Gate 39: The energy that provokes change and bucks the status quo
It was Independence Day in front of the Capitol Building in Boise, Idaho. A shirtless man was walking down the sidewalk carrying an American flag. Nothing unusual about that, right? But he was causing cars to stop, literally obstructing traffic. Why? Because the flag was upside down.
This is the essence of Gate 39, Obstruction in the I Ching and the Gate of the Provocateur in Human Design. This is Individual energy to provoke others into realizing something – some sort of truth or sense of empowerment. It comes in many guises: at times stubborn or defiant, other times teasing, playful, flirty or sexual.
In fact Ra Uru Hu calls Gate 39 the gate of the tease, a you know you want me but can you handle me kind of taunting. It is a gate of mystery, romance and passion, of nuance and suggestion.
It produces a subtle tension in the body and auric field which constantly seeks a response or reaction in the other, whether it is aware of it or not. The tension is deep in the body, and sometimes this energy can cause jaw clenching or teeth grinding.
Sometimes provocation is simply walking into a room or making eye contact. Sometimes, it is doing absolutely nothing, remaining still – an I won’t budge kind of vibe. It can be what you say, how you say it, what you wear, or what you eat.
It can look like the devil’s advocate, challenging assumptions or behaviors of the masses. For example, if you are the one person without a facemask in a room full of people wearing them, you are provoking those people to “analyze, assess, and re-evaluate” something.
However, what Gate 39 is really seeking is nothing short of love, love which goes by many names: abundance of spirit, romance, felt emotion, connection. It is looking for home.
If you carry this energy, this is how you find your people – by provoking them in some way, to tease out their spirit. If your provoking backfires and annoys people, it simply means they are not for you.
The Gate of the Provocateur is found in the Root Center, and it points to Gate 55 (Spirit Abundance) in the Solar Plexus to form the Channel of Emoting. The Root is both a pressure center and motor, so Gate 39 provides fuel for our emotions, our desires, our moods and our passions, and it pressures us to seek out a higher love by its curious, teasing mechanics.
The Gate of the Provocateur is a hub of creative energy in need of an outlet. It is also acoustic, thriving on verbal intercourse and using tone of voice to assess and navigate relationship. Gate 39 in fact fuels the whole Individual stream of romance and passion, which will eventually be expressed/made manifest through the Throat.
It is hungry for connection, which can be found by goading the spirit of another. The magical connection, when it happens, is how the Individual empowers others, and how mutation can begin to spread to the Collective.
Some of Gate 39’s essence can be understood by considering that its polarity (opposite the Mandala) is also its mirror (reflection in the bodygraph). This is Gate 38, the Gate of the Fighter. They both represent the energy and impetus for a noble struggle to express your individuality and behave in a certain way, simply because you know it to be true.
Because Gate 39 is both in the Individual Circuit and linked to the Solar Plexus, it can be challenging energy to carry. The Individual is always subject to the melancholy that settles in when their pulse of knowing is off. And the channels connected to the Solar Plexus/Emotional Center operate on a wave that continuously oscillates from pain and sadness back to hope and joy.
This is all to say, be patient with your process and take time with your choices. It’s important to wait for still, neutral emotional waters so that clarity can emerge. Even if that elusive spirit connection is found, give it a while to be sure. Above all, the mood needs to be correct.
Sometimes the “hunger” found in Gate 39 is overpowering, and leads people to over indulge in food, sex, drugs, and alcohol. It has been associated with eating disorders and other addictions.
Going beyond the scope of Human Design and into the Tropical Zodiac, we are in Cancer territory. Cancer is a Cardinal water sign, associating it with creative beginnings. It can offer an uprush of emotional energy and the tendency to initiate things in the realm of the heart and spirit.
And did you know that Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, is found in the sixth line of Gate 39? This star is infamous in worldwide lore going back thousands of years, and it is known for (would you believe) its insatiable hunger, a hunger for spiritual fire and immortality!
