THE METAPHYSICAL SYSTEMS of Western astrology, esoteric astrology, and numerology combine to make this an especially powerful week.

Since late June, the fixed star Sirius has been rising with the Sun, its bright light hidden within the Sun's rays. Esoteric astrology tells us when the Sun and Sirius align, it amplifies and focuses the energies of the Second Ray that emanates from Sirius. The Second Ray works with the heart chakra and thymus gland (high heart chakra) and carries with it the qualities of Love and Wisdom. 

Next week, Sirius will finally emerge from behind the Sun and start to be visible above the eastern horizon just before sunrise. This is called the heliacal rising of Sirius. Each year, the reemergence of Sirius is appropriately linked to the Sun's transit through the sign of Leo the Lion, the zodiac sign that rules our physical heart.

ALTHOUGH Sirius and the Sun have been rising together for several weeks, and the actual heliacal rising of Sirius this year is on or about August 11 (depending on your location on the planet), people around the globe have for many years celebrated the Lion's Gate on August 8. This date combines the esoteric significance of Sirius Rising with the numerological significance of it being the eighth day of the eighth month (8/8).

According to sources, the Lion's Gate is a galactic portal through which high-level cosmic energies can more directly reach Earth. These higher frequencies are said to offer illumination and insight, and to activate new levels of transformation for the collective, as well as for each of us individually.

IN NUMEROLOGY, the number 8 represents power and strength, and the ambition and ability to achieve your life's goals. The number 8 card of the major arcana of the tarot is Strength, which symbolizes emotional wisdom and control. Appropriately enough, the image on the traditional Strength card shows a woman stroking a lion (Leo). The number 8 can also be viewed as the infinity symbol on its edge; this fact is often woven into the meaning of the number, infusing it with the mystical qualities of unlimited potential and infinite wisdom. 

On top of all this, the number 88, being a double 8, is considered a master number. It signifies a healthy balance between the physical and the spiritual, success on all levels, and the ability to look inward for answers. In Chinese culture, the number 88 symbolizes fortune and good luck. As an "angel number," 88 is said to represent spiritual blessings from an abundant universe.

THIS YEAR, the significance of the Lion's Gate is heightened due to it also being the day of the New Moon. The lunation occurs when the Sun and Moon conjoin at 16°14´ Leo next Sunday, August 8, at 6:49 a.m. PDT. Most compelling about this New Moon is that it activates the Saturn-Uranus square, with the Sun/Moon opposing Saturn in Aquarius (09°42´) and squaring Uranus in Taurus (14°44´).

That New Moon – as well as the entire four-week lunar cycle that begins next Sunday – marks a pivotal time in the ongoing conflict between old systems and new paradigms, between the past and the future, between a limiting, fear-based view of reality and a more expanded, heart-centered perspective. Considering how the Saturn-Uranus square has already manifested this year, it also is likely to be a time when there are renewed restrictions (Saturn) on individual freedoms (Uranus) and chaotic circumstances (Uranus) that interfere with "business as usual" (Saturn).

IN THE NEW MOON CHART, the Sun/Moon, Saturn, and Uranus form a fixed T-square, with Uranus at the apex (the base of the stem). A T-square is an unstable configuration, something like having only three legs on a four-legged table. It represents considerable tension that is looking for a release point.

Astrologer Bil Tierney, in his book Dynamics of Aspect Analysis, explains that a fixed T-square such as this usually involves "many intensive lessons in areas that test our expression of fixed desire, willful emotion, and attachment to what we personally value. Acceptance of and respect for other people's values and possession may be a prominent karmic theme."

THE APEX PLANET in a T-square is especially significant, as it describes how the tension of the configuration seeks release. According to Mr. Tierney, with Uranus at the apex of a fixed T-square, people will "demand to have the privilege to constantly express freedom in the way they desire." The conflicts that are unleashed through this T-square require that "we adapt to new, unprecedented experiences that literally force us to alter our value structure."

To help us work with the stressors that are likely to arise with this New Moon T-square, astrological wisdom tells us to seek out the higher qualities of the fourth leg of the table – the one fixed sign that is not anchored by a planet. In this particular T-square, the missing "leg" is the sign Scorpio.

The traits of Scorpio that will best serve us as we move through this next lunar cycle are those related to its higher-vibrational animal symbol, the Eagle. Those qualities include keen vision, penetrating insight, fearlessness, and an ability to rise above the terrain, observing both the light and the dark from a higher-level perspective. Eagle's capacity for a detached overview will be especially important as we get closer to August 27, the day of the exact Pluto-Eris square.

LUNA is in the last quarter of her cycle this week, leading up to next Sunday's lunation. As the Moon wanes over the next six days, we are encouraged to be more introspective, to take the time to evaluate where we are and what we are needing to complete or release before starting the new lunar cycle.

Here are my very brief interpretations of the most significant aspects this week, day by day:

Monday

Mercury trine Chiron: A good time to have a conversation, as we feel heard and are also willing to listen.

Venus trine Uranus: We feel more free to be ourselves within our relationships, and are likewise more able to allow others their independence.

Tuesday
Mercury square Uranus: New ideas or insights challenge our usual way of thinking. This aspect requires that we let go of the ego's need for validation, and remain openminded.

Wednesday

Sun trine Chiron:  Effort put into self-care activities today is rewarded with renewed self-confidence and courage.

Thursday
No major aspects.

Friday

Sun square Uranus: This aspect ties into Sunday's New Moon energies. We are likely to get glimpses of the themes of the lunation, as surprising events and changing circumstances test our flexibility.

Saturday

Mercury quincunx Neptune: There is a tendency to promise more than we can deliver with this aspect. Do your best to gain internal clarity before engaging in any important conversations.

Sunday
New Moon 6:50 a.m. PDT: See above.

IF YOUR BIRTHDAY IS THIS WEEK: Creative self-expression is always your keyword, Leo. But this coming year, you may be drawn to express yourself especially through writing or speaking. Using journal-writing to work through emotional wounds can be very productive at this time. Beginning in 2022, you are likely to experience a growing restlessness and desire for liberation in some area of your life. In anticipation of that unsettling energy, consider using the rest of 2021 to tie up any loose ends that might otherwise restrict your freedom of movement. (Solar Return Sun conjunct Mercury, trine Chiron, opposite Saturn, square Uranus)

In peace and with gratitude,

Pam

Aspects of Note This Week:

All times listed are Pacific Daylight Time. For Greenwich Mean Time, add 7 hours.

• MON: Mercury trine Chiron, Venus trine Uranus

• TUE: Mercury square Uranus

• WED: Sun trine Chiron

• THU: No major aspects

• FRI: Sun square Uranus

• SAT: Mercury quincunx Neptune

• SUN: New Moon 6:50 a.m. PDT