Gate 3 (Gene Key 3) is the Gate of Difficulty in the Beginning; explore its position in the human design chart, the 3-60 channel, and the Root Center; become an innovative force with Gate 3;

Introduction to Human Design Gate 3 and Gene Key 3

Human Design Gate 3 is all about difficulty in the beginning. Gate 3 longs for change.  It wants to get something started, anything! The energy of this gate operates in an on/off pulse as it is housed in the Root centre. It can feel quite chaotic as it’s waiting on the response of Gate 60 to innovate or mutate and provide the structure for the change. It often feels like it’s pushing up against limitations and just longs for something new.

When this gate is not standing in some sort of structure, chaos abounds.

Location of Gate 3 in your Human Design Chart

Gate 3 is located in the Root center of the bodygraph or human design chart, and is part of the knowing circuit 3-60 in Human Design.

The 3-60 Channel and Gate 3’s Human Design Circuitry

Think of Human Design Circuitry as the circuit board that lies beneath the rest of your design. Circuitry is the thing that all other aspects are placed upon. It lays the foundation and the energies here never change.  

There are 3 main circuits in Human Design: Individual, Collective, and Tribal. 

This channel is all about bringing newness to everything.  People with this channel defined continually evolve and want everything around them to evolve.  They may feel limited by factors outside of their control that do not allow for radical change as quickly as they’d like.

Tapping into Gate 3’s Energy

How does Gate 3 show up in your chart, and how can you tap into that innovative force energy? Start by taking a look at your own chart to see if Gate 3 is defined (the line is colored in)  or undefined (the line is blank). Next, look at the Root Center to see if it is defined (colored in) or undefined (blank).

Here are the possibilities:

Defined Gate 3 in a Defined Root Center

If Gate 3 is defined for you in a defined centre you have access to this energy always.  It’s part of who you are.  You’re here to be an agent of change – with structure, ok?
You have the energy to get things started and often feel a restlessness for change, any kind of change at all.

Defined Gate 3 in an Undefined Root Center

If Gate 3 is defined for you in an undefined centre it is considered dormant.  It will be activated when you are with someone who has Gate 60 defined OR when a planetary transit defines Gate 60.  The themes of hanging gates in undefined centres often play out in relationships.

Ask yourself, where do I feel limitations in my life?
What am I allowing to hold me back?
Am I resisting structure so much so that I’m experiencing chaos in my life?

Accessing Energy with an Undefined Gate 3

If Gate 3 is undefined for you, fear not! 
You’ll have access to the energy of this gate when you are with others who have it defined and/or through planetary transits.  You can borrow this energy by being in the aura of someone who has it defined.

Unveiling The Shadow of Gate 3

The shadow of Gate 3, according to Gene Keys, is chaos. Other words for chaos are confusion, disorder, and madness. The shadow is thinking that this chaotic energy is who you are. It is not.

Often, I sit with people who are familiar with Human Design and they cling to the chaos. This is NOT who you are designed to be with Gate 3 defined.  This is living in the shadow.  When you step into the gifts of Gate 3, you move into truly being an innovative force.

The world longs for your evolution.  Please don’t stay in chaos.

A personal exercise for Gate 3 awareness

Take a look at a situation in your life that feels chaotic.
What limitations do you feel around this?
How can you begin to create order out of chaos?

Embrace the Human Design Gate 3 Mantra:

I am a powerful innovative force for good. 

✨ NOTE ✨

When you’re ready to explore every gate in your own Human Design, take a look at this 👇🏻

It’s your very own personalized, Human Design Manuscript.
Inside, you’ll find descriptions of every piece of your unique Human Design – in a way that you can actually USE the information!!

Check it out here! I’ll have it ready for you in a jiffy!


Human Design is all about the nuances. Each reader/specialist/guide has his or her own way of interpreting the messages encoded in the Human Design chart. I’ve learned from many teachers:
Karen Curry Parker, Ra Uru Hu, Richard Rudd, and Phoebe Kuhn, to name a few.
These articles are my own contemplations of the Human Design System.