Rave New Year — The True Beginning (Gate 41 & the Solar Cycle)

Jan 16

Preview

Overview

The Rave New Year marks the true beginning of the solar experiential cycle in Human Design. Unlike the Gregorian calendar's January 1st, the Rave New Year begins when the Sun enters Gate 41 — the Gate of Contraction, also known as Decrease in the I Ching. This occurs approximately January 21st–22nd each year (depending on the exact transit).

This is not an arbitrary date. It emerges directly from the hexagram sequence and the mechanics of how human consciousness interfaces with the solar neutrino stream.

The Rave New Year represents one of the most profound teachings in Human Design — an invitation to step out of homogenized time and attune to the mechanical rhythm of consciousness itself.

Part I: Ra Uru Hu and the Origins of the Teaching

The Man Before the Voice

Ra Uru Hu was born Robert Allan Krakower on April 9, 1948, in Montreal, Canada. Before his encounter with the Voice, he lived a life that defied convention — a former advertising executive, magazine publisher, and media producer who eventually left everything behind to travel.

By the mid-1980s, Krakower had settled on the island of Ibiza, Spain, living a simple, reclusive life. He had no particular interest in mysticism, the I Ching, astrology, or esoteric systems. He described himself as a rational skeptic.

This is significant: Ra did not seek Human Design. It found him.

The Eight Days of Transmission (January 1987)

On the night of January 3, 1987, something extraordinary occurred. Ra described being "penetrated" by what he called "the Voice" — an intelligence that spoke to him continuously for eight days and nights.

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Ra's Own Words on the Experience

"I was not seeking anything. I was not a spiritual person. I had no framework for what happened to me. The Voice simply began speaking — it told me things I had no way of knowing, showed me things I had never seen. For eight days, I did not sleep. I wrote everything down. When it was over, I had the Human Design System."

Ra Uru Hu, from early lectures

The transmission included:

The Bodygraph — the schematic of human energy flow
The 64 Gates and their correlation to the I Ching hexagrams and human DNA codons
The 9 Centers and their functions
The mechanics of Type, Strategy, and Authority
The neutrino stream and its role in imprinting
The Rave Mandala — the wheel positioning the 64 Gates around the zodiac
The Program — the planetary conditioning field
The Rave New Year and the initiating codon

Ra spent the next 24 years (until his death in 2011) teaching this system, insisting it be approached as an experiment, not a belief system.

Why Ra Emphasized the Rave New Year

Throughout his teaching career, Ra returned to the Rave New Year as a practical access point for understanding the Program. He saw the collective obsession with January 1st as a perfect example of mental conditioning overriding mechanical reality.

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"Every year, billions of people make resolutions on January 1st. And every year, almost all of those resolutions fail. Why? Because they are made from the mind, at an arbitrary moment, disconnected from the actual mechanics. The Rave New Year is when the cycle actually begins — when the initiating codon fires and the wheel of experience starts to turn."

Ra Uru Hu

Part II: Gate 41 — The Only Initiating Codon

The Mechanics of Initiation

Gate 41 occupies a unique position in the Human Design matrix. It is the only gate designated as a "start codon" — the initiating signal that begins the experiential cycle.

In molecular biology, a start codon (typically AUG) signals the ribosome to begin protein synthesis. Without the start codon, the genetic code cannot be read. Ra taught that Gate 41 functions identically in the realm of experience: without its initiating pressure, the wheel of human experience cannot turn.

Position in the Bodygraph

Attribute Description:

Center Root

Position Bottom of the Bodygraph (pressure gate)

Channel 41-30 (Channel of Recognition) to Solar Plexus

Circuit Sensing Circuit (Individual Circuitry)

Quarter Quarter of Initiation (Gates 13, 49, 30, 55, 37, 63, 22, 36, 25, 17, 21, 51, 42, 3, 27, 24)

The I Ching: Hexagram 41 — Decrease (損)

In the I Ching, Hexagram 41 is called Decrease or 損 (Sǔn). The traditional interpretation speaks of a time when resources are contracted, when one must give something up to gain something greater.

