These different departments, in charge of different energy in your body is something we call Centers in Human Design. Human Design Centers directly correlate to an esoteric system which is probably more familiar to you called the Hindu Chakra System. But whereas there being 7 chakras, there are 9 HD Centers. (More on that in another post coming soon where I’ll share with you about our transition from being 7-centered beings to 9-centered ones today.)
These are the different shapes you can see on your bodygraph. Centers basically represent different energies and demonstrate how a person metabolizes, uses, and experiences those kinds of energies.
Now, one thing that we usually consider when it comes to HD Centers is whether it is Defined (colored in) or if it is Open/Undefined (White).
Think of Defined vs Undefined/Open as an energy transmission situation.
When you have a Center Defined, it means you have consistent, more sustainable access to this energy and you are able to transmit this energy that you create out to the world easy. It is where your authentic self lie, though that said, it is still possible to have some conditioning in your Defined Centers. They give you a consistent theme of your life and soul purpose.
When you have a Center Undefined (have a Gate- a number in it defined or colored in) or Open (no gates defined at all in the center), then it means you do not have sustainable access to this energy and you instead receive energy here from the people around you or the planetary transits more easily. Our deepest conditioning can be found in our open centers.
This is because you’re not just taking energy in through your Open Centers– you take in and amplify it. You have a lot of potential to identify with somebody else’s energy as your own because you are experiencing this energy in your openness in a very, very big way. This leads to creating a distorted story or another filter you add to your story because you begin to think you are someone you’re not. That said, it is also the place where you are to learn the most and once you have can be wonderful sources of wisdom.
Below is a short overview of each.
The Head or Crown Center is a pressure center. It is the topmost triangle that you see on your bodygraph. It is the center for inspiration, ideas and asking questions.
When it is defined, inspiration comes from within you making it feel like it comes out of nowhere. This means that you can be on your own and be inspired to create, though it will likely come with feeling a constant pressure to have clarity and understanding in all the parts of your life. This pressure comes from you and no one else.
When it is undefined/open, on the other hand, the pressure comes from the world around you and it’s a more intense kind of pressure as compared to those with defined Crowns may experience. Inspiration comes from outside of you so it helps to be out and receiving inspiration from other people or other places or things like books, TV shows, and conversations with others. When you try to find too much clarity and understanding, you will fall into anxiety, feel overwhelmed and confused. This is because you don’t have a fixed way of taking in and making sense of information depending on where and how you are receiving the information from and who you are around as well as your conditioning.
Not-self Theme: Thinking about things that don’t matter
The Ajna Center is the inverted triangle below your Crown/Head. The Ajna is the Mental Awareness Center or Divine Intelligence Center where we take in the inspiration, the questions, the ideas and try to process and make sense of them. It is where we take all these information and create awareness and wisdom. It creates information for our Inner Authorities to use as data to make decisions from and where you may experience mental anxiety as you struggle with taking in too much information to think about.
The Ajna is where your opinions and points of view are formed.
When it is defined, you are able to the world logically and the way that you see things is a very important part of your current life purpose. It is important then for you to form opinions and points of view that are uniquely yours. It energizes you to share your opinion and even debate about them.
Observe where your defined Ajna is connected. If it’s connected to your Crown then your Ajna works to process information coming from your Head/Crown but if it is connected to your Throat (the square below it) then it works so you can express and communicate the ideas that it has created designing you to be the type of person that is here to speak your mind (still following your Strategy and Authority!). You are also constantly thinking and are not influenced easily as you create this energy internally.
When you have your Ajna undefined, you have a more abstract view of the world making you more open-minded and not quite so attached to your own opinions. You are the type to stay away from politics or anything that would require you to have a firm stance on. You are here to see different perspectives and then determine which one is worth thinking about and which one isn’t. You can also pick up ideas from people around you with defined Heads, sometimes before it’s been brought up in a conversation.
Not-self Theme: Pretending to be certain
The square below your Ajna is called the Throat Center. It is the Manifestation Center of the body. It is in charge of well, manifestation (the process of bringing things to reality) and communication. The natural flow of our energies all go to the Throat Center where we are designed to then bring it out to the world and manifest them.
When your Throat is defined, this means that you are designed to express your truth and to speak up for yourself. You can consistently communicate and know what to say to be able to express yourself especially when you feel the drive to speak about certain needs that others need to hear. It is important though that you are always speaking your truth and this depends on whichever defined Center your Throat is connected to.
