Teachings of the winter solstice
Gate 10: Behavior of Self | Finding one’s place & pace | Linked to the Winter Solstice
Self-obsession ~ Naturalness ~ Being | Dilemma of Ease | Fear of one’s own expectations
Located within the Center of Self and representing one of the four love gates in Human Design, Gate 10 is known as the Gate of Behaviour. It is tied to the Winter Solstice, that pivotal point in the year where we experience the longest night and the shortest day.
Enter through this gateway and you will be offered an opportunity to contemplate upon your pace and place within the totality of life. This journey inwards requires time and patience as within its very gateway you may choose to progress further as you discover its connection to three separate channels within the Human Design Bodygraph. The Channel of Awakening (10-20), Channel of Exploration (10-34), and the Channel of Survival (10-57).
With all this potential for self discovery it is no mistake that the Winter Solstice accompanies the journeyer into Gate 10: The Behaviour of Self through its offering of a longer night, that one may learn to see in the dark, examine the shadows and fears within one’s own psyche, while being held and pulled by a strong inner knowing that the light of a new day exists at the end of the journey. Astrologically the journeyer is supported by the fun loving fiery sign of Sagittarius and the grounded practicality and commitment of Capricorn. This journey is no small endeavor as you will be held to task for your behavior, especially when placed under pressure, and held accountable for your actions. You will be confronted by the fear within this gateway known as the fear of one’s own expectations and will have to face the dilemma of ease as you consider “Do I want to take the easy pathway through life, or push forward to climb the mountainous terrain?”
If you have Gate 10 circled within your Human Design bodygraph you carry within your auric presence a unique, individual expression of behavior that stems from a natural self respect that is unafraid of what anyone else thinks. You are here to enjoy life and inspire to help others see and experience that same love. You are aware that life is not perfect, but you are also keenly aware that the bumps and challenges faced along the journey do not last forever. You know that if you just keep walking forward you are assured to witness the great beauty and awe that exists along the same path. The more mindful you walk the more magic you will discover. You are here to bask in the love of life, and the love for yourself by embracing the gift found within Gate 10. The gift of naturalness. You will need to remember what it feels like to be comfortable within your own skin and expression, and release any sense of “trying” to fit in. Deep down you know what is right, and what is true for you, and in aligning to that deep sense of integrity, your pathway will remain well lit with the potential to leave traces of magic behind for others to also experience the beauty that exists when you allow yourself to be who you have always been.
I feel like I am in a fairytale dream that is reminding me of the freedom and playfulness that comes with letting down your hair and running through the fields of wildflowers without a care in the world. At this moment there is no concern for what anyone else may think, or any worry as to whether my actions are right or wrong. There is just a playful innocence that comes through the grace of being childlike once again.
Children are great teachers. They exist naturally as their true self. Allowing their individual personalities and expressions to fill the space they are in. You and I were young children once, living out this exact gate whether it was highlighted in your chart or not. It was just a natural part of your very existence.
As the innocent child grows and starts to become more aware of the world and the eyes of judgment lurking in the shadows, that naturalness starts to become compromised by the thoughts that creep in. The disapproving sounds of the external world that contradict what the innocent child once identified as a deeply rooted sense of self. When the child chooses to believe in and conform to another’s expectations, deciding to adopt them as their own truths, this becomes the twist in the pathway that ventures away from the sweet dreamlike existence in the world. Moving towards the beginning of a nightmare that will continue until the journeyer chooses of its own accord to evict the words and expectations placed upon itself that are not of its natural existence. This is how we become shadowed by life and often walk into our own nightmares. We decide to take the hard road as we try to please others, seek validation for our work, compare our success based on society's measures of what that means, and compromise that inner knowing that is screaming back, “This is not who I am!”
The great sages that have walked through this gateway and bask now within the fullest of the light on the other side of the journey ask us to consider how much time and energy we spend worrying about things that do not matter! They remind us of the importance of laughter, and of not taking life so seriously. It is a hard lesson sometimes to come to the realization that life isn’t happening to you. You don’t have to push or force your way through life.
There is a natural path that has already been laid out before you arrived. Your soul knows the way. It came here to experience the evolution of the Human and to exist as part of the totality of life. It knows the gift of the breath, its connection to the source of all creation. It is aware that it doesn’t need to prove itself, or fight for its right to live. It knows love is freely offered to all and therefore wastes no time trying to acquire what it already has but invests instead in basking within the gift of life and the love of self. Its only desire is to dance in the joyous moments that are in constant creation around us. All we have to do is dare to fix our gaze upon it and purge the mind of the projections of fears and expectations that separate us from our true nature. Freedom to be yourself. Happiness exists when you follow your own path and this is the inner journey the Winter Solstice reminds us of during the longest night of the year. Will you choose to rest deeply and peacefully in your natural existence, or suffer through the nightmare of your tormented expectations and projections of fear? There is no judgment here. Each is free to walk the path that they so choose for eventually all paths break free of the dark and enter the light, the length of the journey through the dark night of the soul is a path we all must follow as we return to the innocent nature we arrived as.
