Lion’s Gate 2014

During the summer of 2014, Saturn and Uranus both stationed at 16 degrees of their signs, Scorpio and Aries. At exactly 150 degrees apart on the zodiac, they hung motionless with the tension directed inward, as Uranus was stationing retrograde(towards Saturn) and Saturn was stationing direct (towards Uranus). Uranus occupied 16 Aries from June 15th to August 27th. Saturn occupied 16 Scorpio from June 29th to August 10th. So, according to the cosmic clock, anything that transits 16 Leo during that time, will trine Uranus (120 degrees) and square Saturn (90 degrees).  As a student of the divine mystery I am in awe of the events that occured in the vicinity of 16 Leo, a series of transits that many have called the Lion’s Gate.

“Lion’s Gate” is a phrase I have used for the past two years to describe the intense astrological events that occur in Leo trine Uranus in Aries. In 2013 Asteroid Vesta was in Leo conjunct the new Moon trine Uranus, and Vesta featured prominently in the transits of Lion’s Gate 2013.  in 2014, Asteroid Lilith at 17 Leo was the patron goddess of the Lion’s Gate .

 

The 2014 8/8 Lion’s Gate began with Lammas, first harvest, Sun at 15 Leo, the midpoint between summer solstice and fall equinox.  On the degree of Lammas, Mercury began to transit the far side of the Sun as seen from earth, also known as a superior conjunction.  On August 8th, 9:22am, Mercury crossed the Sun at 16 Leo, exact trine Uranus and square Saturn. At that moment, the Moon was at 16 Capricorn, forming a sextile with Chiron retrograde at 16 Pisces, creating a yod triangle to the Sun-Mercury conjunction at 16 Leo. As a student of the mystery I find it exhilarating that this exact degree of sustained tension from Saturn and Uranus, was not only the exact degree of the midpoint between Mercury retrogrades, but it was also the third quarter square of the Sun-Saturn cycle that I described in a previous essay, Sun Opposite Saturn, Venus Opposite Mars.

So- we see the environment we chose in November of 2013 during the Sun-Saturn conjunction, and how that environment reflected the vibration that allowed our great karmic struggle to come to the surface.  In February of 2014, first quarter square, we saw those karmic obstacles manifest in our material lives.  Then in May, Sun opposite Saturn, we had the opportunity to expand our capacity to understand the nature of our karmic journey as a process towards complete merge with our higher selves, and gain a new level of maturity that enables us to handle our struggles with grace, in peace. Now here at the Sun’s third quarter square to Saturn, with the Lion’s Gate influence of Lilith and the trine to Uranus, I’m seeing the manifestation of those epiphanies as lived experiences.

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On August 10th, Saturn advanced to 17 Scorpio, in T-square to the Full Moon at 18 Aquarius, Lilith and the Sun at 17/18 Leo, Mercury 20 Leo.

Here’s a link to my thoughts on the Aquarius Full Moon Lion’s Gate portal.

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In the days after the Aquarius full moon, Mercury and the Sun transited 21 Leo, sextile the north node 21 Libra/ trine the south node 21 Aries.  During this transit, Athena entered Libra and Venus entered Leo.  Since Vesta and Ceres have recently entered Scorpio, and Juno has just entered Cancer with Hygieia, Venus and all four main goddess asteroids (Athena, Juno, Ceres and Vesta) are all roughly in alignment in the early degrees of their signs.  Sun and Mercury transiting the nodes with all the goddesses in new signs felt like a dilation, I felt reality dilate and make room for more possibilities. Things that had been placed on the back burner were up for review.  I observed lots of people mention that they ran into old friends.  Abandoned timelines that contained something of value seemed to re-appear, and things of value were revealed for us to integrate into the present moment.

On August 17th, Venus conjuncted Jupiter at 7 Leo.  This conjunction was visible everywhere on Earth, since Jupiter is now visible at dawn after being blocked out by the Sun all summer. Venus, who has been visible in the mornings all year, is about to go behind the glare of the Sun to emerge as the evening star on December 25th.  Before she enters the underworld, Inanna must pass through the seventh and final gate.

But before we get to Inanna, I want to mention two more goddesses entering a new sign.  During the Venus-Jupiter conjunction, Hekate entered Scorpio, followed by Sekhmet.  For some context: Mars, Ceres, Vesta, and Hekate spent most of 2014 retrograde in Libra together.  Mars retrogrades completely within Libra about twice per century, and it’s possible that a synchronized retrograde between Mars and three major goddesses is unprecedented in history.  Mars carries an interesting version of himself into Scorpio after spending all year so far in the sign opposite his rulership- with the lessons of subtle strategy and patience we were, well forced, to endure in 2014, Mars in Scorpio should ideally be very much in tune with Scorpio’s Yin qualities- sometimes the most passionate action one can take is to wait, or to do nothing at all.  As Vesta and Ceres entered Scorpio the energy shifted from the external to the internal. The Mars energy, which had been so focused on environment, the global situation, the community or family, was suddenly drawn inside as we realized that everything happening around us in the world, is happening to reflect back to us, what is happening to us as inividuals.  The Oracle Hekate is the final member of that group to finish the Libran journey, and the presence of Sekhmet is there to fortify the transition.

 

Inanna’s 7th and final gate on her journey to the underworld, August 23rd 7:02pm.  Moon conjunct Venus at 14 Leo, conjunct Lilith 19 Leo, trine Uranus 16 Aries.  Lion’s Gate Inanna’s Gate #7  corresponding to the root chakra, which is our organ for multidimensional perceptions and expressions of safety.  We use it to probe our environments for vibrations for information about safety and survival, and we use it to create connections with Gaia that nourish and protect our multidimensional bodies.  As the Moon crosses over Venus for the final time before Venus enters the underworld August 29th, we state our intentions to remove all obstacles from our root chakra.

As the Moon transits away from Venus on the night of the 23rd, the Moon trines Uranus around 11 pm (west coast time), and conjuncts Lilith around 6am on the morning of August 24th.

Between 6:00am and 10:00am on the 24th, there is an exact sextile between Mercury at 16 Virgo and Mars 16 Scorpio, in a yod triangle to Uranus at 16 Aries.  At 10:00am, Mars advances to 17 degrees.

On the morning of August 25th, the Virgo New Moon at 2 degrees Virgo, sextile Hekate and Sekhmet in Scorpio.  During the Virgo New Moon, Mars transits exact conjunct Saturn in Scorpio, and Venus and asteroid Theodora advance to 16 Leo, transiting trine Uranus and then square Saturn, the final transit of the 2014 Lion’s Gate.  With the Sun at 28-29 degrees Leo, two M-flares suddenly erupted after an extremely solar-flare-free summer, timed perfectly to assist us with assimilating the energies and lessons of the Lion’s Gate.  After the incredible and epic experiences of the Lion’s Gate upgrade, we are significantly different as individuals, and as such our new lives need a bit of re-structuring to accommodate the upgrade.   Since the Virgo New Moon is happening pretty much immediately after the Sun shifts from Leo to Virgo, I’m sensing that for many it will be an abrupt shift or feel like a bumpy landing.  It may “suddenly occur” to many of us that certain things in our life are “all wrong” since the upgrade,  but we can ease the severity of the transition by preparing for Virgo energy, and it can be as simple as taking inventory and getting organized.  Instead of letting the Virgo New Moon sneak up on us and cause us to make forceful, hasty re-structuring decisions as soon as we feel the pressure, we can use strategy and be prepared.