The Liminal Space

What is a liminal space? Theodora Blanchfield, AMFT, "Liminal Space is the uncertain transition between where you've been and where you're going physically, emotionally, and metaphorically. To be in a liminal space means to be on the precipice of something new but not quite there yet." We can all relate to the visceral sensations that arise within our bodies during these times of uncertainty, change, and transition; but, for most of us, our interaction with the rising discomfort ends with our seeking remedy for the manifesting physical pain, anxiety, and hosts of other maladies to follow. This is not true for the practitioner of Braucherei and Hexerei who recognize these periods of transition as auspicious spaces of opportunity to work with, and learn from, the past in order to heal and evolve, both oneself and others, forward. Even our Deitsch ancestors who were not practitioners of our folk healing art recognized the importance of the seasonal cycles of the year, as well as the in-between times as seasons stand on the threshold of the next phase but have not yet closed the door on the previous. In fact, the word liminal comes from the Latin word limen which means threshold, and our agrarian forebears lived closely to the land, in sync with the cycles of the seasons, and acutely aware of the power of the liminal space and the communication of weather and nature at this threshold because their livelihood, and their lives, depended upon it.

A practitioner of Braucherei and Hexerei strives for balance to best assist others, and achive desired self-growth. Liminal Spaces allow us to have one foot in the past and one foot in the future, while harnessing the power of the arising sensations of now to mobilize ourselves, and the highest good of others, forward. We do this through intention, energy work, herbal remedies, traditional charms, talismans, and ancestral workings passed down to us through our oral traditions.

On the physical plane, practitioners of Pennsylvania Dutch folk healing and folk magic align their spiritual work with the rhythms of the earth in the same manner as the non-practicing agriculturalist. One look inside the Old Farmer's Almanac, and one can learn on which moon phase to plant certain vegetables, as well as which body parts are healed best during moon phases. Urglaawe practitioners of Braucherei and Hexerei observe spiritual attributes of Deity with season, which is intimately intertwined with our Deitsch heritage, cultural lore, and traditions brought to Pennsylvania which are rooted deeply in our motherland.

As I sit here today, I am deep within a liminal space. As February comes to a close, Winter lingers, and Spring fights for a foothold. The moon will go dark at 7:45 PM EST, before becoming New. As we shake the last remnants of winter's full Snow Moon from our souls, we will dip deep within ourselves to reflect before we emerge and grow toward the full Worm Moon of March~ a time of new beginnings, awakening, and growth. My own life is also in transition. When I feel anxiety arise within me, and uncertainty gives way to fear, I remind myself of the opportunity that resides within this delicate balance, and the agency we have over our own selves when we recognize our alignment with nature. It is our past that got us here, and it is the decisions we make, and the work that we do, standing on this threshold, that will define our next step. Recognizing how much power we truly possess when we balance and align ourselves is not only empowering but also enlightening. It helps us to recognize the strength and resilience of our ancestors, and our ability to evolve forward as a culture.

Our forebears faced cultural oppression and forced assimilation by tactics of humiliation and the suppression of language and culture. Yet, the Pennsylvania Dutch culture thrives forward today, and our language is now taught in historical centers, community colleges, and online. When the fears and uncertainty of today create fear about tomorrow, we can call upon our Deitsch ancestors to remind us that we are anything but powerless.

There are signs all around us, often overlooked when we feel small, weak, and afraid. Nature speaks to us in many ways. Our most recent Urglaawe observance was Entschtanning, which means emergence. Entschtanning begins on Grundsaudaag (Groundhogs Day). A cognate of Badger's Day, Palatinate observed the behavior of the groudhog, in the absence of the badger in Pennsylvania, to forecast the weather in attempt to predict the onset of Spring in preparation of planting their ground, as every week of growth helped the harvest at the end of the season, and the winter months to follow. Most of us practitioners in observance still grow kitchen gardens, and preserve for the winter, as well as sustain healing herbs for our work, and we recognize our dance with nature, and that the in-between times are equally important as the times of certainty. When we take a deep breath and pay attention to the wildlife that enters our life, and the way the weather moves around us, we feel more connected and less isolated in transition. Even the most unsuspicious bird may have a profound message for you.