The Gift of Naturalness
So how do we return to our natural state, the gift offered within Gate 10? Fixating on this very question is proof of how quickly we feed the shadow of self-obsession! We want answers, we seek to understand, we want a guaranteed outcome and reassurance that if I take this pathway I will be granted a favorable outcome. We desire to see things as black and white, good or bad, right or wrong. We are afraid to not know and part with the egoic self that has taken root within our minds. So with the wisdom afforded to us by the great sages, let us use the shadow to help us self-actualize the gift of naturalness. After all, both exist within the same space and we cannot get rid of either one, so let us use alchemy to teach us a deeper truth of our very nature. It is only through accepting our shadow tendency to be self-obsessed, and to notice when and how it shows up, that we can then choose to pause and consider, “Is this truly who and what I am?” before moving into action.
Let's turn our gaze towards Mother Earth who has agreed to carry us upon her back as her children. We are the same as all life that grows upon the earth. The trees, plants, animals, soil, rocks, minerals, life too numerous to name it all or too even be aware of all that truly exists here. To be natural is to be a part of life. Not separate from it. You breathe naturally. Your fingernails and hair grow naturally. You age naturally. There is nothing you need to do, and you can’t stop it from occuring although many try to exert their will and tamper with creation. But in the end they fool no one other than themselves as they indulge in a few extra doses of self-obsession.
There is a time for action and a time to rest. This is the way of the natural world. Yet all do not follow the same pattern. Some awake during the night, others during the day. Some exert great energy, others appear to hardly move at all. Within the natural world it is understood that life moves us. We need to learn this simple concept for as humans we have allowed our minds to believe it is in control, and therefore life is ours to control. To let go of self-obsession and embrace naturalness is to trust in the rhythm of your body. To know when to rest, when to move, what and how to express. It is not calculated or forced. It is purely trusting in one's own ability to know what is the right path and direction, no one else can determine this for you. Often this means calling in your divine laziness and giving yourself permission to rest and pause in order to receive the clarity of direction. Consider the bear preparing to enter its winter den and snuggle in for the winter. If it should fight its instinct to rest, you can be assured it will be one angry bear witnessed by all who happen to travel its same path. Where do you tend to insist upon traveling in a direction that you are struggling towards? What if you were to allow for ease to settle in, while you paused and gathered back your energy, resources, and clarity of mind prior to preceding? Can you imagine the potential of living in a world where we as humans paused to consider our impact on our environment and the footprints we leave behind? How many times have you pushed yourself forward when you knew something didn’t feel right?
It is only through the path of ease that we will remember our naturalness. I encourage you to embrace the gifts of the Winter Solstice. This time of pause and inner rest as we travel through the longest night of the year. An opportunity to be still and contemplate one's journey to this moment in time. To remember the innocent child within you. To appreciate the human you are today and the journey traveled to arrive here. To learn to laugh at the expectations we have placed upon ourselves and others, to shake off the cobwebs of the mind and welcome in the crystal clarity that only the depths of winter and the stillness of all worry and thought can bring.
Let life move you. Give yourself permission to just be. Take the easy road. The one that is natural, because it is authentically you. Here you will fly and perhaps see that you were never lost in the dark, for starlight was always right above you guiding you home.
Lisa Richard, Lightworker Coach / Human Design Guide
Reflection Questions:
Where do you tend to insist upon traveling in a direction that you are struggling towards?
What might be different if you were to allow for ease to settle in, while you paused and gathered back your energy, resources, and clarity of mind prior to proceeding forward on your path?
Where do you feel the most pressure to be or do something? In other words, where do the majority of your expectations come from?
Do you feel you can allow more space to adapt to the “easy path?” What expectations do you sense you need to release in order to allow for a more natural state of being?
LISA RICHARD
An intuitive and sensitive empath, Lisa is a certified Lightworker Coach, Emotion Code Practitioner, Reiki Master/Teacher, Business Innovator, and certified Living Your Design Guide through the International Human Design School.
With a passion in energy work and strong background working with top executives in the post secondary sector, Lisa combines science and spirituality to create unlimited potential for growth.
Lisa empowers others to embrace and discover their authentic self, bringing forward their own healing abilities, gifts, and stepping into their full potential.
Learn more @ lovingenergyrecharge.com