If it is connected to the Ajna then you are designed to speak your mind. If it’s connected to your G-Center, then you speak from your soul and from the very depths of who you are. If it’s connected to the Heart/Ego/Will, then you are here to communicate something you can prove, speaking using the pronoun “I” often. When it is connected to the Emotional Solar Plexus, you speak what you feel. When it is connected to the Root, you are here to communicate about what you do. If it is connected to the Spleen, then you speak about the things you are sensing, your intuitive hits in the moment. Lastly, when it is connected to the Sacral, then you are here to talk about work, your relationships, what gives you energy and joy.
When you Throat is undefined, it’s the exact opposite. You are not meant to speak up for yourself all the time. Instead, speak for others and be an advocate for them. Oprah is a good example of someone with an open throat but is still seen as someone who communicates well. Having an undefined/open Throat though also means having the tendency to speak to get attention and try to get validation from others. Head to a party and the person most often doing the most talking, probably has an undefined Throat. Be reminded that by waiting for the right moment to speak up following your Authority, your words will land better and create better results.
Not-Self Theme: Trying to attract attention
The G-Center or Identity Center is the diamond shaped one in your bodygraph. It’s the center for self-love, self-identity, direction and purpose.
When this is defined it means that you have a strong sense of who you are. You have a strong sense of self that is less susceptible to conditioning. That said, it doesn’t mean that you cannot have conditioning in this area at some point though it generally means being the same version of yourself in all the areas of your life. You are the same whoever you are with because you know who you are. You have consistent self-love so there’s zero insecurities about who you are but if others can or will love you for who you are. You know where you are going, your purpose, your sense of direction– these are all crystal clear for you.
When your G-Center is undefined/open though, you adapt to your environment because you need to feel comfortable in the environment you are in order to make connections with the people there. So you bring out certain aspects of yourself or your identity depending on the situation much like a chameleon, changing depending on who is around you. Often you may question who you are, what your purpose is, and where you may be heading. There is no need to pressure yourself though to always know but it is more important to work through your conditioning so that you can try to make sense of who you are and where you are. This means that being in the correct environment for you is more crucial. When you are in the incorrect environment, then the people you are with in that environment also mean they are incorrect.
Not-Self Theme: Fixed on finding love and direction
We now proceed to the Heart Center also known as the Ego Center or Will Center. It’s the smaller triangle on the right side of the bodygraph. There will be a bigger one below it called the Emotional Solar Plexus which is coming up next.
This Center governs self-worth, material resources/material world and willpower.
When it is Defined, it means that you have a strong and consistent willpower and motivation to go out and get the things you desire. You are often motivated by material resources like money, fame, influence or making an impact on others. You enjoy being in charge of your life, your resources and usually find it easier to make money than those with an Undefined Heart. You know your value and your worth especially in business so you don’t undersell yourself or your services.
When it is Undefined/Open, your willpower and motivation fluctuates often. You may not always feel motivated but it also allows you to prepare to move forward so there is no need to force yourself to always be motivated. You may often overcommit and overpromise both to yourself and to others because you are constantly trying to prove yourself. You may have lower self-worth than those with defined Hearts/Wills and may not value your time and energy as much as you should. Understand that your worth is not something you need to prove to yourself or others.
Not-Self Theme: Having something to prove
The Emotional Solar Plexus is the bigger triangle on the right side of your bodygraph. It is the Awareness Center in charge of Emotional Intelligence and hence governs your emotions. It is in charge of what we feel and how we express them.
When it is defined, it means that you have your own set emotional wave so you feel emotions without any reason at all. You can feel happy even though nothing has caused you to feel happy. You are an emotional being (and have it as your Inner Authority) and you need to ride your emotional wave before making decisions or acting on your decisions. You will want to be impulsive as this center governs our passions also but remember that with awareness, understanding and practice of your own emotions and wave, you will get better at determining when it is the correct or divine time to act. Allow your waves to guide you as you guide the rest of us in managing and regulating our emotions healthily.
When you have the Solar Plexus undefined, you are capable of picking up on what everyone around you is feeling and you tend to magnify these feelings. Sure you may not always feel deeply (especially when you are in your own energy and not affected by others) but you can also feel very deeply at times (and amplify these deep feelings). You are a true empath and feel what others are feeling even when you don’t realize it or don’t understand why you’re feeling the way that you do. As a non-emotional, your natural state is that of neutral emotions. So it’s important to understand that your emotions aren’t usually your emotions but a reaction or response to the world or others around you.
Not-Self Theme: Avoiding confrontation and truth
Our next center is the Sacral Center which is the square that is second from the bottom. It is the center that is the Motor center in charge of life force energy– fertility, sexuality, creativity and work energy.
