At long last, I’ve finished the portal door I “downloaded” in a flash in January 2021 while working on a collaborative project. I saw it so clearly and right away ordered a slatted wooden sign that I could turn into a vertical “gate.” I found and ordered a dresser pull to use as a mini doorknob, and David drilled a hole for me at a doorknob appropriate spot. The image was so clear, and the objects so readily appeared that I expected this to be one of the fastest portals I ever created.
Then, it became obvious that the collaboration needed to pause while other projects occurred–for both of us–and I received not one, but two commissioned portals that jumped ahead of the Star Gate. I shared those stories in write-ups for The Queen of Wands Imbolc Portal and Strength Portal with Quan Yin and Tiger. As I mentioned in those posts, I sensed all three portals as somehow linked together. Not only did I give Reiki Healing Attunements to all three wooden panels/sign, but I primed them at the same time. I coded preliminary Runes on the back of them as a group, even though each portal features its own coding specific to the person for whom I created the portal.
I mention the delay because “perfect timing” plays out with all of these portals. I often experience delays that prove meaningful. The Queen of Wands portal jumped ahead of both my own and the other commissioned portal, and I finished on Imbolc Eve. This is a date sacred to St. Bridget/Goddess Brigid, with whom the patron feels a strong connection. When I finally began working on the Strength Portal with Quan Yin and Tiger, I realized we had just entered Year of the Tiger. Again, perfect timing!
I posted the Strength Portal on October 3, 2022 and figured I would get started on my Star Gate Portal, but nope. Instead I downloaded an idea for turning my Metaphysics of Lyme nonfiction project into a novel. I spent a month brainstorming and jotting down notes, pulling characters’ natal charts, and then on October 30, Mars stationed Retrograde in Gemini–where I have four planets, including my Mercury. I was going great guns on that novel project until everything screeched to a halt. We entered holiday season, and I leaned into some very deep inner shifts that apparently needed to occur before I could finish the Star Gate Portal or the novel.
Of all my portals, this is the one most assisted and directed by David. Not only did he drill the hole for the drawer pull doorknob, but he also took me on a surprise visit to a crystal shop where seeing a bunch of blue topaz gave me the idea to glue those onto the portal as stars. I picked up three shungite stones from the same place, and eventually I realized I needed to use two rocks David had picked up from one of our walks by Lake Michigan. Then I got the idea to use a mirrored star as “The” Star of the portal. It’s traditionally an 8-pointed star, but I accidentally ordered a Star of David. When I realized the mistake, the only 8-pointed star available was a Star of Bethlehem. I grew up in Bethlehem, PA, so this seemed perfect, too. Now I have a 6-pointed Star of David for some unknown future project, plus a mirrored portal star connected to my own early life.
As we approached David’s holiday work party, held on January 6, 2023, I realized I would need to cut the black and white wig for my Cruella costume. The one I had was just too long. It occurred to me that I could save some of the white hair and use it for my portal, at which point, I realized this would be much more of a multimedia collage than a portal “painting.” I found and ordered different colors of felt and ribbon to glue onto the portal in the same imagery I’d seen so long ago in my head.
January 6, 2023 was a potent day. Not only did it feature a powerful Full Moon in Cancer exactly conjunct my Ascendant/Midheaven Midpoint, it occurred on the religious Feast Day of Epiphany. In Christianity, Epiphany represents the arrival of the Three Magi/Wise Men/astrologers who followed the star to the babe in a manger. The term epiphany refers to a sudden insight or realization. Using the white hair cut from the costume I wore to the January 6 party further links this portal to David, as well as to the idea of sudden downloads, realizations, gifts, and a recognition of Divine Timing.
That particular Full Moon’s Sabian Symbol was: (CANCER 17°): THE UNFOLDMENT OF MULTILEVEL POTENTIALITIES ISSUING FROM AN ORIGINAL GERM. KEYNOTE: The life urge to actualize one’s birth potential. Combined with the Star of Bethlehem linked to my very early life, this all felt orchestrated. The long delays ended up simplifying the portal creation. Instead of painting, shading and needing to figure out how to paint imagery with spaces between the slats, everything came together as a collage.
Mars stationed Direct on January 12, 2023, and from then on, the Star Gate Portal unfolded in rapid fire ways. David helped me plot out the felt pieces, and he ironed the ribbon I used for the portal quote. (Yes, David does any ironing in our house, because that’s not a skill I’ve acquired!) It also felt symbolic to have him assist so much on this portal, which feels like the most “me” of all the portals. I ended up gluing most of it together between January 21-23, 2023. This time period included a powerful New Moon in Aquarius that almost exactly conjuncted my natal Moon, followed by Uranus stationing Direct on the 22nd, and then the finishing touches glued on 1/23, which links this portal to the Magician Portal.
In Tarot, the Star card connects with the Sign of Aquarius, the Water Bearer. Because of how my natal chart interconnects, that Aquarius New Moon activated my entire Sun/Moon/Pluto Grand Trine in Air, plus my Mercury, Neptune, Ascendant, Midheaven (career), Part of Fortune (happy spot) and Vertex (fated trigger point). It felt like someone flipped a switch that will allow me to live much more to my full potential. This has already begun to play out in real time. I’ll announce a big shift sometime in the next week or so.
