Image and Pilgrimage- Erin Comerford

Victor Turner talks about liminality in his book Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture. He defines liminality as not only transition but also potentiality. Liminality is a phase that one goes through while on a pilgrimage, which is a time of transition. The first phase is separation, which is when you remove yourself from wherever you have been so that you can enter into your pilgrimage. The second phase is liminality and the third phase is aggregation, which happens after the pilgrimage is over basically. Aggregation is the re-entering into the world and out of the pilgrimage. The biggest phase of a pilgrimage though is the liminal phase. This is the phase where most of the transition itself takes place. But as Turner said, it isn't just a transition phase, it is also a phase that you go through where you have the most potentiality. This is because in this phase, you become so vulnerable to any and every change there is that there is so much potential for change around you. Being in the liminal phase is a time where your mind is very open to change and you also become more aware of what is around you and in your life because that is all you are thinking about. For me, I feel like I am in a liminal phase right now as I am experiencing college. There is so much potential in this place for me and my future. I am very open to the things around me and I feel like I am just soaking in all of the knowledge that is being given to me. My separation came on move-in day freshman year and the aggregation phase will happen after I graduate from this place.