Understanding Gate 24 and our drive to know the unknowable
The human mind never tires of exploring its own potential to conceptualize, solve problems and learn new things. Gate 24 represents our desire to figure out a mystery of some sort, which is to say, frame it in a rational way.
When a question arrises, the mind with Gate 24 will attempt to formulate an answer. Until that happens, the energy of The Gate of Rationalization will circle back, returning again and again to the mystery at hand. This is partly why the I Ching name is returning.
In Human Design, the mind is comprised of the Head Center at the top of the bodygraph, and the Ajna Center just below. Three gates join the two centers, two in the Collective Circuit and Gate 24 in the Individual Circuit.
The role of the Individual is ultimately to mutate the Collective with their innovative approach to life. In the case of the mind, this innovation looks like out-of-the-box thinking.
Gate 24 points up to Gate 61 (Mystery). Gate 61, being in the crown, is the receptor for divine questions, riddles to ponder which are literally straight from the source. You can imagine a radio dial turning slowly through the static, and suddenly finding a clear signal.
Gate 24 will take the signal and then return to it over and over until an answer is found. This is when the knowing takes place. Yet it is not a knowing based on any logical conclusions of pattern observation, nor of evidence garnered from past experiences. It is simply a knowing that cannot be explained.
Whether or not you have Gate 61 defined in your chart, its mystical questions rise up in an unpredictable pulse. When there is no pulse, there is no inspiration, which is why those with significant Individual definition can be so prone to melancholy.
A prominent theme with Gate 24 is silence given that this circuit is acoustic in nature. When the white noise of all the questions goes silent, a fertile respite can be found. Sitting in meditation, for instance, we are taught to acknowledge our thoughts and then visualize them as clouds floating by. This is another meaning of returning: the Buddha returns again and again to the tranquil oasis of his silence.
It’s important to remember that not only does everyone have access to the frequencies of all the gates of the Rave I Ching, these gates also all come with potential high and low expressions.
In the case of Gate 24, one common manifestation is addiction. Perhaps this is because of the pain experienced when the pulse of inspiration is off. However, this is exactly when the oasis of silence should be embraced rather than numbed or distracted, otherwise we might miss out on the next satori, or aha moment.
In the Zodiac, Gate 24 falls in Taurus, a sign that in part signifies patience. We might liken this to the patience required of silently waiting for that spark of insight that comes from above.
Another thing to remember is that in Human Design our mind is never meant to solve our own dilemmas, it is for other people. As always, follow your Strategy and Authority to make decisions for you, and let your mind be a brilliant gift for the rest of us.
