Hi there loves,
Welcome to the last week of 2024. Is it giving Joy to the World, a new year is around the corner? Or are we so scared of 2025 that we’d rather cling on to the current moment as long as we can? It’s a tough call, these days…
But for real though- how has your 2024 been? Mine has been filled with many (many) ups and downs, but ultimately I felt more forward-momentum and groundedness in my life this year than in recent years past (ie. 2019-2023).
In the Tarot, Strength was the universal card for 2024. (This is because the numbers in 2024 (2+0+2+4) add up to 8, and Strength is the eighth card in most modern tarot decks.) The Strength card represents inner power, the ability to face and overcome challenges, and the emotional strength that can be cultivated in times of adversity. 2024’s Strength archetype brought a time to embrace our passions, enjoy each moment, and consider what tempts us.
In the Chinese Zodiac, 2024 was the year of the Wood Dragon (From the lunar new year in February to the lunar new year in February 2025). Aligning with the Strength Card, the Wood Dragon was associated with leadership, passion, and the drive to achieve greatness. In the Chinese Zodiac, Dragons are yang creatures. They are imaginative and have a natural magnetism that draws others to them. However, their intensity and high standards can sometimes make them seem overwhelming or impatient. Wood is one of the five elements in the Wuxing 5-Phase Cycle, and it is associated with growth, vitality, and creativity. The Wood element added a sense of flexibility, vision, and cooperation to the Dragon's fiery nature. It represented new beginnings, innovation, and the potential for expansion.
Do these archetypes of 2024 (combined = the strong & powerful yang wood dragon)- resonate with your lived experience over the past year? Let me know some key words about your 2024 in the comments!
In 2025, we leave behind the Strong Wood Dragon, and welcome in…. the Hermit Wood Snake
We are once again ringing in a year represented by the element Wood, so upward growth and innovation are destined to continue forward. The snake, however, is quite different than the dragon. Snake is an animal associated less with overt power, and more with wisdom, intuition, and metamorphosis.
The snake brings back a Yin-associated energy after the Dragon’s Yang year. Yin is associated with the earth and the ground, so the Wood element here brings us in touch with our roots and the ground right beneath our feet . In Chinese culture, the snake is admired for its beauty and mystique, and. the Year of the Wood Snake is an excellent time for strategic planning as well as spiritual and personal growth.
In the numerology of the Tarot, 2025 is a 9 year, so it’s associated with the Hermit Card, and also with the end of a cycle (as 9 is the final digit in the single digit series). The Hermit card for 2025 suggests a year of introspection, spiritual growth, and seeking inner wisdom. Representing solitude and the search for deeper meaning, the Hermit encourages stepping back from the noise of the world to reflect, recharge, and realign with your true purpose. The lantern the Hermit holds symbolizes enlightenment, guiding the way through uncertainty and illuminating truths that may otherwise remain hidden.
In 2025, this energy may inspire both individuals and the collective to pause, reconsider priorities, and seek answers within. It’s a time to trust your inner compass, embrace self-discovery, and recognize that clarity often emerges in moments of quiet retreat. This card reminds us that true guidance and wisdom are found not externally, but through connecting with the light within.
The vibes of the Hermit Wood Snake for 2025 are similar to the energies of the Human Design Gate that Pluto is entering in January 2025 as it makes its way through Aquarius. It’s known as the Gate of Contraction, encouraging us to go inward and hermit a bit, gathering our resources. (See my full article on Pluto in Aquarius through the lens of HD here!)
Although I’m sure there will be no shortage of excitement next year, all the archetypical signs are pointing to a very different energy from 2024. We enter the year with Mars retrograde squaring off with Pluto on January 2, and if my current tiredness is any indication, I’ll be ready to embrace the hermit as the ball drops this year.
But enough speculation. For our final week of 2024, let’s zoom back into the joy of the holiday season, exemplified by the sun’s transit through Human Design Gate 58: The Gate of Joy and Vitality.
Let’s get into the forecast.
Here are this week’s highlights:
Christmas: Wed, December 25
Hannukah: Wed, Dec 25, 2024 – Thu, Jan 2, 2025
Kwanzaa: Thu, Dec 26, 2024 – Wed, Jan 1, 2025
Human Design/I’Ching:
Mon, Dec. 23: The Gate of Self-Love (10)
Tuesday, Dec 24-Monday, December 30: The Gate of Vitality/Joy (58)
First full week of Capricorn season- click here to read about Capricorn in the body and the life cycle!
