PROJECTOR | hannawilliams.com

WHAT IS HD?
Human Design is a self-discovery system that helps you understand how you’re uniquely wired to operate in the world. It combines astrology, the I Ching, the Kabbalah, the chakra system, and quantum physics to create a personal “body graph” based on your birth data. This chart reveals your energy type, decision-making strategy, strengths, and challenges, showing you how to
move through life with less resistance and more alignment. Instead of trying to be like everyone else, Human Design teaches you to trust your natural way of being—whether that means how you make decisions, interact with others, or use your energy. It’s not about rules or limitations but a practical tool for living in flow with who you truly are.

The Human Design System is the Science of Differentiation. It shows each of us that we have a unique design and a specific purpose to fulfill while on Earth. Endless possibilities for individual uniqueness lie within our genetic matrix. There are millions of variations of human beings, yet each of us has a specific and unique Human Design configuration with a clear Strategy that
effortlessly aligns us to our uniqueness. Human Design does not ask you to believe anything. It invites you to participate in a potentially life-transforming living experiment, and provides you with the practical tools and information needed to live life as yourself. Without this individualized - and individualizing - living experiment, Human Design is just a complex system of fascinating
information to entertain the mind.

A Human Design Chart or BodyGraph is a precise map and user guide that gives you access to how we are genetically designed to engage with the world, and how our unique inner guidance system operates. Never before have we been able to see all of the parts of ourselves so clearly. The conscious and unconscious parts of ourselves, the aspects of us that no one can take away
from us, as well as the aspects that we have been taught or conditioned to believe are us, but are not.

In this document, I’ll walk you through the most important things to understand as you begin your Human Design experiment. The “experiment” really comes down to this: living according to your strategy and authority, and deconditioning anything that gets in
the way of doing that correctly.

First, we’ll cover your energy type—this is the most essential piece of information to grasp.

In Human Design, your energy type isn’t quite like your “sun, moon, and rising” in traditional astrology. Instead, it describes how your aura behaves and interacts with the world around you.

A closer parallel to “sun, moon, and rising” in Human Design would be your profile (which I’ll cover at the end of your report!).

In addition to your energy type and profile, your conscious and unconscious sun and earth gates offer deep insight—they reflect the major themes of your life. As I walk through your centers and gates, I’ll point out which of these are your sun and earth placements so you can pay special attention to them.

That said, when it comes to actually living your experiment, the most important things to understand and embody are your type, strategy, and authority. After that, learning about your defined and undefined centers, your channels, and your definition style will offer insight into your natural strengths and gifts—as well as the areas where you’ve likely been conditioned by others.

It’s generally recommended to sincerely try to live your S&A (strategy & authority) for at least a year, if you’re up for the experiment. Like I wrote above, human design is not a belief system. It’s something you can actually test in your experience to see if it improves your experience of life.

When you start to notice your most conditioned areas (your undefined centers), you can bring awareness to the “not-self” patterns that show up there and begin to reorient toward the wisdom these centers hold. In Human Design, the "not-self" refers to the conditioned mental strategies and behaviors that arise when you operate from your undefined centers rather than following your strategy and authority. The majority of the work is becoming aware of this!

All of this will start to make more sense as you move through the report. I hope you enjoy it!

Let’s begin with your energy type.

Intro analogy:
Above is an image of the four energy types, illustrating the “shape” of their auras. I like to think of each type as a “shape.” But regardless of which “shape” you are, all four types are doing the same essential thing in life: riding a bike along the path of their unique reality.

If you’re a Manifestor, you’re on your bike every day riding through reality. If you’re a Projector, you’re on your bike every day riding through reality. And so on.

Living in alignment with your Strategy and Authority doesn’t guarantee that everything will go your way. What it does help with—sincerely and awesomely—is reducing the resistance you experience as you move through life.

So, continuing the bike analogy: when you live according to your S&A, you’re on your bike with a tailwind, making the ride smoother and more supported. When you don’t live according to your S&A, you’re biking into a headwind—it’s not that you can’t move forward, but everything feels harder, like swimming upstream.

So “correctness” in Human Design isn’t about living a perfect life. It’s about catching that tailwind. Struggles will still come, but when you follow your S&A, they’ll be your struggles—aligned with your actualization—instead of wasted energy spent fighting against wrong current.

ENERGY TYPE (Projector)
Congrats! You are a projector, 20% of the population. I am too!
Projectors are not here to generate consistent life-force energy or to initiate action the way Generators or Manifestors do. Instead, we are designed to guide—to see how energy moves, how systems operate, and how people can function more efficiently and authentically within them. What makes a Projector a Projector is your undefined Sacral center, which means you don’t have consistent access to sustainable, focused energy. The image below portrays the way the aura of the projector functions. The lack of sacral definition (portrayed uncolored) is what makes us what we are (unless you’re a non-sacral manifestor with motor-to-throat definition, of course.)

Because we don’t generate sustained energy ourselves, Projectors are naturally attuned to how energy is being used around us. This is part of why we’re often recognized as guides. We’re not designed to do the work; we’re here to direct the energy of others in a more aligned and effective way. That’s our brilliance! Our aura is focused and absorbing—it goes deeply into the other, into systems, into patterns. This gives us the ability to notice what others might miss.

What does it feel like to be a Projector? It might feel like you’re watching the world rush past you while you wait for your moment. You may feel tired if you try to keep up with the pace of others, especially without invitation. You may sense things deeply, know exactly how to improve something, and yet feel invisible unless someone sees you and asks for your insight. When a Projector is truly recognized and invited (we’ll cover this next,) there’s a deep sense of being met, of relaxing into their natural role.

The roles Projectors thrive in tend to involve observation, wisdom, and systems-thinking. They do well in leadership, advisory, coaching, teaching, counseling, or editorial positions—but not only one-on-one. Some Projectors are artists or musicians whose work guides consciousness or emotional experience, like Rick Rubin or Michael Jackson. Others may operate on a collective level, like Barack Obama. The core pattern isn’t about the profession itself—it’s about the energetic role of guiding others wisely, often in non-linear or deeply personal ways.

In short, you don’t have to be a coach to be a Projector. You can be a painter whose work changes how people see, a speaker who uplifts others through clarity, or a leader who shifts culture through invitation and resonance. What matters is that your energy is recognized, and your wisdom is allowed to flow. Let’s cover your strategy.

STRATEGY (Wait for the invitation)
In Human Design, each type has a strategy — a way of interacting with the world that brings flow, ease, and correct alignment. This is the best way for you to “ride your bike.” For Projectors, the strategy is to wait for the invitation — particularly when it comes to the big areas of life:
Relationships (romantic, friendship, business)

Career or work opportunities

Where and with whom to live

Major life decisions or directions

This is not a passive or submissive strategy. It is a deeply intelligent energetic approach to life that honors the your natural role as a guide — someone whose insights are most impactful when they are seen, recognized, and invited to share.
Why do we need to be invited?
To prevent bitterness (not-self) and to create less resistance.
Projectors have a focused and penetrating aura designed to absorb and understand others. Because of this deep attunement, Projectors often see how things could be improved, how others are operating inefficiently, or what’s really going on under the surface.
But: just because you see clearly doesn’t mean it’s time to act OR share what you’re seeing.
Without being invited, your wisdom can feel intrusive or unappreciated. This can lead to bitterness — the Projector’s “not-self” theme — which shows up when your guidance is offered but not welcome, or when you’re putting your energy into relationships, work, or environments that don’t truly see or value you. Perhaps you’ve already experienced this in your life.
An invitation is not always verbal. It’s not always formal. It’s energetic — a recognition of your value, and a request (explicit or implicit) for your guidance, presence, or input. As you explore your HD experiment, part of the projector path is testing what feels like a true invitation for YOU.
Here are some examples:
Correct Invitations
A friend says, “I’d really love to hear your thoughts on something I’m stuck with. What do you see?”

A collaborator you admire reaches out and says, “I love how you think. Would you like to work together on this project?”

A potential partner expresses genuine curiosity about who you are and opens up a space for mutual discovery.

These invitations feel open, warm, and welcoming. There’s space for you to show up as you are, and your presence feels recognized and appreciated. Feeling recognized is the KEY to not feeling bitter.
Not an Invitation
You insert your advice into a conversation without being asked, and people shut down or ignore it.

You try to fix someone’s issue because you can clearly see what’s wrong, but they weren’t actually ready to hear it.

You chase opportunities or relationships where you are not truly seen or valued, hoping you’ll earn recognition over time.

These tend to lead to feelings of frustration, bitterness, or depletion — because you’re operating outside of your design.
“Waiting for the invitation” doesn’t mean doing nothing. It means refining your ability to recognize what is truly correct for you and building a life that supports your well-being and visibility.
Here’s what this waiting period can look like:
Study, observe, and master your craft — whether that’s systems, people, art, or wisdom traditions. Projectors are here to see how energy moves and how to refine it.

Rest and protect your energy — you’re not built for constant output. Your insights land better when you’re rested and resourced.

Go where you’re seen — show up in places and communities where people already appreciate how you think or what you offer. Don’t overlook this! We have magnetic energy when we recognize our own power.

