An appetite for control: Gate 21
The two names of Gate 21 go a long way to explain its meaning: hunting and biting conjure the image of meat, the ultimate resource of the Tribe. They also evoke an insatiable hunger and, as we’ll see, it is the hunger for control, primarily of material resources.
It’s for good reason that Gate 21 is all about control. This is the one you want at your table when your teacher assigns a group project. It will get the job done, but might be a bossy pants.
Control can be a touchy word, and to be considered controlling is not usually a compliment. Yet we intrinsically understand that somebody needs to be in charge of operations – of how our family, church, or company functions monetarily. And if you have Gate 21, it’s likely you’re the one who takes the reins.
Even if you’re not, it’s probably important for you to be in charge of your own body and space. After all, this is a gate that enjoys domination, a word that shares its etymology with domain. It’s imperative that you be the one to control certain details about your environment, such as what you eat, what you wear, and even where you live. You don’t want anyone to interfere with your domain.
Human Design Circuitry
The Gate of the Hunter/Huntress is in the Ego Center, and it plays a key role in the Tribal Circuit. Its energy is adept at attracting resources and enterprises to oversee. It points up to its harmonic, Gate 45 in the Throat, which is in many ways the provider of the resources.
As Ra explained it, Gate 45 owns the land and lets Gate 21 hunt on it. In today’s society Gate 21 is the CEO of the corporation, or the manager of the factory. Gate 45, on the other hand, is the company’s owner.
The 21-45 is called The Channel of Money. If you carry this definition, you are designed to work with money. For example, you might have a prominent position in the family business, thanks to your natural ability to manage resources.
The Human Design definition of Gate 21 offers further insight: The justified and necessary use of power in overcoming deliberate and persistent interference. Power and even force are sometimes necessary when it comes to protecting the Tribe’s resources.
And of course, the monikers Hunter and Biting Through bring to mind a certain ruthless violence. This gate has no direct access to the Emotional Center, because feelings might interfere with enforcing its will. This is power with teeth, and it is associated with, besides the Hunter, archetypes like the Policeman and the Constable.
What Does Ego Mean in Human Design?
It might be helpful to clarify the language Human Design uses to reference the centers in the Body Graph. The Ego Center has little to do with the way we use the word ego in most other contexts. Also, it is interchangeably called the Heart Center, even though it is not the heart of loving.
This center is about your willpower, courage, and drive. It’s your ability to follow through on a promise. This center is a motor, powered by sheer will, and one that needs rest as part of the bargain.
In the Zodiac
It’s also interesting to note that Gate 21 falls in the Tropical Zodiac sign of Aries, whose signature quality might be courage. Courage is derived from the Latin word for heart. We will follow through if we have the will to do so – when our heart is in it.