The hexagram consists of:

Upper trigram: Mountain (艮 Gèn) — Stillness, stopping
Lower trigram: Lake (兌 Duì) — Joy, openness

The image is of a lake at the foot of a mountain — the lake's resources "decrease" as they nourish the mountain above. This is not loss, but investment. Energy contracts in order to fuel future expansion.

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The Wisdom of Decrease

The I Ching teaches that Decrease is not negative — it is the necessary contraction before expansion. In Human Design terms, Gate 41's pressure is the fuel for new experience. Without the contracted longing, there would be no impetus to move forward.

"Decrease combined with sincerity brings about supreme good fortune without blame."

I Ching, Hexagram 41

Gate 41 in Human Design Language

Ra expanded the I Ching meaning into the language of experiential mechanics:

Aspect Gate 41 Expression:

Keynote Contraction — the pressure that fuels the possibility of a new experience

Biological Function Start codon — initiates the reading of the experiential code

Energy Type Pressure (from the Root) — creates drive, restlessness, hunger

Healthy Expression Anticipation, imaginative fuel for correct experiences, creative desire

Unhealthy Expression Fantasy addiction, chasing desires from the mind, endless dissatisfaction

Not-Self Question "Am I trying to initiate experiences from mental pressure rather than waiting for correct timing?"

The Gene Keys Perspective (Richard Rudd)

For those who also work with Richard Rudd's Gene Keys synthesis, Gate 41 corresponds to Gene Key 41 with the following spectrum:

Frequency Expression Description Shadow Fantasy Lost in mental projections, unable to ground desire into reality Gift Anticipation Healthy excitement and imaginative fuel that serves the life force Siddhi Emanation Pure creative radiance, desire transcended into effortless manifestation

The shadow of Fantasy is particularly relevant at the Rave New Year — it is the tendency to get lost in what could be without the grounding of correct decision-making.

Part III: The Channel of Recognition (41-30)

When Gate 41 Meets Gate 30

Gate 41 does not exist in isolation. Its natural partner is Gate 30 — The Clinging Fire — located in the Solar Plexus Center. Together, they form the Channel of Recognition: the channel of feelings and emotional depth through experience.

Gate Name 41 Decrease / Contraction 30 The Clinging Fire / Feelings

The Dance of Desire and Feeling

The 41-30 Channel creates a powerful circuit:

Gate 41 generates the pressure — the contracted desire, the fantasy, the longing for something new
That pressure moves upward to Gate 30, where it becomes feeling — emotional depth, the burning fire of experience
Through correct waiting (emotional clarity), the feeling reveals whether the desire is correct or merely conditioning

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The Fire of Experience

Those with the 41-30 Channel defined are here to experience emotional depth — the highs and lows of feeling life intensely. The danger is getting lost in the fantasy (41) or burned by the fire (30) when acting without clarity.

This channel is Individual circuitry — its purpose is mutation through unique experience, not collective belonging or tribal support.

Without the Full Channel

Gate 41 without Gate 30: The person carries the pressure of desire but may lack the emotional depth to ground it. The fantasy can remain unfulfilled or projected outward.
Gate 30 without Gate 41: The person has emotional intensity and the capacity for deep feeling but may wait for external initiation to activate the experiential journey.

Part IV: The Solar Wheel and the 64-Gate Sequence

The Rave Mandala

During Ra's transmission, he received the Rave Mandala — a wheel that positions the 64 hexagrams (gates) around the zodiac. This is not the same as the King Wen sequence of the I Ching or the binary sequence. It is a unique arrangement revealed specifically for Human Design.

The Sun moves through this wheel over the course of the year, spending approximately 5.7 days in each gate.

