And the mundanity and routine of human life is replaced with an experience of renewal as if witnessing the world through the eyes of a child.

The stone and juniper wood facade brings a smile to your face as you revel in the chance to revisit this familiar home away from home.

Wisteria drapes down the knotty wood fence that whimsically swirls like licorice twists.

The herb gardens planted before the cottage are more lush and abundant than they have ever been.

The stairs to the porch creak beneath your feet,

Letting the witches know you've arrived,

Although their telepathic powers had them expecting you.

And so they prepared your sleeping nook accordingly,

With a foresight to also prepare your favorite meal.

There,

Sleeping in the shower of sunlight,

Is the Red Fox.

Somehow,

He was also aware of your arrival,

Even before you decided to visit.

The Fox's eyes open demurely,

And he lets out a playful yip to greet you.

You lock eyes,

Feeling welcomed by this spirit animal.

You raise your hand to grasp the circular cast-iron knocker,

And before you get to knock,

Korra swiftly opens the door and meets you with her resplendent smile.

Her cheeks are flushed,

And her long strands of hair are hit by the sun in a way that makes them twinkle like holiday tinsel.

Her energy sparkles,

And just being around her awakens the effervescence and liveliness in you.

At the same time,

Korra has a seriousness to her.

You caught her in the middle of an important task,

But right now,

Making you feel welcome becomes her priority.

She wraps her arms around you and tells you to come inside.

The velvet collar of her long dress brushes softly against your cheek as she draws back and leads you by hand into the cottage.

You enter and find Karla and Ava chatting over hundreds of clocks scattered about the main room.

Firelight brightens the walls as metallic orange flames reflect on the clock faces of stopwatches,

Grandfather clocks,

Cuckoo clocks,

Sundial clocks,

Digital watches,

Hourglasses,

And radio alarm clocks from every era of the 20th century.

The witch's cottage looks more like a clock shop than the familiar dwelling you visited before.

Yet the cat you named from imagination's last litter comes to you and rubs her fuzzy body against your legs.

Korra takes your coat and offers you a velvet robe to wear.

Sprigs of dried lavender,

Rosemary,

And thyme spread across the rustic dining table,

Along with pieces of raw amethyst and clear quartz.

Four unlit white pillar candles rest in the center of a handcrafted bronze platter that predates even the witches.

Karla looks up,

Her maternal gaze offering an unspoken welcome.

Ava continues arranging the clocks until you say hello and she comes back to the moment as if taken out of a daydream.

Karla laughs heartily,

Welcome back,

What perfect timing.

You know Einstein used to pop up in the afternoons for a visit during his naps?

He would tell us that time is an illusion,

But really,

What isn't an illusion?

You drape your body in the robe and inhale the exotic botanical aroma of the dried herbs and flowers and the natural soap used to clean the robe that's left a perfume of essential oils.

Adorned in lacy,

Purple,

Fingerless gloves,

Ava plucks at the second hand of a grandfather clock as if finger-picking a banjo.

Just in time,

Time is of the essence,

She playfully chides.

The witches are extra coy and jolly on this visit,

And as you've not yet been informed of their plans,

You go along with it.

Time waits for no one,

You say innocently.

And Karla puts all her focus on you,

And that is why we are glad you are here with us.

Illusion or not,

Time seems to have sped up in your world,

Always rushing,

Racing,

Trying to get more things done in one day than any soul needs to get done in a week.

Living beings need time to simply be.

And this is why part of you enjoys the witch's hospitality and the natural rhythm of the woodlands that surround them so very much.

There is no sense of urgency,

Something that has become even more of an illusion than time in the modern world.

Here,

Amid the calming chatter of the witches,

The purrs of imagination,

And her clowder of grown kittens,

And the crackling of the fire,

You are devoid of urgency and as far from being a taskmaster as one could get.

In the wonderland of this time and space,

Your ability to simply connect and enjoy the sensory experiences of being alive is paramount.

How lovely it is to visit a place where the things that matter actually make you feel good.

Karla explains that they have each prepared a different spell to address how we relate to time.

They ask if you would like to join them,

Emphasizing you are never obliged to partake in anything that makes you uncomfortable.

Curious,

You examine the clocks,

Paying attention to the craftsmanship of each one.

You imagine the many lives who relied on these clocks to account for the minutes and hours.

The faux wood 1980s digital radio clock,

With its sleek design,

Offers a glaring and obnoxious beep that could accompany the morning radio for anyone not easily awakened into a new day.

The cuckoo clocks,

Some from the first wave crafted in the Black Forest during the 1600s,

Are the most interesting to explore.

One of them captures lumberjacks competing to chop logs,

Their axes lowering each second outside of a mountain chalet.

