Gate 21: The Hunter/Huntress

Meaning of Gate 21

A Heart (Ego) gate tied to the need to control your own territory — money, work, resources. It gives the ability to manage material things; the trap is wanting to control what is none of your business.

In the system, a gate is always at work if it is active in the chart — at the moment of birth (Personality) or about 88 days before it (Design). If the other gate of its channel is also active, the channel is defined, and the theme of the gate becomes part of the person’s consistent energy.

Where the Gate Sits

• Center: Heart (Ego).
• I Ching hexagram: Hexagram 21, Shi He.
• Position on the wheel: from 9°30′ Aries to 15°07′30″ Aries.
• The Sun in Gate 21: roughly March 30 to April 5 (the dates shift by a day in some years).
• Neighbors on the wheel: before it, gate 17; after it, gate 51.

The Six Lines of Gate 21

Each gate is divided into six lines. The line specifies how the theme of the gate shows up in a particular person; in a chart it is written after a dot — for example, 21.4.

• Line 1: Order From the Very Start. The first line tries to study in advance the rules by which resources and work are managed. It is thought useful for it to get a small lesson or limitation in good time: this way it learns the limits of its control without serious losses.
• Line 2: Firm Without Overdoing It. A person with this line naturally knows how to take matters firmly into their own hands, especially on their own territory. In the system, they should measure their pressure: excessive harshness where a light touch would do provokes needless resistance.
• Line 3: Biting Off Too Much. The third line tries to control what is still beyond it and runs into unpleasant consequences. Such blows to its pride are thought to be useful: experience shows which tasks are its own and which are better left alone.
• Line 4: Persistence in a Hard Task. The fourth line takes on difficult material tasks and solves them with the help of reliable people and a well-thought-out plan. In the system, success comes when it soberly sees the obstacles and doesn't abandon what it has started halfway.
• Line 5: Fair Management. The fifth line is expected to take control of shared resources and judge everyone fairly. It is thought to be trusted as long as its decisions are honest and balanced; the trap is using this role for personal gain.
• Line 6: Learning to Let Go of Control. Over time the sixth line understands that not everything can be held in its hands. In the system, its maturity shows in a willingness to listen to others; the trap is stubbornly holding on to control and ignoring warnings.

Channels

Gate 21 is one half of a channel. A channel is defined when both of its gates are active — in one person or, in a couple, across the two partners.

• Channel 21-45, “Money” — its other gate is 45, “The Gatherer”, in the Throat Center. The channel gives a tendency to manage resources and take responsibility for the material side of things. In the system, a person with it needs a territory of their own to control and to negotiate its boundaries honestly.

All the channels are on the channels page, and Human Design compatibility shows what arises between the charts of two people.

An Honest Look at the Method

Human Design was created in 1987 by one man, Ra Uru Hu, and its claims have never been scientifically tested. We describe the rules of the system as they are and write the interpretations in our own words, not as knowledge about you.

Related in This Section

• Gate 20
• Gate 22
• All 64 gates
• Channels
• Centers
• Profiles

Frequently asked questions

What does Gate 21 mean in Human Design?

The name of Gate 21 is “The Hunter/Huntress”. A Heart (Ego) gate tied to the need to control your own territory — money, work, resources. It gives the ability to manage material things; the trap is wanting to control what is none of your business.

How do I find out whether I have Gate 21?

Build your chart in the Human Design calculator: in the list of activations, each gate is written with its line after a dot, for example 21.3 means gate 21, line 3. If gate 21 is not on the list, it is open in your chart.

How is Gate 21 related to the I Ching hexagram?

The gate number matches the hexagram number: gate 21 is Hexagram 21, Shi He. The image is the same, but in Human Design the gate has its own short name and an interpretation tied to its center.