The Complete Solar Sequence

Starting from the Rave New Year, here is the full sequence of gates the Sun transits:

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The 64-Gate Solar Journey

Quarter of Initiation (Purpose through Mind)

41 → 19 → 13 → 49 → 30 → 55 → 37 → 63 → 22 → 36 → 25 → 17 → 21 → 51 → 42 → 3

Quarter of Civilization (Purpose through Form)

27 → 24 → 2 → 23 → 8 → 20 → 16 → 35 → 45 → 12 → 15 → 52 → 39 → 53 → 62 → 56

Quarter of Duality (Purpose through Bonding)

31 → 33 → 7 → 4 → 29 → 59 → 40 → 64 → 47 → 6 → 46 → 18 → 48 → 57 → 32 → 50

Quarter of Mutation (Purpose through Transformation)

28 → 44 → 1 → 43 → 14 → 34 → 9 → 5 → 26 → 11 → 10 → 58 → 38 → 54 → 61 → 60 → back to 41

The Four Quarters

The 64 gates are divided into four quarters, each containing 16 gates. These quarters represent different themes of purpose:

Quarter/ Theme/ Godhead/ Starting/ Gate:

Initiation Purpose through Mind Kali (destruction/transformation) Gate 13

Civilization Purpose through Form Maia (illusion/material world) Gate 2

Duality Purpose through Bonding Archangel Michael (protection/truth) Gate 7

Mutation Purpose through Transformation Janus (past/future) Gate 1

The Rave New Year (Gate 41) sits at the end of the Quarter of Mutation and the beginning of the Quarter of Initiation — the transition point where the old cycle dies and the new one is born.

Part V: The Rave New Year vs. Gregorian Conditioning

The Arbitrary Nature of January 1st

The Gregorian calendar, established by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, is a reform of the Julian calendar designed to correct drift in the date of Easter. January 1st as "New Year's Day" has shifted multiple times throughout history:

Ancient Romans celebrated the new year in March (hence September = 7th month, October = 8th month)
Medieval Europe often began the year on March 25th (Feast of the Annunciation)
January 1st was adopted gradually, becoming standard only in the 16th-18th centuries

There is no cosmological, biological, or mechanical basis for January 1st as a beginning point.

The Conditioning of "New Year's Resolutions"

Ra was particularly pointed about the phenomenon of New Year's resolutions:

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The Resolution Trap

Research consistently shows that 80-90% of New Year's resolutions fail by February. Why?

According to Human Design, it's because resolutions are typically:

Made from the mind (not the body's authority)
Made at the wrong time (January 1st is mid-cycle, not beginning)
Made under collective pressure (homogenized conditioning)
Made without emotional clarity (impulsive decisions)

The mind says: "It's a new year — I should change!" But the body has its own timing, and the actual experiential cycle hasn't even begun yet.

Comparative Analysis

Aspect Gregorian New Year:

Date January 1st (fixed)

Origin Papal calendar reform (1582)

Basis Political/religious convention

Initiating Energy Mental willpower

Typical Response Resolutions, forced change

Success Rate ~10-20% of resolutions kept

Aligned Action Mind-driven

Part VI: The Neutrino Stream and Solar Imprinting

What Are Neutrinos?

Neutrinos are subatomic particles produced by nuclear reactions — primarily in stars. They are among the most abundant particles in the universe, yet they interact so weakly with matter that trillions pass through your body every second without effect.

Key facts about neutrinos:

Produced by nuclear fusion in the Sun and other stars
Travel at nearly the speed of light
Have an extremely small (but non-zero) mass
Approximately 65 billion neutrinos per square centimeter per second pass through the Earth from the Sun

Ra's Teaching on Neutrino Information

In 1987, when Ra received the transmission, the scientific consensus was that neutrinos were massless. Ra taught that neutrinos have mass — and because they have mass, they can carry information.

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Confirmation of Neutrino Mass

In 1998 — eleven years after Ra's transmission — the Super-Kamiokande experiment in Japan confirmed that neutrinos do indeed have mass. This was a Nobel Prize-winning discovery (2015) that validated a key premise of Ra's teaching.

Ra taught that as neutrinos pass through celestial bodies (planets, moons), they pick up informational frequencies based on the mass they traverse. The Sun, as the dominant neutrino source in our solar system, provides approximately 70% of the neutrino influence on human imprinting.

