The Lion’s Gate Portal opens every year on 8/8, but in 2025, it’s not just giving “make a wish” - it’s giving speak it, claim it, live it. This is a sacred intersection of numerology (8/8), astrology (Sun in Leo), and galactic alignment (hello, Sirius), creating a potent energetic window for calling in your desires like you actually mean it.
Whether you’re manifesting a soulmate, a soul-aligned job, or the kind of self-worth that makes you stop second-guessing your power, this is the moment to do it. And no, you don’t need crystals the size of your head or a shaman on speed dial. You just need intention, a bit of ritual, and maybe a candle or two (because let’s be real, ambience matters).
Why Manifestation Rituals Are So Powerful During the Lion’s Gate Portal
Here’s the thing: manifestation isn’t just wishful thinking with glitter on it. It’s focused energy. It’s embodiment. It’s deciding what you want and aligning your thoughts, actions, and vibe to match it. And the Lion’s Gate Portal? That’s like a cosmic amplifier. It turns your intentions into surround sound for the universe.
Why does it work so well now?
Because the energy on 8/8 is fiery, bold, and magnetic - just like Leo. It’s not about hiding quietly in a corner journaling your hopes. It’s about declaring your vision out loud, like the main character you are, and inviting divine timing to finally catch up with you.
Rituals give form to that energy. They help you get clear, grounded, and intentional. They’re part magic, part mindfulness, part you telling the universe: I’m ready! Let’s go.
So whether you’re lighting candles, soaking in moon-charged bathwater, or whispering affirmations into your lemon water (don’t knock it till you’ve tried it), know this: you’re not just playing with woo-woo. You’re weaving your own future.
When is the Lion's Gate Portal?
The portal actually opens around July 26th and stays open until August 12th, but August 8th is when the energy peaks. It's like cosmic Black Friday, but instead of discounted electronics, you're getting discounted access to your most authentic, powerful self.
Manifestation Rituals That Actually Work (No Expensive Crystals Required)
1. The Golden Hour of Power
(If you can see it in your mind's eye, you can believe it.)
📓 You’ll need: A notebook, pen, and a quiet space.
Find time during sunrise or sunset on August 8th for this visualisation practice (yes, this means setting an alarm, but trust me, it’s worth it). Sit quietly and imagine yourself surrounded by warm, golden light – like the Instagram filter golden hour, but from the inside out. Picture your biggest goal as if it's already your reality – feel the emotions (gratitude is on the list), see the details, make it so vivid you could reach out and touch it.
(Or: Doing Things That Scare You For Fun)
📓 You’ll need: Courage - liquid courage will also do, haha!
Leo energy is all about bravery, so make a list of things you've been too scared to try. Choose three items and commit to taking one small action on each before the portal closes on August 12th. It could be sending that message you've been drafting for weeks, making that call you've been avoiding, or signing up for something you've been considering since last Leo season. The magic happens when you act despite the fear (and the inevitable overthinking).
(Gratitude Practice That Doesn't Feel Forced)
📓 You’ll need: A notebook, pen, a cute kitty-cat (optional).
Write down everything you're grateful for in your life right now – your skills, relationships, experiences, that barista who always remembers your order, even that perfect parking spot you found yesterday. Get specific and include the weird stuff too. Read this list out loud and really feel the appreciation (yes, out loud, even if your cat judges you). This practice helps you recognise the abundance already flowing in your life, which naturally attracts more of the good stuff.
(Time Travel Optional)
📓 You’ll need: A notebook, pen, stationery set (who has these anymore?!)
Write a letter from your future self one year from now, describing all the amazing changes that happened after this Lion's Gate Portal. Be specific, wildly optimistic, and don't hold back on dreaming big – future you has figured it all out and wants to share the good news. Read it every morning for a week, then keep it somewhere safe. You might be surprised by how much comes true (and how good your manifestation skills actually are).
(Permission to Play Required)
📓 You’ll need: Imagination, courage, zero fu**cicles.
Do something creative every day while the portal is open, even if it's just for 15 minutes. Draw terrible stick figures, write bad poetry, dance in your kitchen like nobody's watching (because hopefully nobody is), sing in the car at traffic lights – whatever lights up your soul and makes you forget to check your phone. Leo energy thrives on creative expression, and when you're in that flow state, you're co-creating with the universe (plus it's free therapy).
(Like journaling, but with a side of portal magic)
📓 You’ll need: A notebook, pen, and some undistracted time.
