Every year in August, there are a flurry of posts about a phenomenon called The Lion’s Gate or 8/8. It refers to the idea that August 8 has some kind of special spiritual significance. Someone asked me about it again recently, so I thought I would make public a piece I posted on my Patreon a few years ago to explore the roots and clarify my position on it.
From what I have read, the concept of the Lion’s Gate was born in the 90’s. It’s a mishmash of influences, not strictly based in astrology – although certainly there is some astrological referencing.
Technically speaking, when the Sun reaches 15 degrees of Leo, this is the degree of astrological Lammas/Lughnasadh, exactly the midpoint between summer solstice and autumn equinox (in the northern hemisphere). It’s possible then, that some of the folklore is taken from this, given that Leo is symbolised by the lion. The festivals that fall between the Quarter days (equinoxes and solstices) are called cross-quarter days. These fire festivals of the Pagan Wheel, are considered to be times when the veil between the worlds is thin. However, the Sun usually crosses this degree on August 7 (very occasionally August 6) although it will of course depend on which time zone you live in.
I think the 8/8 symbolism also caught on however because of the numerological association with the number 8 – a number that is often described as ‘as above, so below.’ Turn a number 8 on its side and it becomes the symbol for infinity too.
Lastly, there is a festival in Egypt that begins on August 15 that celebrates the flooding of the Nile. Technically these days, the main flood doesn’t happen because of the Aswan Dam but in the past, the flood would bring life to the desert, so it was certainly something to celebrate. The timing of the flood also happened to correspond to the heliacal rising of Sirius, so this star was also considered sacred. The actual date of the heliacal rising of Sirius in Egypt each year is around August 11/12.
So, the idea of the Lion’s Gate on 8/8 (also noting the rhyme!) being some kind of magical portal is a little bit fanciful, even for witchy me. I don’t subscribe to the concept as it’s made up from a little astrology, a little history and a sprinkle of fairy dust from what I can see. Certainly though, I see 15 degrees of Leo as being important, making today August 7, 2025, a magical day in the cosmos if you are following a Pagan path.
But still, if you feel drawn to the idea of the Lion’s Gate, there’s nothing at all wrong in incorporating it into your practice. All folklore has its roots in stories like these, and modern folklore should then have a place here too. Maybe this story took hold because it needed to. After all, number 8 in the tarot, is the card of Strength. Work with what speaks to you.