The Solar Neutrino at Gate 41

When the Sun enters Gate 41, the neutrino stream carries the frequency of initiation. This is not metaphor — it is Ra's claim about the actual mechanics of consciousness interfacing with the material universe.

The neutrinos passing through us at the Rave New Year carry:

The pressure of Contraction (Gate 41)
The initiating code that signals: "A new cycle of experience begins"
The collective field of desire and anticipation

Imprinting at Birth and 88 Days Before

Human Design teaches that each person is imprinted at two key moments:

88 degrees of solar arc before birth (~88-89 days) — the Design Crystal imprint (unconscious/body)
The moment of first breath — the Personality Crystal imprint (conscious/mind)

The Sun's position at both moments determines which gates are activated, forming the basis of the individual's chart. The annual solar cycle then transits these natal gates, creating personal "seasons" of activation.

Part VII: The Magnetic Monopole and the G Center

The Holder of Geometry

In the G Center (the yellow diamond at the center of the Bodygraph), the Magnetic Monopole resides. Ra described this as a unique kind of "magnet" that only attracts — it does not repel.

The Monopole serves three functions:

Holds the Personality and Design together — unifying the conscious and unconscious into one vehicle
Attracts the geometry of life — pulling the correct trajectory, people, and places
Connects to love, direction, and identity — the G Center's themes

How the Solar Cycle Speaks to the Monopole

As the Sun transits the 64 gates, it activates the collective field that the Monopole navigates. The Rave New Year initiates this annual journey:

Gate 41's initiating pressure creates collective desire for new experience
The Monopole "reads" this field and integrates it with individual geometry
Personal gates activated by the transit create seasonal themes

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The Monopole and the Annual Wheel

Think of the Monopole as a compass needle navigating the solar Program. The Rave New Year resets the compass — not by changing the needle, but by initiating a new landscape of collective frequency for the needle to navigate.

Your direction doesn't change, but the field changes. And witnessing that field consciously is part of the Human Design experiment.

Part VIII: Practical Application — Working with the Rave New Year

1. Observe, Don't Initiate

The most important practice at the Rave New Year is observation. Gate 41's energy will be felt by everyone — a collective pressure of desire, longing, fantasy, and anticipation.

What to observe:

What desires arise in you?
What fantasies does your mind generate?
What feels like genuine anticipation vs. conditioning?

What NOT to do:

Make resolutions from the mind
Act impulsively on the pressure
Chase the fantasy without emotional clarity

2. Return to Strategy and Authority

The Rave New Year is not about collective action — it is about individual alignment. The transit field provides the theme; your body provides the response.

Type Rave New Year Practice Manifestor Notice what new initiations want to move through you. Inform, then act. Generator Wait for things to show up that your Sacral responds to. The new cycle will bring new things to respond to. Manifesting Generator Same as Generator — wait for response. The urge to initiate will be strong; trust your Sacral. Projector Wait for recognition and invitation. The new cycle may bring new invitations aligned with your direction. Reflector Give yourself the full lunar cycle (~28 days) to gain clarity on the new year's themes.

3. Contemplate Your Incarnation Cross

The Incarnation Cross is formed by the four gates of your Sun and Earth at both the Personality (conscious) and Design (unconscious) calculations. These four gates describe your life purpose geometry.

As the Sun transits the wheel, it will activate your Cross gates at specific times. The Rave New Year is an excellent time to:

Review your Cross gates and their meanings
Note when the Sun will transit your Cross gates this year
Observe how those transits feel when they arrive

4. Track the Quarters

As the Sun moves through the four quarters, you can observe shifts in the collective field:

Quarter of Initiation (begins at Gate 13, ~February): Themes of mind, purpose, mental processing
Quarter of Civilization (begins at Gate 2, ~April): Themes of form, resources, material world
Quarter of Duality (begins at Gate 7, ~July): Themes of bonding, relationships, connection
Quarter of Mutation (begins at Gate 1, ~October): Themes of transformation, uniqueness, creative power

5. Cast a Rave New Year Chart

For those who want to go deeper, calculate the chart of the exact moment the Sun enters Gate 41. This chart represents the collective keynote of the year.

