Are you feeling a little bit of magic in the air today? You should be, because Aug. 8 is what's what's known as the "lion's gate portal," and according to some astrologers, it's one of the luckiest days of 2019. While Aug. 8 (or 8/8) is the peak day for doing lion's gate portal energy work, this alignment starts working its magic on us on Jul. 26 and lasts through Aug. 12 — so even if you don't get to setting aside time for a ritual today, you can still make the most of this potent energy through Monday, Aug. 12.
The unique and auspicious energy of 8/8 is based on both numerology and astrology — and the two modalities come together on this date in a synergistic energy swirl that creates a fresh slate and an opportunity to manifest abundance. "Today is the day to manifest any intentions that serve your highest self," explains astrologer and Tarot reader Caitlin McGarry, who spoke exclusively with Bustle about how to take advantage of the energy of this powerful date.
In numerology, the number 8 represents infinity (not surprising, given its visual similarity to the infinity symbol, '∞'), as well as abundance and personal power. And on 8/8, when that numerological power is heightened, astrology also comes into play: The star Sirius (known as the "spiritual sun" due to it being the second-brightest star in the sky, after the sun itself) reaches its apex and appears to be closer to the Earth today than any other time of the year. With the sun being in all its Leo season, summertime glory and the "spiritual sun" Sirius having an incredible influence over us, this energy vortex is known as the "lion's gate portal" and is known for being an ideal time for manifesting abundance.
And this isn't just a new age shtick: This date has been considered significant for thousands of years, and was celebrated by the Mayans as well as the ancient Egyptians, so it's a beautiful time to do a ritual or honor the energy in a special way. That said, here are 8 (yes, I did that on purpose!) rituals for the lion's gate portal that you can use at home to make the most of this spiritually significant day.
1. 8/8 Crystal Grid Manifestation Ritual
McGarry recommends working with crystals today to enhance your intention-setting abilities. "If you can get your hands on a Lemurian crystal, this is the most potent tool to use today," she advises. "Many Lemurian crystals are said to be originated from Sirius, and Sirius has been known as the 'Spiritual Sun' — it emits an energy that is hugely activating for us and will be aligning with Orion's belt today."
McGarry was kind enough to share the details of a ritual that she will be performing today for the lion's gate portal so that we might recreate a version of it ourselves. She recommends "making a list of manifestations and intentions that [you] will be proactive about bringing into fruition, [and] creating a crystal grid using Lemurian crystals, labrodorite, citrine, and rose quartz," she shares. Creating crystal grids is an awesome way to activate energy, and actually amplify the unique qualities of your crystals, so it's a powerful tool to use on 8/8 in particular.
To wrap up the ritual, McGarry advise that you state your intentions out loud, reading them from the list you made, and then wrapping things up by burning the list in the sand. At that point, the ritual will be complete.
2. Activate Your Solar Plexus
Your solar plexus chakra, which is physically located in your diaphragm, represents your sense of self, personal power, and self-expression — all very Leo season/lion's gate themes. Bustle spoke to energy healer and astrologer Kesaine Walker about her recommendations for ways to make the most of the lion's gate portal, and she recommends working to activate your solar plexus chakra energy.
"The Lion’s Gate opening is the perfect time to take advantage of the sun’s energy by activating your Solar Plexus which will increase your ability to manifest," explains Kesaine. What are some good ways to do this? She recommends morning meditations. "Add some prosperity meditations to your morning routine to raise your vibration and increase the flow of money and abundance," advises Walker. You can also work with most yellow color crystals — like citrine or yellow jasper — to enhance the solar plexus chakra, too.
3. 8-Minute Meditation & Free-Writing Ritual
This ritual is based on one that I personally used on Nov. 11 (aka 11/11) of last year to enhance the spiritual significance of that particular date in numerology, and it can easily be adapted to work for the power of 8/8. If you have the opportunity to start this ritual at 8:08pm (or any time within the 8pm hour), even better! But it's not necessary.
To begin, you'll want to cleanse your space as needed (using whichever tools feel right to you — smudge sticks, incense, essential oil diffusion, selenite wand cleansing, etc.) and make sure you have a few minutes of quiet where you'll be undisturbed. Set a timer for 8 minutes, and allow yourself to meditate during that period. Don't worry if you're not an advanced meditator! If your mind wanders, just gently try to nudge it back to center, acknowledging thoughts as they come and then allowing them to pass.
Once the timer goes off, you'll want to start a free-writing session. Grab your journal or a piece of paper, reset your timer again for 8 minutes, and just write. Try not to stop or pause for too long to think about what to say — this exercise is about letting your subconscious spill out onto the page without your inner critic or conscious mind trying to edit you, so let whatever wants to come out come out — even if it's practically gibberish! Once the timer goes off for the second time, you can wrap up your writing activity. Now reflect on anything that came to you during your meditation (visions, repeated thoughts, feelings) as well as revisiting what you wrote during your free-write session, and work with these themes as you move forward and through the portal.
4. Vision Boarding
The nature of the lion's gate portal is that of abundance: The life-giving sun is in its full power in Leo season, while the spiritual Sirius will be at its annual apex of influence over our spirits. That said, it's an ideal time to focus on your goals and work on manifesting your dreams into reality. Creating a vision board is a super fun way to manifest, and the creative, visually-artistic nature of the project aligns perfectly with Leo's creation-driven, flashy energy.
