Sirius, the Lion's Gate, and the Magic We Make

The Susquehanna River August 13th, 2011 6:23 AM

The Lion's Gate

In August there is an alignment between the sun (in Leo) and the star Sirius which is the brightest star in the sky. The alignment occurs from July 28 to Aug. 12ish—but August 8th is considered the energetic peak.

Called the Lion’s Gate, the 8th of August is thought to be a good day for any kind of manifestation work. This is a relatively new idea, but for me the numbers work.

Given my weakness for ancient culture and the goddess Inanna, eights always resonate. I like August 8th (8/8) and I like 8/8/2026 = 8+8+2+2+6=26 = 8 even better.

So last night, I did some manifestation work and made a sigil. Today I will probably make another. But there is more to Sirius than a single date and I thought it might be nice to share bits and pieces of an older post I wrote on this topic.

About Sirius

In the northern hemisphere Sirius is obscured by the rising sun through the long hot days of summer. In mid August it reappears in the morning skies. In the ambient light of a modern world, jaded by the glare of artificial light, we can all too easily overlook the stars, even our brightest. 

In ancient Egypt however things were very different. Back then, the day when Sirius rose just before the sun signaled the time when the Nile began to flood and the start of the Egyptian agricultural calendar. 

Like many of the stars, Sirius was personified by a goddess. Her name was Sopdet and and she was an important goddess of the Old Kingdom, serving as a guide to dead pharaohs journeying through the underworld.

Which reminds me of other goddesses, especially Inanna and her descent.

Sopdet depicted in the Dendera Temple complex. Creative Commons License

Sirius is a bright white star with a hint of blue. When the air is unsteady, or when the star itself is low to the horizon as it is now, it appears to radiate an entire spectrum of color. In mid-northern latitudes Sirius may be seen on August 12th, just before sunrise. 

And there was a time, when I was always there to greet it. I’ve shared a post about the first time, I met Sirius below.

The Susquehanna River August 13th, 2011 6:23 AM

I got to the river just before the sun crested, compass in hand to observe the southeast sky but saw no sign of the Dog Star. According to various internet sources Sirius was due to return to Northern skies today. Ancient people were very precise in their observations of the heavens. The internet, it seems, is not. But that was all right. Seeing the sun rise over the mountains was worth getting up for.

There is a resonant energy to the world just before dawn and there was a time when I used to get up at five o'clock in the morning just to feel the hum. On the way home from the river today, I remembered that time. I remembered how I used to sit in the kitchen and drink black coffee and write straight through until sunrise. 

I lived in the city then but I could see the better part of eastern sky above the vacant lot outside my back door. I got early up to write and see the sun come up almost every morning. In many ways, that apartment was my first real home and I made the most of it.

On the way back from the river this morning, I thought that I could do that here, too, if I wanted. Sirius is with us for a while now. And if I get the timing right, I should be able to catch it on some other morning.

The Present Day

Life is different now than it was in 2011.  

I spend more time writing than I do studying or walking along the river or getting lost in things, and I’m not sure that’s a good tradeoff. Lately, I’ve been adding some of the magic back and I feel good about doing that.

I feel good about writing in my manifestation journal and working with dreams and taking some of my old half-forgotten power back. 

I felt good about going out last night when the world was soft and dark and the cicadas were singing. I liked seeing the fireflies at edge of the woods and Venus setting, low and gold in the eastern sky. 

Last night had magic and I was happy to be a part of it.

It felt right to come back in and create a sigil just before the Lion’s Gate timed out at midnight. And it made sense to put that sigil on my little home altar with a stick of incense and a couple of candles. 

Because who knows, really, just what magic is, or how far it can take us.

Home Altar 1 

Home Altar 2