Ava invites you to select a clock for the first spell.

You peruse the collection and pour over the row upon row of clocks,

Organized by type and then by era.

You come upon a gold pocket watch with a fox engraved on the front.

This piece feels like the right one.

You wrap the chain around your wrist and feel the weight of the watch in your palm.

You bring it to the farmhouse-style table and place it next to a small bouquet of lavender picked from the garden that morning.

Ava explains this time-stretching spell may be used to slow down our perceptions of time so the spellcaster and all involved may savor the present moment.

It helps to slow down perceptions of time and luxuriate in each moment.

It's a spell also good for being meticulous with details and slowing down enough to recognize and appreciate each one.

Carla claps her hands together and holds them against her heart,

Expressing this is a great spell to start with.

Ava asks you to place the clock in a crystal bowl.

She gathers a handful of dried thyme and a sprig of lavender that she rubs between her fingers,

Sprinkling them over the clock face.

One by one,

The witches go around the room with incantations focused on their desired outcomes.

Carla's intention is to mother herself in the way she has mothered the world.

She is often so caught up in the needs of others that she forgets that she needs nurturing too.

Ava wishes to slow time,

To cherish moments spent together,

And to be less concerned with the next manifestation.

Because her concerns about the future cause her to forget all the manifestations that brought the gift of the present moment.

Cora wishes to stretch time,

To enjoy silly bouts of laughter.

For one laugh is never long enough for her sides to split delightfully and for its effects to linger throughout the day.

The three sisters look to you for your wish and you let it be known.

And with that,

You all join hands and close your eyes.

You feel the warmth of the fire on your back and the velvet against your skin.

You feel Cora's soft hand in one that smooth and still retains the smell of baked goods she prepared at dawn.

You feel the confident,

Strong energy of Carla in your other hand.

She offers a feeling of trust that never wavers.

And in your mind's eye,

Your incantation comes to life.

Time stretches and slows down like a dream.

Surreal.

Yet with glimpses of reality that you most enjoy,

You see yourself moving through your favorite setting,

Appreciating how healthy you feel in this elongated moment.

Light,

Relaxed.

You both experience and observe yourself.

As the participant,

You are carefree and jovial.

You can adapt to anything that happens in this moment with flexibility,

Ease,

Soothed by the primal sense that everything will be okay.

As the observer,

You watch yourself with love and appreciation for the amount you have overcome to now thrive.

The serenity on your face is infectious,

And any interaction would impart the same serenity and bliss on every soul to come your way.

It feels good to be so grounded in the stretch of time.

And like a dream,

You feel like a day has passed in mere minutes.

When you open your eyes,

The witches return from their reveries.

And open their eyes as well.

You turn to see the fox outside the window,

As if he was a part of all of this.

Meanwhile,

The cats pile on a colorful braided rug by the stone fireplace,

Asleep and unaware of the spells taking place.

It's now Cora's turn,

And she gathers a tabletop analog alarm clock covered in a vibrant array of gemstones and two brass bells.

The face of the clock is made of moonstone.

Cora reveals that her spell for clock cleansing will eliminate the negative energy that makes time feel rushed or chaotic.

Cora places the clock into an ancient wooden bowl and then picks up a crystal pitcher.

The vessel contains water gathered from the stream in the woods.

She remarks that no one has ever told a stream how fast it must run.

It flows through time,

Without judgment or expectations.

She hands her sisters and you a sprig of rosemary each that you all instinctively raise to your noses.

To inhale its evergreen pine-like fragrance.

One by one,

You take turns swirling the top needles of the sprig into the water.

Cora leads you with healing incantations.

I free myself from the demands of time.

I approach time fluidly like a stream,

Coursing and flowing naturally.

Small ripples magnify and distort the iridescent moonstone face of the clock.

A bleary image appears on the water,

Only becoming clear when the waves become still.

The water reveals a vision of you in a situation where others are rushing.

They try to hurry you,

Yet you remain calm,

Moving at the pace that is right for you.

Disconnected from any pressure to do anything by a certain time.

You feel the beauty of having all the time to do whatever you want.

Milestones come when you are ready,

And dreams are launched when you wish to take a new path.

The water begins to move again.

The undulations become a small whirlpool that reveals you looking the best you ever have.

Completely still and calm in the vortex,

A reassuring feeling takes over you.

Cora dips your fingers in the water,

And a soothing energy travels through your hands.

It courses through your body,

Up to the crown of your head,

And down your torso and legs.

You feel refreshed and cleansed,

Hopeful for all the new starts that life may offer,

And all the opportunities to come at whatever time they arrive.

By now,

The sun has disappeared,

And twilight casts the outside world in a navy tint.

