Gate 21: The Gate of the Hunter

With this line, force comes only as a last resort, and a warning comes first. In its exalted expression, a noticeable sense of resolve can be enough for others to show respect, so stepping in becomes unnecessary. In its weakened expression, the warning quickly slips into a request, because a peaceful disposition holds back willpower and respect is asked for rather than demanded.

This line is about taking justified action against open, ongoing interference. In its exalted expression, a hard defense against intrusions into your own material domain can be exactly what works, and here it is seen as justified. In its weakened expression, the ego is uncomfortable with severity, so even well-founded harshness is regretted afterward. The line asks how much severity is allowed.

This line describes the position of being in the right and still facing an overwhelming superior force, with no prospect of success. In its exalted expression, the defeat remains a humiliation you can live through; your own material path keeps your will from being broken by those above you. In its weakened expression, the ego's urge to protect itself drives you into complete withdrawal, and the will to follow your own path is missing.

This line stands for strategy: the forces on the other side are carefully assessed so that the response fits. In its exalted expression, inner clarity shows up in material matters as well, because the will instinctively aligns with what each situation calls for. In its weakened expression, the feeling of being in the right leads to misjudging the opponent, and the ego takes the lead instead of instinct.

Here power is exercised impartially rather than according to mood. In its exalted expression, the will follows firm principles and a sense of what is right, so power can stay objective and balanced. In its weakened expression, the will takes on a personal slant: when you set out to clear an obstacle away, you see only the immediate trigger and lose sight of the consequences.

This line is about action that has no effect and the disorder that comes with it. In its exalted expression, you hold on to doing what is right despite poor prospects and hope for eventual success; if the ego loses touch, though, a show of willpower only adds to the confusion. In its weakened expression, the will pulls back from the tangled situation and looks for inner order instead.

This Right Angle Cross carries the burden of the born leader: part of the theme is staying alert and keeping control, because otherwise usurpation looms, and if things go badly for the tribe, the leader is held responsible. This pressure is where the tension comes from.

For you, with your Sun in Gate 21, the need for control, the hunt and leadership of the tribe are at the center. The opposite pole is Gate 48, which grounds leadership in the longing for depth. This cross releases tension by provoking and passing it on to others; as a Right Angle, this happens for your own sake. At the same time, this tension is necessary for leadership over the tribe to last.

The cross is connected with control and its enforcement, for example with the police, who keep watch everywhere to make sure everyone follows the rules.

The angle is personal: encounters enrich your own path, but they don't fundamentally pull you away from it. You grow into this theme when you follow your Strategy and Authority. It is not a prediction.

The Juxtaposition Cross of Control is rare and follows a fixed path of its own. It is set on control. The provocation found in the Right Angle falls away, and ambition takes its place: the constant desire for control satisfies the need to rise.

For you, with the Sun in Gate 21, control can be held back, yet the drive behind it usually stays the same. It is about recognition and about having everything in hand. You take control in order to build something entirely new rather than to manage what already exists. That is why this cross stands for innovation.

This angle sits between the personal and the transpersonal and builds a bridge between them. It is like a train on fixed rails, and people who stay with you for a longer time can ride along on your track. You grow into this theme when you follow your Strategy and Authority. This is not a prediction of events.

This Left Angle Cross is a pioneer of change: since the people who carry it can’t necessarily bring what already exists under control, they start something new that they can steer.

For you, with the Sun in Gate 21, the need for control takes on a cooperative, Tribal-leaning form as a Left Angle: efforts are pooled within a structured framework and directed toward a goal, and someone sets the direction. Examples include large collective undertakings, such as decoding the human genome or the journey to the Moon, and explicitly not the lone tinkerer in the basement.

This angle is transpersonal: your theme matures through contact with others, and they can noticeably change your path. You can grow into it by following your Strategy and Authority. It is not a fixed destiny. In a spiritual reading, you are more likely bringing something old to a close, and you need people around you who support your path.