The word “liminal” was first coined by the French ethnologist Arnold van Gennep (1873-1957) in The Rites of Passage. He writes, “Thus, although a complete scheme of rites of passage theoretically includes pre-liminal rites [rites of separation], liminal rites [rites of transition], and post-liminal rites [rites of incorporation], in specific instances these three types are not always equally important or equally elaborated.”
The rites demonstrate a certain fluidity during transitions, but the emphasis on each stage can vary depending on the context. Initiation ceremonies focus on separation.
- The first stage is a metaphorical death, in which the initiate is forced to leave behind known practices and routines.
- The second phase is a prolonged liminal state emphasizing transition-like vision quests, a destructive phase in which a person passes a threshold that distinguishes between the two phases.
- The final stage is the reintegration ritual after the “war,” which includes a re-incorporation phase. Then the initiate reintegrates into society and assumes a new identity in this final stage.
In a place like Mount Shasta, spiritual transformation may separate a person from mainstream society, leaving them in a prolonged liminal state, and the outcome may or may not include a structured reintegration phase. Thus, the stages of liminality are not always neatly contained. Here, a person is neither their pre-ritual self nor have they restructured their new identity.
Further Reading
Arnold van Gennep The Rites of Passage – free resource