Which portal are you recognizing and celebrating this July/August? There are several…. Many new-age practices are borrowed from ancient practices, keeping them intact or modified for our times, while others are newly created. This doesn’t take away from their significance; they are simply recognizing and incorporating meaningful energy for our day. There are a couple in July/August, and it might be helpful to clarify… so, you know what you are celebrating! In the article, I’ll mark the portal as Ancient or New Age
Mayan Liminal Days: The Day Out of Time & the 5 Days of Uayeb
These are two powerful thresholds in the Mayan calendar—the 5 days of Uayeb and the modern ‘Day Out of Time’— both offer a portal or liminal space in time.
The 5 Days of Uayeb (Haab’ Calendar)
Ancient: In the ancient Mayan solar calendar (the Haab’), the year consisted of 18 months of 20 days—360 days total. But the full solar year is 365 days, so what about the other 5? These final five are called Uayeb, often referred to as the “nameless days.” Uayeb was seen as dangerous, liminal, and spiritually charged. A time when the veil between worlds was thin, and mischievous or harmful forces might enter.
During Uayeb, the Maya:
- Avoided travel, marriage, and major decisions
- Fasted and refrained from celebrations
- Honoured the gods with caution and care
I’ve written about how the Tychos explains this cycle in my last article.
The Day Out of Time (Dreamspell Calendar)
New Age: Fast forward to the modern era—July 25 is known in the Dreamspell calendar (a modern reinterpretation of Mayan time by José Argüelles) as the ‘Day Out of Time’. This isn’t part of the original Mayan calendar, but a spiritual innovation that recognizes a liminal space. Falling between the end of the 13-Moon year (July 24) and the new year (July 26), this day is:
- A pause for reflection
- A global celebration of peace, art, and synchronicity
- A time to release the past and open to cosmic rhythm
In reality, the lunar year is about 10.88 days shorter than the solar year. Incidentally, the lunar/solar calendar of 19 years syncs these two calendars (it takes 19 years called the metonic cycle) and was recognized and used by many cultures in the past.
The Sothic Calendar/5 Days Out of Time & The Lions Gate
Ancient: The ancient Egyptians followed a solar calendar of 360 days—12 months of 30 days each. But to align with the solar year, they added five extra days at the end of the year. These were not just filler days. They were known as the “Heriu Renpet”—the “days upon the year.” These 5 epagomenal days were considered outside of ordinary time—suspended between the old year and the new. Each was dedicated to the birth of a major deity:
- Osiris – god of resurrection and divine kingship
- Horus the Elder – sky god and protector
- Set – the force of chaos and storms
- Isis – goddess of magic and motherhood
- Nephthys – goddess of mystery and twilight
These were both sacred and dangerous, where cosmic forces stirred, and the ordinary rules didn’t apply. They culminated with the heliacal rising of Sirius*, the brightest star in the sky—known to the Egyptians as Sopdet—heralding the inundation of the Nile and the opening of the New Year (Wepet Renpet). In ancient Egypt, the heliacal rising of Sirius (Sopdet) was one of the most sacred annual events.
*The heliacal rising of Sirius is when it first appears in the dawn sky after being hidden for weeks.
The Lion’s Gate portal
New Age or Ancient… depending: The Lion’s Gate portal was created by Ray Mardyks in the 1990s, which was said to occur between a Lunar Eclipse on August 8 and a Solar Eclipse on August 21. It’s connected to the Sun in Leo, and the helical rising of Sirius. The large period is because Sirius’s helical rising depends on your latitude. In this interpretation, the Lion’s Gate has a lot of similarities with the 5 days out of time.
Mary Magdelene Day
Ancient and New Age: In ancient times, because of precession that moved the stars, the rising of Sothis was on July 22nd in Egypt. This is also Mary Magdalene Day. The feast day of Mary Magdalene is one of the reasons that Mary Magdalene is said to be the embodiment of Isis/Sothis/Sirius, and in recent decades, Magdalene has been reclaimed as a priestess, mystic, and spiritual teacher, often linked with the Isis lineage and the mystery schools of Egypt and the Essenes. It is also connected to Lion’s Gate.
The Cross Quarters
Ancient and New Age: The Lion’s Gate Portal has also been connected by the astrologer Dane Ruydhar to the cross quarters. The exact dates of the cross-quarter days can vary slightly each year, as they are based on the astronomical events of the solstices and equinoxes. For example, in 2025, the cross-quarter days are on February 3, May 5, August 7, and November 7. The Cross Quarters were recognized by Celtic and Gaelic cultures, making it ancient, but also modern pagans and Wiccans.
So…. will you celebrate:
- July 22nd – Mary Magdalene Day
- The liminal day out of time, July 25th,
- The 5 days out of time – mostly recognized as Aug 1 – 5th,
- The cross-quarter day Aug 7th, or,
- The actual Lion’s Gate portal day Aug 8th?
I’m a Leo, I love to celebrate… so I’ll probably do them all!
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