The astrological occurrence referred to as the Lion’s Gate occurs each year when the Sun is in the sign of Leo and is in alignment with Siruis. The Sun has an affinity for Leo (in astrological parlance, the Sun is “ruled by” Leo), which means that the Sun-Leo combo is powerful in and of itself, but it’s ramped up even more by the addition of Sirius.
While Sirius, the “Dog Star,” is technically a star system, not a single star, to the naked eye it appears as a solitary star. It’s the brightest star in the night sky, being 25 times more luminous and two times larger than our own Sun. This has led many to view Sirius as a second sun, or Spiritual Sun.
Why should we care?
During the opening of the Lion’s Gate, with the Sun and Sirius in alignment, we’re experiencing double the light energy of the Sun, which is symbolic of higher consciousness–in other words, we’ve got Sun energy on steroids. If we tap into this energy, our own conscious awareness can increase exponentially.
To understand this process more fully, I asked my guides for insights during meditation, and lest this become The World’s Longest Blog Post, I’ll stick to the key points.
I was led to connections within the tarot, starting with the Strength card, a card that is typically depicted with a lion. The Strength card contains the infinity symbol, or lemniscate, which looks like a sideways number 8. Interestingly, the Lion’s Gate occurs in the eight month of the year (August), and is thought to reach its peak on the eighth day of the month.
What other cards in the tarot contain the infinity symbol? Traditionally, out of all seventy-eight cards, only two others contain this symbol: the two of pentacles and the Magician.
I was led to the following spread of cards:
The two of pentacles at the base speaks to our dual nature–the truth that we are both physical and spiritual–and this union of our inner polarity is very important. It can be thought of as the union of our inner masculine and feminine energies, our intellect and our intuition, our yang and our yin, our spirit and our body.
Why is this important? When we disconnect from one pole or the other, the rejected aspect doesn’t disappear, it merely gets shoved into the subconscious. Pacing around in our subconscious like a pent-up lion, this rejected half still holds great power, influencing our thoughts, words, and actions, but because it’s outside of our awareness, we have no say in its effects. We’re like a puppet whose strings are being yanked by an invisible puppeteer.
In order to reclaim our power, we must reintegrate this rejected part of ourselves. If we rely on linear, intellectual processing for all of our decision making, it’s time to temper that with the wisdom of our intuition. If we are stuck in our heads most of the day, it’s time to bring some of our awareness back to our body, perhaps through healthy, mindful movement and bodywork. If we’re always in go-go-go mode, it’s time to cultivate balance by carving out time for restorative stillness.
This leads to another important aspect of our dual nature: Because we are both spiritual and physical, we possess the powers of both states of being. We have the ability to interact in the spiritual plane and in the physical, and indeed, if we are to find fulfillment in this life, it is our duty to learn how to interact with both realms masterfully.
How do we do this? In a nutshell, by honoring the unique capabilities of each mode of existence. Think of it this way: The spiritual plane has certain qualities, such as infinity, non-locality, and perfect expression. The physical plane has different, complementary qualities, such as finite existence/the experience of time, location in space, and partial expression.
Now–and this is important–this does not make the physical less than the spiritual. We are not aiming to transcend the physical in favor of the spiritual. We are seeking to master the different skills that each plane requires. For example, in the spiritual plane, we can experience the sensation of being One with all things and of existing in all places at once. (Some might call this “enlightenment.”)
In the physical plane, we must choose to be in one location at a time. If we do not respect this quality, we spread ourselves too thin, trying to be everywhere at once, saying yes to too many things, loading our calendar to the breaking point.
In the spiritual plane, we are perfect, but in the physical plane, we must accept the beautiful mess of this temporary existence. Our bodies will not last forever, and our health is not served by trying to achieve perfection through rigid diets, buying more clothes, forcing our bodies through workouts even when it hurts.
The Quest for Wholeness
Jungian analyst Marie-Louise von Franz writes in her book, Alchemy:
If you take the image of the devouring lion this is quite clear. If I think I ought to be top dog everywhere, have the most beautiful partner, have money, be happy, and so on, that is a paradise fantasy…The fantasy itself is entirely legitimate, it has the idea of…a perfect state, a perfect harmony…but naturally if projected onto outside life and wanted there, in the here and now, that is impossible. The way in which the person wants to realize the fantasy is childish, but in itself it is valuable and has nothing wrong or unhealthy in it.
When we take the perfection of spiritual oneness and we try to recreate that through our job, our stuff, our body, our relationships, we put massive pressure on temporary, ever-changing physical existence. But when we get that feeling of wholeness through spiritual means (whatever that practice might look like for us), we free ourselves from seeking this transcendence by buying more stuff, eating more food, having more sex, and so on. And then, we can actually enjoy the stuff, the food, and the sex, because we’re not expecting it to make us complete or to stick around forever.
