Human Design is a powerful system that combines elements of western astrology, the Chinese I Ching, the Jewish Kabbalah, the Hindu chakra system, and quantum physics to create a unique map of your energy called your Human Design chart or bodygraph.
Your Human Design Chart is a tool to help you explore who you are when you are free from the conditioning from the people around you. It is like a mirror, reflecting your true nature, your purpose, and the value of your unique contribution in the world. In many ways, your Human Design is a shortcut to understanding yourself and living in alignment with your inner wisdom.
At its core, Human Design is a mystical, yet deeply practical system, that helps you make decisions that honor your inner wisdom, so you can live with more authenticity, self-trust, and purpose. Whether you’re just beginning to explore this system or deepening your understanding, Human Design provides a framework for self-awareness, clarity, and transformation.
NOTE: If you don’t have your chart yet, you can get it for free here .
The Human Design Chart (aka Bodygraph) This section provides a brief overview of the key components of the Human Design chart, or bodygraph, to help you get started. As you continue reading, you’ll discover the deeper layers and nuances that make up your unique energetic blueprint.
For now, the Human Design chart, also known as the bodygraph, is a visual representation of your unique energy map. It combines elements from several systems, mapping out how your energy flows and interacts with the world. The chart is made up of centers, channels, gates, and lines, each representing different aspects of your energy and areas for expanding into your highest purpose.
What it means to be defined in Human Design The uniqueness of your Human Design chart is based on your birth time, date, and location. Depending on where the stars were at the moment you took your first breath combined with the where the stars were 88 days before your birth, your different parts of your chart become “defined.”
You can see your definition by noticing which parts of the chart are colored in and which parts of the chart are white. When a part of your chart is colored in, it is defined, and that represents consistent energy. Consistent energy is that expresses in a predictable and reliable way. In contrast, undefined energy is indicated by the white parts of your chart. It is inconsistent in it’s expression, is more flexible and receptive, and will evolve into wisdom through your life experiences.
At the core of the bodygraph are the nine human design centers
You can think of the centers like the big picture of the human condition. Your specific center definition determines both your Human Design Type + Strategy and your Human Design Authority .
Your center definition is determined by the defined channels.
The 36 channels represent the flow of energy movement throughout the bodygraph. They are how the centers “talk to each other.” When a channel is fully defined (colored in), the centers on either side of the channel will be defined, as well.
A full channel is defined when both of the gates within that channel are defined.
There are 64 human design gates and they represent the archetypal themes of the human experience. Your defined gates are the foundation of definition in your chart and show you the consistent archetypal journey of this lifetime.
To add a layer of nuance to the archetypes of your defined gates, each gate is defined in a specific line. You’ll also have an incarnation cross , which is your soul’s purpose, and a profile , which is created from the lines of your incarnation cross.
That’s the overview. Next, we will take a closer look at each aspect.
How to Get Your Chart Getting your Human Design chart is simple and gives you immediate access to a powerful tool for self-awareness and personal growth. To get started, all you need is your birth date, time, and location.
Click here to run your Human Design chart and see your unique energy map. Once you have your chart, you can follow along with the descriptions and explanations throughout this post to gain a deeper understanding of your centers, gates, channels, and more.
If you don’t know your birth time, check out the recommendations in the FAQ on the chart calculator .
Here is my chart as an example:
The 9 Centers in Human Design In Human Design, the nine centers represent energy hubs in your chart, and each center governs a different aspect of your life. These centers are based on the Hindu Chakra system but expanded to nine, providing a more nuanced understanding of how energy moves through you.
Each center can be defined (colored in) or undefined (white), which determines how you experience and interact with the world in that area of life. Defined centers represent consistent, reliable energy that expresses the same way over time, while undefined centers are more flexible and open, learning and evolving through the influence of others.
Here’s a brief overview of each of the nine human design centers :
Head Center : The Head Center fuels inspiration by asking big questions, driving you to explore possibilities and seek answers to all that you wonder.