Practice discernment — not all invitations are correct. Some look shiny but drain you. Trust the ones that feel mutually nourishing. And LISTEN TO YOUR AUTHORITY! (Covering this soon!)
“Waiting for the invitation” is about allowing recognition to come to you — not because you’re passive, but because you are already radiating value. When you trust that the right people will see you, and when you take care of your energy and sharpen your clarity, the right invitations come. In my experience, the key to getting the right invitation is 1.) follow to your authority and 2.) SELF-RECOGNITION. If you can’t recognize yourself and your own gifts, no one else will. A projector who gets solid invitations has solid self-esteem. We can cover potential obstacles with this when we go through your defined/undefined centers.

PLEASE NOTE: Your strategy is only relevant when it involves guiding other people. You DO NOT need to wait for the invitation to go for a walk, initiate a hang out with a friend, make yourself dinner, vibe with yourself, go for an outing with your kiddo etc. What we are waiting for is the invite to penetrate another person’s aura, period!

Let’s go over this “bitterness” idea, and then we’ll cover your authority.

SIGNATURE & NOT-SELF: (Success & Bitterness)
In Human Design, each type has a signature — a feeling that arises when you are living in alignment with your design — and a not-self theme — an emotional signal that something is off.
For Projectors, the signature is Success, and the not-self theme is Bitterness.
Success, for a Projector, is not simply about achievement or status — it’s the feeling of being recognized, valued, and invited to share your insight. It arises when your natural ability to guide others is received and appreciated in the correct context.
Success for a Projector might look like:
Being asked for your perspective and having your insights land deeply with others

Being invited into spaces where your presence and wisdom feel welcomed

Feeling seen for who you truly are, without having to push or prove
This feeling of success is not something you chase — it’s something you allow by following your strategy (waiting for the invitation), listening to your authority, and self-honoring your unique way of seeing and guiding.
Bitterness arises when you try to force your energy in places where you are not recognized — when you offer your guidance uninvited, push to be seen, or invest energy in people or systems that don’t truly value you.
It may feel like:
Resentment from being overlooked despite how much you give

Feeling drained and underappreciated in your work or relationships

Offering help or insight and being ignored, dismissed, or met with resistance–and all the confusion and indignation that arises from that.

Bitterness is not a flaw! It’s a very intelligent inner signal!
I love my bitterness! It corrects my course!
Bitterness tells me:
“This isn’t the right environment for my energy. I’m not being seen.”
So, this feeling of bitterness is what actually invites you to step back, redirect your attention, and restore your alignment.
USE THIS FEELING AS FEEDBACK!
Both success and bitterness are not judgments — they are compass points. They help you track how you’re doing on your journey. When you experience bitterness, you’ve got a headwind on your bike. When you experience success, you’ve got a tailwind. It’s that simple.
If ever you feel stuck:
What am I feeling? Success or bitterness?

Have I been waiting for the right invitations, or trying to force recognition?

Am I in an environment that values what I naturally offer?

By noticing these emotional signals, you begin to make subtle but powerful adjustments that bring you closer to your true role — as a guide who thrives when seen and invited.

AUTHORITY

In Human Design, Authority is your body’s inner compass. It’s not about what you think you should do—it’s how you’re designed to know what’s correct for you. You don’t need to rely on mental logic, pros and cons lists, or outside opinions to make aligned decisions. Your Authority is the specific place in your body’s energetic system where your decision-making intelligence lives. This isn’t about the mind—it’s about somatic knowing, and each person’s Authority operates differently depending on how their centers are defined.

Your Strategy tells you how to engage with life; how to ride your bike. Your Authority tells you how to make the correct choice as life engages with you; which direction to ride in on the bike path.

For example, someone with Emotional Authority is not designed to make decisions in the heat of the moment. They need emotional clarity over time, letting their wave settle. If someone has Sacral Authority, they respond in the now through their gut’s “uh-huh” or “uhn-uhn.” If someone has Splenic Authority, their knowing comes in a flash—quiet, instinctive, and deeply rooted in survival intelligence. And if someone has Ego Authority, decisions are correct when they come from their will, their desire to commit. There are also rarer authorities like Self-Projected, Mental Projected, and Lunar Authority for Reflectors.

When you honor your Authority, life becomes more effortless—not because it’s always easy, but because you’re following the right signs on the bike path. You stop chasing what isn’t meant for you and start moving with the current of what is. Your Authority is your truth. Let it speak louder than your conditioning (we’ll cover this in your undefined centers.)

Your Inner Authority is how you make the best decisions for yourself—it’s your built-in guidance system. While your mind may try to analyze, weigh pros and cons, or seek outside validation, true clarity doesn’t come from thinking—it comes from your body.

Take a moment to review your bodygraph and confirm which authority you have. Then, read the section on your specific Inner Authority.

EMOTIONAL AUTHORITY

You have Emotional Authority, which means clarity doesn't come in the moment. Unlike Sacral or Splenic beings who can make aligned decisions quickly, you’re here to wait through your emotional wave before knowing what’s correct for you. This isn't a flaw — it’s a gift. Emotional clarity is about taking your time to feel your truth fully, across highs and lows, before committing your energy.

My favorite analogy:
Having non-Sacral emotional authority is like developing a photo in a darkroom — you can’t rush it. If you expose the image too soon (act on a high or low), it gets ruined or distorted. You have to let it sit in the chemical bath of emotion, letting the picture slowly emerge. Only after the full process has run its course can you truly see what’s there — and then decide what to do with it.

One of the biggest challenges for people with emotional authority is that society has conditioned them to make decisions when they're in either a high or low emotional state. Depending on the specific channel that defines your authority, the intensity and consistency of your emotional wave will vary. But across the board, the “high” is typically seen as the “good” state. Most cultures teach us that feeling good—feeling high—is the goal.

But for you, that high is not the place to make decisions. You might’ve noticed this pattern in your life: you say yes to something when you're riding a high, only to regret it when the time actually comes to follow through.

On the flip side, in the “low” part of your wave, you might make a rash decision—break something off, blow something up, make a dramatic change—only to realize later that it wasn’t really what you wanted.

This is the core wisdom of emotional authority: don’t make big decisions when you're high or low. Wait for the middle. That middle state—of clarity, calm, and relative neutrality—is your place of truth.

So, instead of saying yes in the moment, try this: tell the person who’s invited you into something that you need to sleep on it. Then check in with yourself the next day, once you’ve had time to settle. If it still feels right when you’re clear and calm, that’s your answer.

Emotional authority affirmation: “There is no truth in the now.”

Embracing this ongoing mystery is part of your path!

Below are write-ups on each of the channels that may define your emotional authority.

Observe which channel(s) you have in your BodyGraph and read yours. This is specific guidance for the way your emotional wave behaves overtime and some insight into how to work with it.

19-55 (channel of emoting) You carry the Channel of Emoting (39-55), which means your emotional wave is deeply mood-based, driven by the chemistry of desire and spirit. This channel connects the Root (pressure to provoke feeling) to the Solar Plexus (emotional awareness), and creates a frequency that’s not always explainable. One moment you might feel full of possibility and inspiration, and the next—deep melancholy, restlessness, or a sense of inner hunger. That’s not a problem to fix. It’s your creative fuel. This channel provokes spirit—both in yourself and in others. It brings a deep sensitivity to whether something feels emotionally meaningful or not. You might find you’re most clear about what to do when you allow yourself to feel your way through without judgment, especially when something stirs your emotions or triggers your need for emotional depth. Your power comes from honoring the wave, not suppressing or bypassing it. Give yourself emotional space and time before committing to big things—relationships, projects, decisions. Sleep on it. Let the emotional energy move. You’ll find that your decisions are wiser, cleaner, and more sustainable when made from emotional clarity instead of emotional urgency. You’re not here to be neutral—you’re here to feel life deeply. Your wave adds depth, passion, and creative energy to the world. Learning to ride it with awareness is part of your mastery.

41-30 (channel of recognition) Your emotional wave is defined by Channel 41-30, known as the Channel of Recognition. This is a collective sensing channel, part of the abstract circuit in Human Design. It runs from the Root Center (Gate 41) to the Solar Plexus (Gate 30). Gate 41 is the fuel for imagination, dreams, and experiences—it's the initiating pressure of the entire sensing circuit. It’s associated with the desire to feel and experience something new, often rooted in fantasy or longing. Gate 30 is the emotional intensity of desire. It doesn’t want just any experience; it wants experiences that are deeply felt, that fulfill the longing stirred up by Gate 41. Together, this channel creates an emotional wave rooted in desire, anticipation, and emotional depth. It can swing between hope and disappointment, especially when the idealized potential of an experience doesn’t match its reality. As your authority, this wave teaches you patience: you need time to ride the ups and downs and reach a place of emotional clarity before acting. It's not about controlling your emotions but becoming wise in the timing of your decisions. When you're calm—not numb, not excited, just clear—that’s your green light. Because this is a collective emotional wave, your feelings are often shaped by the collective mood and shared experiences. You may feel driven to pursue emotional highs or meaningful experiences that connect you to others or express something universal.

