Human Design Glossary

The colouring in of a gate on your Body Graph, caused by the position of a planet at the moment of birth or 88 days before. An activation marks a fixed genetic trait that is part of your make-up. A distinction is made between conscious activations (black) and unconscious ones (red).

Centre of conceptualisation and mental processing, located below the Crown. It translates mental inspiration into structured thoughts, opinions and theories. Associated with the pituitary gland. When defined, it gives a fixed and reliable way of thinking. Its anxiety theme is specific: fear of chaos, of ignorance or of intellectual rejection.

Geometry of the Incarnation Cross corresponding to profiles 1/3 to 4/6. The Right Angle indicates a personal life path - centred on oneself and on one’s own experiences. About 64% of the population carries a Right Angle Cross. These people meet their destiny through their own process, without needing to seek others out.

Geometry of the Incarnation Cross corresponding to profiles 5/1 to 6/3. The Left Angle indicates a transpersonal path - turned towards others and towards the collective. These people fulfil their life mission through their interactions and their relationships. About 33% of the population is on the Left Angle.

The electromagnetic field that surrounds every human being and that varies according to Type. Open and enveloping in the Generator, closed and repelling in the Manifestor, focused and penetrating in the Projector, resistant and sampling in the Reflector.

Your inner compass for making aligned decisions. It always comes from the body (never from the mind) and follows a strict hierarchy: Emotional, Sacral, Splenic, Ego, Self-Projected, Environmental or Lunar. It is the second key of Human Design after Strategy.

The finest subdivision of the hexagram structure, located below the Tone. There are 5 bases per tone. With 64 gates × 6 lines × 6 colours × 6 tones × 5 bases, you get more than a million possible configurations - the ultimate level of individual differentiation in the Variables.

The central map of Human Design - a graphic representation of your energy architecture calculated from your birth data. It brings together 9 centres, 36 channels and 64 gates, and results from the synthesis of two calculations (birth and prenatal). Generate yours here.

An energy corridor linking two centres. There are 36 channels, inspired by the kabbalistic Tree of Life. A complete channel (two activated gates) creates a quantum field - a unique life force that is more than the sum of its parts. It automatically defines the two centres at its ends.

An energy hub of the Body Graph. There are 9 of them, each associated with a precise biological and psychological function. A centre is either defined (coloured, reliable energy) or undefined (white, an area of receptivity and conditioning).

Centre of direction, love and identity, located at the very heart of the Body Graph. It houses the Magnetic Monopole that holds Personality and Design together. When it is defined, it gives a stable sense of self and a reliable life direction. When it is open, identity and direction fluctuate with the environment.

A functional grouping of channels that share the same way of processing energy. There are 3 great groups: the Individual circuit (mutation, creativity), the Tribal circuit (support, loyalty, resources) and the Collective circuit (sharing, logic, abstraction). Each circuit colours the way energy flows through your chart.

The energy influence exerted by one person’s defined centres on another person’s undefined centres. It is the main source of the “Not-Self” - those acquired habits and behaviours that move you away from your true nature. See also Transference.

The aspect of yourself you have direct access to - what you recognise as “me”. Calculated at the exact moment of birth, shown in black on the Body Graph. The Personality Crystal, located in the Head centre, is what carries it.

A technical division located below the line of a hexagram. There are 6 colours per line, adding a further degree of precision to each activation. The direction of the Variables arrows does not come from the colour but from the tone: tones 1 to 3 point left, tones 4 to 6 point right.

According to Human Design cosmology, two crystals live in every human being. The Personality Crystal (conscious) sits in the Head centre and carries your subjective identity. The Design Crystal (unconscious) sits in the Ajna centre and programmes the body. Together they are held by the Magnetic Monopole in the G Center.

Your life mission, formed by the four gates of the Sun and the Earth (conscious and unconscious). It is not something you actively search for - it emerges naturally when you live according to your Strategy and your Authority. Its angle (Right, Left or Juxtaposition) depends on your profile. Find out more.

The gradual process by which you free yourself from the habits of the “Not-Self” by living according to your Strategy and Authority. It is reckoned to take about 7 years for the mind to accept that it no longer runs your life.

The set of your coloured centres and channels that form your fixed nature. There are five configurations: Single (~41%), Split (~46%), Triple (~11%), Quadruple (~0.5%) and No Definition (~1%, Reflector). The configuration determines your sense of inner completeness. Find out more.

The red aspect of your chart, calculated 88 solar degrees before birth. It represents your body, your biogenetic inheritance (mainly from your grandparents) and your automatic functioning. These are traits that others often notice before you do. The Design planetary positions form the red column of the Body Graph.

A gate activated in your chart whose channel remains incomplete - that is, the harmonic gate at the other end is not activated. A dormant gate represents a latent potential that can wake up temporarily through planetary transits, or in interaction with another person who carries the complementary gate.

One of the 4 aspects of the Variables, represented by the bottom-left arrow of the Body Graph. It determines the kind of physical space in which your body works best. There are 6 environments (Caves, Markets, Kitchens, Mountains, Valleys, Shores), each with a left arrow, an active and observed body (tones 1 to 3), or a right arrow, a passive and observing body (tones 4 to 6).

