A dream, a dash of grief, and a ritual for release

Sadly, this is the only photo I have of my mom before she passed away. I just never thought to take any. She was happy, she had her granddaughters with her.

Every year, in the heart of August, the Lions Gate Portal opens — a cosmic alignment between the Earth, the Sun, and the star Sirius.

It’s a time of amplified energy, a doorway for transformation, and often… a mirror to our own hearts.

This year, the portal felt different for me.

It didn’t just stir up dreams of possibility — it brought forward dreams that carried old wounds.

One night, I dreamed of my mother.

But not the tender, sunlit moments I like to remember. In this dream, there were sharp words, the ache of being misunderstood, and a heaviness I thought I had already released. I woke with the salt of tears on my cheeks, missing her deeply, and feeling the echo of all I’ve lost.

The Lions Gate has a way of illuminating what still lingers in the shadows — not just trauma, but pure, human grief. The kind that comes from love, from the ache of missing someone’s voice, their presence, their laughter.

Rather than push it away, I chose to meet it with intention.

To let the energy of this portal help me release what I no longer wish to carry — while keeping the love, always.

I created a simple ritual, and I want to share it with you, in case you too are feeling the weight of the past pressing against the edges of your heart.

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Ritual for Releasing Old Wounds & Gentle Grief

You’ll need:

• A white candle (for purity and clarity)

• A small bowl of water (to absorb and transmute the energy)

• A pen and small piece of paper

• Optional: a stone or crystal for healing — rose quartz for the heart, amethyst for peace, selenite for cleansing.

** Disclaimer: all you really need is intention, and a pencil and paper. The other stuff is great, ultimately it is designed to elaborate and make it special.

Steps:

1. Light your candle. Sit quietly, breathing deep, letting the truth of what you feel rise to the surface.

2. Write down the wound, memory, or feeling you’re ready to release.

3. Hold the paper gently and say:

“I honor this part of my story. I keep the love, and I let the pain go. I invite peace to take its place.”

4. Place the paper into the water, watching it soften and dissolve, as if the grief is being held and carried away.

5. Extinguish the candle when you feel ready, and release the paper and water back to the earth or the drain, knowing the energy has shifted.

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If the Lions Gate has been stirring emotions in you — memories, longings, moments you thought you’d laid to rest — you are not alone.

This is a sacred time to release what’s heavy and step forward lighter, with more space for joy.

With love,

Susan

Intentionally beautiful.