Last time, we explored Hexagram 55, learning to navigate the world while holding true to our spirited nature while appreciating and spreading abundance along the way. Now, the Sun is moving into Hexagram 37, which is the Gateway we call “Family” in the Human Design System.

As the Sun goes into Gate 37, family, community, and the agreements within community are going to come to the surface. And we’ll see that whether on a spiritual, community, or family level, clear interrelationships are necessary for the stability and wellbeing of everyone. So here, Family extends beyond our blood relatives and the people who raised us. It can extend out to a whole network of community: to friends, associates, clients, customers, comrades, corporate members, political party affiliates, even to national identities.

We’re in the Tribal Circuitry here, and the key word with Tribal Circuitry in the Human Design System is “support.” Everybody plays their role within the Family. And we’ll see as we go through the six lines, there are six very different ways in which contributions can be made to the tribe. Family and familiarity are established through touch, whether that be handshakes, holding hands, hugs, massage, or more intimate contacts. There are certain unspoken rules around who can touch whom, and much can be transferred and inferred through the sense of touch.

All community accomplishments are based on a family foundation. Whether it’s communal efforts, communal support, barn raising, get-togethers, community assemblies, rallies, etc., it all comes down to this particular 37-40 Channel, and in particular, Gateway 37.

Let’s see how this plays out in the Human Design System line by line:

First Line: The Matriarch/Patriarch

The first line provides the foundation for the whole Hexagram. So, what’s the foundation of the family? It’s the matriarch and the patriarch. You’ll find if you have Gateway 37 with the first line, it doesn’t matter how old you are, everybody looks to you in one way or another as the matriarch or the patriarch. You’re the one who calls the shots.

Respect and honor are due to the innately wise. And the first line has that innate wisdom. So, whether you’re in the role of matriarch/patriarch of a family, community, corporation, or whatever, respect and honor is due. In tribal settings it would be the elders rather than the matriarch/patriarch, but in both cases, you have the word, you set the tone for what the family or community is all about.

Being considerate in your own attitudes encourages others to be attentive in theirs. In a sense, it comes down to behavior patterns, how you interact with everybody. Do you naturally treat everybody respectfully? We’re not quite there yet as a species to appreciate that we’re all in the same boat here. We all are actually part of the same family in some way, the human family. So, being responsible in one’s own attitude or being considerate in one’s own attitude, encourages everybody else to be considerate in theirs.

Second Line: Being Self-Sufficient

Second lines have the quality of being very natural, uncomplicated, innocent in a way. Here, the line is called, “Being self-sufficient: Achievements are enhanced through synergy.”

Within a family, there are roles and rules. Somebody does the table preparation, somebody makes the food, somebody brings the food, somebody does the dishes afterwards, and so on. The family thrives on this coordinated contribution. Everybody knows their place. And when a family pulls together and everybody plays their part, the second line has a natural way of playing within the family.

You endorse personal responsibility as the foundation for community strength, and in taking full responsibility for your own life, you profoundly alter the world around you. Your natural ability to play your part has a ripple effect around you. But the other side of it is that you might attempt to save the world by emphasizing the shortcomings of others. It’s a call to be aware of this tendency to point fingers when others aren’t pulling their weight, rather than focusing on doing your part to the fullest.

Third Line: Moderating

The third line here is called, “Moderating: A steady reserve supports communal wellbeing.” Third lines are always the ones that go a little bit out of their way. They like to try out new things. They seek to expand on the family’s support and wellbeing.

In disagreements, there is a need for authority and fairness to bring the family back together. I have never come across a family where there isn’t some form of disturbance on some level. It may be trivial stuff sometimes, but the third line has the ability to recognize that these disturbances can be overcome. Within family, there is always the potential for forgiveness and resolution. And the third line can be very quick at resolving these kinds of issues.

Your expansive and generous sensitivity supports open and clear relationships. No problem is too big. Sooner or later, we see the foolishness in falling out with each other and if we agree to come together again, all is forgiven.

Fourth Line: Enriching

The fourth line is very influential. It likes to bring people together. It wants everybody to be on the same page. You emphasize that the wellbeing of the family involves everyone’s presence and contributions.

It’s an amazing thing when the family is watchful and mindful of each other, or the team is corresponding and engaging in support of each other. When everybody is included, amazing things can happen from that synergy.

Your particular view of family is prone to approve of only traditional ways and views. Families have their traditions and customs. You might have certain celebrations at certain times of the year. But, as times change and things move on, suddenly we find that our traditions are no longer so relevant, but there is still an attachment to them.

Sticking with a tradition may bring about prosperity, but, if you find yourself being sidelined by traditions or customs that no longer serve you, it may actually derail the prosperity. The fourth line has to be really clear about that.

Fifth Line: Being Loyal

The fifth line here is called, “Being loyal: Natural and magnanimous devotion to the family.” The fifth line always has the potential leadership quality. It oversees everything. You see how things can be, and how to bring about the greatest benefit for everything. And in being loyal, in having that magnanimous devotion, you forgive all transgressions.

Your selfless affection enhances the love and harmony felt among everyone around you. Dinner with others can be a spiritual experience for you. There’s a buzz around the table, emanating from the shared communal experience. Everybody’s in. Everybody’s enjoying the food. They’re being considerate of each other. They’re letting each other have their say, telling good jokes, cleaning up afterwards. You might bring in outsiders every now and again, but they either fit in with the frequency, or they can go and sit somewhere else, because it’s about the familiarity and the vibration of the family.

When you are in tune with your life and you’re seeing the family all in their places, all playing their parts, and you’re encouraging them to give support, there’s a harmony, there’s a synchronicity that happens. And the fifth line plays a big part in facilitating, encouraging, and nourishing this harmony.

Sixth Line: Being Astute

The sixth line is called “Being astute: Holding high personal standards encourages others to do the same.” The sixth line has the overview of the whole Hexagram. You can see everything going on around the dinner table. You can see everybody going around in the community, and you hold very high standards. You do your thing, you play your part, and you expect others to do the same. If they can’t do it, forget it, they’re out, or at least kept at a safe distance.

Being true to your own feelings of responsibility ensures your ability to benefit everyone. Families do well when the matriarch or the patriarch understands that we’re all in this together. When everyone is contributing to their own and to each other’s benefit.

You recognize and enhance all the quality of life through harmonious friendships, and your restless nature often craves diverse friendships beyond the boundaries of the family. There can come a point where you look at your circumstances and come to the realization that you’re a little bit stuck in old traditions or old ways, and there’s a part of you that wants to move on. You want to find a different community, a different family, different work, different business.

Again, the 37 just reminds us about our responsibility to the family, to the community, to the corporation, to the business, to everybody that comes in and out of our lives. And this Channel of Community, 37-40, is one of the three most common Channels that show up in the Human Design System. So, sooner or later, with the number of people that have this Channel, we’ll get closer to realizing we are all one. We’re all human beings on this planet playing different roles. But the more we can find that congruity, that familiarity and that friendship, everything will begin to shift.

So, there we are, that’s the 37th Gateway in the Human Design System. We’ll check in again soon. In the meantime, if you’d like to learn more about Human Design and discover how your own Design informs and shapes your life, get your Free Human Design Report today.