The four small arrows at the top of the Body Graph. The two left arrows (Design/red) concern the body: correct diet and ideal environment. The two right arrows (Personality/black) concern the mind: perspective and motivation. Left (tones 1 to 3): active and focused; right (tones 4 to 6): receptive and peripheral. Find out more.

An energy Type with a defined Sacral centre (~36% of the population). Strategy: wait to respond. Signature: satisfaction. Not-Self: frustration. Its aura is open and enveloping, built to attract life rather than chase it.

A variant of the Generator (~33%) with a defined Sacral and a motor centre connected to the Throat. It has the same life energy but can move into action quickly after responding. Not-Self: frustration and anger if it initiates without waiting for the sacral response.

Centre of manifestation and communication - the “village square” towards which all the energy roads converge. It has 11 gates, each representing a different “voice”. Associated with the thyroid, it governs metabolism.

A pictographic symbol from the I Ching made of 6 lines (yin or yang). The 64 hexagrams correspond to the 64 gates of the Body Graph and to the 64 codons of human DNA. Each hexagram carries a specific theme linked to human nature.

See Design. The red aspect of the Body Graph, corresponding to the body and to genetic inheritance. Compared to a tunnel: you have no visibility into what happens inside, and what comes out of it often surprises you.

A rare geometry of the Incarnation Cross, corresponding only to profile 4/1. It represents the exact point of transition between the Right Angle (personal) and the Left Angle (transpersonal). People on the Juxtaposition follow a fixed, determined life path - a rigid trajectory from which little can divert them.

The Hebrew mystical tradition that contributes to Human Design through the structure of the 36 channels, inspired by the paths of the Tree of Life. The Sephiroth (10 spheres) become the centres, and the paths become the channels that carry life force.

Each hexagram is made of 6 lines, numbered from the bottom up. They add a behavioural nuance to the energy of the gate: 1=Investigator, 2=Hermit, 3=Martyr, 4=Opportunist, 5=Heretic, 6=Role Model. The lines of the Sun determine your profile.

The illusion of physical reality as the mind perceives and measures it. In Sanskrit, the root “ma” means “to measure”. Gate 62 (the Detail) is regarded as the foundation of Maya. The aim is not to escape this illusion, but to navigate it correctly through your Strategy and your Authority.

A circular wheel dividing the sky into 64 equal sections (each of 5° 37′ 30″), corresponding to the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching. It is on this wheel that planetary positions are calculated and then translated into activations on the Body Graph.

A rare energy Type (~9%) whose Sacral is undefined but which has a motor centre connected directly to the Throat. The only type able to initiate without waiting. Strategy: inform before acting. Signature: peace. Not-Self: anger. Closed and impenetrable aura.

A force located in the G Center that acts like a magnet holding Personality (conscious) and Design (unconscious) together in the illusion of a unified being. It is also the “driver” of the vehicle, guiding your life trajectory.

The category grouping the 4 centres able to generate energy: the Root (pressure, adrenaline), the Sacral (vitality, capacity for work), the Solar Plexus (emotions, waves) and the Heart/Ego (will, ego). When a motor is connected to the Throat, direct manifestation becomes possible - and that is what distinguishes Manifestors from the other types.

A subatomic particle produced by the stars (70% by the Sun) which passes through everything in the universe while carrying an infinitesimal mass. As they pass through the planets, neutrinos exchange information with their matter. At the moment of birth, this filtered stream engraves a genetic imprint in your body.

The set of conditioned behaviours that result from the mind trying to run life from the undefined centres. Each Type has an emotional Not-Self signal: frustration (Generator), anger (Manifestor), bitterness (Projector), disappointment (Reflector).

The black aspect of the Body Graph, calculated at the moment of birth. It is your conscious part - “who you think you are”. In the vehicle metaphor, the Personality is the passenger sitting in the back, meant to watch the scenery without trying to drive.

The overall reading of the four Variables, that is, of the 8 figures of the Body Graph: one colour and one tone for each of the four arrows. The PHS brings together Memory and Digestion, Environment, Perspective and Motivation, and describes the conditions under which body and mind work best. Its first transformation, Memory and Digestion, is read from the Design Sun and gives the 6 regimes: Appetite, Taste, Thirst, Touch, Sound, Light.

The emotional and motor centre, seat of the emotional waves that swing between pleasure and pain. When it is defined (~50% of the population), it is always the authority - no decision should be made at an emotional peak or trough. Associated with the kidneys, the pancreas and the nervous system. In Human Design it is regarded as the centre of the spirit in mutation.

One of the 64 activation points of the Body Graph, corresponding to a hexagram of the I Ching and to a codon of DNA. A gate activated on its own is a dormant force; when it meets its harmonic gate (at the other end of the channel), together they form a complete channel and an active life force. See all the gates.

Your “life costume”, made of two figures (e.g. 4/6). The first comes from the line of the conscious Sun, the second from the line of the unconscious Sun. There are 12 profiles across three geometries: Right Angle (personal), Juxtaposition (fixed) and Left Angle (transpersonal). Find out more.