Ajna Center : The Ajna Center filters and organizes thoughts, turning inspiration from the Head Center into concepts, ideas, and understanding to help you navigate life.
Throat Center : The Throat Center is the center of communication and manifestation, where energy from within is expressed outwardly through words, actions, and self-expression, making your inner world visible to others.
G Center : The center of identity, love, and direction. It holds your sense of self and life purpose, guiding you toward what aligns with your inner truth.
Will Center : The Will Center, also known as the ego or heart center, drives self-worth, willpower, and the commitment to create stability and value in the material world through aligned action.
Emotional Solar Plexus : The Solar Plexus is drives the emotional waves that lead to emotional clarity, shaping how you relate to yourself, others, and the world through feelings and desires.
Spleen Center : The Spleen Center is an awareness center that offers moment-to-moment intuitive feedback through the body’s senses, guiding you toward safety, health, and vitality by aligning with your primal instincts.
Sacral Center : The Sacral Center generates life force energy, driving fertility, creativity, and the desire to build and sustain life through love-fueled work and responsibility.
Root Center : The root center creates the drive for human evolution. It fuels momentum, pushing you to grow and act when the timing is right.
Each center plays a crucial role in shaping how you navigate life, respond to external influences, and align with your purpose. You can explore the centers in more depth in my full course on the nine centers in the Human Design Map & Portal . You can also check out this post on the nine human design centers .
In the meantime, an important part of your defined centers is how they create your Human Design Type + Strategy and your Human Design Authority . Let’s do a quick look at those next.
Human Design Types & Strategies Your Human Design Type is determined by your center definition and reveals how your aura interacts with the world around you. Your strategy, which goes hand-in-hand with your type, indicates a specific way to fully harness the power of your aura and draw opportunities to you. They will typically be written out on your chart.
There are four Human Design Types in traditional Human Design. However, many also recognize Manifesting Generators as a subtype of Generators, creating five distinct types:
Generators: Generator types have an open and enveloping aura – meaning that their energy fills whatever space they are in with their current vibration.
They are here to dance with the mystery of life and to let love be their fuel for the things that they do.
Their strategy is to respond to life in an authentic way, saying yes to the things they love and no to the things they don’t.
There signature themes are satisfaction and frustration. When Generators are satisfied, their aura glows with soft, warm light and becomes an overflowing source of energy potential for the world to work with.
Manifesting Generators: Manifesting Generators are a subtype of Generators, sharing the same open and enveloping aura and signature themes, but with the added ability to move quickly into action after responding.
They are here to dance with the mystery of life and to let love be their fuel for the things that they do. Their strategy is to respond to life in an authentic way, saying yes to the things they love and no to the things they don’t, and to inform others when they are making big moves. Like the manifestor type, informing clears their path for taking aligned action.
When Manifesting Generators are satisfied, their aura glows with soft, warm light and becomes an overflowing source of energy potential for the world to work with.
Projectors: Projectors have a focused and absorbing aura — meaning that they easily read and amplify the energy of people, places, and things by putting all of their attention on that one thing.
They are here to hold the highest human potential of energetic flow. They see deeply into the soul of people (and systems) and guide them into energetic flow and alignment. They root out the places where energy adjustments are necessary for success. And, most importantly, they are here to recognize the innate value of their penetrating gaze and only offer it to those who value it like the rarest gem.
Note: I am a projector. :D
Manifestors: Manifestors have a closed and repelling aura — meaning that their aura has rigid boundaries that allow them to answer the calls of their creative urge without interruptions. Their aura turns off the “wrong” people which makes room for the people they are here to impact.
Manifestor types are here to make an impact You are here to make an impact on the world by acting on their creative urges. This initiates others into entirely new ways of being, creating, and expressing themselves. The manifestor strategy is to inform and initiate. Informing clears the way for the manifestor to create in peace and have the energy to initiate their creative action.
