Do you feel it?

Do you feel that slight chill that runs down your spine, and yet the weather remains relatively mild?

Do you notice that chill grows a little stronger each day as we move through the month of October?

What about the fact that it feels like it comes with a sense of mystique, of mystery, or of things beyond this world – beyond that which we can fully understand?

It may come with a juxtaposition of emotions – perhaps you feel the sacred, the magic, and the awe of this phenomenon, but yet also feel unease, a sense of unknowing, or even hesitation, and yet, all of these emotions do not seem to oppose one another, but instead fit together like the pattern on a quilt.

As we explore the wheel of the year, in October and November, we embrace the period in which we describe the “veil,” or the energy that distinctly separates our normal every day reality, and that of the “beyond,” growing thinner. This is a powerful and sacred time in which we explore the things that most often make us uncomfortable – such as the fact that there is more to the world than meets the eye, or where we dance with and explore Death as an inevitable entity that can be embraced and celebrated versus ignored and feared. It is a time where we hold dear the concept of “both/and,” let go a bit of fixed ways of thinking and embrace the liminal.

Photo by Adrian Mag on Unsplash

What is Liminality?

Ancient peoples all around the world have always revered the liminal, otherwise known as “the in-between”. It was considered the spaces where the divine resided, or where we could once again reconnect with those we have lost. These could also be spaces where, if one was not careful, could befall to trickery and mischief.

The liminal can be thought of as a space of transition, a threshold where energy transforms from one thing into another. Or where passing through it changes our reality completely.

Some examples of liminal spaces include:

Doorways, where we pass from inside of the home into the outside world

Beaches, where the sand of the beach transforms into the ocean, and land becomes water

Dawn and Dusk, where we transition from the dark of night to the light of a new day and vice versa

Birth and Death, or the spaces right before we emerge from the womb and begin to experience life, or the space where we journey from a life well-lived into the afterlife.

 

Why Embrace Liminality?

It was not until more recent history that we began to fear liminality. It is human nature to fear that which is unknown to us, and our modern culture thrives on predictability and instant gratification. We have reinforced this through use of algorithms, predictive technology, and building a world that distinctly embraces comfort, convenience, and controlled environments and outcomes. This helps us to minimize the possibility of something occurring that has an unknown result.

Photo by Mads Schmidt Rassmussen on Unsplash

 

However, our ancestors would have celebrated these aspects of gray areas and often operated in a sort of opposite way – rigid, black and white ways of thinking or acting was not as distinct in global cultures. There was much more exposure to lack of predictability – fertile agricultural seasons were not guaranteed, interactions with predators may have occurred more regularly when out foraging or traveling, new forms of language and civilization were rising and evolving, and so much more.

Additionally, many earlier cultures were animistic, meaning that they believed spirit lived in all things – human and non-human. Stones, mountains, and rivers would have all had their own spirit. Therefore, liminal spaces would have too.

Our ancestors understood that by embracing liminality, we expanded our worldview. It brought us into deeper presence, as we observed more intently the transitional aspects of nature and the mystery therewithin. Additionally, liminality was integrated into livelihoods, with transitional periods being a time of celebration and reverence from which we learn and grow and evolve.

 

What Do the Herbs Teach Us About the Liminal?

Plants of all kinds truly embody the liminal in their being. They are made up of the elements – water, fire, earth, and wind all at the same time. They exist both above and below. They thrive by absorbing both the sun and the moon.

Phot o by Ashley Batz on Unsplash

 

So how might you observe or work with the liminal in herbal allies?

Work with plants that have protective properties such as Mugwort, Calendula, Rue, Marigold, or Pine. Create garlands or bundles to hang over liminal thresholds such as doorways or windows in your home to protect your space from trickery, mischief, or negative energy.

Observe how herbal allies transform. Notice the alchemy of Butterfly Blue Pea changing from indigo to violet as you add lemon juice. Observe how Linden and Marshmallow graciously share their mucilaginous properties when infused in cold water versus warm. Infuse your favorite herb by sunlight, and again by moonlight and notice the subtle shifts of these energetic integrations in your body. Be curious.

Explore how the plants are keepers of seasonal shifts and transitions. Take time to be present and observe how a flower shifts into a fruit into a seed. Notice how the plants respond to subtle changes in their environment – how many days after the days grow cooler do the leaves begin to change? How soon after the last frost do you see first sprouts? How do the plants embrace these seasonal thresholds?

Get curious about how herbs embrace the “gray areas.” How do they tend to move beyond rigid rules – such as the dandelion that grows in between concrete, or the drought-resistant plant that flourishes despite lack of water? How about the herbs like Nettle that have a sting that is a warning and also medicinal, or how it holds the earthy nourishing flavor of a plant rich in minerals, and yet tastes sweet at the same time? Or perhaps you may stumble upon the Moonflower that stays closed during the day, in which most plants are greedily soaking up the sun’s rays, but instead blooms and thrives beneath the light of a full moon?

Embrace the liminal season. Take a moment at this sacred time of the year to integrate the energy of the liminal into your life. Perhaps you can build an altar to those who have passed on, welcoming them back home during this season and adorn it with Vervain or Marigolds. Perhaps you can evaluate where you can leave more up to mystery versus knowing in your life. Perhaps you may choose to start new rituals and traditions in your family to celebrate new milestones or new life journeys.

Photo by Patrick Hendry on Unsplash

We hope that this post stokes a fire of curiosity in your soul, and invite you to explore ways in which to embrace a little more mystique and magic in your day to day. As you turn inward as we move into the threshold of deep autumn, may you hear the whispers of the ancestors more loudly, may the lessons of nature be pulled more deeply into your heart, and may we allow for more nuance and expansion in our collective. And so it is.