A non-energy Type (~21%) whose role is to guide the energy of others. Undefined Sacral, no motor connected to the Throat. Strategy: wait for the invitation and for recognition. Signature: success. Not-Self: bitterness. Focused and absorbing aura, directed at the other person’s G Center.

The principle that a complete channel is more than the sum of its two gates. When the Personality (black) and Design (red) data are superimposed on a single chart, we speak of the “quantum” view - the complete picture of your being.

The founder of Human Design, born Robert Allan Krakower in Montreal. After leaving his career for Ibiza in 1983, he received the transmission of the system on 3 January 1987 over eight days and nights - an event coinciding with Supernova 1987A. A Manifestor with a 5/1 profile, he taught the system from 1992 until his death in 2011.

A pressure and motor centre located at the base of the Body Graph. Associated with the adrenal glands, it generates adrenaline and the pressure to get moving. When it is defined, stress management is constant and reliable. When it is open, there is a tendency to rush in order to be rid of an amplified pressure that is not one’s own.

A modern version of the I Ching developed by Ra Uru Hu specifically for Human Design. Unlike the traditional I Ching used as an oracle, the Rave I’Ching describes the mechanics of each of the 64 gates and of their 6 lines, that is, 384 unique descriptions. It is the reference text for the detailed interpretation of the Body Graph.

The rarest Type (~1%), with no defined centre at all. It works as a mirror of its environment, sampling and reflecting the energy of others. Strategy: wait a full lunar cycle (~28 days) before major decisions. Signature: surprise. Not-Self: disappointment.

The “engine room” of the Body Graph - the centre of vitality, capacity for work and sexuality. Associated with the reproductive organs. Its definition is what distinguishes Generators (defined Sacral) from the other Types. It communicates through instinctive guttural sounds (“uh-huh” / “uhn-uhn”).

Gates or channels activated both consciously (black) and unconsciously (red), which appear striped on the chart. These “bridges” offer the rare chance to see certain traits of your unconscious nature clearly.

The emotional signal that shows you are living in step with your nature: satisfaction (Generator), peace (Manifestor), success (Projector), surprise (Reflector). It is the opposite of the Not-Self theme and your indicator of alignment. Living your Strategy and your Authority leads naturally to the Signature.

A Definition configuration in which the defined centres form two or more separate groups, with no continuous channel between them. The simple Split (~46%) creates two islands, the Triple Split (~11%) creates three, and the Quadruple Split (~0.5%) creates four. People with a Split often look to others to fill the missing “bridge”.

Centre of the survival instinct, of the immune system and of immediate bodily wellbeing. Its signal is instantaneous and non-repeating - it speaks only once, in the present moment. When it is defined and is your authority, your first impressions are your best ones.

The mechanical user manual of your Type - the way your body is genetically built to interact with the world. Inform (Manifestor), wait to respond (Generator), wait for the invitation (Projector), wait a lunar cycle (Reflector). It is the first practical key of Human Design. Find out more.

A stellar explosion observed on 23 February 1987 in the Large Magellanic Cloud, the brightest since 1604. In Human Design it is associated with the transmission Ra Uru Hu received in early 1987. The massive stream of neutrinos released by this supernova is regarded as the “cosmic messenger” that carried the information of the system to Earth.

A pressure centre located at the top of the Body Graph, associated with the pineal gland. It generates inspiration and existential questions - a mental pressure to understand, to make sense of things. Only ~30% of the population has it defined. When it is open, you can get lost looking for answers to questions that are not yours.

A technical division located below the Colour in the structure of the hexagram. There are 6 tones per colour. With the 5 bases below them, this produces more than a million possible variations for each definition - the ultimate level of individual differentiation. The tone determines the direction (left or right) of the Variables arrows.

The term for the mechanism by which the energy of one person’s defined centres “fills” and amplifies another person’s open centres. It is the precise mechanic of conditioning. For example, a defined Sacral centre transfers its life energy into the open Sacral of the other person, who feels it amplified but cannot sustain it over time.

The temporary activation of gates in your chart caused by the current movement of the planets. Transits can complete dormant channels and temporarily activate undefined centres, creating “teachers” that briefly condition your behaviour.

The fundamental classification of Human Design, determined by the configuration of your defined centres. There are five Types: Manifestor, Generator, Manifesting Generator, Projector and Reflector. Type defines how your energy works overall, your aura and your strategy for interacting with the world. Find out more.

An advanced system represented by the 4 arrows at the top of the Body Graph. It explores the divisions below the line (Colour, Tone, Base) to determine your ideal way of eating, your optimal environment, your type of perspective and your deeper motivation. Find out more.

The central Human Design metaphor for the physical body. In this image, the Design (unconscious/red) is the vehicle itself, the Magnetic Monopole in the G Center is its driver, and the Personality (conscious/black) is the passenger sitting in the back. The passenger does not drive - they watch the scenery and enjoy the journey.

An ancient Chinese wisdom text (about three thousand years old) made of 64 hexagrams. In Human Design these hexagrams form the 64 gates of the Body Graph. Their binary structure (yin/yang) corresponds mathematically to the 64 codons of human DNA. Ra Uru Hu developed a modern version of it: the Rave I’Ching.