Living Between Selves: Understanding the Liminal Space
Sometimes life feels unrecognizable, like you’ve outgrown something but the next thing hasn’t fully arrived yet. For me, it can feel like walking across a bridge that disappears behind me with each step, while the far side remains invisible in mist.
This is what we call liminal space — a transitional state where the old no longer fits, and the new hasn’t taken form. These periods can feel uncomfortable, uncertain, and isolating, but they are also sacred. They are where deep transformation happens.
What Is the Liminal Space, Really?
The word "liminal" comes from the Latin limen, meaning "threshold." It’s the space between two states of being. Not the past. Not yet the future. Just the now—suspended, fertile, and often disorienting. The threshold is a sacred space of opening and receiving, and is where we find deep truths that are otherwise hidden.
Liminal spaces can show up as:
Moving between careers or callings
Transforming relationships with family of origin
Shifting spiritual beliefs
Becoming a parent, or no longer being one in the same way
Loss of a loved one
Recovery from illness or trauma
A sudden internal awakening that changes how you see everything
During these times, the structures and stories that once anchored us no longer hold. We may feel exposed, or like our sense of purpose has dissolved. It’s easy to loose our way in this space, because when a person doesn’’t know which way is up, how can they swim to the surface?
Why It Feels So Uncomfortable
We live in a world that values clarity, productivity, and identity. Liminality offers none of that. Instead, it invites surrender, ambiguity, and trust. The discomfort comes from the in-betweenness—the fact that you can’t go back, but can’t yet see where you’re going.
Your nervous system may interpret this as danger. Your ego may grasp for control. But liminal space isn’t a void—it’s a cocoon. Something is forming inside you.
How to Care for Yourself in Liminal Times
Rather than trying to escape the discomfort, these practices can help you stay grounded and present as something new unfolds:
1. Rest generously
Liminal space is not lazy space. It’s energetic reorganization. You are integrating unseen shifts. Prioritize sleep, naps, slow movement, and gentle rhythm.
2. Name what is leaving and what is arriving
Even if it’s still vague, journaling what you are letting go of and what you sense may be on its way can bring orientation and peace.
3. Stay in relationship with your soul
Speak to your inner self, your intuition, your dreams. This is a time to deepen your spiritual practices—even if they change shape.
4. Talk to your guides or higher self
Ask for support, even in the silence. Trust that guidance is present, even when answers are not immediate.
5. Stay in relationship with the land
The Earth knows liminality. Seasons shift. Seeds wait in the dark. Touch the ground. Sit near trees. Let the natural world remind you that transformation is slow, steady, and not linear.
6. Don’t rush to fill the void
Let the new version of you emerge organically. Filling the space too soon may recreate something you were meant to release.
This Space Has Wisdom
Liminal space is not just something to get through. It teaches surrender. It teaches trust. It humbles the part of us that always wants a plan.
If you’re here, you are not lost. You are becoming. And this moment—strange and uncertain as it is—may end up being one of the most powerful seasons of your life.
You don’t need to rush. You don’t need to know. You just need to stay present.
And the bridge will carry you.
If you’d like intuitive support as you navigate this sacred in-between, I’m here. You can reach out at airimooersintuitive.com/contact. You don’t have to walk this path alone.