37-40 (channel of community) Because your Solar Plexus is defined through the 37-40 channel, your emotional authority is tribal. This means your emotional wave isn't abstract or dramatic — it's deeply tied to need, touch, and trust in your immediate relationships. This wave moves gently. It’s not about soaring highs or crashing lows. Instead, you might feel a subtle fluctuation between feeling open to connection and needing space, between being emotionally generous and needing solitude to recover. That’s the nature of your wave — it’s tied to bargains, agreements, and reciprocity. When that balance feels off in your relationships, your emotional clarity can become clouded. You’re not designed to make spontaneous decisions. Your truth comes over time, as your emotional wave rises and falls. Clarity for you is felt after you’ve had the chance to ride the full wave — not in the peak of emotion, but in the quiet afterward, once the need or desire has settled. That’s where your “yes” or “no” lives. Because this channel connects the Solar Plexus to the Ego, your emotional truth is also tied to your willpower and your commitments. What you agree to — and who you agree with — matters. You’re here to make emotional decisions that honor your own needs and take into account the bonds you hold sacred. The best decisions for you won’t come from urgency or pressure. They’ll come from taking your time, letting yourself feel it all, and then trusting the deep knowing that arrives when the wave settles. Tip: When you’re at the bottom of the wave, move your body. Punch a pillow. Kickbox. “Play” rage.

59-6 (channel of mating) Your emotional authority is defined by the 59-6 channel of mating (we will cover your channels later!) This is important to understand now because the “type” of emotional wave you have can tell you a lot about how your waves behave. The 59-6 channel is part of the tribal circuit group (see below). However, it is known as separately from the rest of the tribal waves as the “source” wave–the wave from which all other emotional waves are energetically derived. Ra Uru Hu described the 59-6 as the wave of closeness and distance—intimacy and retreat. It's not just about sex or reproduction (though that's part of it); it’s about emotional fusion and emotional separation. The experience of this wave is foundational to how we bond as humans. This channel governs who gets close, when, and how deeply. Because it’s the “source” wave, it sets the tone for all other emotional experiences in the BodyGraph. In addition to this, you may notice that you “set the tone” for the emotions when you are with people; if you’re up – others are up – if you’re down – others may feel down (especially if they have undefined solar plexuses.) This is not to deter you from feeling, but just to recognize how impactful you are when you move through your life. You initiate emotional experiences just by being around people. As someone with this channel defined, your wave is: Relational: It’s stirred by closeness with others—especially those you're bonded to in a deep way. You may need to spend time AWAY from people to truly get clarity. Oscillating: You may move between wanting deep connection and needing emotional or physical space. Primal and Somatic: This is not an abstract or intellectual wave. It lives in the gut and in the emotional body. You feel it in your chemistry. Waiting for clarity doesn’t just protect you—it protects the emotional field of the whole relational system you’re in. When you ride this wave consciously, you don’t just access your own truth—you model healthy emotional timing for the people you’re close to. If you have the 59-6 as your authority, you’re here to wait for emotional clarity about people, about closeness, about what (and who) you’re building with. You don’t bond lightly. Like I said, you may benefit from time spent AWAY from people to really feel your clarity.

12-22 (channel of openness) You have emotional authority, defined through the Channel of Openness — the 12-22 — and this gives your emotional wave a deeply individual, expressive, and creative flavor. This channel carries the energy of moodiness, artistry, and emotional nuance, and it operates on its own timing. Your clarity doesn’t come from logic or immediate knowing — it comes from riding the emotional wave and waiting for the right mood to speak, act, or commit. You may notice that when you're in the mood, you’re magnetic, charismatic, and deeply impactful — your voice can stir others, not because you try, but because it’s true. And when you're not in the mood? Nothing flows. That’s not a flaw — it’s your wisdom. Your emotional truth is inconsistent but profound. With this channel, it’s especially important to honor the mutative nature of your emotions — your wave isn’t just about how you feel; it's how your inner world processes life, beauty, pain, and possibility, all with a creative undercurrent. Your clarity about decisions, relationships, or creative output will emerge over time, especially when you give yourself permission to wait until what you say or do is aligned with your emotional tone. When you honor your timing, your presence carries a rare elegance — and your words can change the atmosphere of a room.

19-49 (channel of synthesis) Your emotional authority is defined through the tribal channel 19-49 (synthesis), your emotional wave is deeply tied to themes of need, sensitivity, and closeness. This is not an abstract (collective) or personal (individual) wave — it’s bonded, relational, and grounded in the primal pull for connection, support, and mutual care. You’re someone who may ride emotional highs and lows that are sparked by feelings of being either included or excluded, attuned to or ignored, supported or left hanging. It is typical for a “tribal” emotional wave to crank up and then drop dramatically; you may feel a cyclical building within you of feeling good/elated and then plummet into disappointment; most often triggered by your close relationships. This wave tends to swell when your needs — emotional, physical, or even spiritual — aren’t being acknowledged. You might not always voice these needs directly, but they live in your body and your mood, and they can build quietly over time. Then something small — a forgotten favor, a misattuned gesture, someone withdrawing affection — can trigger the whole wave. Suddenly, you may feel rejected, unworthy, or like you’re carrying the weight of care alone. Because this is a tribal channel, the emotional terrain is woven with loyalty and expectation. You feel deeply about those you are bonded to, and your wave may crest with warmth, generosity, and a desire to nurture. But it may also crash into resentment or grief if the energetic exchange feels one-sided. The key is to ride your wave with awareness, knowing that clarity comes not in the peak or trough, but in the emotional neutral — when the water stills enough to reveal what is truly right for you. At its highest frequency, this wave helps you form sacred, committed relationships that are based on shared values and emotional truth. But its triggers are raw and real: abandonment, unmet needs, broken agreements. As with all emotional authority waves, your clarity is not logical — it’s felt over time. Honor the slowness. Many people with tribal emotional channels benefit from time spent AWAY from close relationships in order to access clarity. Not huge chunks of time, but an evening or day to yourself with your own aura so you can check in with how you’re actually feeling about a decision you need to make.

35-36 (channel of transitoriness) You have Emotional Authority, defined through the Channel of Transitoriness (35–36). This channel carries the full range of the Abstract Emotional Wave, which is rooted in change, experience, and the pursuit of new horizons. Your emotional chemistry is tied to anticipation and expectation: the rise of your wave often comes through imagining how an experience, relationship, or adventure might feel. Just as naturally, the fall of the wave can bring disappointment, boredom, or even a sense of crisis when reality does not live up to the fantasy, or when there are no new experiences to look forward to. This is a Collective channel, and its process is not about individual needs or tribal bonds but about what can be shared with others through story and meaning. The emotional wave here is not logical or predictable—it moves in cycles of excitement and letdown, hope and disillusionment. In the moment, the highs feel just as true as the lows. But clarity for you never comes in the high or low. It only comes afterward, once the emotional wave has played itself out and you’ve had time to reflect. Because this is part of the Abstract Circuitry, your authority functions through hindsight and storytelling. The significance of an experience usually only reveals itself after it has ended, when you can look back and understand what it meant and what it taught you. This means you are not designed to make quick, spontaneous decisions. Instead, your clarity emerges from waiting out your wave and letting the intensity rise and fall before you commit. With this channel, life is about sampling the full spectrum of experiences—the highs, the lows, the lessons in between—and then sharing what you’ve learned in a way that contributes to the collective. Your emotional authority is not about avoiding the turbulence but about learning to ride it, knowing that every crest and trough eventually delivers you to deeper clarity about what is truly worth saying yes to.

SPLENIC AUTHORITY

Your authority is splenic, which means your truth lives in the now. It doesn’t arrive through thinking, planning, or emotional build-up—it arises spontaneously, in the present moment, as a bodily sensation or quiet knowing.

The spleen is the oldest awareness center in the body. It governs instinct, immune health, and your intuitive sense of safety. So when it speaks, it’s not trying to please others or plan your future—it’s simply trying to keep you alive and well. It’s not loud, and it rarely repeats itself. That’s one of the hardest parts: splenic hits are subtle. They're more like “that room doesn’t feel right,” or “I don’t want to go to that party,” or “this person feels clean”—and then they’re gone.

To follow your authority, your job is to start listening inward before asking questions outward. Your truth comes before strategy. You might feel it as a tightening or opening in the body, a chill, a sensation in the chest or gut, or a very quiet inner voice that cuts through the noise with simplicity. It’s not dramatic, and it doesn’t explain itself. The more you pause and give space for that tiny pulse of clarity, the more you'll recognize how consistently it's been guiding you all along.

A few practical ways to begin:

Practice saying “I don’t know yet” when you don’t feel an immediate clarity.
Pay attention to who or what makes your body feel relaxed and alert vs. tense or closed.
Trust small instincts first (what to eat, who to text back, which way to walk) to build your relationship with this center.
Notice when you knew something in your body and ignored it—those are your splenic lessons.

This is an intuitive, bodily, animal kind of knowing. And it’s already been with you your whole life. The invitation now is to stop overriding it—and start building a life around it.

