Contemporary references to betwixt and between

Living as an Imaginal Bridge between Worlds (Part #6)

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More surprising however, even astonishing, is the extent to which the extraordinary phrase "betwixt and between" -- historically associated with evocative folk tales and myth -- is now widely used in a variety of contexts. This is evident in the references (in an Annex) to those obliged to live "between worlds" to some degree and variously confronted by their contradictions. -- also recognized as a "twilight zone" (Bibliography of "Betwixt and Between": including references to liminality and Neti Neti, 2011) . Of particular relevance is any sense of being "caught between worlds" as a "dweller in a twilight zone". The experience is the subject of both serious study and a theme of creative cultural exploration in works of imagination.

The bibliography includes very few of the many references to commentaries from a pagan, wiccan or shamanistic perspective -- readily to be found by web searches. The items in the bibliography, with the indicative addition of some (of the many) focusing on liminality, can be roughly grouped under the following headings (which link to the relevant section of the Annex):

• sociopolitical and strategic contexts: The explicit use of  "betwixt and between" in this case is indicative of the nature of the reality to which some feel they are now exposed and with which they have to deal pragmatically:
  • relations between countries
  • place, immigration and refugees
  • disempowerment
• social relations and management: This group is especially interesting given the recognition of the failure of conventional frameworks to encompass regulatory challenges
• cultural relations and dialogue: Notions of "betwixt and between" have clearly been acknowledged as opning a space central to discourse and social intercourse
• life transition and gender: This group, with the focus on transitional phases, initiated the associated focus on the cognitive subtleties of liminality (discussed below)
• aesthetics, literature and performance art: The sense of "betwixt and between", especially as explored in terms of liminality, is now much-valued in some forms of aesthetic expression and experience (as discussed below)
• creativity
• education and philosophy
• science, technology and media

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