Liminality: Prismatic Wonders of Spaces Between

I recently bought a window film made of lots of little prisms for a window in my home. It’s become an endless fascination for me to see how light moves through it throughout the day. Perhaps the most fascinating part, though, is to see how edges appear through it. It’s in areas of contrast such as the sharp lines of a dark roofline against the sky that are always the most colorful. Along those edges are where most of the refracted rainbows appear. It’s as if I’ve donned magic goggles that let me peer into a world of magic portals, mysterious passages to otherwordly realms.

Come to think of it, I’ve always been enchanted by edges. It’s that feeling of peering into a dark forest with the sunny meadow at your back, or the feeling of breaking through the shimmering surface of cold lake water on a warm day. It’s the glow of a perfect sunset, ethereal and captivating. It’s the place between awake and dreamland, a prismatic state of deep meditation or lucid dreaming. Edges are the enchantments in this world, the things that pull us just slightly beyond.

I’m often drawn to the life at the edges too. Elderflowers, marking the shift between meadow and forest. Willows, a barrier to cross between dry land and marsh. Barnacles, in their mysterious intertidal zone, not quite land and not quite sea. Sea urchins, their pastel skeletons on the shore reminding me of their purple vitality just beyond a safe reach.

The edges are where the rainbows hide. Where other worlds are glimmering in waiting. Where a few short minutes at just the right time could transport you right to an ethereal wonderland, the land of ghosts, of dreams, of refracted light, of prisms, of magic. These are the wonders of liminality. But with all the light and prisms and joyful lake splashes, liminal spaces are often accompanied by darkness and uncertainty.

Liminal: adj

1. : of, relating to, or situated at a sensory threshold: barely perceptible or capable of eliciting a response

2. : of, relating to, or being an intermediate state, phase or condition: In-between, transitional

As defined in the movie The Twilight Zone: “The middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition.”

We have all been there. That foggy confusion between awake and asleep. That first night in a new home, sitting amongst unpacked boxes and wondering what your new life will look like. It can be as thrilling as anticipating your first day at your dream job or as crushing as the pain after a breakup or divorce. We can slip into liminality after sudden traumas or big life changes. It can feel overwhelming, stressful, and confusing to be in that state, floating from one side to the other through uncharted territories, often mental. Liminality is, in essence, being unstable. That instability can pave the way for access to deeper understanding and new opportunities. While it can be deeply uncomfortable, it is also sacred and alluring.

Crossing life’s thresholds can lead to a strong feeling of liminality that can overtake us. It’s common to feel anxious, depressed, or even angry during these times. And while I think allowing those emotions is a necessary way to process change, it can be exhausting. I want to provide a little escape, in and of itself a liminal experience, but focused on peace and grace. I’ve been in a liminal space for a long time due to my illness. I would love to share a memorable and magical tea party with someone who is familiar with the “in-between.” It will be an event of grace, compassion, and humility. There will be a specific ritual to guide through portions, plus an elegant tea party with the sea urchins that are a strong reminder to me of those spaces between. Whether it provides answers or a little magical escape, I want to be able to share our experiences together.

As with most of my events, I want to collaborate with fate to choose my lucky guest. Head on over to my instagram for your chance to enter! The directions are all there, but the gist of it is that I want to hear about your own liminal spaces, and will randomly select my guest from my favorite replies.

In the words of William Blake: “In the universe, there are things that are known, and things that are unknown, and in-between them, there are doors.”

Is this a door you want to open?

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