This week’s themes:
Keep on loving yourself… start by accepting yourself for exactly who you are today, not who you wish you could be tomorrow
At the same time, recognize that there is no shame in feeling joy and satisfaction through making improvements. But keep your refining vision focused on the greater good, instead of narrowing your sight to your perceived flaws or those close to you.
Joy isn't something you find. It's something you create.
Our Place in the Wheel of the Year
Medicine Wheel Direction: North (Wind, Elderhood, Spirituality)
Wuxing Cycle Element: Water
Pagan Season: Yule
Zodiac Season: Capricorn (December 21-January 21)
Moon Phase: Still Waning (New moon in Capricorn is Monday, Dec 30)
I Ching Hexagram/Human Design: Gate 10 (Mon), Gate 58 (Tues-next Mon)
10: Heaven over Lake (“Small Steps”) or the Gate of SELF-LOVE
58: Lake over Lake (“Joyousness”) or the Gate of VITALITY
The 6 Human Design Gates of Capricorn Season
The 6 Human Design Gates that the sun moves through during Capricorn season evoke a story of power, focus, steady rhythm, artful achievement, idealism, and self-respect.
Here are the 6 Human Design gates of Capricorn season, drawing in descriptors from the I’Ching and the Gene Keys as well. Read through and let the words wash over you- do they evoke any feelings or sensations for you as we enter this season of late fall?
Gate 10 (Sagittarius/Capricorn cusp)
28°15’ Sagittarius- 03°52’ Capricorn (December 19-24, 2024)
Human Design: The Gate of Self-Love
I’Ching: Heaven over Lake, or “Treading Carefully”
Gene Keys: Self-Obsession > Naturalness > Being
Gate 58
03°52’-9°30’ Capricorn (December 24-30, 2024)
Human Design: The Gate of Vitality
I’Ching: Lake over Lake, or “Joyousness”
Gene Keys: Dissatisfaction > Vitality > Bliss
Gate 38
9°30’ - 15°07’ Capricorn (December 31- January 5, 2025)
Human Design: The Gate of The Fighter
I’Ching: Fire over Lake, or “Opposition”
Gene Keys: Struggle > Perseverence > Honor
Gate 54
15°07’ - 20°45’ Capricorn (January 6-10, 2025)
Human Design: The Gate of Drive
I’Ching: Thunder over Lake, or “Disaffection”
Gene Keys: Greed > Aspiration > Ascenscion
Gate 61
20°45’ - 26°22’ Capricorn (January 11-16, 2025)
Human Design: The Gate of Mystery
I’Ching: Wind over Lake, or “Inner Truth”
Gene Keys: Psychosis > Inspiration > Sanctity
Gate 60
26°22’ Capricorn- 02°00’ Aquarius (January 17-21, 2024)
Human Design: The Gate of Acceptance
I’Ching: Water over Lake, or “Limitation”
Gene Keys: Limitation > Realism > Justice
Monday: Wrapping up the Gate of Self-Love
Did you show yourself some love on the Solstice, or as you Celebrated Yule?
Now that I know that the Solstice always falls during the sun's transit through the Gate of Self Love, I won’t be able to look at the shortest day the same way. To me, now, Winter Solstice = the time of shining our inner light out into the darkness, daring to love our authentic, natural selves without shame or self-obsession.
How did you show yourself love over the past week? I let myself be slow, took my sweet time time doing my daily tasks like laundry and dog walks, and generally felt a lot more compassion for myself rather than looking at myself as something that needed to be improved upon.
I’m currently in a group coaching session with Britten LaRue called “Underdog to Diva”, where a group of entrepreneurs is working through the lens of un-shaming the signs of the Zodiac in relationship to our businesses. I love Britten’s content and thought process on un-shaming, and found myself thinking a lot last week about what it means to “un-shame”. I saw an Insta reel that looks at the Stages of Consciousness developed by David Hawkins, PhD, that said that when we look at different emotions through the lens of love, we can see that some of the more “negative” emotions are just Love crying out for something. The lowest stage on the pyramid of feelings was shame, and it was framed as “Love crying out for acceptance”. Guilt is love crying out for forgiveness. Apathy and Grief are love crying out for remembrance.
I like this concept, especially the notion that shame is just love crying out for acceptance. When thinking about how I could better show myself true self-love, I know it starts with giving myself- and my inner child- a big hug, especially when I’m simply longing for acceptance.
