It’s 8/8. The spiritual internet is ablaze with talk of portals, downloads, and cosmic upgrades. Your social feeds are flooded with crystal grids, activation ceremonies, and promises of profound transformation—if only you buy the right course, attend the right ritual, or vibrate at the right frequency.

But what’s really going on here?

I approach this day with sceptical curiosity and spiritual wisdom. I don’t dismiss the mystery, but I dig beneath the performance and find what’s worth keeping. Somewhere between the cosmic hype and complete cynicism lies something worth exploring: the truth, myths, and meaningful metaphors behind Lion’s Gate and what it might mean for those of us navigating midlife reinvention and reclaiming our sovereignty.

The Ancient Story

Let’s start with what we know. Around this time each year, the star Sirius rises in the sky, appearing to align with the sun from the Earth’s perspective. Ancient Egyptians revered this celestial event, calling Sirius the “Dog Star” and associating its appearance with the flooding of the Nile – a source of life and renewal.

We’re also in Leo season, when the sun moves through the constellation of the lion. Leo energy, archetypally speaking, is about courage, creative power, and stepping into your authentic self-expression. Add the numerological significance of 8/8 (infinity turned sideways, cycles of renewal), and you have a potent symbolic cocktail.

Then there’s the modern mythos: talk of portals opening, star beings communicating, and “activation energy” flowing from the cosmos to upgrade our consciousness. The internet is full of guides promising to help you “step through the portal” and claim your “5D self.”

The Spiritual Fine Print

Here’s what I’ve learned to be true after years of dancing between the mystical and the practical:

The truths: Sirius is real. It’s a brilliant star that has guided humans for millennia. Leo energy exists as a powerful archetype that speaks to our creative fire and authentic expression. Myth is one of humanity’s most sophisticated technologies for meaning-making. Symbolic rituals, when entered with sincerity, can hold genuine transformation.

The lies: You don’t need to buy anything to be “activated.” You’re not broken if you don’t feel spiritual fireworks today. The “high vibe only” crowd doesn’t hold exclusive portal access. Your worth isn’t determined by how cosmic you feel or how many synchronicities you collect.

The spiritual marketplace loves to sell you solutions to problems you didn’t know you had. It thrives on the idea that you’re somehow incomplete without the right downloads, clearings, or energetic upgrades.

But what if you’re already whole?

The Real Invitation

Here’s what this day can represent, stripped of the spiritual performance anxiety:

A moment to choose truth over the stories you tell yourself to stay small. An invitation to step into creative sovereignty—the kind that doesn’t need external validation. A chance to call back your energy from illusion, people-pleasing, or living someone else’s version of your life. Permission to listen to the lion-heart within – the part of you that knows what’s true even when it’s inconvenient.

What if the only real portal is the one you create by being radically honest with yourself?

Eight years ago today, I sat with a numerologist discussing a name change. I’d always loved my middle name, Dale, but had lived my entire life as Jacqui. When I joined the IT industry at 21, I’d tried to make the switch—only to have it vetoed by a male director with the same name. “People will confuse us,” he declared. I was 21 and female; he was considerably older and male. I can see how he thought that might happen.

So I stayed Jacqui, with all its variations that people invented along the way.

The last eight years haven’t been easy. Yesterday, I processed blood test results that initially left me stoic—”Yeah, okay, no worries, I’ll work through this.” But by midnight, I was in tears. Not just about the tests, but grieving something deeper. Several somethings.

Yesterday became important because I pleased myself, created space for clarity to emerge, and by morning knew exactly what conversation I needed to have with my doctor. Maybe the timing feels inconvenient, or perhaps it’s exactly right.

Eight years feels significant. In 2017, I became Dale. It was an impulse, but it felt like coming home. But today, 8 August 2025, feels more important. This is the start of a new eight-year cycle.

I’ve waited an infinity to feel at home with myself. Writing my book has helped enormously, and I can’t wait to share it. But first, these tests need to be completed because they add something essential to one of the chapters. I’m oscillating between “How dare life interrupt my editing!” and recognising this might be perfect timing – a pause that allows me to weave this thread into the larger story.

Let’s see what tomorrow brings by way of results.

Writing From the Wild

If you’re drawn to mark this day with something more substantial than social media declarations, try these reflections:

Where in my life have I been performing someone else’s truth?

What would it feel like to live lion-hearted – unapologetically, wildly, wisely?

What am I ready to leave behind as I cross this symbolic threshold?

If I trusted my inner knowing completely, what would I do differently?

Write without editing. Let the words come rough and honest. The portal isn’t in the stars; it’s in your willingness to tell the truth about what you find when you turn toward yourself with courage.

You Are the Portal

The Lion’s Gate isn’t happening to you, it’s happening through you, in your body, in your choices, and in your voice raised in service of what matters. The activation isn’t cosmic; it’s personal. It’s the moment you stop waiting for external permission to be who you already are.

Today, honour yourself with simplicity and intention. Take a walk in the sun and feel the Earth beneath your feet. Speak one hard truth aloud—to yourself, someone you trust, or your journal. Notice where you’ve been giving your power away and gently call it back.

The only portal that matters is the one you create by stepping fully into your own life.

What’s one truth you’re ready to claim today?

Want to explore your own wild writing? My next Writing From the Wild circle begins soon—a space for authentic voices and untold stories.