Tuesday 18 March 2008

Liminal

Last night as I went out at twilight to shut away the chickens and geese, I was stopped in my tracks, delighted. After the rain we had at the weekend, the stream was flowing strongly. The sound of tumbling water mingled with the resonance of birds passionately singing the day down into night. It was a beautiful, enchanting music in the fading light.

As I came back up the hill I became aware that the birds had fallen silent, hushed by the oncoming darkness of night - but for a tawny owl who was beginning her watch with some soft, quavering hoots.

It was only a few minutes, yet in that time the switch was made from day to night. And I didn't notice exactly when it happened, only that it had.

That was the liminal time, the inbetween time, the time when it is neither day or night. A time of magic when anything can happen, the time between time.

In folklore and fairy tale, the liminal times and places - Samhain, midnight, dawn, threshholds literal and metaphorical are where the magic happens. In permaculture, it is understood that the edges (between say, woodland and field, or water and earth) are the richest in biodiversity. There is magic, tangible magic in the inbetween places.

Tonight I will listen more closely, pay attention and see if I can perceive the imperceivable. And if I can, perhaps one day I may slip through the crack between here and there.

If I do - what will I find?

9 comments:

Pixiedust said...

OOHH you will definitely find faeries, pixies, and elementals, and I suspect it's where you will find all the odd socks that go missing lol. I do love your posts. I do check everyday, they always inspire me. B B pixiedust xxx

Anonymous said...

Love love love that sort of moment - far too few of them, unless you are prepared to stop and take notice. :)

Reya Mellicker said...

What a wonderful post! I know that feeling of suddenly tuning in to the complexity of the moment. All moments have magic in them, every moment is full of possibility, and yet I know what you mean about dusk and dawn, the inbetween moments between dark and light. There is something that happens.

I think it's so respectful of you to pay attention! I salute you. BRAVO!!

p.s. If you slip into another reality, will you make sure to come back in time to feed the chickens? All of us in this reality would really miss you if you didn't return.

laoi gaul~williams said...

oh yes!

i am off to the wilds of the north yorkshire moors tomorrow~i will be doing the same over the coming days!

Maggie May said...

What magic! Sounds lovely. Did you step in a fairy ring?
Like your blog came to you via Elizabeth M

Miss Robyn said...

I have experienced that time... when time kind of stands still...

Cottage Smallholder said...

I love that time of day - day for night. I often find myself out in the garden at that time.

Suddenly bats are flying and in the woods the owls are starting to call.

Mike Farley said...

Liminal? He was lead singer of Kajagoogoo wasn't he?

Griffin said...

The in-between time is definitely when you are able to see the faeries... so, a good time to stay in and hide, 'cos the faeries are all but psychopathic... on a good day.