EGO AUTHORITY

You have Ego Authority. Your decision-making comes from the heart center, which means your truth is rooted in what you genuinely want and what feels correct for you. Unlike other authorities that wait for clarity through time or respond to outside prompts, your authority is about being radically honest with yourself in the present moment. The key question is: Do I want this? That may sound simple, but learning to trust that raw desire — without guilt, justification, or bending to external pressure — is your practice. Your authority works best when you speak out loud about what you want. Hearing your own voice declare it helps you feel whether the words carry truth or not.

In daily life, this means paying close attention to your wants in the small moments as much as the big ones. Do you want to go out tonight? Do you want to take on this new project? Do you want to keep talking in this conversation? It’s easy to dismiss your wants as selfish or impractical, but your system is designed to guide you through those wants. When you’re aligned, your desires won’t just serve you — they’ll serve others too, because the Ego center is tribal by nature. Honoring what you want is ultimately how you bring strength and reliability to your commitments.

A practical way to work with Ego Authority is to build habits that help you listen to your own voice. Try speaking decisions out loud with a trusted friend, or even into a voice memo, and notice how it feels in your body as you say, “I want this” or “I don’t want this.” You’ll often feel a surge of energy when you’re aligned, or a kind of hollowness when you’re not. It’s also wise to remember that your energy rises and falls — you’re not here to promise things you can’t sustain long-term. Commit only to what you truly want, and you’ll discover that your willpower becomes a reliable motor for both you and your community.

Do’s:

Say what you want out loud. Hearing yourself speak helps you feel the truth of your wants.
Ask “Do I want this?” Let desire be the guiding question.
Commit only when your heart is in it. Your willpower sustains you only when it’s rooted in true desire.
Notice the body’s response. A surge of energy, strength, or confidence often signals alignment.
Protect your energy. Rest when your willpower dips; your fuel comes in waves.

Don’ts:

Don’t justify. You don’t need to explain or rationalize why you want something.
Don’t overpromise. If you commit without genuine desire, burnout and resentment follow.
Don’t ignore your voice. Suppressing your wants to please others weakens your authority.
Don’t confuse shoulds with wants. Obligation is not the same as desire.
Don’t assume selfishness. Your wants are designed to support both you and the people you’re connected to.

SELF-PROJECTED AUTHORITY

You have Self-Projected Authority, which means your truth is expressed through your voice. Unlike other authorities that rely on emotions, instincts, or the sacral response, your clarity comes when you hear yourself speak about a decision. It’s not about what others tell you or even what your mind thinks—it’s about the resonance you hear in your own words.

Your authority is rooted in the G Center, the seat of identity, direction, and love. This means your decisions are not about what’s practical, safe, or efficient—they are about what feels correct for who you are and the direction your life is meant to take. When you talk things out, the sound and quality of your voice will reveal whether something is aligned. If your words feel forced, heavy, or uncertain, that’s a sign it’s not correct. If your voice feels light, authentic, and true, that’s your green light.

It’s important to understand that your process is not internal. You are not designed to figure things out silently in your head. You need trusted people in your life—friends, mentors, loved ones—who can simply listen while you speak. They don’t need to give advice. Their role is to be a sounding board so you can hear yourself. In this way, you come to clarity by externalizing your inner truth.

Because your authority is tied to your identity, the central question for you is always: “Does this feel like me? Is this the direction that expresses who I truly am?” When you honor this, your decisions align with your life path. When you ignore it—when you try to make choices from pressure, fear, or logic—you can end up in situations that feel wrong or disconnected from your sense of self.

Trust that your voice will guide you. The more you allow yourself to speak your truth out loud, the more consistent and reliable your decision-making becomes. Your authority is a compass—it doesn’t point to what makes sense for others, but to what keeps you on track with your unique trajectory.

MENTAL PROJECTOR / ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORITY

You are a Mental Projector, which means your design does not carry an inner authority in the way most people do. This is sometimes called “no authority,” but the most accurate way to understand it is as Environmental Authority. Your clarity comes not from inside your body, but from interacting with your surroundings and hearing yourself in the right environments.

Unlike Emotional, Splenic, or Sacral beings, you do not have a consistent internal mechanism that says yes or no. Your mind is active and can be brilliant at observing patterns, but it is not here to make decisions for your life. Instead, your decision-making process is about sampling environments, relationships, and conversations until you can hear what truly resonates for you.

The key question for you is always: “Am I in the right environment?” When you are, your system relaxes, and you can hear yourself clearly. When you are not, everything feels off. That’s why your Strategy of waiting for recognition and invitation is so essential—it ensures that you’re engaging with people and places that actually support your clarity.

For you, talking things out with trusted sounding boards is vital. Just as with Self-Projected Authority, you need others to listen, but you aren’t looking for their advice. You’re listening to your own words, noticing how they land in your body, and sensing the quality of your voice in different contexts. In the right place, around the right people, your truth comes forward.

This is not a quick process, and that’s correct for you. Your authority is about orientation, not urgency. By giving yourself time and space to move between environments and to express your thoughts out loud, you arrive at decisions that are deeply aligned.

Because your authority is externalized, the most important practice for you is to be radically selective about where you put yourself and whom you allow in your space. The right environment will draw your truth out; the wrong environment will leave you disoriented or trying to solve life with your mind.

Trust your environment as your guide. When you put yourself in places and with people that feel correct, your clarity will emerge naturally—never forced, but recognized in the way your voice and body respond in that space.

🚨 BEFORE YOU EXPLORE THE CENTERS 🚨

PLEASE UNDERSTAND: It’s not better or worse to have defined or undefined centers.

Your defined centers are like your teachers—they give you consistent energy and perspective, shaping the way you naturally express certain aspects of yourself. These are the parts of you that feel steady, where you generate energy and offer wisdom to others.

Meanwhile, your undefined/open centers are your school—they’re where you learn the most, but also where you can be conditioned the most. These areas aren’t fixed; they absorb, amplify, and reflect the energy around you, offering deep wisdom when you navigate them correctly.

Neither defined nor undefined centers are “better” or “worse.” They simply function differently.

Defined centers provide consistency, but they can also become rigid or over-relied upon.

Undefined centers provide flexibility and deep wisdom, but they can also be sources of confusion if you're absorbing energy unconsciously.

For example, someone with a defined Solar Plexus has their own emotional wave, which means they experience emotions in a steady, internal way. On the other hand, someone with an undefined Solar Plexus doesn’t generate stable emotional waves but instead absorbs and amplifies the emotions of others, giving them the potential for deep emotional wisdom—but also a tendency to take on feelings that aren’t actually theirs.

The key is not to favor one over the other, but to understand how they work together. Your defined centers give you structure, while your undefined centers teach you adaptability and awareness. Embracing both means honoring your natural strengths while also being mindful of where you are most open to influence and learning.

On your bodygraph, a defined center is colored in, and an undefined or open center is white. An open center has no hanging gates.

UNDERSTAND IT LIKE THIS: YOUR OPENNESS BECOMES YOUR “PhD” IN LIFE

Because you feel these centers are not innate to you, you become fixated by them; obsessed with understanding or mastering them. This is where the wisdom potential arises from, if you’re up for the long process of deconditioning.

And for your reference… human design planetary meanings are slightly different than traditional astrology, especially south/north node.

Sun (☉) | Core life force, purpose, conscious identity

Earth (♁) | Grounding, balance, embodiment, the challenge to master

North Node | Future direction, conscious environment, what you're growing into

South Node | Past orientation, unconscious environment, familiar perspective

Moon (☽) | Inner motivation, what drives or pulls you into action

Mercury (☿) | Communication, mental themes, what you're here to express

Venus (♀) | Values, moral codes, behavioral principles, sacred laws

Mars (♂) | Immature energy, growth areas, trial-and-error learning

Jupiter (♃) | Expansion, reward, guiding principles, your personal laws

Saturn (♄) | Discipline, life lessons, responsibility, karmic themes

(if you don’t live your “law,” jupiter, you will be pinched Saturn)

Uranus (♅) | Uniqueness, mutation, unpredictability, personal revolution

Neptune (♆) | Mystery, spiritual themes, illusion, hidden truths

Pluto (♇) | Transformation, evolution, power dynamics, deep truth

Oh yes, and one more very important thing:

When we go through the centers, you’ll see “conscious” or “unconscious” gates. This is describing the position of the gates on your BodyGraph, on the left (design side in red) or the right (personality side in black.)

Here’s how it works: your chart is made up of two sides—your Design and your Personality.

Your Personality is what you consciously identify with—your thoughts, how you see yourself, the way you try to make sense of things.

Your Design, on the other hand, is unconscious. It’s your body’s intelligence. It was set 88 days before you were born, and it’s what carries you through life—whether your mind is on board or not.

In general, you’ll relate more with the gates/channels that are in black. The gates/channels in red may feel a bit more distant; however if you really pay attention, you may notice that your body moves you in ways that are quite mysterious throughout life, or you get feedback from other people that surprises you. For instance, if you have gate 17 as your design sun, you might hear a lot from people that you’re very opinionated, even if you don’t personally see yourself that way. Other people see your design side more than you do.

