The conscious/unconscious themes will become more apparent as we go on. For now, simply take an initial look at which parts of your life chart are conscious (black) and which are unconscious (pink). When you see striped sections of black and pink, this indicates an overlap of conscious and unconscious traits. This implies that you are actually capable of recognizing these unconscious traits in yourself.
The Planets
In the Human Design system there are 13 different influences that come to us through the placement of the sun, moon, planets and nodes at the time of our birth. It is the precise placement of the planets in the neutrino stream at that moment that determines which gates are ‘on’ and therefore which centres are defined.
On the life chart, these ‘heavenly bodies’ are indicated by the black glyphs alongside the pink and black gate numbers. Their influences, and what they bring to the table, belong in an advanced form of teaching beyond the scope of this initial grasp of Human Design. But, for your understanding of what you are seeing in that top left – hand corner matrix, I provide this symbolic outline:
Now, to guide you through the basics of a life chart’s structure, let’s look at an example…
Allow Me to Introduce… Prince Harry.
Please meet Prince Harry of England, the second son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana. He was born on 15 September 1984 at 16.20 GMT in London. You’ll observe that the software has calculated 15 June 1984 as a period approximately three months before his birth.
These two dates have created the two columns titled ‘unconscious’ (in pink) and ‘conscious’ (black). In these columns, you’ll note the gate numbers, to be examined later.
All the information in the right – hand column is colour – coded black, relating to the moment of birth. These are the aspects that are conscious – sometimes called ‘personality’ information.
All the information in the left – hand column is colour – coded pink, relating to that time approximately three months before birth. These represent the unconscious side and his genetic inheritance.
Note that one square centre is red. From that centre’s right side, you’ll see a narrow channel coloured black leading to the brown triangle centre on the far right. On either end of this connected channel are the gates 59–6. The meanings of this are incidental at this stage. What matters is that you note the distinction between a centre defined in colour and a centre which is white and therefore undefined.
Also note the distinction between a fully coloured channel, which is active, and one which is white or half – coloured and is, therefore, inactive.
It takes just one full channel activation to turn on the connecting centres. For example, in Prince Harry’s chart, the active 59–6 channel defines both the Sacral centre (red) and the Emotions centre (brown).
To recap: a centre is defined in colour, depending on whether a connecting channel is active or non – active.
You are now armed with the rudimentary basics of what constitutes a Human Design life chart. I’ve mapped out the road ahead. Now, let the journey – and the fun – begin.
The Nine Centres
‘Finally, someone has explained what it’s all about – who I am, the way I am, and what to do about it.’
Rob, London, UK
Life is one long sequence of sometimes dramatic events and introductions. Our days ebb and flow with actions and reactions, meetings and greetings, and it is the nine Human Design centres that assimilate and distribute life – energy around our physical body to determine how we interact with each other. These energies within are what build the foundations of our true nature.
Whilst the centres have familiar names such as Spleen, Heart or Throat, they are not physical things but internal zones which correspond with the way we function. So your life chart is a map of your ‘energy body’ as opposed to your physical body. In this respect, it is not dissimilar to the chakra system.
The crucial thing to understand is that each centre ‘communicates’ and crosses over with the designs of other people, meshing together in a daily dance and influencing all our interactions on a moment – by – moment basis. These invisible energies are forever interweaving by simply being in the same room as someone else. So, on the surface, our eyes and mouths may well be doing all the obvious communicating, but it’s the powerful undercurrents of the nine centres that are doing the real work, pulling our strings on a deep bio – energetic level.
In a basic example, a man could be standing in a room with a woman and their respective energies will interact, drawing them together. You’ll be familiar with that feeling when you’ve been pulled towards someone and yet have no idea why. Or there’s something about someone that unsettles you. That ‘something’ is the energy at work within different centres.
Your Human Design, therefore, is always affected by the energies of those with whom you engage in love, business or friendship. It is a system which is interconnected, like humanity itself.
Once you understand how different designs interface, engage and communicate, you’re better able to understand the dynamics and undercurrents running beneath all relationships and associations. It is basic quantum physics – the fact that everything in the Universe consists of vibrations and energy and that we are an integral part of that same energy. I’m not going to indulge in such complexities in this book. All that needs to be understood is something which is supported