The official name for Human Design Gate 31 is The Gate of Leading . I call it The Natural Leader because its primary action is to be a highly influential force of nature and express the possibilities and potentials of a brighter future.
About Human Design Gate 31 – Gene Key 31 Archetype Name: The Natural Leader
In Action: to reverently lead others into a fair and just vision
Keywords: leadership, collective vision, influence, equanimity
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Official Gate Name: Leading
Human Design Definition: The law of friction, whether active or passive, that engenders transference and thus influence.
Core Theme: Influential leadership.
Bodygraph Center: Throat center and connects to the G center via human design gate 7 .
Tropical Sign: Leo
Gene Keys Shadow: Arrogance
Gene Keys Gift: Leadership
Gene Keys Siddhi: Humility
The Positive and Negative Sides of Human Design Gate 31 All energy in the Human Design chart exists on a spectrum of potential .
On the “positive” end of the spectrum, Human Design Gate 31 is the energy for influential leadership. Gate 31 knows deep in its bones that empowered people empower others. Disempowered people disempower others. With this as its baseline, it is able to be a highly influential force of nature by expressing the possibilities and potentials for a brighter future for everyone.
On the “negative” end of the spectrum, Human Design Gate 31 is the energy for being afraid to step into the role of leader or believing that you are unworthy of being a leader. It can easily use its influence and authority to manipulate others for its own personal gain. Or try to force its vision on others.
The most important thing to raise the frequency of gate 31 is to lead with integrity by knowing your leadership niche.
My Personal Experience with Human Design Gate 31 (Gene Key 31)The channel of the Alpha (31-7) is defined in my chart.
Gate 31 is defined in my unconscious Saturn.
And, in an interesting twist of fate, Human Design Gate 7 is defined in my conscious Saturn.
How fun?!?!
Eh. Not so much.
Saturn is often a challenge in our charts.
If Santa Claus were divided into two parts of our chart, he would be Jupiter and Saturn.
Jupiter is the benevolent, jolly, grandfather-like energy bringing all the gifts. Saturn is the one checking the list twice.
In other words, Saturn is where we have to check ourselves.
It is a place where we have abundant potential for mastery and transcendence. But only through conscious self-discipline.
And, if you are anything like me, even the mere concept of discipline feels triggering. (Rage?!?!)
I am a free spirit who wants to do what I want whenever I want to do it. Discipline tastes bitter and doesn’t go down smoothly.
But Saturn gives no fucks about how it tastes going down, and if we want the bounty of Jupiter, we must heed his call.
During my first Saturn return, I was just getting clean from drugs, one of my brothers died, and I fell head over heels in love with a narcissistic asshole.
It was a time of great trials, and when my heart began to crack open and see that I have so much more potential than abuse, addiction, and people-pleasing. I can see Leo’s threads running through it. (Both gates 31 and 7 are in the sign of Leo.)
With each passing year, I’m checking myself, becoming clearer and clearer about what I need to master to receive my bounty. And it has everything to do with being an Alpha.
Truth be told, I love talking about my other defined channels:
The channel of the Wavelength (48-16) gives me the energy to empower the collective by diving deep into the things I am interested in and bringing them out into the world masterfully.
The channel of the Brain Wave (57-20) gives me the energy to empower myself and others by trusting my intuitive wisdom and giving voice to Truth.
Love. Love. Love.
But it’s a whole other story when we get to the channel of the Alpha (7-31). This channel gives me the energy to empower the collective by being a leader rooted in a higher vision of equity, empowerment, and self-awareness.
And, while it has never been a secret to me that others see me as a leader, I’ve mostly not wanted anything to do with it.
Perhaps it has been my 5/2 profile + gate 7 on the conscious side, but I’d rather stay out of the spotlight.
But, in early 2022, something shifted, and I’ll never forget it. I checked myself in the best kind of ways.
I was taking a class for Human Design Projectors , and the energy around leadership kept coming up. In the class, I felt incredibly vulnerable and seen in a way I had never before.
I cannot even describe what it was like to have 13 Projectors looking deeply into my soul simultaneously. 😂😂😂
In that space, I was called on to be a leader on numerous occasions. I was asked to speak about this or that topic, and with each invitation, I had zero doubt that I had some magic to bring to the conversation.
In hindsight, this was how I felt when I started interpreting Human Design for others. I felt my natural leadership come alive.
Yes, it was a remarkably vulnerable feeling. I felt exposed and raw.
But there was also a quality of integrity and synchronicity—beautiful timing and just oh so right.
The highest potential vibration of the 31-7 was so deeply activated within me that I could no longer push it away. I had to see it. It wasn’t just theoretical anymore.
It was trustworthy.
I AM an Alpha.
The key for me was the recognition of leading from a space of deep integrity, of that inner knowing that I was the one to guide the ship.
In the past, I’ve often been nominated to lead things that didn’t land right with me.
My spleen would scream no, and, again, maybe my 5/2 was playing a big part here, but I believed that my job was to do whatever people expected of me. And if that meant leading in ways that didn’t feel right for me but helped others, I would just do it anyway.
And true to what Human Design teaches us about gate 31, stepping into the role of the leader has to be a two-way street.
(Just like the projector recognition and invitation !)
When I am trying to lead shit that doesn’t need or want my leadership, it doesn’t end well. And vice versa, when others want me to lead, and my body says no, it also doesn’t end well.
Since the sacred container of that class, I have been able to step into the role of a win-win leader on many occasions.
I often feel this way in interactions inside my work and in my personal life, in situations where my expertise and insight perfectly match the path ahead.
I even had a dream about someone I care about. From the dream, I knew that I needed to take the lead on a real-life situation we were going through.
It was crystalline clear. So, I did.
The results were stunning. I lead the situation into more profound harmony and alignment for everyone.
And, because it’s Saturn, I know I’ll be checking myself for years to come. I’ll revisit the 31 and the 7 until I take off the tight shoe called life.
But I have developed an awareness of what this energy looks and feels like on “both sides” of the spectrum.
I know what it’s like to try to lead when I’m not recognized and invited.
I know what it’s like to lead even when I don’t want to.
And, through the diligence of Saturn, I also know what it’s like to lead when it’s win-win.
So, now, I practice. And, perhaps one day, will truly master.
Affirmations for Human Design Gate 31 Using your Human Design to create affirmations is a powerful way to activate the full potential of your chart. Here are some affirmations for Gate 31:
I am a force of nature.
I empower myself and others.
My leadership is valuable.
Inside your Human Design Map , you’ll get a full list of empowering beliefs for your type + strategy, authority, profile, and all four gates of your incarnation cross and show you how to go from affirmation to full-on embodiment. In the meantime, be sure to also check out my post on how to make Human Design affirmations work .
Now it’s your turn to contemplate G ate 31 When you stand in the truth that the gifts of the 31 are always available to you, (whether it’s defined in your chart or not)…
What is your relationship with leadership? Do you like to lead? Why or why not?
What experiences have you had with disempowered leaders? What about empowered ones?
What qualities of leadership do you have and how do you foster them?
I encourage you to take some time with these questions. Take them out into your world and let their answers reveal themselves to you. Intend for deeper levels of clarity about gate 31. Human Design Incarnation Cross , be sure to check out the Human Design Map where I go super deep into each gate of your cross.