GENE KEY 7 – THE FEMININE LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVE

GENE KEY 7 – ‘THE POWER BEHIND THE THRONE’

 

Gene Key 7, when I first learned about it as Gate 7 from Human Design, it had a designation of leadership as, ‘The power behind the throne’. While I’m not fond of this title, I recognized it as a term that referred to women, even specifically to wives. It implies that our place was behind the King instead of by his side in partnership. Over time, I have come to delve into the Gene Keys, which I love, because I am devoted to the realm of ‘shadow work’ as a means to free the mind and heal emotions. I’ve come to feel that it is time to reclaim this Gene Key 7, to bring it out from ‘behind the throne’ and into the Light as the portal to true Feminine or YIN energy leadership. (YIN is a, ‘right-brain’ quality – so it is not ‘female’ per se – both sexes have both YIN and YANG qualities).

I see names for, or descriptors as archetypes for it online and even in some versions of the I-Ching as, ‘The Army’. It’s been called ‘The General’, and ‘The Alpha’…none of these feel YIN in quality to me. They all imply energies that feel very familiar in our society that relate to ‘power over’ others – outdated excessively YANG, dysfunctional leadership models.

I suppose if one were going off to fight a war, there may need to be a ‘command control’ leader at the front of the army like a General – but do I want to have my ‘Guide’ acting alpha and bossing me around or telling me what ‘father knows best’ for my role in the group or what path to take for my life? I think not. So from my perspective, and my lived experience of Gene Key 7.4 as my Evolution in my natal, foundational Gene Keys chart, these terms feel more accurate for the shadow, fear-frequency for this gene key. In fact, when I was stuck in this shadow, I would have called myself by these terms, ‘bombs be damned’ when under stress. So while I know this gene key can behave like an alpha or a general, it is not its highest expression. I believe it is its ‘Shadow’ to behave in these ways.

 

DOES ‘LEADERSHIP’ MEAN ‘YANG/MASCULINE’?

In general, when the term ‘leadership is used, there does still seem to be a bias that one is referring to the male, so ‘alpha’ characteristics are often ascribed. Well, think of the Lioness here instead of the Lion. The Lioness is loving and communal as well as absolutely fierce when needed. In fact, she’s a better hunter than the male! YIN leadership is nurturing to the group and is relational and empathetic. Leadership is not just about, ‘taking action’ or ‘being strong’. It needs both love, intuition and intellect to be balanced, and is not dictated by physical, biological sex either. It needs to establish boundaries and structures, and yet keep an open heart and mind for flexibility.

Also, there is a tendency to assume, ‘hierarchy’ within the group instead of a collaborative or collective intention for the group or organization when referring to ‘leadership’. I’ve certainly noticed that overall, this model when used, is not effective at cultivating heart engagement, fulfillment, and the higher possibilities for individual and collective creativity. As I’m digging deep into exploring what’s been in the way of my Purpose of 2.6 gene key, this Key 7.4 in my Evolution keeps showing up in interaction with certain other gene key epiphanies.

I’m now feeling in my bones, that Gene Key 7 is the ‘lost feminine YIN’ leadership in the I-Ching and those constructs that use the I-Ching wisdom woven into the tool, such as Human Design and Gene Keys. Maybe I just missed something somewhere, but everywhere I look – I don’t see any explicit descriptors that imply the receptive, YIN, feminine qualities to this leadership key when naming it.

In addition to my living and evolving through this shadow and now expanding into its Gift and Siddhi, I’ll share here some tangible reasoning as to what points me to call this key, the Feminine Leadership Perspective more objectively – which by the way, does not mean, ‘female’ per se – please keep this in mind. Both men and women have both YANG and YIN qualities within themselves.