Lately in a lot of astrology readings I’ve done for others, I’ve seen the North Node as a place in the birth chart where shame and judgement deeply prevents us from going after what we are longing for. A client with a Leo north node spent most of her life judging other people for being too narcissistic, too center stage, and when she realized that she wanted more of that in her own life, a distinct feeling of shame followed. In my own chart with my Gemini North Node, I have spent most of my life judging others for being gossipy and “petty”, while also (behind the scenes) longing for it to be easier for me to feel that sense of connection through chatty, dynamic socialization. Recognizing that I wanted qualities that I had been judging in others made me feel that shame in a deep way, a cry for acceptance.
I think there’s a lot to say here about the link between self-love, self-acceptance, self-empowerment, and shame, so thought I’d mention my process with showing myself more love as the sun leaves the gate of Self Love and into the Gate of Vitality from Tuesday until December 30th.
Tuesday-next Monday: The Gate of Vitality rings in the Holidays
The first full gate of Capricorn season after the Gate of Self Love is Gate 58: The Gate of Vitality. Located in the Root Center, it’s also known as the Gate of Joy.
Gate 58 embodies a deep drive for improvement and refinement, with the goal of creating lasting joy in life. It carries the energy of vitality and a persistent enthusiasm to enhance the world. Those who have this gate defined often feel a natural pull to correct what is flawed and pursue the betterment of systems, processes, or environments, not for perfection but for the joy and satisfaction of progress.
Gate 58 is part of the Collective Logic Circuit in the Human Design bodygraph, meaning its energy is geared toward creating structures that serve the greater good. The restlessness of this gate is tied to its root center pressure, urging people with the gate defined in their charts (and every one of us during this week’s transit) to take action to bring balance and vitality into our lives and those around them.
From the perspective of the I’Ching, Gate 58 corresponds to Hexagram 58, "The Joyous" (Dui). This hexagram is composed of two trigrams of the lake (☱) stacked on top of one another, representing an overflowing abundance of energy and the power of joyful self-expression. The lake symbolizes a reflective and harmonious space, and the double lake structure amplifies its qualities of clarity, openness, and connection. In the I’Ching, Hexagram 58 highlights the importance of sharing joy and collaborating to spread vitality, all while ensuring a stable foundation for growth. The energy here is contagious, inspiring others to take part in uplifting and improving the collective experience.
Analyzing the trigrams in Hexagram 58 gives further depth to its energy. The lower trigram represents the inner lake, symbolizing a deep inner wellspring of joy and inspiration. The upper trigram also a lake, symbolizes this joy rising to the surface and being shared with others. Together, these trigrams illustrate how true vitality begins within and must first be cultivated internally before it can be reflected outwardly. The double-lake structure also emphasizes receptivity and adaptability, showing how the energy of Gate 58 thrives through interaction, collaboration, and a shared pursuit of improvement.
In the Gene Keys, 58 explores the spectrum of energies from the Shadow of Dissatisfaction, through the Gift of Vitality, to the Siddhi of Bliss. At its shadow frequency, the energy of Gate 58 can manifest as a nagging dissatisfaction with life, a sense that nothing is ever good enough. This dissatisfaction, however, acts as a catalyst for evolution when channeled correctly. At the Gift level, Vitality shines through as the drive to improve systems, relationships, or oneself because of the sheer love of life. The Siddhi of Bliss transcends all dissatisfaction, embodying a state of radiant joy that uplifts not only the individual but also everyone they touch.
In all its expressions, Gate 58 reminds us that life’s beauty lies in its imperfections and the journey toward refinement. It carries the pulse of joy through the art of living with purpose, a drive for betterment, and the bliss of being fully alive.
True joy rests on firmness and strength within. It requires a gentleness and faith. Share wisdom and understanding with your friends. Remember that joy isn't something you find. It's something you create.
-iFate
In the spirit of the Gate of Joy and the approaching year of the Hermit-Wood-Snake, remember that your gift to the collective is ultimately based on the deep work (and self acceptance) that you do on yourself. The vitality that you cultivate within you is contagious to others, but your inner lake must be filled before it can spill over into the external waterways that surround you.
As the great Wendell Barry wrote:
To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.
To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,
and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,
and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.
Have a joyous holiday season, however you choose to celebrate this final week of 2024!
And heaven and nature sing…..
<3
Alison
If you get any value from these weekly labors of love, I’d truly appreciate if you shared this episode with someone you think would resonate, gave a 5 star review on Spotify, or subscribed to the Substack as a free or paid subscriber!
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xoxo!
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