Write one crystal-clear intention or desire, think of something your soul deeply wants and write it eight times in a row, for eight days starting on 8/8. Do it in the present tense: “I am joyfully living in my dream home,” not “I wish I wasn’t in this rental with mysterious plumbing sounds.” Keep it focused, specific, and juicy. This repetition wires your intention into your subconscious and rides the energetic momentum of the portal like a cosmic conveyor belt.
7. Candle Portal Activation Ritual
(Yes, candles are involved. You’re welcome.)
📓 You’ll need: A gold, orange, or white [Stardate] candle; a quiet moment; your intention.
Light your candle on the evening of 8/8 and visualise your desire as already real. Not just like a vision board fantasy—but in your bones. What would it feel like to already have it? Whisper it aloud. Speak it into the flame like you're sealing a deal with the divine. Let the candle burn down safely, or snuff it with gratitude (never blow it out like a birthday cake—this isn’t a party trick, it’s an energy transfer).
8. Sunlight charging + affirmation bath
(Solar vibes on the outside, goddess energy on the inside)
📓 You’ll need: A jar of water, sunshine, and bath ingredients like salt, herbs, or oils.
Place a jar of water in the sun on the morning of 8/8 and let it charge with solar energy (think of it like Gatorade for your aura). Later, pour it into a bath with your chosen extras - think rosemary for protection, rose petals for self-love, citrus for clarity. Soak while repeating affirmations like “I receive with ease,” or “I radiate abundance.” You’re not just relaxing, you’re literally bathing in your own potential.
9. The Future-self Voice Note Ritual
(Channel your higher self like she’s your bestie)
📓 You’ll need: Your phone and no fear of your own voice.
Record a voice note as your future self, speaking from a place where your manifestation has already come true. Describe what life feels like now. Talk about the joy, the confidence, the full-circle moment. Laugh. Cry. Glow. Then, here’s the key, play it back on loop while doing something mundane like washing dishes or walking. You’re training your brain and body to recognise the frequency of your desires as normal. And that’s where the magic happens.
10. Create your Manifestation menu
(Ordering from the Universe, à la carte)
📓 You’ll need: Paper, pen, and a wildly open heart (and stomach)
Write out your “Manifestation Menu” as if you’re dining at the Universe’s most exclusive, no-limits restaurant (Michelin stars? Please. Try cosmic constellations).
Title it "What I'm Calling In" or something along those lines. Here's how to lay it out:
- Entrees: These are your energetic appetisers. Things that warm you up, set the tone, or make you feel instantly good. Think small joys and daily delights: morning sun on your face, spontaneous laughter, soul-sparking convos. The stuff that gets your vibration humming.
Example: “Effortless mornings. Compliments from strangers. Songs that find me at the perfect moment.” - Mains: Now for the juicy stuff - your big manifestations. The career leap. The soulmate love. The six-figure idea. Whatever you’ve been dreaming about but maybe haven’t quite claimed out loud yet. This is where you get bold.
Example: “Working with dream clients who adore me. A paid trip to Europe. Emotional security and financial overflow.” - Dessert: The sweet surprises. The magical extras. The “I didn’t even know I wanted this but now I can’t live without it” energy.
Example: “Unexpected gifts. Serendipitous timing. A handwritten note from someone I admire.” - Sides: Include the support you’d like along the way whether it’s traits like clarity, courage or consistency.
Read your menu aloud on the evening of 8/8. Feel each item as if it’s already been served. Then place it somewhere visible (your fridge, the back of your phone case, bathroom mirror) and let the Universe surprise you with the daily specials.
The Flame Has Been Lit - Now Follow Through
The Lion’s Gate Portal isn’t about being perfect, polished, or spiritually “advanced,” it’s about being present, intentional, and wildly open to what’s possible. These rituals aren’t just for fun (though they are fun); they’re invitations. Invitations to align with your higher self, claim your next chapter, and meet the universe halfway - with glitter, candles, and conviction.
So whether you try one ritual or all ten, just remember: your desires aren’t random. They’re whispers from the version of you that already exists, calling you forward. Don’t just wish. Manifest. Don’t just hope. Declare. And when in doubt? Burn something safely and speak your truth into the flame.
Happy Lion’s Gate, cosmic dreamer. The portal is open. You know what to do.
What it means for your zodiac sign
Curious what this portal is activating for your sign?
Before you dive headfirst into your manifestation rituals, make sure you check out our Lion’s Gate Zodiac Forecast to see exactly where this energy is showing up in your chart. Each sign is getting a cosmic upgrade in a different area - love, career, purpose, healing. So, if you want your rituals to land with laser focus, you’ll want to start there. (Trust us. The stars have receipts.)
>>> Go to Lion's Gate Portal 2025: What it means for your zodiac sign