Your Human Design profile comes from the lines of your incarnation cross. The first number comes from the line of your conscious sun and earth and the second comes from the line of your unconscious sun and earth.
A simple way to think about your profile is that it reveals the needs of your mind (conscious) and your body (unconscious) that are necessary for fulfilling your karmic role in the world.
I go into detail about my thoughts on karma here. But, in short, as Ram Dass says…
our karma is our mind
and the mind stands in the way of a clear view of God
our minds give us clouded perceptions
So, our karmic role is about the “correct” perception of reality that allows us to play our part.
And what I have discovered, in myself and in conversation with others, is that the profile is a source of profound healing because of the way it directly invites us to reconcile the paradox of our karma.
It is the full spectrum of radical self-acceptance and deep wells of shame.
On one side, we have this. And on the other side, we have that.
And they seem to push against one another and reveal the most potent contradictions within ourselves.
But, in actuality, it is about finding the balance between them.
From my perspective, the whole chart works this way. Whether conscious of it or not, we are on a quest to reconcile our conscious and unconscious sides.
This reconciliation IS unity consciousness.
one side + the other side = wholeness
And the profile brings that into our awareness with brilliant clarity.
Our work is to discover the bridge between these two sides of ourselves and transform our shame into radical self-acceptance (I teach you how in the Human Design Map.)
To begin that dance, it can be helpful to understand what the different karmic roles are, according to Human Design, and start getting really curious about where you are in relation to your role.
Your karmic role is either a personal destiny, transpersonal, or fixed fate.
Personal Destiny Profile Karmic Role
Personal destiny profiles are the 1/3, 1/4, 2/4, 2/5, 3/5, 3/6, and 4/6.
The karmic role of personal destiny profiles is being absorbed in your own process. You are the researchers, the foundation builders, and the figure it out for yourself-ers. You are creating NEW karma.
That, of course, does not mean that you need to go life alone but you aren’t mean to be taken “off course” by others.
You are meant to choose yourself and your process.
You are forging new ground, without the limitation of judgment and preconceived ideas about outcomes.
Culturally, there is a lot of conditioning that happens for personal destiny profiles around being selfish, self-absorbed, or focused on themselves. They are often taught that they shouldn’t be so focused on themselves and that being a “good” person means serving others.
But, in Truth, being oneself is the only service that is ever necessary.
The Balance of the Personal Destiny Profiles
1/3 fulfills its karmic role by finding the balance between its need to investigate the way life works AND the need to step away from “the books” and experiment.
1/4 fulfills its karmic role by finding the balance between the need to investigate the way life works AND creating opportunities within your network.
2/4 fulfills its karmic role by finding the balance between the need for alone time AND creating opportunities within your network.
2/5 fulfills its karmic role by finding the balance between the need for alone time AND the passion for creating practical solutions for others.
3/5 fulfills its karmic role by finding the balance between the need to experiment AND the passion for creating practical solutions for others.
3/6 fulfills its karmic role by finding the balance between the need to experiment AND becoming an example of embodied wisdom.
4/6 fulfills its karmic role by finding the balance between creating opportunities within your networks AND becoming an example of embodied wisdom.
You can learn more about self-care and boundaries (aka high-frequency habits) for your profile in the Human Design Map.
Transpersonal Profile Karmic Roles
The transpersonal profiles are 5/1, 5/2, 6/2, and 6/3.
The karmic role of transpersonal profiles is here to play a role in the lives of others whether big or small. Your own process is also heavily influenced by your encounters with others. A seemingly meaningless encounter with a stranger can change the course of your river.
Either way, you are here cleaning up karma for yourself and others. You are here to spread the “truths” from the foundations that the personal destiny profiles have created. The fifth lines make them practical and the Sixth lines embody them as wisdom.
Transpersonal profiles are often up against the conditioning to sacrifice their own needs for the needs of others.
But, you’ll notice that ALL of the transpersonal profiles include an “inward” element. The 1, 2, and 3 are all inner processes and have nothing to do with others.
The truth is, you cannot pour from an empty cup.
The Balance of Transpersonal Karma Profiles
5/1 fulfills its karmic role by finding the balance between your passion for creating practical solutions for others AND the need to investigate the way life works.
5/2 fulfills its karmic role by finding the balance between your passion for creating practical solutions for others AND the need for alone time.
6/2 fulfills its karmic role by finding the balance between becoming an example of embodied wisdom AND the need for alone time.
6/3 fulfills its karmic role by finding the balance between becoming an example of embodied wisdom AND the need for alone time.
You can learn more about self-care and boundaries (aka high-frequency habits) for your profile in the Human Design Map.
Fixed Fate Profile Karmic Role
The 4/1 is the only fixed fate profile.
The karmic role of the 4/1 is to be a bridge between personal destiny and transpersonal profiles. You are “fixed” in that both of your profile lines are foundation lines. You are building an internal foundation and influencing your network with those foundations.
Your foundations are firm and do not change. This creates the support necessary for personal destiny profiles to stay absorbed in their process and the stability necessary for transpersonal profiles to create practical solutions and be the embodiment of wisdom.
Culturally speaking, fixed fates tend to receive a lot of conditioning around stubbornness or unwillingness to compromise. People often try to convince them that they “should be” more flexible and fluid.
And while it isn’t true that 4/1s never grow and change, their “fixed” nature is exactly the foundation and stability that the world needs.
The Balance of the Fixed Fate Profile
4/1 fulfills its karmic role by finding the balance between creating opportunities within your network AND the need to investigate the way life works.
You can learn more about self-care and boundaries (aka high-frequency habits) for your profile in the Human Design Map.
How to Find the Balance
When thinking about finding a balance, it is important first to understand that balance doesn’t mean a “perfect” ratio. As life ebbs and flows, the “correct” balance will ebb and flow, too.
So, aiming for some sort of perfect balance is a recipe for suffering. It doesn’t exist.
And most people don’t like to hear this, but true to my 5/2 profile, I must tell you that the truth is that we often find the balance through extremes. We lean “too far” to one side, and the scales balance themselves by swinging really far in the other direction.
As always, our not-self themes can hold clues.
At first, the frustration, bitterness, anger, and disappointment will be very intense, and we will often swing in the completely opposite direction.
But as we notice patterns, we start to catch ourselves before those themes go “out of balance. “
As my dear 6/2 friend Karen says, it isn’t about never again. It’s about catching ourselves sooner.
So, as you notice frustration, bitterness, anger, and disappointment, check in with where you are on the balance between the two sides of your profile. Are you leaning “too far” in one direction over the other? Give yourself what you need from the other side.
And be mindful that this balancing act will likely bring up your shit.
To fine-tune your process, you’ll have to confront the conditioning that comes along with your karmic role. But, that truly is where the magic is. It is coming into “correct” karma that we are able to actually fulfill our roles…by being ourselves.
Beautiful.