There's no rule for how to vision board, but just remember that for many people, it works — so make sure you choose images and words that really represent what you want! Start by making a list of the main goals that you're currently working toward and trying to manifest. This is key, as you want your goals to be the guiding light in this exercise! Now, grab an old stack of magazines and flip through them, cutting out any words or images that stand out to you as representative of the things you're working toward. But don't limit yourself to magazine cutouts — feel free to include photographs, images you've selected and printed yourself, things you've written, or drawings you've made to represent your goals. All these things will enhance the collage and make it even more personal.
Once you've got your well of images collected, it's time to create! Grab a piece of paper or a whole poster board (depending on how large you want your vision board to be!) and start arranging the images in a way that makes sense visually to you, then pasting on the images with a glue stick. Once you've glued everything down, you can also cover the collage in a coat of Mod Podge or acrylic glaze to smooth and gloss it over. Finally, hang it in a place in your home or office where you'll see it every day and be reminded to keep working toward your goals.
5. 8-Card Tarot Spread For Spiritual Guidance
Numerology and astrology come together beautifully to create the unique energy of the lion's gate portal — but did you know that it can also intertwine with the Tarot? McGarry explains: "In numerology, the number Eight vibrates at the frequency of personal power, success, and abundance ... [and] also represents the lemniscate or infinity symbol which embodies the infinite energy of cosmic consciousness," she shares. "Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it continues on forever in motion. We also see this symbol in the Tarot depending on the deck you use."
With that in mind, use the energy of today to do a symbolic 8-card Tarot spread to inform you on how to move forward with your current goals as related to abundance and personal power. My recommendation is to use the 8-card "Spiritual Guidance" spread that's described by Tarot Prophet. Given the spiritual nature of Sirius' placement in the sky on 8/8, seeking spiritual guidance from the Tarot on this date is ideal. Plus, the symbolism of pulling an 8-card spread will align perfectly with today's energy, too.
6. Lion's Gate Chakra & Crystal Cleansing Ritual
Different cultures have incorporated a magical ritual practice into the mythology of 8/8 for thousands of years, so it's a perfect day to embrace your witchy and spiritual side and plan a ritual to honor this fiery energy. Tanaaz of Forever Conscious created a wonderful and simple-to-execute lion's gate portal 2019 ritual to be done during this vortex (and while it's recommended that you do the ritual on 8/8, any time during the lion's gate portal will still be effective).
For the ritual, you'll need a smudging tool (like sage or palo santo), two crystals of your choice, a journal and writing utensil, and a timer (your phone is fine!). During this ritual, you'll be guided on how to cleanse your aura, open both your heart and third eye chakras (which are the chakras most highly activated during this portal), go deep into a crystal-guided meditation, and finally a mantra-writing practice. It's an extensive yet simple ritual that anyone can try. Check out the full instructions here and make the most of today's energy.
7. Lion's Gate Guided Meditation
Our mind's eye is extremely active and open during the lion's gate portal, so take advantage of it by doing a simple guided meditation. This video meditation was created by intuitive manifester Trish McKinnley, and according to its description, when used during the lion's gate portal, will help you to "[r]eceive the manifestation power by opening your subconscious blockages with this lions gate portal meditation." If you just have a few minutes today to honor the special energy of the portal, queue this baby up on your phone and give yourself a few minutes of pause to invite the abundant 8/8 energy into your day.
8. Path-Clearing Intention Candle Ritual
Now's the time to manifest, so we'll want to clear our energetic pathways to ensure we have the space to do so! The powerful road opener spell on Magical Recipes Online is a great one for path-clearing, and that's what the following ritual (which I've also suggested for use around New Year Eve) is based upon.
To start, you'll need orange essential oil, lemon blossom and citronella essential oils (optional), an oil incense burner, one orange or white taper candle, paper and pen. You'll start by making a DIY road clearing oil blend (or use one that's pre-made from an occult store). Orange essential oil alone is great for this, but it can also be blended with lemon blossom oil and/or citronella oil for an even stronger path-clearing effect. Mix some drops of each oil and use a carrier oil if you'd like.
Now, visualize your goals: What you hope to accomplish, and what roadblocks you feel are in your way. Once you've come to conclusions about the main goals you want to focus on during the lion's gate portal, write them down succinctly on one side of the paper. On the other side, choose a sigil to represent path clearing (like this one) and draw it. Anoint your paper with a bit of oil on either side.
Now you'll want to anoint your candle and burn your incense. Put some of your oil blend into an oil incense burner to infuse your space with the path-clearing energy. Grab your orange candle, which symbolizes energy, strength, and swift change. Starting in the middle of the candle, rub your oil blend on it, moving your fingers toward you, up to the top. Repeat the process starting and the top and rubbing back to the middle, again pulling the oil toward you. Set up your candle and light it, focusing on your intention. Follow the chant instructions on Magical Recipes Online, or simply read your intentions aloud nine times, all the while imagining yourself happily living those accomplishments. Repeat the incantation once more, and again visualize your intentions coming to fruition.