Professional analysts examine:

Which channels are defined by the transit field?
What type and authority does the "year" have?
Where are the Nodes pointing? (collective karmic themes)
What planets are in which gates?

Part IX: The Rave New Year Chart — Annual Themes

What Is a Rave New Year Chart?

Just as individuals have birth charts, each Rave New Year has its own chart — a snapshot of the planetary positions at the exact moment the Sun enters Gate 41.

This chart reveals collective themes that will condition humanity throughout the year.

Elements Analysts Examine

Element and What It Reveals:

Sun/Earth Position Primary theme (Sun in 41; Earth in opposite gate)

Moon Position Collective emotional/driving energy

North/South Nodes Collective karmic direction — where we're headed vs. where we've been

Defined Channels What energies are "fixed" in the collective field

Open Centers Where the collective is vulnerable to conditioning

Type of the Chart Is the year a "Generator year"? A "Projector year"? etc.

Mercury/Venus/Mars Communication, values, and drive themes

Outer Planets Generational and transpersonal themes (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto)

Example: Reading Collective Themes

If, for example, the 2026 Rave New Year chart has:

The Moon in Gate 29 (Perseverance) — collective pressure to commit, to say yes
Jupiter in Gate 51 (Shock) — expansion through awakening, unexpected initiations
North Node in Gate 24 (Returning) — collective direction toward rationalization, mental processing

I might note: "This year carries strong Individual circuitry activation — expect shocks, mutations, and pressure to commit to unique paths. The collective mind will be processing, returning to old ideas with new understanding."

Part X: Common Misconceptions

Misconception #1: "The Rave New Year replaces January 1st"

Reality: The Rave New Year doesn't "replace" anything. It is simply a different calendar based on different mechanics. You can still celebrate January 1st socially while recognizing the Rave New Year as the mechanical beginning of the solar cycle.

Misconception #2: "I should make my resolutions at the Rave New Year instead"

Reality: Human Design doesn't recommend resolutions at any time. Decisions should come through Strategy and Authority — not the calendar. The Rave New Year is for observation, not goal-setting.

Misconception #3: "Gate 41 energy is only active at the Rave New Year"

Reality: Gate 41 is active in the transit field whenever the Sun is there (~5.7 days). It is also permanently active for anyone who has it in their chart (natally). The Rave New Year is simply when the annual cycle begins with this energy.

Misconception #4: "If I have Gate 41, the Rave New Year is especially important for me"

Reality: It is personally relevant if you have Gate 41 defined — the transit will activate your natal gate. But the Rave New Year is significant for everyone as the initiating moment of the collective experiential cycle. Your individual experiment remains your individual experiment.

Misconception #5: "Human Design rejects traditional astrology"

Reality: Human Design is not opposed to astrology — it incorporates astrological mechanics (zodiac, planetary positions) into a larger synthesis that includes the I Ching, Kabbalah, the chakra system, and quantum physics. The Rave New Year is one example of how HD uses astronomical events (Sun entering a specific zodiacal degree) as meaningful markers.

Part XI: Ra Uru Hu on the Program

The Nature of Conditioning

Central to Ra's teaching was the concept of the Program — the planetary conditioning field that transits through us constantly. Every moment, the planets are activating specific gates, creating a collective theme that influences human behavior.

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"You are in a movie. The planets are the projectors, the gates are the frames, and you — your Bodygraph — is the screen. The question is not how to stop the movie. The question is: will you be lost in the movie, identified with it, acting it out unconsciously? Or will you be the witness — watching the movie while remaining in your own authority?"

Ra Uru Hu

Witnessing vs. Living the Program

Ra distinguished between:

Living the Program (unconscious): Acting out the transit themes as if they are personal truth, making decisions from collective pressure, losing oneself in the conditioning
Witnessing the Program (conscious): Observing the transit themes as external weather, returning to personal Strategy and Authority, maintaining differentiation

The Rave New Year is a potent moment for this practice — the collective pressure of Gate 41 is intense. Everyone feels the desire for new experience. The question is whether you act from that pressure or observe it.