Their signature themes are peace and anger. When peaceful, the mainfestor creates new things for the world and changes the creative fate of everyone their creations encounter.
Reflectors: Reflector types have a resistant and sampling aura — meaning that they “taste” the energy around them and are highly discerning about which energy they allow to “stick” to them.
They are here to move through life the same way a hummingbird goes from feeder to feeder, tasting and moving on quickly. They are drawn to a variety of experiences in life to taste, sample, and experience all of what it really means to be human.
The reflector strategy is to wait a full lunar cycle before making decision. They will feel their best when they are cultivating a conscious relationship with the moon, practicing pristine discernment, and being non-attached – these things allow them to select what is right for them and let go of the rest.
Their signature themes are surprise/delight and disappointment. When living a life of suprise in their most feel good environment, they are a revered and sacred mirror for their community. A reflectors presence alone reveals the integrity of the people around them; they reveal the path to a brighter future.
By understanding your Type and experimenting with your strategy, you will align with the people, places, and opportunities that are in service of your highest potential and purpose.
I’ll fully cover your type & strategy in the Human Design Map . You can also read my deep dive post on the Human Design Types and Strategies .
Human Design Authorities Your Human Design Authority is a key signal in guiding you towards decisions that are aligned with your deepest calling and purpose. While your Type and Strategy show you how to interact with the world, your Authority offers a crucial signal to help tune into what is true for you and your most magnetic self. Combined with other sources of your inner wisdom, it provides valuable clues for making soul aligned decisions. Your authority will usually be written out on your chart:
Authority in Human Design is determined by the hierarchy of center definition in your chart and give distinct access points to your decision making process:
Emotional Authority Emotional Authority applies to anyone with a defined Solar Plexus. It means that clarity doesn’t come in the moment—it comes over time. Emotions move in a wave-like pattern: ups, downs, and everything in between. Emotional clarity is the grounded, calm sense that arises once that wave has passed and your emotions are no longer coloring your perception.
The key is waiting—not to feel certain, but to feel clear. When you’ve allowed the full range of emotion to move through you, what’s true becomes obvious. Decisions made from that clarity tend to feel steady, aligned, and deeply self-honoring.
Sacral Authority Sacral Authority applies to Generators and Manifesting Generators with an undefined Solar Plexus.
The key signal is an expansion or contraction of energy in response to what life presents.r wait that tells you whether you have the sustainable energy to move forward. The more you honor that signal, the more satisfying and aligned your life becomes.
Splenic Authority Splenic Authority applies to any Projector or Manifestor with a defined Spleen Center. Clarity comes instantly through an instinctual knowing in the present moment. The spleen operates only in the now, guiding you with immediate feedback on what feels safe or unsafe. Unlike the Sacral, the spleen doesn’t assess long-term sustainability, only whether something is right or aligned at this exact moment. It uses the body’s senses to move you away from what isn’t healthy or safe.
Ego Authority (Will) Ego Authority applies to any Projector or Manifestor with a defined Will Center but an undefined Spleen or Solar Plexus. Clarity comes from following your heart’s true desires. When your heart is fully committed to something, it’s a clear “yes.” If your heart feels uninterested or turned off, it’s a “no.” By honoring your heart’s desires, you align your energy with what you truly want, ensuring that there is enough willpower to create your heart’s desires.
Self-Projected Authority Only Projectors can have Self-Projected Authority. It is indicated by a defined G Center directly connected to a defined Throat, and no definition in the Sacral, motors, or Spleen. Clarity comes from speaking your truth out loud. As you talk through decisions with trusted allies, you will hear the clarity of what’s right for you come out in your voice. The process of speaking allows you to connect to your inner wisdom and align with your authentic self.
Environmental/No Inner Authority (Mental Projectors) This authority applies only to Projector types and is called different things depending on the chart source: Environmental, Mental, or No Inner Authority. It is indicated by definition from the Throat and up, with no motors defined. Clarity comes from a combination of being in the right environment and speaking things out loud. For Mental Projectors, the environment plays a crucial role—when they speak in an aligned environment, the sound and feel of their words reflect back to them, helping them discern what is in alignment with their highest potential.
