Crossing the Threshold: On Liminality, Descent, and Becoming
Thresholds are pauses that ask us to release what’s past and step into what’s becoming. In this conversation with Brian Clark, we explore descent, beauty, and curiosity as companions for the crossing.
In this episode of Romancing the Threshold, I’m joined by astrologer and storyteller Brian Clark to wander the landscapes of the in‑between. Together we explore thresholds as both pauses and passages — those liminal spaces where we tread, hold, and ready ourselves for what’s next.
Brian brings the image of the ancient threshing floor, where grain is separated from chaff, reminding us that every crossing asks us to release what no longer serves. I bring the lived texture of thresholds in daily life — airports, immigration lines, and those subtle moments when magic and luck slip in unannounced.
We speak of descent into darkness not as something to fear, but as the womb of beginnings — a place where we meet grief, ancestors, and the parts of ourselves we’ve left behind. Rituals and beauty become companions for the crossing: a candle lit, a walk taken, a room rearranged. Imagination emerges as a lantern in the dark, myths as companions who walk beside us, and curiosity as the open door that keeps us moving forward.
This conversation is an invitation to honor the thresholds in your own life — whether subtle or seismic — and to see them not as interruptions, but as initiations.
Curiosity is the lantern you carry into the unknown.
Guest Bio:
Brian Clark has been an astrological student, counsellor and educator (www.astrosynthesis.com.au) for over 50 years. His astrological work has always been informed by the multi-layered nature of its symbols, a focus of one of his books Soul, Symbol and Imagination. Brian has taught at international workshops and retreats in Australia, Asia, North America and Europe. He continues his consulting and tutoring practice, as well writing for astrological and psychological journals. Brian has his MA in Classics and Archaeology from the University of Melbourne and has been honoured with lifetime membership from the state, national and professional astrological organizations in Australia.
Beauty sets the table for transformation
— it’s an invitation, not a demand.
The Education of Cupid was painted in 1736 by Jean-Baptiste Van Loo (Aix-en-Provence, 1684-1745)
Brian evokes the image of Hermes teaching Cupid, and I wanted to offer you a visual companion. In this painting, notice Cupid’s wide‑eyed curiosity as Hermes gestures toward the text, while Aphrodite reclines nearby in languid presence — a tableau of instruction, wonder, and quiet witness.
To Know the Dark
Wendell Berry
To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.
To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,
and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,
and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.
Melissa Manchester’s Song: Better Days
Lyrics
Well, another day has come
After all is said and done
You are here as you were before
‘Cause it feels as if we’ve been
Through it all and back again
Now I know there’ll be something more
No more tears left to hide
We have made it through a long and lonely night
Better days on our side
Oh, it looks as though we’re doing something right
And in perfect time we’ll flow
Sometimes up and down we’ll go
Like the ring in a carousel
No more tears left to hide
We have made it through a long and lonely night
Better days on our side
Say, it looks as though we’re doing something right
Oh, it looks as though we’re doing something right
No more tears left to hide
We have made it through a long and lonely night
Better days on our side
Oh, it looks as though we’re doing something right
No more tears left to hide
Source: LyricFind
Thresholds are never crossed alone — they ripple outward in community.
I’d love to hear how this conversation with Brian Clark resonates for you. What thresholds are you noticing in your own life right now? Share your reflections in the comments, and if this episode speaks to you, pass it along to a friend who might be standing at their own crossing.
PS - On sound quality - learning to use the audio software. I hope that with each episode I get better and better with it. Better Days are coming!