The Four Transformations and the Transit Field

For advanced students, Ra's Primary Health System (PHS) and Four Transformations teachings offer a way to progressively awaken to the Program:

Determination (digestion) — Aligning the body
Environment — Being in the correct place
Perspective — Seeing correctly
Awareness — Expanding consciousness

As one moves through these transformations, the relationship to the transit field shifts. The conditioning doesn't disappear — but identification with it releases.

Part XII: The Rave New Year and Your Personal Chart

Your Natal Gate 41

If you have Gate 41 in your chart (in your Sun, Earth, Moon, Nodes, or planets), the Rave New Year carries personal significance:

Sun or Earth in Gate 41: The initiating pressure is a core part of your life purpose. You are here to fuel new experiences, to carry the fantasy and desire that initiates cycles.
Moon in Gate 41: Your emotional/driving nature carries this initiating quality. You may feel the Rave New Year more intensely.
Nodes in Gate 41: Your karmic direction involves the mastery of desire and initiation.
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, or Saturn in Gate 41: These planetary themes are colored by the initiating codon.

Your Incarnation Cross and the Solar Wheel

As the Sun transits the wheel, it will pass through your four Cross gates at specific times. Track these dates — they represent moments when your life purpose is "illuminated" by the collective field.

Example: If your Incarnation Cross includes Gate 25 (Innocence), the Sun's transit through Gate 25 (roughly mid-February in the Rave year) is a time when the collective field resonates with your purpose energy.

Solar Return vs. Rave New Year

Your Solar Return is personal — the moment each year when the Sun returns to the exact position it held at your birth. This is your personal new year.

The Rave New Year is collective — the moment the experiential cycle begins for everyone.

Both are relevant. Your Solar Return speaks to your personal themes for the coming year. The Rave New Year speaks to the collective field you will navigate.

Part XIII: Integration and Ongoing Practice

A Practice for the Rave New Year

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Rave New Year Contemplation

On or around January 21-22, take time to:

Sit quietly and notice what desires arise. Don't judge them — observe.
Journal on: "What is my mind telling me I should want this year? What does my body actually respond to?"
Review your chart: Look at your open centers. Where are you most likely to be conditioned by the collective pressure?
Remind yourself of your Authority: How do you make correct decisions? Commit to your experiment for another year.
Let go of resolutions: Instead, set an intention to observe the wheel as it turns.

The Ongoing Experiment

Human Design is not a one-time revelation. It is a lifelong experiment — a process of deconditioning and differentiation that unfolds over years.

The Rave New Year is an annual marker in that experiment. Each year, you return to Gate 41's initiating pressure with (hopefully) more awareness, more capacity to witness, more trust in your Authority.

Ra's invitation was simple:

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"Experiment with it. Don't believe it. Test it in your own life. See if it works for you. The Rave New Year is one place to start — watch the wheel turn, see what desires arise, and notice what happens when you follow your Strategy and Authority instead of the Program."

Ra Uru Hu

Summary: Key Takeaways

The Rave New Year begins when the Sun enters Gate 41 (~January 21-22 each year)
Gate 41 is the only initiating codon — the start signal for the experiential cycle
This teaching originates from Ra Uru Hu's 1987 transmission from "the Voice"
The Sun transits all 64 gates over the course of the year, creating the Program
The Gregorian New Year (January 1st) has no mechanical basis — it is conditioning
Gate 41 carries the energy of Contraction — desire, fantasy, pressure for new experience
The Channel of Recognition (41-30) connects this initiating pressure to emotional depth
Neutrinos carry the solar frequency through us, imprinting the collective field
The Magnetic Monopole (G Center) navigates the annual wheel, attracting correct geometry
Working with the Rave New Year means observing desire, not acting from it
Your Strategy and Authority remain your compass — not the transit field
Rave New Year charts can reveal collective themes for the year ahead
Human Design is a lifelong experiment — the Rave New Year is one annual marker in that process