One of the best ways to understand this is through the car analogy.

Your Design is the car—the vehicle.

Your Personality is the driver—navigating and operating the body.

But where are “you,” your conscious mind?

You’re actually in the back seat.

You’re meant to sit there enjoying the ride; which is made possible by following your strategy & authority. However, most of us spend our lives being a “back seat driver,” thinking we know what’s best; using the mind to make all of life’s decisions.

Now, being a passenger in the back seat doesn’t mean you’re passive. It means your job is to watch, notice, and trust that the car knows exactly where it’s going.

As always: Strategy & authority, strategy & authority, strategy & authority.

The more you allow your body—your Design—to lead, the more aligned and easeful life becomes.

Okay, enough of all that… let’s get into your defined centers.

DEFINED CENTERS

Your defined centers are where you carry a strong and consistent internal sense of how your energy operates in these areas of life. These defined centers are like internal engines: reliable, always humming in the background, shaping how you experience the world and how the world experiences you. Let’s walk through what each one brings to your design.

As I walk you through your defined and undefined centers, I also include the gates located within each center.

When a gate is active in your chart but does not connect to another active gate to form a full channel, it’s called a “hanging gate.”
Hanging gates in a defined center are important to understand because they represent consistent, fixed energies within you—and yet, they are part of a larger energetic circuit that isn’t fully defined on its own (a channel.)

This can create both a sense of incompleteness or an ongoing readiness for expression, as if the gate is “waiting” for the right conditions or people to bring out its full potential.

When someone enters your aura with the corresponding gate, the channel is temporarily completed through electromagnetic connection, and the energy can come alive in a new and often impactful way.

Without that external activation, hanging gates can feel like live wires—reliable and present, but always seeking resonance or interaction to fulfill their role in your design.

Including hanging gates helps us understand the specific themes and potentials alive in your defined or undefined centers—even if they’re not always consistent or consciously accessible. They're part of the unique texture of your chart and can subtly shape the way you move through the world and relate to others.

Please note: As we go through each center, I do include information on gates that complete channels just so you can understand these themes. Because they are part of a channel, the theme is nearly always present in your experience.

UNDEFINED CENTERS

Your undefined and open centers are a big part of what makes you wise, empathetic, and able to pick up on things others can’t always see.

At the same time, these areas can feel intense, confusing, or overwhelming when you don’t realize what’s yours and what isn’t.

These undefined centers are where you take in the world—they're where you're most influenced and conditioned, especially when you’re young or in environments that don't feel safe or aligned. But when you become aware of them, they also become your greatest sources of wisdom.

These areas don’t function consistently for you—but they’re where you’re here to learn, grow, and gain deep wisdom. They can also be where conditioning shows up most strongly, especially if you've learned to make decisions from these places instead of your Authority.

This is particularly true when you have a gate defined inside an undefined center.

These “hanging gates” act like magnets, always reaching for completion, which can pull you into relationships or behaviors that feel urgent or familiar, but aren’t truly yours.

Noticing this tendency—and learning to observe it without identifying with it—is key to transforming these places of openness into deep, embodied wisdom.

Next, we'll go through the differences between the defined & undefined centers, including all of their gates.

DEFINED HEAD

The Head center is a pressure center (as is the root center.)

It functions as the pressure to comprehend, to think, and to make sense of things in the world. It’s pressure moves our thoughts toward conceptualization in the Ajna center by pushing our questions toward formulas and opinions, our pondering toward clarification and insight, and our confusion toward realization and ideas – and then to the throat center where they are transformed into language.

This pressure is also known as inspiration, so the head center is the center of inspiration.

The pressure of the head center is simply the pressure to ask questions, and expect answers, that we all experience on a day to day basis.

If you have a defined head, you also have a defined ajna (they create a channel,) and both of these centers working together creates a consistent mental pressure to ask and answer questions, to grasp and understand things, including consciousness itself.

The persistent pressure of the defined head and ajna can create a feeling of anxiety because the mind is always churning on what has not yet been grasped.

At the same time, when you have a defined head, you also have a fixed way of thinking.

The themes of the particular gates or channels in your head center become the subject or source of inspiration that becomes available to others, or are themes you chew on in a consistent way.

According to HD, our minds are never for us; they are for other people.

So definition in the head & ajna becomes a source of inspiration for others, ultimately.

UNDEFINED HEAD

Your Head center — the center of mental pressure and inspiration — is undefined.

This means you take in and amplify the mental pressure of others.

You're not here to generate your own questions or ideas constantly, but to sample inspiration, ask the right questions, and let it move through you without needing to resolve or answer everything.

With an undefined Head, you are vulnerable to mental pressure — especially the drive to figure things out that don’t matter to you.

You may feel a pull to obsess over questions, doubts, or mysteries, but most of the time, those aren’t your questions.

They're borrowed from the environment or the people you're around.

This is a potential of your awareness to become VERY attuned to.

Your job with this center is not to chase answers, but to notice what kinds of questions truly inspire you, and which ones just pull you off track. You’re not here to prove you’re certain — you’re here to be open to insight, to let inspiration come and go without attachment.

Your hanging gates here are potential themes for what questions or topics you tend to get hung up on.

OPEN HEAD (no hanging gates)

The Head is the center of inspiration, mental pressure, and questions. It’s where wonder, doubt, confusion, and awe move through the system.

But this pressure is not personal — it’s transpersonal. It’s not meant to be solved — it’s meant to be witnessed. With an open Head, you don’t have a fixed way of generating ideas or asking questions.

Instead, your mind is inspired by the world around you — by the people you're near, the environments you're in, the conversations that surround you.

An open Head can be brilliant, imaginative, and spiritually attuned. You can absorb and amplify the mental pressure of others — the need to “figure it out,” to resolve mysteries, to know. But because this pressure isn’t yours, it’s not meant to be chased.

The wisdom of the open Head comes from learning to let questions pass through you without needing to answer them all.

This is the center where doubt, confusion, and inspiration live. With it open, you may find that your best thinking isn’t really yours — it’s borrowed from whatever field you're standing in.

Your openness allows you to be a mirror, a reflector, a channel — not because you own the thoughts, but because you’re porous enough to receive them.

In your life, this may show up as:

Feeling pressure to answer every question — even when it's not your question
Taking in a lot of mental energy from others and struggling to “turn it off”
Becoming fascinated (or overwhelmed) by too many ideas at once
Trying to prove your intelligence or certainty, even when you don’t need to

The key is discernment. You are not here to answer every question — you’re here to notice which questions light you up, and which ones just create noise.

GATES OF THE HEAD CENTER

GATE 64 (confusion) Gate 64, the Gate of Confusion, is located in the Head center and is part of the abstract (experiential) circuit. It carries the pressure to make sense of the past—to review memories, images, and impressions in search of meaning or clarity. This gate doesn’t provide answers on its own; it creates a stream of visual and emotional data that the mind wants to organize and resolve. If you have Gate 64, your mind may be filled with story fragments, memories, or symbolic imagery that seem chaotic at first—but this confusion is part of a necessary mental process. When paired with Gate 47 (in the Ajna), it forms the Channel of Abstraction, which transforms these fragmented impressions into insight and understanding over time. The pressure of Gate 64 is not to be resolved quickly; when honored, it leads to creative reflection and a deeper appreciation for the meaning behind past experiences. When misused, it can lead to mental overwhelm, disorientation, or a desperate push for premature clarity. According to source teachings, this gate is about holding the confusion until the recognition emerges naturally.

GATE 61 (inner truth) Located in the Head Center, Gate 61 is part of the Individual Knowing Circuit (Inspiration subcircuit). It brings intense pressure to know the unknowable—to find inner truth, wrestle with existential questions, and make sense of life’s mysteries. This is not mental energy for solving practical problems; it is mystical, inward, and deeply mutative. Gate 61 is fueled by inspiration that comes spontaneously, often without logic or context. It carries the energy of divine questioning—Why are we here? What is God? What is consciousness?—but it isn’t here to provide fixed answers. Instead, its purpose is to hold the pressure to know, and through that, bring mutation in awareness over time. This gate is acoustic and individual, meaning it doesn’t always make sense to others and doesn’t seek agreement. Its insights can be profound or alienating, and often arise in silence, solitude, or in the presence of beauty. It may be experienced as moments of revelation—or long periods of pressure and confusion, especially when the knowing hasn’t crystallized yet. Because it comes from the Head Center, Gate 61 is a source of mental pressure. If not grounded, it can lead to obsessive thinking or anxiety around needing to “figure things out.” When honored and timed correctly, however, its revelations can be mutative, deeply personal, and eventually transformative to others when shared through the right channel.