Inside,

The fire burns brightly,

Appreciated even more in the absence of the sun.

A comfortable silence has taken over the cottage.

As Carla begins to speak,

She reveals her timeless meditation spell,

A spell she feels the cottage has always evoked to all visitors who travel the astral plane.

From Einstein to Maya Angelou,

She passes a white pillar candle to each of you,

And then requests that you select a piece of amethyst or clear quartz.

You select the crystal that most resonates with you.

For this spell,

Carla expresses that as you light your candle,

Hold the space for silence and peace.

Everyone keeps a crystal in their dominant hand,

And a candle in the other.

Carla strikes a match against the table,

And lights her candle,

Using the flame in hers to ignite the wick in yours.

Until you are surrounded by a ring of flickering candlelight,

Carla asks for you to become fully present and in the moment,

No matter where or when you are.

This meditation connects you with a sense of timelessness.

Her last request is that you close your eyes to envision a place inside yourself that is forever timeless.

You flesh out the details of this place,

Knowing wherever you go,

Timeless part of you comes along.

The smell of the candles burning and waves of their light on your face bring you to a deeper state of peace.

Cool,

Jagged crystal becomes warm in your hand and makes you resolute in honoring all that is timeless.

The parts of you that remain timeless,

And the places like the Witch's Cottage that make you feel deeply connected to all that is timeless.

The tick-tock sounds of the clocks bring you back to the room.

The witches smile,

And Carla says,

And now we eat.

Cora and Ava gather the timepieces throughout the cottage while you help Carla clear the spell ingredients from the table.

And without a mention of time,

It flies by and you are soon joined at the table to enjoy a lively meal.

Timeless tradition of sharing food for more than sustenance.

What a privilege it is to be among the witches for this healing time.

Ancient bowls of your favorite dishes are passed around the table and served until you are satiated and slightly sleepy.

After dinner,

You gather around the fire.

Everyone has changed into monogrammed,

Jewel-toned pajamas.

You nurse a cup of tea made to induce peaceful dreams and deep slumber.

Your favorite cat curls by your side as the flames become embers.

You reflect on how long the witches have been part of your journey,

Humbled by being in the company of souls who have also sought their timeless magic and wisdom.

Moonlight pours through the front bow windows.

The fox has long since taken off and settled in his den.

The fairies have come out for their nightly dance and have since returned to their castles in the white birch trees.

The fire burns down into embers as the grandfather clock strikes twelve.

Time may be an illusion,

But you can certainly feel its passage.

As your eyes become heavy,

The witches sense your sleepiness.

Their playful energy subdues,

And they too languish in a sleepy haze.

The interior of the cottage glows from candles that have burned down to their bases,

With hardened drips of wax,

Like waterfalls frozen in time.

You say goodnight and hug each other to seal in the love that was felt throughout the evening.

Every embrace creates a different feeling within you.

A hug from Korra has the sweetness of an embrace from a childhood friend.

Ava's hug evokes memories of all the hugs collected throughout your life in spontaneous moments where you needed to be reassured.

And Karla's hugs are maternal,

Soothing your inner child and filling you with the confidence that you may handle anything that comes your way.

You walk to the winding stairs,

Drenched in prismatic moonlight,

That wind their way to the sleeping alcove.

The cat you named follows you,

As it has done since kittenhood.

A single candle in the window flickers,

And you look out onto the verdant clearing behind the cottage.

The blanket of night casts the abundant wildflowers in an indigo hue.

You look to the bed to see a scroll of parchment paper and a sprig of lavender tied with a purple silk ribbon.

You untie the delicate bow and unroll the message left by the witches.

You hold the fibrous paper in the light of the moon and dancing candlelight and read the beautiful script written in fountain pen.

Remember your time is as valuable as anyone else's.

Choose to use it how you wish.

Love Cora,

Ava,

And Karla.

You blow out the candle and place the note on the windowsill.

You pull back the patchwork quilt,

A new addition to the space.

Stitched by Ava over the long stretch of winter,

Gold thread like angel hair stitches together satin and velvet patches from shawls and dresses once worn by the witches.

As you climb beneath it and tuck yourself in,

You feel protected by their energy that lingers in every silky thread.

The cat cuddles next to you and places a paw softly on your hand,

Bringing a wave of connection that ushers you to sleep.

You waft between worlds,

Reveling in the comforts of your bed at home,

The sleeping alcove of the witch's cottage,

And the dreamscape that beckons you with a promise of deep peace.

You appreciate that at night you are able to exist in so many wonderful places simultaneously,

And you let go and float on the timeless waves of sleep,

Finding enchantment,

Finding contentment,

Finding repose,

Finding sleep.

It's time to dream away.