Our next Urglaawe observance is Oschdre. In alignment with the Spring Equinox (balance of light and dark as we come into the light half of the year), we observe the birth of color into the world. And the story of the three sisters, Helling, Nacht, and Oschdra, are a wonderful way to illustrate the beauty of the liminal space (represented in the lore by Oschdra). The following is taken directly from https://urglaawe.blogspot.com/2015/03/oschdre-where-color-comes-from-origin.html?m=1:

Three sisters, Helling, Nacht, and Oschdra, gathered together at a point on the world they called East. Each sister wore a cloak of transformative power. Helling wore a cloak of light; Nacht, a cloak of darkness; ad Oschdra wore a cloak that could not be seen. They decided to meet at this moment because they were bored with the blandness of existence and wished to make it all appear more interesting and exciting.

Nacht stepped forward first and as She did so, her Cloak covered the world and everything beneath Her and it became black. Oschdra, seeing what happened when Her sister progressed, moved forward next. Only this time, Oschdra's cloak seemingly had no effect on the world below. Next, Helling walked forward, and as she did, the world below Her and Her cloak was cast in white. Most amazingly, as Helling's white touched Nacht's black under where Oschdra stood, Oschdra's cloak and everything below Her transformed and could now be seen in a new shade She called "gray."

Oschdra then called upon a pair of Finches, Distelfresser and Himmelflucht, to fly from Her right hand, a place She called North, to Her left hand, a place She called South. As the would make their flight, everything in their path would be washed in gray.

Distelfresser and Himmelflucht agreed, but asked Oschdra to grant them a simple request: Himmelflucht's eggs shall also be gray so that she could see them regardless of Helling or Nacht being above them. Oschdra happily granted their request, and the Finches began their flight.

The three Sisters continued their walk around the world. Nacht providig the black hue, Helling, the white, and Oschdra, the gray. After nine days, Oschdra became restless once again. She was unhappy that she could only create a tint on the world by standing between Her sisters. She wanted to provide Her very own hue. She looked upon Her cloak and closed Her eyes. She imagined one side of the cloak afirewith a varied warm glow and she called it red, orange and yellow. She imagined the other side luminescent with a cool iridescence and She called it green, blue, and violet.

Oschdra opened her eyes, and now Her cloak bore all these hues which she called "Farewe," but in Her own tongue. Now as Oschdra walked from the East to the West, the skies radiated with the new colors. Her sisters saw the change, and they admired Oschdra's craft.

Together the three Sisters of the East, thenceforth known as the Oschdre, decided to do more. Helling added white to the colors and Nacht added black. Oschdra's palette grew and the Sisters loved their work. The colors appeared in the sky but not elsewhere in the world. Oschdra and Her Sisters wished for the whole world to emerge with the colors of their work, so they sought the assistance of the most prolific of the animal world to help them with their work. They found Haas (rabbit) and asked him to transform the world wherever his tail by saturating everything in its path with the colors of the Ladies' craft. Haas agreed, but asked in return that all of his descendants would inherit his role as bearer of color.

The Oschdre Sisters agreed. While Helling and Nacht stood opposite one another, Oschdra sent Haas forth. Haas was directed to begin at the nest of the Finches, who, having completed their journey, were now flying South to North. Oschdra declared to Himmelsflucht, With Haas' colors, your eggs will always be in your sight."

Just as Haas painted the last of the eggs, Distelfresser landed in the nest to check on them and he was pleased. Haas' tail brushed against him as Haas was leaving and Distelfresser's plumage transformed to vibrant yellow, blue, green, and red. Haas continued on this way, and to this day, wherever Haas goes, color follows his tail.

Never underestimate the power contained within the liminal space, or your own power when you are within it. Reaching back to the resilience of our ancestors, and the knowledge we have gathered from our past, we can move, evolve, connect, and color everything we touch.

by Gretchen E. Swank

Note: The above excerpt from the Urglaawe Blog was taken directly from the cited source. The story itself was gathered from oral lore passed on to Robert L. Schreiwer via relatives in his youth, as well as seventeen (17) informants he interviewed as part of his studies and furtheranceof his Braucherei and Hexerei studies. The above listed website details these sources.