GATE 63 (doubt) Gate 63 is the Gate of Doubt, located in the Head Center, and it initiates the logical stream of mental pressure. If you have this gate, you are designed to question, to probe, and to test what appears to be true. This doubt is not meant to undermine—it’s meant to refine. Gate 63 puts pressure on the mind to ask, “Can this be proven? Can this be trusted?” It seeds the process of logical reasoning by challenging assumptions and demanding clarity. In its highest expression, this gate keeps communities and systems from blindly accepting ideas without verification, ensuring that what is shared can stand the test of logic and consistency. When Gate 63 connects with Gate 4 in the Ajna, it completes the Channel of Logic, turning doubt into answers, hypotheses, and tested explanations. On its own, though, Gate 63 can sometimes feel like mental restlessness—an endless loop of suspicion or second-guessing. The key is to remember that this is pressure for inspiration, not for decision-making. Your doubt is valuable when you don’t try to resolve it with the mind alone, but instead allow it to fuel inquiry and then check what resonates through your Strategy and Authority. At its healthiest, Gate 63 helps transform uncertainty into dependable clarity, turning skepticism into a force for collective improvement.

DEFINED AJNA

The Ajna Center in Human Design is the center of conceptualization — where information is processed, organized, and given meaning.

When you have a defined Ajna, your mind works in a consistent and reliable way.

You have fixed ways of thinking, analyzing, and forming opinions or insights, and this can bring a sense of stability in how you approach information.

Unlike someone with an undefined Ajna (who is more fluid and influenced by the mental processes of others), your thinking tends to follow familiar pathways — you may notice that you return to certain frameworks, perspectives, or mental patterns again and again.

How it might feel: with a defined Ajna, there’s often a sense of certainty in your thinking, even though what you’re certain about may not always be objectively “true.”

This can make your inner world feel stable and trustworthy, but it can also make you more prone to rigidity if you cling too tightly to needing to be right.

The Ajna is not a motor or an authority — it isn’t here to make decisions — but it does create a strong mental identity, and others often look to you for clarity or consistent viewpoints.

The gift of a defined Ajna is that you can develop a deep mastery in your way of seeing things, building frameworks that others can lean on.

The key is to remember that consistency of thought doesn’t equal absolute truth — your authority lies elsewhere in your design.

Similar to the head; our minds are for others, not for our own decision making.

UNDEFINED AJNA

With an undefined Ajna, you’re not here to hold tight to fixed opinions. You’re here to explore ideas, not identify with them.

This can be both freeing and confusing—freeing because you can see multiple perspectives with ease, and confusing because you might feel pressure to sound certain, even when you’re not.

The truth is, you’re not meant to be certain.

You’re meant to witness mental clarity moving through you—not cling to it as an identity.

Your Ajna will always be responsive, not consistent.

Some days you’ll feel crystal clear. Other days, completely foggy.

That’s not a problem—that’s your design.

The wisdom of an undefined Ajna lies in learning to say, “I don’t know right now, and that’s okay.”

You’re here to remain mentally open, to be shaped by who and what you're around, and to release the pressure to prove your mind.

OPEN AJNA (no hanging gates)

If you have a completely open Ajna center—with no gates activated—you’re here to experience and reflect the full range of mental perspectives without being fixed to any one way of thinking.

Unlike defined or even undefined Ajna centers (which still have some consistent mental themes), a completely open Ajna takes in all ideas, beliefs, and opinions from others, offering mental flexibility, openness, and potential wisdom about how thinking itself works.

You’re not here to be certain—you’re here to observe certainty in others, to see how ideas are formed, questioned, and clung to.

At its highest expression, this can become deep mental fluidity and objectivity, allowing you to be a brilliant synthesizer or an impartial guide.

But the shadow is feeling pressure to appear certain, to prove you’re smart, or to lock into ideas just to gain security or approval.

You may say “I don’t know” often—and that’s not a weakness; that’s your strength!

Your mind is a mirror, not a fortress. Let yourself ask questions, sit in ambiguity, and resist the urge to solidify what isn’t yours to claim. Wisdom comes not from what you believe, but from how clearly you can see belief itself.

GATES OF THE AJNA CENTER

GATE 47 (oppression/realization) Gate 47 is the Gate of Realization, located in the Ajna Center, and it carries the energy to make sense of confusing or abstract experiences. If you have this gate, you are designed to grapple with life’s puzzles, often feeling the mental pressure of trying to “figure it out.” This is not a gate of quick answers—rather, it works through a process of reflection, turning raw, sometimes chaotic impressions into coherent realizations over time. Because it belongs to the Abstract Circuit, its knowing is retrospective: insights arise after the experience has already unfolded, often in a flash of clarity that reorganizes the past into meaning. When Gate 47 connects with Gate 64 in the Head, it completes the Channel of Abstraction, creating a flow from confusion to realization. On its own, however, Gate 47 can feel heavy, as if you’re stuck in mental loops of trying to make sense of things before their time. The challenge is not to force understanding with your mind but to trust your process and let realizations emerge in their own rhythm. When you align with your Strategy and Authority, the pressure of Gate 47 transforms into a gift: the ability to give voice and meaning to past experiences in a way that helps both you and others see the bigger picture of life’s journey.

GATE 24 (rationalization) Gate 24, the Gate of Rationalization, is located in the Ajna center and is part of the individual (knowing) circuit. It carries the energy of returning to a thought or insight over and over again, turning it in the mind until it becomes something that can be mentally grasped or explained. If you have Gate 24, you may notice that your mind revisits the same internal knowing repeatedly—not to analyze it logically, but to find a way to integrate or express it in a way that makes sense. This gate isn’t about collecting information from the outside world; it’s about internal processing of something deeply personal and often mutative. When paired with Gate 61 (in the Head), it forms the Channel of Awareness, which brings the potential for spontaneous insight to become structured inner truth. The challenge with Gate 24 is to allow the mental process to unfold naturally—insight doesn’t come on command. When forced, this energy can lead to obsessive thinking or trying to explain what isn’t yet ready to be shared. But when honored, Gate 24 is the quiet hum of mental integration, offering profound, individualized perspectives that emerge in their own timing.

GATE 4 (formulization) Gate 4 - Formulization Gate 4, the Gate of Formulization, lives in the Ajna Center and is part of the Collective Logic Circuit. It brings the mental pressure to resolve doubt—specifically the doubt coming from Gate 63 in the Head—and does so by generating logical answers, hypotheses, and formulas that aim to create certainty about the future. These answers are not absolute truths; they are possibilities meant to be tested and improved over time. Gate 4 is deeply logical, repetitive, and future-oriented, always seeking to structure understanding through patterns. Its mental process works best when it’s recognized and invited—otherwise, it can fall into anxiety, overthinking, or trying to force its answers onto others. At its best, Gate 4 offers clarity and rational solutions that help the collective improve systems, make sense of complexity, and move forward with structure and confidence.

GATE 11 (ideas) Gate 11, the Gate of Ideas, is located in the Ajna center and is part of the collective sensing (abstract) circuit. It carries the mental energy to generate a wide array of ideas, images, and possibilities—often imaginative, philosophical, or visually inspired. If you have Gate 11, you may find yourself full of ideas about how life could be, what could be explored, or how to make sense of past experiences. This is not energy for action—it’s for sharing, dreaming, and inspiring others through possibilities. When aligned, Gate 11 is a rich source of insight and perspective, offering mental stimulation and creative vision. When misused, it can feel scattered or mentally overwhelmed, especially if you try to act on every idea. Paired with Gate 56, it forms the Channel of Curiosity, which is here to explore meaning through experience and express it through story, teaching, or reflection.

GATE 43 (insight) Gate 43, the Gate of Insight, is located in the Ajna center and is part of the individual (knowing) circuit. It carries the energy for sudden, internal knowing—radical, innovative insights that often emerge without logical steps or external input. If you have Gate 43, your mind is designed to receive spontaneous downloads that challenge conventional thinking. This knowing isn’t about proof—it’s about truth that arises from within, often in flashes that can’t be easily explained. Gate 43 is a projected gate, which means your insights are most impactful when they are recognized and invited. Without that recognition, others may find your ideas strange, disruptive, or hard to follow—especially if you're pressured to express them before they’ve fully landed. Paired with Gate 23 (in the Throat), it forms the Channel of Structuring, which allows these inner breakthroughs to be articulated and shared in a way others can understand. When honored and given space, Gate 43 can be a source of profound originality and mental clarity, offering transformative ideas ahead of their time.

GATE 17 –(opinions) Gate 17 is the Gate of Opinions, located in the Ajna Center. If you have this gate, you are designed to see patterns and form opinions about how things could be organized, structured, or improved. This energy isn’t about ultimate truth—it’s about offering a logical perspective, a potential pathway forward that can be tested and refined. At its best, Gate 17 helps bring order and clarity, turning observations into opinions that give people a way to evaluate and consider possibilities. Your gift lies in being able to notice patterns and articulate them in a way that sparks logical discussion and refinement. Because Gate 17 is part of the Channel of Acceptance (when linked with Gate 62), its energy is meant to be shared, not imposed. Opinions here are not fixed truths but offerings that invite others to test and validate them. The challenge is remembering that not everyone will see what you see, and that your perspective is not meant to be absolute. If you become attached to having your opinions accepted, you can feel frustrated or rejected. But when you share them as contributions rather than certainties, your insight becomes a valuable tool for collective understanding, helping others organize their thoughts and navigate the world with greater clarity.

