An Urgent Call from the Lions
Dear Ones,
We are currently in what is called the Lions Gate, from July 26 to August 12,with the peak on August 8.
This period is considered a powerful astrological event, where the Sun in Leo aligns with the star Sirius. It creates a surge of potential energy for manifestation, spiritual growth, and new beginnings.
We are in a window of opportunity to set our intentions for a new way of being—one that embodies love and respect for all of life.
In July 2015, Cecil the Lion was killed in Zimbabwe by a dentist from Minnesota during a trophy hunting trip. This iconic, beloved lion, a charismatic, black-maned lion, was lured out of his protected habitat in the bush of Hwange National Park. His death was like a lightning bolt, sparking outrage worldwide; it was a tipping point in our collective consciousness, leading to many changes across nations in both perspectives and legal policies related to trophy hunting.
It was a pivotal moment that deepened my understanding of the importance of lions and how critical it is to protect them in our world. I wrote about this in Sacred Messengers of Shamanic Africa. “As the lion archetype is absorbed by our psyches, the message for humanity is to shift into our lion hearts and bring forth the Lion’s wisdom”. “This is the animal that has the most significant role in orchestrating the unfolding of our entry into a new octave of evolution during this Age of Aquarius and Leo”.
This story had such a profound impact on me that in 2018, we took our group to visit Hwange National Park and connect with the spirit of Cecil. We stayed at an eco-lodge just outside the park, where we had a remarkable encounter with seventeen elephants.
During this experience, the lions roared continuously through the encounter, and they even visited us outside our hut all night long. In the morning, a lone black-maned lion was at the watering hole nearby. He looked at us before heading into the National Park.
Fast forward to July 2025, exactly ten years later, another beloved lion, named Blondie, is killed by a trophy hunter who lured him out of the protected Hwange National Park, in Zimbabwe, to shoot him—almost the same story.
This recent killing prompts a deeper understanding and a stronger call to action. This loss feels like an exclamation point…we need to respond to the call. Lions are the world’s apex predators; they play a vital role in maintaining ecosystem balance, and represent our spiritual alignment. The fact that this same scenario is reappearing a decade later underscores the urgency of the deeper work needed to help our world find balance and alignment.
We are at the crossroads, folks. “There is no better time on the planet than now to embrace a lion heart, one that expresses the power of love as first we move and then, we level the mountains of racial inequality, separation, greed, hatred, fear, and prejudice that dominate our world. Lions are here to help us create stability in the universe.”
During this Lion’s Gate Portal, Humanity is hearing an urgent call to go deeper…what is it you want to manifest during this potent time? What is your call to action in your life and the world around you?
Hope to see you soon!
Much Love,
Carley and John
*Lion photo credit to Sheryl Hanley from 2025 Trip to South Africa