Written by Aleen

Liminal Spaces.

The liminal space is often overshadowed by our emphasis on beginnings and endings. We concentrate on the catalyst that initiates change and then celebrate the outcome that we desire, but we tend to overlook the considerable time spent in the liminal space – the transition itself. 

This period, this liminal space is the uncertain transition between where you've been and where you're going physically, emotionally, or metaphorically. To be in a liminal space means to be on the precipice of something new but not quite there yet. The word "liminal" comes from the Latin word “limen,” which means threshold.

Liminal spaces manifest in various forms throughout our lives. They are any transition periods such as moving homes, dating, trying to get pregnant, pregnancy, a career change, a loss of a job, creating a new habit or routine, break ups and divorce. They represent a state of being in-between one reality and the anticipation of the next, requiring patience, embodiment, and commitment. 

It can be both a liberating space and also host the space for our fears and frustrations. We can become hopeless in our need to be patient, spiralling through thoughts of “when will it happen”. This impatience can lead to hopelessness, especially when we feel like we're revisiting the same lessons repeatedly.

The approach (including mine) is to try and rush to the next thing, eager to reach the next phase. We aren’t taught to be proud of the liminal space when it is one of the longest parts of the cycle. Society often encourages this rush, perpetuating a narrative that faster is better. We're bombarded with messages about manifesting quickly and life-hacking, making it easy to feel inadequate when our experiences involve longer gaps between transitions. 

We can rush into major decisions like jobs, relationships, homes, marriages, babies all from a fear of the in-between period. Disregarding the liminal space keeps us chasing the high of new, not realising that the in-between will always come around again.

I’ve personally been in a liminal space since February of this year. I have been working towards a certain goal with the outcome feeling more and more out of reach. This experience has been both frustrating and also full of hope. I intuitively know it is coming yet have no outward evidence, having me sit in this space of anticipation and trust for longer then I am comfortable with. This period of transition has been one of the more important lessons I have cycled, yet it can be a struggle to talk about when I have no outward reward. We haven’t been taught to hold space or celebrate the reward of personal and spiritual growth versus tangible or external outcomes. 

I have been exploring the relationship we have to the liminal space. Our need to rush into the next thing to move away from this discomfort of uncertainty. I have been reflecting on fears around being invisible. We hear a lot of talk around fear of being seen, which I believe is valid, yet when in the in-between, this out of control-ness of our life and forced surrender can bring up a fear that we don’t have as much control as we think. It makes us look at our own fears of nothing-ness and mediocrity, of feeling invisible and unimportant.

Using tarot to understand the liminal space, we can look to the card Temperance, number 14. The Temperance card is between Death (13) and The Devil (15). The card has a figure with one foot on the earth and one foot in the water, symbolic of navigating two worlds (emotions and logic, the unseen and the seen, the unconscious and the conscious). Temperance can be considered like a psychopomp, the navigation from one world to the next. 

In Greek mythology, the psychopomp played a pivotal role in facilitating the transition between worlds. Hermes, also known as Mercury, had the unique ability to enter both the underworld and Olympus. Hermes served as the guide for any person or deity seeking passage into or out of the Underworld, making him the bridge between the realms of life and death.

Through that we can look at the liminal space as a bridge, as a inevitable rite of passage we must walk through.

The cycle begins when we encounter the concept of 'endings' symbolised by the Death card. It's important to emphasise that the Death card is not a literal death; rather, it signifies a profound transformation. When this card appears, it serves as a realisation that there is something that no longer aligns with where you want to go.

Following this awakening, the Temperance card emerges as a bridge to our journey of self-discovery, inviting us to explore the depths of our unconscious patterns. This card represents a pivotal phase where we strive to find balance and harmony within ourselves.

Through this bridge, we meet The Devil (again, not to be taken literally). This card asks us to scrutinise the areas in our lives where we may unwittingly relinquish our personal power. It compels us to confront the uncomfortable questions of 'why' and 'how' we allow ourselves to become powerless in certain situations. The Devil card holds a mirror to our actions and choices, prompting us to look at our self-imposed limitations and dependencies that may be hindering our empowerment. The journey through The Death, Temperance and then The Devil card is a journey of alignment through self empowerment.

When we encounter spiritual concepts of 'presence and gratitude,' it often feels like an abstract notion, especially when we're grappling with the difficulties of transition and change. Tarot has shown me that the in-between phase of life, the liminal space, is not just inevitable but profoundly significant. It's a phase where I've learned to shed the burden of timing and expectations, this self imposed belief that if certain things don’t happen by a certain time, it is a signifier of failure. Instead, it has allowed me to confront some of my fears around feeling invisible, shifting the focus from how the world around me may see me, to how I see myself.

I have realised, no matter what the external outcomes may suggest, if you are growing personally, you are never regressing. I have challenged my own beliefs around “going backwards” by looking at the liminal space as the way forward. Sometimes begrudgingly surrendering to the idea that perhaps the timing of life knows better than I do. That without this period, I wouldn’t have had the personal discoveries that leads to my own self empowerment. 

The liminal space seen as a bridge allows us to try and trust that it is helping us get to where we want, its paving the way towards our desired destination. We can use the excitement and anticipation of the future to remind us of how far we have come, reframing the transition period from something that works against us to something that is instead supporting us.  

Love, Aleen

13 September 2023