Tween: That Place between Worlds

by Naomi McDonald

There is a place where you are not awake or asleep, a place that is not night or day, light or dark, some call it tween. The clinical term is hypnagogia or threshold consciousness (commonly called “half-asleep” or “half-awake”, or “Mind Awake Body Asleep”), which describes the mental state of someone who is moving towards sleep or wakefulness but has not yet completed the transition.  I like the word tween as to me it is the place where two things overlap and become for a moment, neither one nor the other. Often client’s animals that are deceased will come into my thoughts when I am in that place of tween and ask me to convey information to their person.

At first I doubted the reality or truth of what I was receiving.  Now, after many times having key information verified by the client I know the place of tween to be very real.

In the fourth class of my animal communication program I teach my students to communicate with nature spirits, elementals & faeries.  I am always looking for new information on this topic, and read Faery Tale, One Woman’s Search for Enchantment in a Modern World, by Signe Pike. In the book Signe mentions learning about tween, a place where the vale between dimensions are thinner; where it is easier to see the spirits of nature, when our left brain is not so active. Faeries love anything ‘tween. When I read this, I thought, “I know that place” so I set my intention for a tween visit that night.  What actually happened was more than I could have ever imagined; something so powerful and real that I will always be grateful.

My experience that night of tween was not with the faery kingdom as I thought it would be but with my dog, Luke who had transitioned over two years ago.  Luke was a Border collie, with a soft long black and white coat, and huge brown eyes that had white around them like a human. Looking into his face was like looking at wisdom, love, and power. Luke and I spent eleven memorable years together.  The first years were training and attending sheep herding competitions.  We were together 24-7 and traveled all over the central United States competing.  After he could no longer physically compete I sold his sheep and he became my constant companion and dance partner. When I clean house I like to play rock and roll music and boogey around. Luke would go from room to room with me and be my dance partner.  On occasion I would ask my husband Mac to dance in the house. When this happened Luke would go up behind him, whine, and poke his nose into Mac’s bottom until he let Luke dance.  He was saying, “Hey Dad move over this is my partner.”