This blog is the ultimate guide to your human design chart. A glossary with links, or a map to your map!
In this guide we will cover (click to jump to each section!)
Sprinkled throughout this blog will be links to applicable blog posts to expand on the information presented below. It will be updated often! Bookmark this page as your reference point!
Ready to dive in? I offer readings for adults and kids, as well as a special offering for parents call Rise Up. To work with me, click here!
1. Centers
The nine shapes that make up the core of your chart are called the nine centers. Each center has a name and a type of energy that it governs.
Head: pressure for inspiration and questions
Ajna: awareness for concepts and cogitating
Throat: expression and manifestation
G/Identity: love, identity, direction
Heart/Will: motor for value, worth, material resources
Solar Plexus: motor and awareness for emotions and desire
Root: pressure and motor for adrenaline and ambition
Spleen: awareness for survival and time
Sacral: motor for life force and sexuality
Centers can either be defined (coloured in) or undefined (white). Centers can also be “open” which means they are undefined with no red or black lines (gates) touching them.
Undefined centers receive and amplify the energy around them. This is inconsistent energy – and where you’re “going to school” in this lifetime. The undefined centers create the not-self mind that leads to our conditioning.
Defined centers have consistent energy that they project outward. This is your energy that defines many of your human design aspects – this is where your core nature and your authority sits.
2. Gate & Channels
The lines flowing all over the chart between your centers are your gates and channels. Each gate is indicated by a number from 1-64, drawn from the I Ching Hexagrams, that you can see as little numbers on each center. Gates “flavour” the way energy flows into our centers when they are defined (red/black). When connected to another defined gate, they create a channel. Channels become special gifts or talents in our life.
Gates are also represented on the left and right hand sides of your chart in a column of squares. Each square represents a planet as shown by it’s glyph. The gate number represents which gate was in
that planet at two important times: 3 months before your birth and at the time of your birth.
Red gates & squares represent your design, or your unconscious self. This energy is less familiar to you but may be more noticeable by others. These gates were activated based on the planets they were in at ~3 months before you were born. (Regardless of if you were late or on-time or a scheduled c-section)
Black gates & squares represent your personality, or your conscious self. This part of you feels familiar, when you learn about these gates you might get a sense of “oh yeah! That’s me!”…or not. It’s all relative. These gates are activated when you were born.
When two gates are activated, red or black, a channel is formed. When a channel is formed, the two adjoining centers now have energy flow and are defined.
Gate + Gate = Channel = Two Defined Centers
If only one gate is active, it’s a hanging gate and the centers remain undefined. If no gates around a center are activated, we get an open center.
3. Type & Strategy
Your type and your strategy are two critical pieces of your human design, they’re where most people start their journey. There are five types and each type has an affiliated strategy:
Manifestor: to inform
Generator: wait to respond
Manifesting Generator: wait to respond (plus visualize and inform)
Projector: wait for recognition/an invitation
Reflector: wait a lunar cycle
You can read about type here and strategy here!
Your type is determined by the defined centers in your chart – this information is spelled out for you when you pull your bodygraph, but here’s how it’s determined:
Manifestor: Motor connected to the throat, sacral undefined (non-sacral)
Generator: Sacral Defined, no motor to the throat
Manifesting Generator: Sacral defined and a motor to the throat defined
Projector: No motor to the throat, non-sacral
Reflector: all undefined centers
4. Authority
Your authority is the driver of your authenticity. It is how you make wise decisions using your Human Design and it connects you to your inner power. Each type has its own potential authority, you will have one of the following:
Manifestors: Emotional, Splenic, or Ego
Generators/MGs: Emotional or Sacral
Projectors: Emotional, Splenic, Self-Projected, Ego, Mental
Reflectors: Lunar
Your authority is defined by the defined centers in your chart and will be listed when you pull your bodygraph.
But you can identify your authority based on the following hierarchy:
Emotional Authority – if your solar plexus is defined
Sacral Authority – your sacral center is defined, solar plexus is not
Splenic Authority – your spleen is defined, sacral and solar plexus are not
Ego Authority – your ego/heart is defined, spleen/sacral/solar plexus are not
In Manifestors: when the heart/ego is connected to the throat
In Projectors: when the heart/ego is connected to the G center (very rare)
Self-Projected Authority – your G center is connected to the throat and the above 4 centers are undefined.
