Gate 31: Influence

Meaning of Gate 31

A Throat Center gate tied to leadership and influence over a group. It gives the ability to lead a group if others recognize it; in the system, this is a voice that needs to be chosen.

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: Throat Center.
• I Ching hexagram: Hexagram 31, Xian.
• Position on the wheel: from 2°00′ Leo to 7°37′30″ Leo.
• The Sun in Gate 31: roughly July 25 to 30 (the dates shift by a day in some years).
• Neighbors on the wheel: before it, gate 56; after it, gate 33.

The Six Lines of Gate 31

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, 31.4.

• Line 1: First Steps Toward Leadership. The first line is only just feeling out its influence and wants to understand first what it could be supported for. Its voice is thought to grow stronger gradually; the trap is claiming leadership before support and recognition have appeared.
• Line 2: No Hurry to Lead. A person with this line has natural influence but reveals it best when the group turns to them on its own. In the system, haste does harm here: trying to lead people without an invitation comes across as presumption.
• Line 3: Testing Influence. The third line tries leading and sometimes gives in to the impulses of those it leads. Mistakes here are thought to be useful: from experience it understands whom to direct and where, and when it is better to stop.
• Line 4: Influence Through Trust. The fourth line influences above all those who know it well. In the system, its word carries weight when its intention is clear and consistent; if its thoughts keep jumping around, only the closest follow it, and its circle of influence shrinks.
• Line 5: A Firm Stance. People project onto the fifth line the image of a leader who knows what to do. Its strength is thought to lie in a steady position that is hard to shake; the trap is believing itself always right and no longer hearing those it speaks for.
• Line 6: Word and Example. Over time the sixth line understands that words alone are not enough for influence. In the system, its persuasiveness rests on lived experience and personal example; the trap is talking a lot about change without backing words with deeds.

Channels

Gate 31 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 7-31, “The Alpha” — its other gate is 7, “Role of the Self”, in the G Center. The channel gives a natural role as the one who sets the direction for the group. In the system, this influence works best when the person has first been recognized and chosen, not when they lead without an invitation.

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 30
• Gate 32
• All 64 gates
• Channels
• Centers
• Profiles

Frequently asked questions

What does Gate 31 mean in Human Design?

The name of Gate 31 is “Influence”. A Throat Center gate tied to leadership and influence over a group. It gives the ability to lead a group if others recognize it; in the system, this is a voice that needs to be chosen.

How do I find out whether I have Gate 31?

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 31.3 means gate 31, line 3. If gate 31 is not on the list, it is open in your chart.

How is Gate 31 related to the I Ching hexagram?

The gate number matches the hexagram number: gate 31 is Hexagram 31, Xian. The image is the same, but in Human Design the gate has its own short name and an interpretation tied to its center.