 

MY INSIGHTS ON GENE KEY 7

I do want to make note here that for this post, I am not connecting this I-Ching 7/Gene Key 7 with the Dream Arc version of the Life Key for Gene Key 7. In the Dream Arc it is the Ram. I didn’t understand why I did not relate to the Ram over the past year for this Gene Key until I really started connecting the dot to the Lioness. The Ram for me does feel like the traditional names for this gene key as mentioned above, which is a more aggressive, ‘pushy’ yang energy. This energy does not resonates with ‘The Guide’ which is its Gift. You will see why also I say this as you read on. Sometimes…we just have to break with tradition and listen to our own inner voice and follow our own intuitive knowing and experience.

This is especially true when it comes to reclamation of natural authentic YIN attributes. The following are more tangible reasons why I conclude Gene Key 7 is reflective of the YIN principle in leadership – not traditional yang. By the way, this is not about, ‘right or wrong’. Nature has more than one animal that can speak to the leadership perspective that is being explored – it is a matter of context and my own experience.

 

THE I-CHING AND THE YIN

First off, the Hexagram from the I-Ching for Gene Key 7 is Earth over Water. It has 5 ‘broken’ YIN lines, and the 5th line guiding energy of it is also a YIN line as well. I also noticed that it is a part of the Codon Ring of Union. Within the Gene Keys, The Ring of Union plays a role in human evolution of purifying relationships for Collective Leadership! All of the Hexagrams in this Codon Ring are ALL YIN elements as well, those being Gene Key 4, 7, 29 and 59 (YIN elements in the I-Ching are Earth, Water, Wind, and Mountain).

I can speak from experience that Understanding (GK 4) leading to Forgiveness, Self-Honesty fosters Intimacy and Transparency (GK59) and Commitment and Devotion from the Heart (GK 29) all foster Virtue (GK 7) in all relationships that goes beyond self-centered ambition and neediness.

Then, when I think of a Guide, hopefully, a Guide is a facilitator, not a ‘boss’. Not an Alpha. Not a General barking off orders. The energy of this role is collaborative, sharing its wisdom and carries a vibration of, ‘when talking, people listen’ because hopefully, the relationship between the Guide and the group/community is one of mutual choosing, trust, and respect. The Guide Gene Key 7 ideally engages their leadership as a Projector, as defined in Human Design. It has a Projector kind of energy, a guide and advisor, yes? It is only in the shadow that this Guide inserts itself as a self-selected leader or puts oneself in a hierarchical leadership role. That’s what happens when one is in the Shadow of this key – it can be very pushy, needing to be seen and validated, and sucks the energy out of the space when it is not self-aware.

 

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

From my perspective here are some examples of this much needed, YIN/Feminine style of leadership in general at its Gift frequency:

• Influencer (not bossy)
• Heart-centered
• Collaborative in sharing ‘authority’
• Leads by example – Inspires others into action
• Harmony/Virtue – for the greater good of the whole
• Receiving communication – listens
• Located in G center in Human Design
• Encourager of personal development
• Empowerment – not ‘power over’

In fact, in some I-Ching definitions, and the one I have even contemplated within the content of The Gene Keys for it Hexagram, Earth over Water, is DISCIPLINE:

Trust and Follow the Current of Love Inside to Lead Others With The Heart

 

This is what has been missing in our world in general, and particularly within the realm of ‘leadership’. Instead of ‘The Army’, this leader inspires cooperation, Love, and passion for the cause. It facilitates and guides the direction of expansion and evolution in such a way that supports sovereignty of the individual within the community. It is not pushy. It works well in a setting of personal growth for the individuals while inspired to grow together as a unit, community or society. This is not the current zero-sum-gain type of competitive society we have been conditioned to believe is ‘reality’ or what is ‘realism’.

I believe our current models just continues to feed the matrix of lack and limitation and in order to achieve ‘cosmic justice’, we will also have to begin to restore the harmony and balance between our inner YIN and YANG. If we can’t honor the YIN in outward models of leadership such as ascribed to Gene Key 7 – don’t be surprised if the ‘inequality’ in community continues to be perpetuated into the future. Gene Key 7 leads with the Heart in Mind.