Learning to Love the Spaces in Between: Discover the Power of Liminal Spaces

Learning to Love the Spaces Inbetween is a thoughtful and exquisitely joyous book. Whilst the work demonstrates many achievements, the greatest one (in my opinion) is that the author, Claire Gilman is able to explain the concept of Liminal Space in a very down-to-earth way that makes it accessible to anyone. Claire skillfully takes The Reader on a Spiritual Journey that has practical application. A life-changing book that would be useful to anyone who is on a spiritual path and wishes to improve their knowledge and effectiveness. The book is so engaging I read it in one sitting. Enjoy!

A perfect book for anyone who has ever wondered about liminal spaces and what they are. Also perfect for anyone who knows a little about liminal spaces and wants to increase their knowledge. I think there is something for everyone whatever their depth of understanding of liminal spaces.It appealed to me because it has a clear structure and is very accessible. This is a book that you can dip into to explore a particular area of interest or read cover to cover for a broader understanding of liminal spaces. Physical spaces, metaphysical spaces and states of consciousness, and transitional spaces all sit well together under the clearly laid out chapter headings.Each chapter is nicely rounded off with salient points to take away. I really liked the practical tips, given at the end of each chapter, on how to learn more or to put certain aspects of the chapter into practice.Claire Gillman does not claim to be an authority on liminal spaces; in fact she clearly states that this book is a personal journey to gain a greater understanding. We, as readers, are invited to accompany her on her discovery as she interviews a wide variety of experts with varying specialities and huge depths of knowledge who explain where to find and how to love the “spaces in between”. Her obvious thirst for more knowledge of all kinds of liminal spaces is evident in all the interviews she has conducted for each chapter.Certain topics covered resonated more with me than others; I loved the chapter on navigating periods of transition and change. This chapter explored the opportunities and power that can be unexpectedly found in the limbo of quitting your job without having another job lined up, in certain rites of passage or being present in the moment instead of putting your life on hold whilst waiting for the next great thing which will make us happy.I loved the notion of liminal times of day and times of year and the impact this can have on our energy and mood and I found the chapter on “thin places”, where we may feel closer to a divine or greater presence, really fascinating.I have learnt so much from reading this book; I highly recommend it and will be buying it for friends for Christmas!

REVIEWby Anne Whitaker M.A, Dip. Ed, Dip. Psych. AstrolAs our world community begins yet another year of turmoil and uncertainty, this fine book by Claire Gillman could hardly be better timed. What does ‘liminal’ mean? What are liminal spaces?“The word ‘liminal’ comes from the Latin ‘limen’ meaning ‘threshold’….Liminal is often used to describe the threshold, or gateway, between two stages…”(Introduction, p x)The term is applicable in a variety of settings, for example anthropology, psychology, or architecture. It refers in more familiar contexts to that stage in life when one is hovering…departing from what is in the past: not quite at home here in the present: not quite arrived there, in the future…it’s an uncomfortable, fluid state to be in, but highly creative and full of potential, as the author of this book makes clear whilst we explore a variety of life’s dimensions, through eight chapters whose headings are worth listing in full since this gives the reader a good sense of the depth and scope of Gillman’s exploration:Transition and Change - the Fertile Void; Hovering Between Life and Death; Opening the Doors of Perception; Mind-Altering Practices and Substances; Tapping into the Divine; Tuning in to Natural Phases and Cycles; Wilderness, Thin Places and Pilgrimage; Our Natural World on the Brink.The book has many strengths. A major one lies in the way Gillman presents the process of writing a book on liminality, during a liminal time for us all ie the Covid pandemic. She states:‘Little had I suspected that in the writing and researching of this book, the process would turn into my very own experience of being in the unknown, lost in the choppy waters of uncertainty.’ (Introduction, p xv)Her journey through the liminal thus becomes an experience shared by her readers: we, too, move with the unfolding book and the writer’s own journey, into a deeper and clearer understanding of an archetypal life stage which for millennia has challenged, threatened, and opened human beings to new vistas, new creative possibilities, new visions – both collectively and at an individual level.On this journey, the author reached out to a wide range of experts in the eight fields already listed: ‘Having spent almost 20 years as a contributor and/or editor for Kindred Spirit magazine, the UK’s leading guide to conscious living and wellbeing, I was exposed to countless different modalities, esoteric subjects, and both traditional and cutting-edge teachings.’ (Introduction, p xiv)Amongst the many experts who generously shared their knowledge and experience with her were neurologist Dr Eben Alexander (in Hovering Between Life and Death), Caroline Myss, and Neal Donald Walsh (in Tapping into the Divine). The book is a feast of differing and mind-opening perspectives. Through the sections 'Expert Inspiration' and 'My Chapter Takeaways', at the end of each chapter Claire Gillman offers her readers summaries of how each contributor’s insights can provide a basis for embarking on our own creative explorations of the liminal state. She also shares what have been the most valuable takeaways for her.I very much enjoyed this book. My favourite section was Wilderness,Thin Places and Pilgrimage – partly because it mentioned two places which have deep meaning for me personally. I have made several pilgrimages over the years to the sacred Isle of Iona, initially with my husband and subsequently following his death: we made a promise that whoever died first, the other would travel to Iona to honour their memory, which I did in 2021. Also, I loved what the author says here:‘…the standing stones at Callanish on the island of Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides blew me wide open and left me mesmerised…’ (p172)I was raised on the Island of Lewis; the Callanish Stones were a sacred place of inspiration to me as I grew up, and have remained so to this day…Claire Gillman writes accessibly and clearly. Learning to Love the Spaces in Between is an excellent, in depth account of how we can ‘navigate and embrace liminal experiences’. I recommend it highly.700 words©Anne Whitaker 2023