DEFINED THROAT

The Throat is the center of communication and manifestation—how energy from the rest of the body gets expressed into the world. With your Throat center defined, your voice is consistent.

You are here to express, and you likely feel a natural drive to speak, act, or communicate in some form on a regular basis.

The Throat is the hub of manifestation — whether that means speaking things into being, initiating action, or drawing attention.

But the way your voice works is shaped by the specific gates and channels connected to it. Your voice isn’t meant to speak for everything—it’s precise, with a unique style and message.

Each gate offers a different “voice” or frequency: some speak of experiences, others of truth, direction, or detail. Together, these define the particular way your expression moves energy into the world.

It’s important to recognize that the Throat is also the release point for pressure. The two pressure centers in the BodyGraph—the Head (mental pressure to know and make sense of life) and the Root (adrenal pressure to act and move forward)—both seek expression through the Throat. All that inner pressure eventually wants to be manifested, whether as words, movement, or action.

This makes the Throat the busiest and most vulnerable center in the body. When defined, it gives you reliability in how you express, but it also means that others may consistently expect you to “deliver” through your voice and actions.

Because of this, learning how your Throat connects to the rest of your design is crucial.

If your Throat connects to the Identity (G) Center, you are here to express direction, love, and identity.

If it connects to the Ajna, you are here to conceptualize and explain.

If it connects to the Solar Plexus, you manifest emotion.

Each connection channels energy into a particular mode of communication and action. This is why no two voices are alike—even though the Throat is universal, its expression is uniquely yours.

Ultimately, the defined Throat is not about forcing your voice, but about waiting for the right timing and recognition so that your words and actions land with impact. When you honor the mechanics of your design, your Throat becomes a true instrument of manifestation, allowing the pressures of life to be released in ways that align with who you are.

UNDEFINED THROAT

The Throat Center is the hub of communication and manifestation—the place where all the pressures and energies in the body eventually seek expression. For you, this center is undefined, which means you do not have a fixed or reliable way of speaking or manifesting. Instead, your voice and expression change depending on who you are around and what energy you’re amplifying from others.

This can make you incredibly versatile. You may find that different people bring out different “voices” in you—sometimes you speak with passion, sometimes with direction, sometimes with emotion or detail. But this variability can also leave you feeling pressured to prove yourself through talking, performing, or “making things happen” just to relieve the intensity that moves through the Throat.

Remember: the Throat is the final outlet for the two pressure centers in the chart—the Head, which pressures us to know and figure things out, and the Root, which pressures us to act and get things done. When these pressures have no consistent definition to ground them, they can easily get dumped out through your Throat in ways that feel restless or forced.

The lesson of the undefined Throat is patience.

You are not here to push your voice or to speak just to be heard. Your power lies in waiting for the right timing and recognition. When you allow yourself to be invited into expression, your words can have tremendous impact, precisely because they are not constant—they carry a fresh quality, tuned to the moment and the people around you.

It’s also important to know that you may feel an amplified urge to talk when you’re under pressure, especially around others with defined Throats. This is not something to resist harshly, but to notice. The more aware you are of this dynamic, the less likely you are to waste your energy trying to force attention or chase after manifestation that isn’t correct for you.

Your undefined Throat is not a weakness—it’s a gift of flexibility. You can express in many different ways depending on your environment, and when you wait for the right recognition, your words carry weight and resonance that others cannot ignore.

The key is not to try to control your voice, but to trust that when it’s time to speak, the right voice will come through you.

OPEN THROAT (no hanging gates)

With an open Throat center, your voice is inconsistent—but magnetic.

You’re not here to speak all the time. You’re here to speak at the right time, in the right place, to the right people.

When you try to force expression or call attention to yourself, it often falls flat. But when you wait for the right moment, your words can land with uncanny precision.

The open Throat is sensitive to how others receive you. You may have felt pressure throughout your life to prove your voice matters, or to figure out how to get people to listen. And sometimes, this can lead to overcompensating—talking too much, oversharing, or trying to be clever in order to feel seen.

But the truth is, you’re designed to let your voice be drawn out, not pushed forward.

Your speech tends to mirror your environment. You may find that you sound different around different people. That’s not inauthentic—it’s responsive. You’re built to express in ways that are attuned to the moment.

And when you're with people who invite you to speak, or when you're following your authority (in your case, splenic), your voice can carry profound weight.

The gift of the open Throat is timing. You’re not meant to have constant access to expression. You’re meant to surprise us.

When you're grounded and inwardly connected, your words have an almost magical quality—they arrive when they’re needed, and people remember them.

GATES OF THE THROAT CENTER

GATE 62 (details) The Gate of Details is located in the Throat center and is part of the collective logic circuit. It carries the energy to organize, articulate, and explain information in a clear, practical, and detailed way. If you have Gate 62, you’re here to make the abstract understandable—translating logical patterns into words, lists, or step-by-step instructions that others can follow. This gate doesn’t create the insight—it expresses it. When paired with Gate 17 (in the Ajna), it forms the Channel of Acceptance, bringing opinions into concrete form that can be tested and improved over time. Aligned, Gate 62 offers clarity, precision, and trustworthiness in communication. When misused, it may over-explain, get stuck in unnecessary details, or feel pressure to prove what it knows. Its wisdom lies in using language to serve understanding, not control it.

GATE 23 (assimilation) Gate 23 in Human Design is called the Gate of Assimilation. It sits in the Throat Center and carries the potential to transform complex, abstract knowing into clear, simple expression. If you have this gate, you are here to give form to insights, concepts, or patterns that may otherwise remain unspoken or inaccessible. But it’s important to know that your timing is everything—this gate is deeply connected to the mechanics of “when” the message is ready to be received. When you speak before the right moment, you may be misunderstood, dismissed, or even seen as disruptive. Your gift is not just to explain but to distill, turning the abstract into something immediately practical and digestible when the conditions align. Living with Gate 23 means you’re often aware of truths that feel self-evident to you but may not land with others until they’re truly ready. This can sometimes make you feel impatient or alienated, as if others “just don’t get it.” But part of your mastery is in recognizing that clarity doesn’t only come from what you say—it also comes from respecting silence, holding your knowing until the opening presents itself. When you do, your words can land like a revelation, shifting the way others see and understand. This gate asks you to trust in right timing and not force your truth out of anxiety or pressure, because your gift is not only what you know, but how and when you give voice to it.

GATE 56 (stimulation) Gate 56 is the Gate of Stimulation, found in the Throat Center, and it carries the energy of storytelling and sharing experiences in a way that captivates others. If you have this gate, you’re designed to translate the impressions, adventures, and encounters you gather into narratives that give meaning to life. This isn’t about cold facts or rigid explanations—it’s about weaving a thread through what you’ve lived and seen so that others can feel it, learn from it, or simply be entertained. You carry a gift for giving shape and color to experience, often helping people see the world differently through the way you speak it into form. Because Gate 56 is part of the Channel of Curiosity (with Gate 11), its energy is restless—it wants new experiences, new horizons, new perspectives to bring back and share. But the shadow comes when you try to fill that restlessness with stories that don’t carry true resonance, or when you over-explain and lose the spark that makes your voice magnetic. Your role is not to solve everything for others but to bring stimulation—an enlivening of their perspective—through the way you express. When you trust your timing and speak from real experience, your words can land as a spark of wonder, expanding horizons for yourself and for those who listen.

GATE 35 (change) Gate 35 is the Gate of Change, located in the Throat Center, and it belongs to the Collective Sensing (Abstract) Circuit. Its keynote is hunger for experience. If you have this gate, you are designed to explore life through trying new things, pursuing new horizons, and engaging with experiences that bring variety and depth. Gate 35 is restless by nature — it’s not satisfied with repetition or the familiar. Its energy is about moving on when something feels complete and opening to the next experience. But it’s also about knowing when enough is enough. True wisdom here comes from being able to share what you’ve learned from experience, not just chasing the next adventure for its own sake. When Gate 35 connects with Gate 36 in the Solar Plexus, it creates the Channel of Transitoriness (35–36): a design of a “Jack of All Trades.” Together, these gates drive the experiential wave of the Abstract Circuit — the desire (36) and the hunger (35) for new experiences, with the potential for maturity and storytelling afterward. On its own, Gate 35 can feel impatient or dissatisfied, always looking for what’s next. The key is to honor your Strategy and Authority before saying yes, so your restlessness leads you into the right experiences. When aligned, Gate 35 brings richness, variety, and the ability to teach others through the stories you tell — showing that life’s meaning is not in clinging to the past, but in embracing the journey of change.

GATE 12 (caution) gate 12 is located in the Throat center and is part of the individual (knowing) circuit, carrying emotionally charged expression that moves people—not through logic, but through tone, timing, and authenticity. If you have Gate 12, you’re designed to impact others when you speak from the heart, but only when the emotional wave is ready. This gate is highly creative, poetic, and often selective—there's a deep caution here about when and how to express. You may feel moody or quiet at times, needing solitude before you're ready to share. When paired with Gate 22 (in the Solar Plexus), it forms the Channel of Openness, which brings emotional expression that can be incredibly moving when timed well. Aligned, Gate 12 offers grace, depth, and the ability to speak or create from a soulful place. When misused, it can express prematurely or shut down entirely. Its wisdom lies in trusting the wave—what you say lands best when it’s felt first.