In addition, the 1/23 finish date ties into a key dream I had on 1/23/2020 (a version of 1/23/4), “full speed ahead” that also connects to Door Number 16: “Not all who wander are lost.” Of course, this portal also connects to an earlier Star Portal commissioned in Canada in 2010. That was Door Number 11, tying into my own 11 Life Path Number.
The quote and numbers of the Justice Portal also tie into this new Star Gate Portal. That was Door Number 22 and featured an 11/11 on the painted ribbon. My birthday is May 22, and again that 11 Life Path Number arose in connection with stars. I actually painted lady Justice as Astraea, a star goddess, further connecting both portals. That was a commissioned portal, but the patron and I share many synchronicities as her two portals continue to activate, even years later. That portal’s quote reads, “The universe and the light of the stars come through me.” That’s a Rumi quote, while this portal’s quote (also by Rumi) reads, “Let the waters settle and you will find the moon and stars mirrored in your own being.”
This whole portal process felt so instructive. Despite delays, the actual work portion of the portal unfolded really fast. The longest part was waiting for glue to dry for various layers, but it took very little active time. This, too, felt symbolic. The pieces were all in place, yet they needed to settle and gel before moving forward. The end product looks so similar to my original vision, except it became almost effortlessly 3D. What I thought presented a major challenge–painting a realistic figure over slats with spaces between them–materialized in such a literal and easy way. I felt surprise and delight as the portal confirmed a repeat Dream Guy message, “Delay leads to delight.”
Once the glue dried, I hung this portal in my office, near a waterfall tapestry and a magical owl I got from Faery Sis Tania Marie. I love how her white hair and the kyanite “water” echo the white owl and the waterfall. Photos don’t show how much it sparkles and glows at night, but you can kind of imagine the energy.
Even though the owl is not part of this portal, it definitely plays with the portal energy. Tania included a lovely write-up on her post suggesting this Barn Owl and Faery Queen wanted to move on. You can explore this beautiful owl more thoroughly here. Scroll down her post to get to the owl part. The owl and faery arrived about six months after my initial vision of the Star Gate Portal. I’ve always sensed the portal would go in that same corner, but I didn’t originally anticipate how the white hair and ribbons would play off the waterfall and owl.
They resonate so well together that I consider them part of a powerful co-creation in that entire corner. From my desk, I see the owl aimed to land on my shoulder, while the doorknob and starry crown sparkle and shine. The Star of Bethlehem mirror looks like something shining from within the door, and the kyanite reminds me that inspiration flows.
Key symbols in this portal include:
Star Card Symbols: The Water Bearer (Aquarius) pouring water into water and on the land. An 8-pointed star. This card is number 17, and with the 16 blue topaz stars, that brings us to 17. Qualities associated with the star card include: hope, best of both worlds, rejuvenation, alignment, cleansing, ascension, promise, and reassurance. The woman is naked and unashamed, in total harmony with land, sea and sky.
Blue Topaz: The clear blue color symbolizes water, wind and sky. Blue topaz stabilizes emotions and helps us to find our own True North through authentic inner guidance. It also enhances creativity and self expression.
Blue Kyanite: Sometimes known as a “channeling stone,” blue kyanite enhances our connection to inspiration and messages from beyond. It’s an excellent stone for writers. According to the paper that came with the stones I ordered from Mind Body Nirvana LLC, “Blue Kyanite: inspires spiritual growth, facilitates dream work, improves clarity, improves one’s communication, inspires transformation, improves intuition, assists with psychic abilities & divine guidance.”
Shungite: Used for water purification, shungite is 99% carbon, which also ties into stardust and the human body. With unknown origins, shungite may have come from a meteorite colliding with Earth. Shungite protects from EMF radiation, and it assists with any conditions related to inflammation or allergic response.
Pitchers: These silver vessels tie into the Divine Feminine, reception, water, and flow.
Starry Crown: Again, the presence of a starry crown links to Justice (Door Number 22), which featured Lady Justice as Astraea the star goddess wearing a starry crown. Anytime a new portal links to an earlier portal, it seems to activate both, like reaffirming the intentions and generating big synchronicities related to the door or its coding.
I coded the Star Gate Portal to support the powerful current and upcoming activations in my natal chart, progressions and life. For years, I’ve looked at this 2023-2025 time period, when Pluto in early Aquarius will conjunct my natal Moon (most personal point in the chart) and trine or sextile so many other things. I knew that running away from change would only make Pluto’s tsunami crash harder against my Moon, so I decided to lean into change. I can use this energy to bring forth so many creations with tremendous depth and power. I can flow during my own rebirth.
This portal is a prayer and intention that no matter what happens, I will thrive, renew and regenerate. I added one extra blue topaz star to the rock upon which the woman sits. This brings the star energy into her foundation and adds an extra sense of grounding to all the psychic downloads and dreamy intuition.
This post kept getting delayed by newly activated projects that unfolded throughout the week. Only today did I realize that Door Number 27 would post on 1/27. Thanks for journeying awhile with me!
Laura Bruno's Blog 