In the Strength card, we see the lion subdued, not by brute force but by the calm presence of the woman. When we yoke our life passions to the calm presence of the higher self–when we unite our physical and spiritual nature–they support each other in an endless feedback loop shown by the lemniscate. We’re able to enjoy the dual nature of life to the fullest: We can savor earthly experiences without trying to attain impermanence or a state of perfection through them, because we are already in touch with that infinite perfection through our spiritual nature.
The massive creative energy that is freed up by not trying to force reality to be anything but what it is can be channeled into manifesting what our soul needs and wants in this life, shown in the Magician card. The Magician channels the powers of the Above and the Below (there’s that dual nature again), and uses them to create. This is a vital piece of the puzzle, for if we learn to channel these energies and we don’t put them to good use, they can become overwhelming and destructive. Roseanne Cash described the creative muse as an energy that becomes toxic if it doesn’t get used.
It is our responsibility to use this energy wisely, and we can do this in any number of ways. For example, we can spend it on projects that truly light us up, whether they be for pleasure or profit.
By being mindful of how we spend energy through our words: Do we complain, gossip, and engage in negative self-talk or do we express gratitude, truth, and useful information?
By being mindful of the thoughts we lend energy to: Are we caught up in cyclical thoughts of worry and anger or do we find ways to pause the ego’s soundtrack, perhaps through meditation or movement, leaving space and stillness for new ideas and insights to generate?
Putting It All Together
To tie the cards together, the foundation of the two of pentacles represents the necessity of acknowledging our dual nature. We are both spiritual and physical. Incorporating this realization into our daily life gives rise to Strength and the ability to masterfully relate to the spiritual and the divine, equipping us with the Magician’s powers to create the life our soul is craving. This entire process both gives rise to and is fed by the light of the Sun, the light of higher consciousness, and the more we engage this creative process, the more we will operate from this place of higher wisdom.
Undergoing Alchemical Transformation
In alchemy, the lion is connected to a stage of transformation known as Fermentation and Putrefaction. From Dennis William Hauck’s The Emerald Tablet:
Before Fermentation, a person can appear hopelessly depressed, passive, and unreliable. The alchemists called this fertile precondition ‘digestion’ or Putrefaction, and connected it with the worldly and proud Fire sign of Leo…The search of the Leo person is for living wholeness, and generally Leos are known for their power, confidence, and domineering personality, though that all comes crashing down during Putrefaction…Once fermented, a person becomes suddenly alive and irrepressibly hopeful because their attention is diverted…to something higher.”
Whether or not your Sun sign is Leo, we all have Leo energy within us, and how we choose to channel that energy is important, because it impacts our ability to feel Whole and whether we continually seek that sense of wholeness through more stuff, more power over others and ourselves, more attention, more, more, more…or whether we find this wholeness through our spiritual nature.
The Lion’s Gate Ritual
To activate the powers of your dual nature during the Lion’s Gate, try this simple ritual. It works with the concept of Fermentation to foster the union of your spiritual and physical nature. You will need a fermented beverage, like kombucha or kefir (yes, wine counts, too).
Pour yourself a glass of the fermented drink, set it aside, and find a place where you can dance without being disturbed. Take a few moments to get in touch with your breath, feeling the breath moving throughout your body with each inhale, emptying out on the exhale. Even with this “simple” act, feel the union of the physical body and the spiritual breath, the one feeding the other feeding the other in an endless loop.
And now, prepare for movement. Crank up some music…and dance! Let yourself be wild and free. It doesn’t matter what you look like, just get into your body and out of your head. Dance until you feel energized, flushed, full of life–heart pounding, lungs pumping, limbs flowing (or flailing, depending on your style!).
When this feels complete, come into stillness. Find a comfortable seated position and have your fermented beverage handy. With your dominant hand, slowly trace the infinity symbol in the air in front of you, following the movement with your eyes. Do this about eight times, then switch hands and repeat. Feel the balancing energy of this symbol seeping into your body, mind, and soul.
Close your eyes. Allow stillness to gradually take over, feeling this transition from physical exertion to spiritual stillness. Say aloud or to yourself, “I unite body, mind, and soul in a way that is correct and good for me.”
Hold the cup of fermented beverage at heart center, and imagine it filling with the combined light of the Sun and Sirius, the light of higher consciousness. When ready, drink from the cup (leaving a bit left over), and feel your consciousness expanding as this energy enters your body and radiates outward, filling your entire energy field.
Sit in meditation for as little or as long as you like, asking for insights that will help you in this process of integrating flesh and spirit, helping you to operate from a place of higher consciousness. What do you most need to know right now?
When this process feels complete, come back to the here and now. You can stomp your feet to ground yourself, then pour the rest of the beverage onto the Earth, saying aloud or to yourself, “May all beings benefit from the gifts of higher consciousness.”
Journal about the experience, making note of any insights that came through or any questions that remain, so you can refer back in the coming days. You will continue to get guidance long after the ritual, and journaling will help you see the emerging threads and themes.