Lunar Authority (Reflectors) Lunar Authority is unique to Reflectors, who have no defined centers. Clarity comes by waiting a full lunar cycle (28 days) before making major decisions. The lunar cycle allows Reflectors to sample and taste all of the possible directions over time. As they move through different phases of the moon, they gain insight and clarity, guiding them toward what will create the most delight and alignment in their lives.
Your Authority is one of the key signals for making decisions aligned with your highest purpose. By tuning into your Authority—and other sources of inner wisdom—you can navigate life with more clarity and flow, drawing in the people, places, and opportunities that are in harmony with your highest potential.
I’ll fully cover your authority in your Human Design Map . You can also read my deep dive posted on Human Design Authority .
Profile and LinesYour Human Design Profile is a combination of two numbers from the lines of the hexagrams in your conscious and unconscious sun and earth gates, usually shown as a fraction-like number (e.g., 1/3 or 4/6). Together, they create the archetype of how you express yourself in the world, the needs of your mind and body, as well as your karmic role in the collective.
Each number in your profile corresponds to a line, and each line carries its own archetypal energy:
Line 1 : The InvestigatorLine 2 : The HermitLine 3 : The MartyrLine 4 : The OpportunistLine 5 : The HereticLine 6 : The Role ModelEach profile, made up of a combination of these lines, brings its own unique themes:
Your profile and lines provide a deeper layer of insight into your unique purpose and life path, revealing how you share your gifts, you essential needs, and your karmic role. By understanding the key themes of your profile, you can align more closely with your highest potential and make decisions that reflect your purpose.
For a deeper dive into your profile and how the lines influence your life, get your Human Design Map here . You can also check out my article called the Human Design Profile and Lines Deep Dive .
Incarnation Cros sYour Incarnation Cross is one of the most significant aspects of your Human Design chart . It comes from the four gates on your conscious and unconscious sun/earth axis and you’ll find it written out with it’s angle archetypal name (i.e. LAX of the Clarion 2). It represents your soul’s purpose in this lifetime—the overarching theme that guides your personal and spiritual evolution and your greatest gifts.
It will be written out on your chart:
Each of the gates in your incarnation cross represents an archetypal energy, and together, they reveal the core theme of your life’s journey. Think of it as the thread that weaves through every experience, opportunity, and challenge you face, giving you a deeper sense of purpose and direction.
Conscious Sun Gate : Your soul’s purpose—your magic wand—inviting you into greater expansion of your consciousness. This is the most important gate in your whole chart.Conscious Earth Gate Unconscious Sun Gate : The radiant energy that shines outward while also illuminating the shadows of your unconscious.Unconscious Earth Gate : The foundational path that connects you to yourself, others, the collective, and a higher power (God).Your Incarnation Cross gives you set a distinct tools for aligning with your higher purpose and expanding your consciousness as a spiritual being . It’s a powerful tool for discovering your soul’s mission and the unique energy imprint you make upon the world.
For a deeper exploration of the gates in your Incarnation Cross, I’ll cover them in your Human Design Map & Portal . You can also read my full article on the Human Design Incarnation Cross .
Gates The 64 Human Design gates represent archetypal themes of the human experience. You’ll see them indicated in the columns of numbers running down both sides of your chart as well as colored in on your bodygraph within their associated center. Here is my chart:
When a gate is defined (colored in), it represents a consistent expression of that archetypal energy in your life and serves as a mirror for your expansion . When a gate is undefined in your chart, that is an area where you will develop wisdom over the course of your life. You can get an even deeper explanation of this on my post about being defined versus undefined .
Each of your defined gates contribute to the map of who you are. They shape the way you experience and interact with the world, your purpose, strengths, and opportunities for expansion. The interplay of defined and undefined gates in your chart provides a dynamic and evolving picture of who you are and the unique journey you’re on.
