“In the universe, there are things that are known, and things that are unknown, and in between them, there are doors.” ― William Blake
There is a special magick between the boundaries of time and space. For the magickal practitioners of the past, there was an understanding that many amazing things can happen between the boundaries and in the crossing and travel from one thing to another. We are all captivated by the phenomena of transformation and that magic when one thing seems to almost instantly change from one thing to another and those mysterious transitory, or liminal, spaces between.
The fact that there are so many deities of boundaries, paths, and transition speak to the power of the inbetween. Gods such as Hermes (travel). Hekate (crossroads), Eshu/Papa Legba (crossroads), Ganesha (removing obstacles in the path), and many more speak to the importance of liminal spaces and the power of change.
But change is not really instant is it? Much goes into the choosing of a path before the instant embarking on it actually happens.
When a butterfly transforms from a caterpillar, that metamorphosis is the product of so many different internal processes and external changes. In the same way, change takes time. I am really inspired by Alchemy and how changes happen in stages- each a powerful stage that builds upon the last. When we choose a path, our choices are built upon the accumulated wisdom and experience of everything that makes us uniquely us.
The real magick of the inbetween comes from it being a place of all potentiality. When we are not one thing or the other- the person we were and the person we are changing to be- we can be anything. In this embryonic like phase, we touch something of the source of all creation. We are like the Universe before it begins to give shape and we are in a place of ultimate creativity and choice. Change is Divine and our process of change is like the Universe being born. In this way we are really living the connection between the “above and below” and our personal choice echoes the creation of all things. We are co–creators with the Universe.
To bring things together, while we have the liminal spaces that contain all potential- how we come out the other end of the change is based upon how we conceive our path. Sometimes this choice is very conscious. We can choose to be better people or take up habits that are most beneficial to us and others. Sometimes, this choice is more intuitive and we have to do what feels right. Either way, we are influenced by the past and we have to find ways to reconcile it to move forward. One way to look at this is the following four step process:
- Inventory of The Past and Present- We cannot move forward without knowing where we have been. I do not want to repeat the past, I want to learn from it. I want to distill the wisdom of my experience into knowledge I can carry forward. When I am well armed with that knowledge, I go into the unknown with a set of tools and skills that can serve me well.
- Choosing Who We Want to Be- I always want to be a better person. Sometimes I want to skip ahead and just be in the future, but I need to visualize what the world I want to step into will look like. In this stage, I might brainstorm, journal, and maybe even write a character sketch of the person I want to be and step into. No one needs to be defeated by the past. Everyday is a new chance to walk the path of being better than who we were before.This can also be a space of creating a plan to move forward where you conceive goals and break them down into concrete action items.
- Touching the Liminal- This is the stage where we sit with the “not knowing”, the uncomfortable, and the place of all potential. It can be exciting to start something new, but it can also be very overwhelming going into a mental or emotional space that is unfamiliar. I find meditation on our inner Divine selves is helpful. After all, to create is to be close to Creation and the heart of the Universe.
- Initiating Change- This can be the hardest part. It takes courage to change and venture forth into the unknown. This is where an action plan can be handy, and each action is a step on the new process. It also makes things less scary and daunting since you are the one choosing the actions and how you commit and make them.
Change is amazing. Everything changes and by consciously changing and connecting to the Divine parts of us that are the heart of change, we can do anything. When the potential becomes actual, we become the greatest of magicians and we achieve the impossible. No one needs to be stuck or stagnant, we can just tap into that innate creative spark by bridging the gap of the past to the present and the unmanifest to the manifest.
Blessings.