Human Design 101 - Terminology
Understanding Human Design can often feel like learning a whole new language. This post guides you through the basic terminology and concepts of Human Design so that you can understand how to read your Human Design chart. For those venturing into Human Design for the first time, this post offers a welcoming entry point. Discover your design, embrace your individuality, and learn to navigate life according to your authentic self.
If you don’t yet have your chart, you can download a FREE copy of your Human Design Chart here.
How Many Human Design Types Are There?
There are 4 or 5 Human Design Types, depending who you ask. Die hard OG’s in the Human Design space will often tell you that there are 4 because Manifesting Generators are a type of Human Design Generator but most times you’ll hear them referred to as their own type. Here’s how the Human Design Types break down:
Generators make up 37% of the population.
Manifesting Generators make up 33% of the population.
Projectors make up 20% of the population.
Manifestors make up 9% of the population.
Reflectors make up 1% of the population.
What is Human Design Strategy?
Each Human Design Type Has It’s Own Strategy or way it is designed to operate in life.
Generators and Manifesting Generators respond.
Projectors wait to be invited.
Manifestors initiate.
Reflectors sample other auras.
What is inner Authority in Human Design?
There Are 7 Inner Authorities
Generators & Manifesting Generators will have either Sacral or Emotional Authority.
Projectors will have either Splenic, Self, Mental or Ego Projected Authority.
Manifestors will have either Splenic, Ego, or Emotional Authority.
Reflectors have no Inner Authority. They are lunar beings who follow the cycle of the moon.
Your Inner Authority is how you’re designed to make decisions.
What Are The Shapes on a Human Design Chart?
The 9 shapes on the Human Design Chart are called Energy Centres.
These nine centres in the Human Design bodygraph are each associated with specific aspects of an individual's life, relating to the energy of that centre.
If you’re familiar with the chakra system, you’ll see that they follow this pattern.
Human Design Centres and the energy they govern in the bodygraph.
If a centre is white it is undefined or open.
If a centre is coloured in, it is defined.
Defined centres are who you are here to be. They are the energy that you hold all the time.
Undefined centres are where your lessons live. Your energy is variable here, based on who you’re with. You are here to be wise about the energies in these centres.
What is Human Design Profile?
Your profile is made up of the number after the decimal on the top two gates on both sides of your chart
(your conscious and unconscious Sun and Earth).There are 12 profiles.
Your profile is the role you play in your life. Think of it as your character in the story of your life. It’s a big part of how you show up in the world.
You can find your profile by looking at these numbers after the decimal. The black (right) side will be listed first, followed by the red side.
What are Gates in Human Design?
There are 64 Gates in the Human Design system. They’re taken from the i-ching and hold the same messages (more or less).
On either side of your Human Design Chart, you’ll see a set of numbers.
The red numbers (on the left side of your chart) represent your unconscious programming. They’re said to live in your body, where you may not be as aware of them. They represent karma you’re here to heal.
The black numbers (on the right side of your chart) represent your conscious programming. You’ll most likely identify very easily with these themes. They represent who you think you are - your personality.
Gates that have a coloured in circle around them in your chart are defined. When a gate is defined in a coloured in centre, you have access to that energy all the time.
Gates that don’t have any colour around them are undefined. When a gate is defined in an undefined centre, you’ll access that energy when you’re with someone who has the centre or the opposite gate defined.
Gates that are defined in an undefined centre are called ‘dormant gates’ because the energy isn’t there unless it is turned on by someone else or a planetary transit.
Is Human Design Like Astrology?
Kind of. I have a friend who says that if Astrology, The Chakra System, The Jewish Kabbalah, and the I-Ching had a baby, it would be Human Design. The planets represented on your Human Design chart are the same planets that would be on your Astrological chart.
The symbols along the sides of your chart represent the planets.
The numbers beside these symbols represent the gate that the particular planet highlighted at the time of your birth on the right side and 88 days before your birth on the left side.
Each planet carries its’ own significance:
Sun - who you’re here to be.
Earth - what grounds you.
North Node - what you’re moving towards that will challenge you.
South Node - your natural genius.
Moon - what drives you.
Mercury - how or what you communicate.
Venus - your relationship themes.
Mars - how you do what you do - your vocation - your core wound.
Jupiter - your blessings.
Saturn - your greatest challenge.
Uranus - where you can expect the unexpected.
Neptune - your spiritual purpose.
Pluto - your generational patterns and imprinting.
What are Human Design Channels?
There are 36 Channels in the Human Design system.
Channels are formed when 2 gates on either side meet to join 2 defined centres.
They influence an individual's behaviour and energy.
They’re a big part of how you show up in the world.
What is Human Design Circuitry?
Each of the 36 Channels fall into 1 of these 4 circuits.
Circuitry is the energy that is consistent in your design. It’s how you do everything you do - the background frequency or circuit board of your life. Your electrical panel if you will.
Individual Circuitry - a design of following your own path, regardless of anything else.
Integration Circuitry - a design of personal survival
Collective Circuitry - a design of sharing with the whole - the collective
Tribal Circuitry - a design of caring for the tribe.
Now It’s Time to Read Your Own Human Design Chart
Grab your printed chart. Next - highlight your Type, Strategy, Authority, and Profile so that you can begin to commit it to memory. Label the Centres on your own chart and notice what’s defined vs undefined.
That’s it. Take a good look at it and then let it go for a while.
Here are some episodes of The Unjaded Podcast that walk you through your Human Design Type specifically.
Episode 3 - The Magnetic Generator: Attracting Synchronicities → Listen on iTunes or Spotify
Episode 4 - The Mani-Gen Manifesto → Listen on iTunes or Spotify
Episode 5 - Human Design Projector-The Invitation Starts with YOU → Listen on iTunes or Spotify
Episode 9 - The Magic of Being a Manifestor → Listen on iTunes or Spotify