Having this defined means that you are a Generator-type, either a Generator or Manifesting Generator. You have consistent access to life force and work force energy but are not exempt from burnout. You have a gut response to things and have Sacral responses (uhn huh or uhn uh) as your Sacral responds to yes or no questions. It is crucial to understand what these responses mean and to follow them. When something is in front of you, you will be able to determine if it’s something you want or not through your Sacral. Doing something that lights you up or something that you love creates energy and extra energy for the Non-Sacrals (those that don’t have this defined) to borrow. Rest when you feel tired and expend your energy each day on things that you love and this allows you to sleep better at night so it otherwise won’t affect your health.
When you have an undefined Sacral, you are either a Projector, a Manifestor or a Reflector– a Non-Sacral type. You are not designed to work in the traditional sense of work as it has been defined by Generators which make up about 70% of the world’s population. It is easy to believe then that you should be working the same way which isn’t true. You do not have access to consistent life force and work force energy but you can tap into and amplify other people’s energy. Just be selective about whose energy you tap as you can also tap and amplify other people’s desires and energy creation. Redefine what hustling and working means for you. There is no need to try to keep up with Generator-types but more important to rest often before you are exhausted.
Not-Self Theme: Not knowing when enough is enough
The Spleen is the triangle on the bottom left side of your bodygraph opposite the Solar Plexus. It is another Awareness Center that governs instinct or intuition, safety or security, health and survival.
When it is Defined, it means you have strong and reliable instincts but also likely to have a set theme of fears and anxieties that repeat throughout your life. Your work in this lifetime is to release those fears. Having consistent fear means a need to develop your intuition more and learning to work better with your Splenic Center. You are designed to be spontaneous as the Spleen speaks in the moment but make sure to save the big decisions for your main Authority.
You also have a strong immune system, often feeling good about yourself so you tend to forget to take care of yourself when you do feel really bad. Learn to tune into and listen to your body.
When you have an undefined Spleen, you easily pick up on the fears and anxiety of others but you can help others release their fear by mastering your own. You don’t always have an intuitive voice, in the traditional sense of intuition, so you will do best by leaning in towards your Inner Authority. You tend to hold on to things that are not good for you. You have the potential to be a great healer though because you feel what isn’t right and are able to help others make the necessary shift to correct it. You are more in tune with your body and health as compared to those with defined Spleens because you feel it easier. You are not designed to be spontaneous, however enticing the idea is for you (that’s probably your conditioning), because it is not healthy for you.
Not-Self Theme: Holding on to what is not good for you
Lastly is the bottom square in your bodygraph which is called the Root Center. It is another Pressure Center where we feel adrenaline and the pressure to do.
When you have a defined Root, you are creating this pressure to do. You are driven to take action on things and find it easy to create momentum for it. You work well under pressure so yay for deadlines. But you generally don’t feel the pressure to do and get things done, as the energy is created within. There’s zero stress and no pressure from others to do. Most likely you are the person who creates deadlines and tasks others with it.
When you are feeling burned out though, this may mean that you may be over-utilizing your defined Root so remember that you don’t need to be stressed to be successful.
When your Root is undefined, you are receiving the pressure and stress to do. You feel like you need to take them off your to-do list and often feel overwhelmed by this pressure. You hate deadlines and either freeze under pressure or are someone who’s addicted to the adrenaline that the pressure brings. You may take on tasks that need to get done because it’s so uncomfortable for you to have them hanging and pressuring you. It’s not your pressure so you don’t have to do everything and definitely not at this moment. Be selective about the wave of external pressure that you ride. Choose one that will help you take the necessary action when needed but not always. You’re not designed to run on pressure or timelines nor should the feeling of being stressed be weaved into the story of who you truly are.
Not-Self Theme: In a hurry to be free of pressure
If you have it defined through a red channel, it is unconsciously defined; conscious if black. So not being able to resonate with something may mean it’s because it’s unconsciously defined for you.
Allow Human Design to empower and not limit you. Follow your Strategy and your Authority as you go through your Centers and allow it to help you in whatever way you need it.
If you are ready to begin working on aligning the energy of your life and business to your design, send me an email at [email protected] and let’s talk about how I can help and support you.
If you want a live reading of your Human Design Chart, you can book a 1 on 1 Shadow Session with me HERE. This can also be a session where you can learn how to apply your design in more practical ways both in your life and/or your business. I’ll be sending you a short questionnaire to help focus the session and help you maximize your time with me.