GATE 45 (gatherer) Gate 45 – The Gate of the Gatherer is located in the Throat center and is part of the tribal (material) circuit. It carries the voice of "I have" and expresses leadership through stewardship, distribution, and resource management. If you have Gate 45, you’re here to speak from a place of authority—often as a teacher, guide, or provider—sharing knowledge or wealth with those in your “kingdom” or community. This is the gate of the sovereign, not the dictator: true power here is about sharing, not hoarding. It governs the material plane, particularly how resources are collected and allocated to support the tribe. When paired with Gate 21 (in the Ego center), it forms the Channel of the Money Line, which manages control over material assets. Aligned, Gate 45 leads with generosity, grounded wisdom, and care for the whole. When misused, it can become controlling, entitled, or overly focused on status. Its gift lies in knowing that leadership is an act of service.

GATE 33 (privacy) Gate 33 is the Gate of Privacy, located in the Throat center and part of the collective sensing (abstract) circuit. It carries the energy of retreat, reflection, and storytelling. If you have Gate 33, you're designed to step back from experiences in order to process, digest, and eventually share the wisdom you've gathered—but only when the time is right. This is not an energy that speaks in the moment; it needs space and silence to remember, to make sense of what happened, and to distill that into something meaningful. You're like the keeper of the oral history of your life (and sometimes others’ lives), and when you do speak, your words carry the power to offer perspective, context, and collective insight. Just know that your wisdom deepens when you give yourself permission to retreat, reflect, and wait before speaking.

GATE 8 (contribution) Gate 8 – The Gate of Contribution is located in the Throat center and is part of the individual (knowing) circuit. This gate carries the energy to express one’s unique style, vision, or way of being in a way that inspires others to recognize and support it. If you have Gate 8, you're here to stand out by being authentically yourself—not for attention, but because your individuality naturally calls others to something new. This is the voice that says, “I can make a contribution,” but it must be invited or recognized to truly land. When aligned, Gate 8 speaks from a place of originality, influencing the collective not through logic or emotion, but through self-expression that stirs something deeper. It’s not about leading the group—it's about offering a new frequency that the group may follow if they’re ready. When paired with Gate 1 in the G Center, it forms the Channel of Inspiration, bringing creative direction into verbal form. The wisdom of Gate 8 is knowing that your presence is the contribution, and your power lies not in conforming—but in being willing to be seen for who you truly are.

GATE 31 (influence) Gate 31 – The Gate of Influence is located in the Throat center and is part of the collective logic circuit. It carries the energy of democratic leadership—influence that comes through being elected, recognized, or invited to speak on behalf of others. If you have Gate 31, you’re here to lead by example, not by force—your voice has the power to shape direction, but only when others ask for it. This gate says, “I lead,” but it only works when your leadership is rooted in integrity and clarity, not control. When paired with Gate 7 (in the G Center), it forms the Channel of the Alpha, which governs collective leadership and strategic direction. Aligned, Gate 31 expresses ideas that help move the group forward through logical, forward-thinking communication. When misaligned, it may try to lead without permission, or feel frustrated when influence isn't acknowledged. Its wisdom lies in knowing that true influence happens when you’re seen and trusted—not when you push.

GATE 20 (the Now) Gate 20 – The Gate of the Now is located in the Throat center and is part of the individual (integration) circuit. It carries the energy of spontaneous, present-tense expression—the voice that speaks what is true in the moment. If you have Gate 20, you’re here to live and respond from the now, not from plans, past narratives, or future projections. This gate says, “I am,” “I do,” or “I know,” depending on what it’s connected to—and it brings a strong, impactful presence when aligned. Gate 20 doesn’t initiate; it expresses what’s happening through the body’s intelligence, in real time. When connected to motor centers like the Sacral or Splenic, it can result in highly instinctive or responsive speech and action. If paired with Gate 10 (in the G Center), it forms the Channel of Awakening, bringing self-love and embodiment into spoken form. Aligned, Gate 20 is powerful, authentic, and catalytic. When misused, it can speak impulsively or dominate attention. Its wisdom lies in waiting to express what’s true—right now—with clarity and trust in timing.

GATE 16 (skills) Gate 16 is the Gate of Skills, located in the Throat Center, and it carries the energy of enthusiasm for practice, refinement, and mastery. If you have this gate, you’re designed to throw yourself into learning by doing—repetition, experimentation, and honing your craft until it becomes natural. This isn’t about instant mastery; Gate 16 knows that true skill emerges through dedication and practice, and it brings a playful, enthusiastic energy to that process. When you’re aligned, you inspire others with your willingness to dive in and refine, showing that joy can be found in the act of practicing itself. When Gate 16 connects with Gate 48 in the Spleen, it forms the Channel of Talent, which brings both depth (48) and expression (16) to create true mastery. On its own, though, Gate 16 can sometimes overpromise—feeling the excitement of potential but lacking the depth or follow-through to sustain it. The key is to notice where your enthusiasm is genuine and where it fizzles. Your gift is not just in the skills you develop, but in how your excitement for practice can ignite possibility in others. When you follow your Strategy and Authority, Gate 16 allows you to turn raw potential into embodied talent, and to bring joy to the process of learning itself.

DEFINED G CENTER

The G Center in Human Design is the seat of love, identity, and direction.

(BTW: G stands for Gravity: it's the center of the body that brings together the design and personality sides of the bodygraph, creating what is knowns as the magnetic monopole.)

When you have it defined, there is a consistent sense of who you are at your core and a reliable way your life’s direction unfolds. This doesn’t mean you always know exactly where you’re going or that you never question yourself, but rather that your orientation to life — your sense of “me” — is steady and doesn’t shift depending on who you’re with. Others can feel your reliability here; you radiate a fixed frequency of identity and love that people may naturally lean on for stability.

How it might feel: with a defined G, you may notice that no matter how much circumstances change — where you live, who you’re with, what you’re doing — there is a thread of sameness in how you show up. Your direction in life tends to emerge naturally, often without you having to chase it, and your sense of love (both how you give and receive it) has a steady quality. The gift is constancy: you can trust that your identity doesn’t need to be manufactured or found outside of yourself. The challenge can be rigidity — believing that everyone should have the same stable sense of self you do, or resisting the ways your environment can still shape your journey. At its highest, a defined G radiates reliable love and direction, becoming a kind of compass that shows others what it looks like to live anchored in a steady sense of self.

UNDEFINED G CENTER

An undefined G center means there is no fixed sense of identity, direction, or consistent experience of love.

You may feel different depending on who you’re around — even shifting how you dress, speak, or see your path based on the environment or people you're with.

This can feel disorienting or insecure at times, especially in a world that prizes having a clear sense of self.

But this openness is not a flaw; it's a gift!

You’re here to be fluid, to explore many ways of being, and to reflect the identities and directions of others with depth and empathy.

You can deeply understand different expressions of love and purpose without being tied to just one.

The key is environment — when you're in the right place with the right people, everything aligns. When you're not, you may feel lost or question your worth.

Working with an undefined G center means releasing the need to "figure yourself out" and instead letting life show you who you are through resonance, movement, and environment. You're not here to be a fixed identity — you're here to flow.

OPEN G CENTER (no hanging gates)

You have an open G Center—and that means your sense of identity, direction, and love is fluid, not fixed.

Unlike people with a defined G, you weren’t born with a consistent sense of who you are or where you’re going. And that’s not a flaw. In fact, it’s one of your greatest gifts.

You’re here to experience the vast spectrum of human identity and direction—not to lock into one version of yourself forever, but to sample life through others, through environments, and through the unfolding moment.

You might have grown up wondering, Why don’t I know who I am? Why does everyone else seem so sure?

But your path was never about certainty—it’s about receptivity!

You’re like a tuning fork for love and direction: who you’re around and where you are can deeply shape how you feel about yourself. You might feel magnetic and full of purpose in one place, and lost or invisible in another. That doesn’t mean you’re inconsistent. It means you’re sensitive—and that’s something to honor; not suppress.

The vulnerability of this center is in trying to lock it down (you can't.)

You may have spent years chasing a fixed identity, clinging to relationships, labels, aesthetics, or roles to try and feel more solid.

But for you, the healthiest path is one of non-attachment.

Instead of asking, Who am I?,

try asking, What feels good right now?

Who feels good to be around?

Where do I feel most like myself—even if “myself” looks different every time?

The wisdom of the open G is profound.

You carry a mirror for others—you can understand many walks of life because you’ve lived through so many versions of being.

You’re not meant to force a path; you’re meant to follow resonance.

So trust the pull of the environment. Surround yourself with people and spaces that feel good, and your direction will unfold naturally, even if you can’t explain it. You don’t need to be someone. You just need to be here.

GATES OF THE G CENTER