Venturing through
Liminal Times
with Courage & Joy
In the end lies the beginning, and so does the beginning lie in the end. It’s the eternal circle.
We’re living in vulnerable chaotic times, where creativity and birth dance alongside death and unraveling.
It’s the long liminal threshold, the ultimate betwixt/between, where endings and beginnings are uncomfortable bedfellows.
Some may even call these times ‘apocalyptic’. For the ancient Greeks, ‘apocalypse’ meant ‘to reveal’, ‘to uncover’, ‘to disclose’, and ‘to discover’.
In short, we live in revelatory times, when hidden energies are revealed and hidden meanings are discovered. This happens both on the world stage and in our inner world.
The danger of these liminal times between what was and what is being born is LITERALISM (the cousin to FUNDAMENTALISM, which is a lack of imagination.)
This ‘apocalyptic thinking’ becomes activated when our state of mind is caught between great radical change, as the ‘center can no longer hold.’
And as such we’re in danger of being swept away by psychic forces beyond our rational boundaries.
While these are times of death and rebirth, they are also times to face whatever has been collectively unhealed and unprocessed.
The ‘return of the repressed’ breaks through the boundaries and calls for acknowledgment and healing. Raw emotions overtake rational minds.
What is needed during these times is a mythic perspective.
Disorientation and disorder, as well as revelation and renewal, are part of the process.
To reveal is to pull back and show what’s underneath; to do that, one needs to approach it with imagination—a timeless mythic perspective.
That’s why stories are crucial during liminal times. They penetrate the choppy waves of ‘daily drama’ and help us glimpse the eternal.
These are initiatory times of death and rebirth;
we’re each other’s midwives.
Takeaways from our time together
Understanding the geography of these liminal times from an astrological perspective, and what we can do about it.
(Re)connect with your inner Mars and Venus to help you feel empowered to take action that aligns with you.
Reflect and discuss on what you have ‘control’ over and can incorporate during these chaotic times.
Integrate the information and insights through sound healing’s way of attuning our nervous system.
Reset of your energy due to our collective current atmosphere through sound healing.
‘Deflate’ the archetype so it doesn’t run rampant in our lives.
Share in community and find connection with self and others.
“Fear is an incompetent teacher.”
— Jean Luc Picard
The itinerary on this journey
The astrology of these liminal times.
The geography and typical stages of this liminal landscape we’re venturing into.
Through stories, an exploration of the archetypes of new beginnings and ‘eternal spring’.
How to honor the archetype of Mars and courage.
Engaging with Venus - the joy bringer.
Explore ways to ‘deflate’ the more maddening aspects of the Martian archetype running rampant in our midst.
Insights on embracing our inner Mars & Venus and taking aligned action during these vulnerable threshold times.
Discern between bringing joy and taking assertive action.
“At the top of the mountain, I would
begin to discover
that the best thing
I could do with fear is
to build a shelter:
a story shelter.”
- Shelter makes fear irrelevant. -
— Gareth Higgins
Details
April 26, 2025
Wild Hearts Wellness
4230 NE Freemont Street
Portland, OR 97213
Time: 9:00 a.m. through to 4 pm
Lunch Break: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
(Plus added short breaks throughout the day.)
Price: U$75.00*
Please Note:
Bring a journal to write your insights and any other
accoutrements you may need to feel comfortable.
The space has yoga mats, blankets, and cushions.
Wear comfortable clothes and bring your water bottles.
No food is permitted in the room.
*Bring a friend to class and purchase the second ticket for U$52.50.
Your guides through this liminal landscape
Vanessa Couto
Astrologer & Storyweaver
Vanessa Couto is a Life Purpose Coach, astrologer, teacher, and myth lover. She weaves astrology, mythology, fairy tales, Jungian psychology, and a good dose of practical and grounded common sense to guide her clients through their transitions at their intersection of life purpose and livelihood.
In addition to coaching, she loves to teach classes and workshops that marry astrology, psychology, and storytelling to help her students approach life from an imaginative and broader perspective.
She holds a B.A. in Social Communication and Advertising, an M.A. in Teaching from New York University, and an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. She is a Certified Life Coach from the Life Purpose Institute.
Outside of her work, she enjoys delving into her Celtic Spirituality studies, watching British period dramas and history documentaries, and listening to Ancient and Medieval History podcasts. She’s also a bona fide bookaholic, an oracle and tarot collector, and a travel lover
Melanie Cole-Smith
Sound Healer & Facilitator
Melanie Cole-Smith is a professional facilitator and a dedicated student in the world of sound healing. Her practice is committed to providing therapeutic spaces for clients to experience personal transformation through the sonic arts of a sound healing session.
Her clients experience a safe, welcoming space where Melanie, intentionally interacting with Tibetan and Crystal singing bowls, creates specific sound resonances that our bodies respond to by tapping into the body’s innate wisdom for healing.
These kinds of empowering, sound healing sessions truly bring about lasting change and personal growth for her clients and the community.
Melanie’s passion for sound healing comes from her own experience in her practice. She has witnessed firsthand how powerful these tools are for healing on so many levels.
It’s from engaging in this symbiotic relationship with her bowls and the world of sound healing that she was filled with compassionate clarity and a sense of purpose to be a facilitator for others to experience healing in this way.
Liminal
The transitional space between who you once were, and who you are becoming:
on the threshold of significant change.
Got questions?
We have answers!
Drop us a line and let’s get this ball rolling.