Mental Authority/Sounding Board/No Authority – you are only defined above the throat center
Lunar – all 9 centers undefined
5. Profile
Your profile is your archetype, it’s like the costume of your character in life. You can use your profile to learn about your special skills in life, how you learn, how you move through your day-to-day, and to better honour your needs.
The profile is made up of two numbers (or lines) – one represents your conscious self, the other is your unconscious self, or how others see you. There are 6 possible lines:
1 – The Investigator
2 – The Hermit
3 – The Martyr
4 – The Opportunist
5 – The Heretic
6 – The Role Model
Your two lines create your profile and are determined via the gates in your conscious and unconscious sun & earth. The numbers after the period are your 2 lines. You can find these at the top four squares of your chart as seen below - my profile is 2/4.
There are 12 possible profiles, each made up of two lines. The first number always represents your personality, your conscious line (black) and the second is your unconscious self, or your design. The 12 profiles are:
1/3, 1/4, 2/4, 2/5, 3/5, 3/6, 4/6, 4/1, 5/1, 5/2, 6/2, 6/3
There are three types of profiles that relate to the type of karma you're here with, these also relate to your incarnation cross:
Personal (in bold): all about self-discovery, personal discovery (also called right angle)
Fixed (underlined): here with a fixed trajectory or fate (also called juxtaposition)
Interpersonal (italicised): all about relationships, leading, educating, helping others, transpersonal karma (also called left angle)
6. Incarnation Cross
Your Incarnation Cross is your life theme or life purpose. It is not something that you are entitled to, but that when following your strategy and authority you will find yourself aligned with. Learning your incarnation cross can help you identify the why behind some of your actions, or feel more aligned with your desires or dreams.
Your incarnation cross is determined by four gates: your conscious and unconscious sun and earth. There are 192 different incarnation crosses, but there are a few different types that may offer you guidance, on top of the three above (personal, fixed, interpersonal):
Based on the placement of your conscious (black) sun, your cross will fall in one of four quarters:
The Quarter of Initiation: you are here to get things off the ground and start projects, share concepts, create potential, research, feelings. This purpose is fulfilled through the mind, through the sharing of ideas.
The Quarter of Civilization: you are here to help humanity thrive – to understand how people relate to one another through expression. Through architecture, music, travel. This purpose is fulfilled through supporting the full potential of human expression, bringing ideas to form.
The Quarter of Duality: you are here to explore how we relate and improve. The duality comes in with seeing multiple perspectives, understanding why we’re here, bringing attention to the need for bonding and each other. This purpose is fulfilled through this duality of perspectives and through bonding.
The Quarter of Mutation: you are here to be sensitive to changes to ask, how do we expand and transform? This is all about new consciousness and transformation, which is how this purpose is fulfilled.
7. Definition
The definition of your chart is determined by the connection between your defined centers via the channels. This definition determines if you have a split or single definition and can contribute to how you are designed to interact with others!
Are they all connected in one continuous circuit? You have single definition! Energy and information moves through you quickly, you don’t need others to feel whole and may be quite independent.
Is there two or more groups of centers that are not connected? You have split definition and may take more time to process information and benefits from being in relationship with others!
If it's split, you will have one of the following types:
Simple split definition: two areas of definition separated by an open gate/channel. Splits can be:
Large (needs a full channel or more to be bridged)
Small (needs only a gate)
Triple split: three areas of definition separated by an open gate/channel.
Quadruple split: four areas of definition separated by an open gate/channel
Phew! That was a ton of information! Don't feel like you have to remember all of this content, or learn it all at once. The most important part of your human design is learning your strategy and authority - and putting them into action.
If you'd like support in learning your human design, buy a reading here. In the basic reading, we go over your type, strategy, authority, profile, and general chart themes - or you can customize it to your needs. Readings are a great way to pull all of this together in a way that makes sense!
For parents, I offer a special audio called "Rise Up" that highlights your child's human design in a ten-minute hypnotic audio. Buy it here!
Enjoy your journey of nourishing authenticity!
Paula