For a detailed look at the meaning of each of the 64 gates and how they impact your chart, you can explore my Human Design Gates Meaning Library . I’ll cover the four gates in your incarnation cross in deep detail in the Human Design Map .
Channels The defined channels in your Human Design chart are like your energetic spine. They are the bones that give structure to your energy and create the foundation for how your energy flows and is expressed in the world. When both gates on either side of a channel are defined, the channel is defined, creating a consistent pathway of energy between the two centers it connects. This connection becomes a consistent way of being for you.
Channels also provide insight into how your centers communicate with one another, showing how different aspects of your being work together to create your experience of life. Each channel carries its own unique theme and helps to enhance your understanding of your gifts, how you experience the world, how others are influenced by your presence, and how best to care for yourself.
Defined channels offer a reliable and consistent expression of certain traits or qualities, shaping how you process life’s experiences. The significance of a channel also depends on the type of centers it connects. For example, a channel linking two motor centers fuels action and momentum, while a channel connecting an awareness center to the throat enables you to express your insights more clearly.
Ultimately, channels create the foundation of the energy you emanate in the world, playing a key role in your self-expression, relationships, and decision-making process. I have a deep dive course on channels in the Human Design Map & Portal .
What To Do Once You Know The Basics of Your Human Design Your Human Design chart is a beautiful tool for self-discovery—a mirror that invites you to see your purpose, natural gifts, and the value you create just by being alive.
But understanding your design is just the beginning.
The real magick happens on your deconditioning journey—unraveling the layers of societal conditioning and external expectations that have molded you in inauthentic ways. That unraveling is what allows you to reconnect with your most authentic self and highest purpose.
I recommend starting this process with your Incarnation Cross – in particular your conscious sun gate. While this may go against the traditional Human Design approach, I’ve found that understanding your Incarnation Cross—the core themes of your soul’s purpose—gives you the clearest foundation of your gifts and calling.
As you dive into your chart, explore how the rules about who you should be contradict what your chart says. Pay extra close attention to the places that feel either like pure affirmation of what you’ve always known about yourself, but have hidden. And when you are ready for a real deep dive, notice the places you feel resistance, or even triggered, by your design. Those are the places that likely are holding the most gold.
And remember, deconditioning is a process that unfolds over time; while it is true that your Human Design can offer instant clarity and spontaneous healing, it’s mostly a lifelong process of showing up, healing some shit, and then showing up some more to heal some more shit.
But that is why Human Design is so powerful. It helps you cut to the chase, giving you a map of where to start, instead of throwing spaghetti at the walls trying to figure out why you feel so frustrated, bitter, angry, and disappointing. With time, an experimentation mindset, and the right tools for deconditioning, your deeper expansion into your highest purpose isn’t just possible, it is inevitable.
I’ll be here to guide you through this journey of self-discovery, deconditioning, and deep alignment with your inner wisdom. Click here to take the next step .
That’s a wrap! Where to go from here. Your Human Design chart offers a unique map to guide you on the journey of self-discovery, healing, and alignment with your highest purpose. From understanding the nine centers and or the meaning of the gates to experimenting with your Type and Strategy, every aspect of your chart is an invitation to unravel conditioning and step into your highest purpose.
Remember, Human Design isn’t about following rigid rules or expectations—it’s about exploring, experimenting, and reclaiming the magic of your inner wisdom. As you continue diving into your chart and experimenting with the insights you uncover, know that your deconditioning journey is a lifelong process where each steps brings you closer and closer to your most authentic self.
Whether you’re just getting started or deep into your journey, there’s always more to discover and integrate. And I’m here to guide you through every step of the process.
If you’re ready to dive deeper into any aspect of your chart, check out the additional resources and articles linked throughout this post. You can run your chart , explore your Incarnation Cross , or dive deeper into your Human Design journey with the Human Design Map & Portal .