The first terms...

Ok folks, are we all set?

First, just to get this out of the way: dispel from your mind the notion of trickster as an entity. That's not our context nor do I think it has any basis in actuality. Also for the time being, forget the literary definition. While there may be some observational value in how the literary trickster is presented in texts, it's far an away too anthropomorphic. The trickster is also not defined here by way of theological definitions either. I think it's going to be fairly obvious that we're not blaming this on the devil or any other entity that you may or may not believe in. 

Think of it more as this: an undercurrent of how reality seems to work. I said from the get-go, think abstract.

Here's some definitions of terms you'll need to understand:

Anti-structure

This is essentially the state in which there is chaos, and loss of routine. The loss of structured life, and the absence of pattern or organization. Disruption. Disorganization. This is not a tough definition to comprehend, but you're going to see it in many different forms and you'll need to be able to recognize it.

How anti-structure fits our discussion: In the case of investigating or studying paranormal activity, you'll find people who are experiencing phenomena are in some matter of disarray. Stress in all forms. Could be a loss of job, resulting in loss of income. Divorce? Sure. Moving to a new home? Absolutely. Such activities can throw one into a complete state of disharmony. 

But there can be loss of routine in other ways - extended vacation, obsession with an artistic endeavor whether it be writing, playing music, visual art - these things can result in a loss of your normal routine in daily life. It doesn't always have to be some terrible devastation to be anti-structural. One may lead an anti-structural life that has no routine and rarely has (more about these types of folks later). 

You will find anti-structure in the mix of many paranormal events across all matter of discord or loss of regimented life.

Liminality

The liminal state is one of transition. British anthropologist Victor Turner (1920-1983) published a paper titled “Betwixt and Between: The Liminal Period in Rites de Passage.” The phrase 'betwixt and between' helped define the liminal period, as between two normal or stable states of being. You could think of liminality not only as the 'between  state' but as the bridge or connective tissue to anti-structure - it works both ways. For instance the loss of job brings the loss of daily routine, but also puts one in the liminal state of between jobs. If one is between jobs (even by choice), one can fall into an anti-structured life. 

There are liminal places: constructions sites, homes being restored or renovated, etc. It stands to reason that living in a liminal environment would result in a loss of your routine. For example, you can't live in a room that's being gutted for renovation. You may sleep odd hours in another room that is not your normal one - or eat different food at different hours because the kitchen is being redone. The environment in a state of transition is not what it was, but it's also not what it will be...yet.

There are liminal people (not victims of a liminal situation, but that they themselves are liminal): the adolescent boy or girl is by far to me, the most obvious example of liminality: the male is not yet a man - but no longer a little boy, and the female not yet a woman - but no longer a little girl. While the male is certainly undergoing his own changes, the female seems the more potent example of physical and emotional change (to me anyway).  

But there are other examples: the transsexual, either seeking or in the process of sexual reassignment procedures. The notion of cross-dressing, or of being some amalgamation of the male and female simultaneously. The role of shaman in many cultures, the person who walks the line between the spiritual world and physical world - often dresses and appears in androgynous ways.  

There are liminal times of day - 3am being a time when many paranormal minded people say the spirits are more active - is the peak period between night and early morning. 12 midnight is called the "witching hour" - the liminal moment between one day to another. Halloween, a time when folklore tells us the 'veil between the living and the dead is thinnest' happens during the most notable liminal time of year: between summer and winter. 

In essence, anything 'between' one state to another, or in simplest terms 'in the process of change'. Paranormal events seem to be contained within the liminal period.

Marginality

Marginality for me is one of the more difficult concepts to discuss, because it seems a derogatory thing to say. This is the segment of the paranormal that skeptics use to ultimately cast doubt or suspicion. I've spoken a lot about the 'quality of the messenger' - mostly due to my lengthy discussion with research Russ Estes - and how the quality of many reports of paranormal activity seem to come from sources that in one way or another are marginal. When I say 'marginal'...well, here's a good spot for an example. 

Marginal.

Name the most popular ghost hunting show of all time. 'Ghost Hunters' of course - the show that built SyFy. Now here's a couple of guys using fairly sophisticated equipment for capturing spirit activity. The two principle 'investigators' are marginal, because they are plumbers (this is not to disparage the plumbing profession btw). One seems moderately educated while the other seems to not have much under the belt as far as academe at all. These are not scientists, or even parapsychologists. They are plumbers. Therefore they would fall into the marginal category. While they may get good evidence of spirit activity - many will dismiss it from the standpoint that these men are not very educated, are not versed in any particular field of parapsychology or science, and may be easily dismissed. I have to stress this does not negate their findings - only that it casts doubt by virtue of the quality of the messenger. Never mind, that it's also a TV show, and TV shows are entertainment. I should repeat George Hansen's observation:

"In our culture, the moneys devoted to fictional portrayal of the paranormal in books, TV, and movies dwarf those allocated to research."

There's a reason that it's been joked about that "only people in trailer parks see UFOs". This widespread stereotype has picked up on the marginal aspects of the field. While the stereotype is inaccurate, it focuses on the people as marginal due to where they live. (I might note here that trailer parks are also liminal places to live. Often it is a transitional living domicile.)

Marginal definitions for our purposes also include marginal places - for example many bars and pubs are reported to be haunted. The notion of alcohol being consumed immediately places the reports in a marginal category.

You'll find that many creative personalities (artists, writers, musicians, etc) are represented very high in reports of paranormal events - these people (and yes,me included) are considered marginal because they can easily create reports, videos, photos, that immediately makes the report or evidence suspect. They are also very versed in imagination and visualization. This of course doesn't mean that these people are dishonest by any stretch or that their reports should be dismissed - only that from a subjective and fair outside perspective, creatives are easily dismissed by virtue of their talent to create fiction. We'll get way into this in future discussions.

I think that's enough terminology to get started. Read these carefully and ponder them, their many possibilities and trajectories. In the following days I'll be giving you more complex ideas relating to these basic ideas. I'll also be showing you examples of cases, personalities and apparent phenomena behavior that you'll find endlessly fascinating when looking from the trickster perspective. 

In closing, none of this is particularly new. Some of these observations and terms have been known in the paranormal for 100 years. How marginal is a field(s) that can recognize these patterns and soon forget them to focus time and energy on the meaningless Roswell Slides or Project SERPO.🔻

More to come...