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The 9 centers in Human Design
Short answer
Your Human Design chart shows nine centers, the geometric shapes in the middle of the bodygraph. Each center stands for a theme of life, such as thinking, speaking, identity, willpower, life force, intuition, emotions or pressure. A center is either defined (colored in) or open (white). Defined centers are consistent parts of you. Open centers take in the energy of others and amplify it.
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The nine shapes in your chart: what each center does and what it means when it is defined or open.
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01The nine centers at a glance
| Center | Theme | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Inspiration, questions | Pressure |
| Ajna | Thinking, concepts, opinions | Awareness |
| Throat | Speaking, acting, expression | Expression |
| G center | Identity, love, direction | Identity |
| Heart (Ego) | Willpower, worth, promises | Motor |
| Sacral | Life force, work, sexuality | Motor |
| Spleen | Intuition, instinct, wellbeing | Awareness |
| Solar Plexus | Emotions, moods, feelings | Motor and awareness |
| Root | Pressure, drive, stress | Motor and pressure |
Together, the nine centers hold all 64 gates. Each gate belongs to exactly one center, and the 36 channels connect gates of two different centers.
02The kinds of centers
Pressure centers
The Head and the Root are pressure centers. The Head puts pressure on the mind to find answers and make sense of things. The Root puts pressure on the body to act, move and get things done. Pressure in itself is not bad. It is the push that gets life going.
Awareness centers
The Ajna, the Spleen and the Solar Plexus are awareness centers. Each one gives a different kind of knowing. The Ajna works with concepts and thoughts. The Spleen works in the moment, as a quiet instinct. The Solar Plexus brings emotional awareness that unfolds over time.
Motor centers
Four centers are motors, sources of energy: the Sacral, the Heart, the Solar Plexus and the Root. When a motor connects to the Throat through defined channels, that energy can be expressed directly in action. This is what makes someone a Manifestor or Manifesting Generator.
The Throat and the G center
The Throat is the center of expression and action. Most channels in the chart lead toward it, because everything wants to be expressed in the end. The G center sits in the middle and holds identity, love and direction. It is often described as the place where your sense of self comes from.
03Defined centers
A defined center is colored in. It is defined when at least one complete channel connects it to another center. Defined centers work in a steady, reliable way in you. They are part of how you always are, no matter who is around you.
Defined centers also affect others. People around you may feel your defined centers and, if theirs are open, take on and amplify that energy for a while. A person with a defined Solar Plexus can fill a room with their mood, for example.
04Open centers
An open center is white. It does not have its own consistent energy. Instead it takes in what is around it, often more strongly than the person who carries that energy. That is why open centers are often described as the place of conditioning: we learn early to live energies that are not truly ours.
Each open center has a typical trap, a question you can ask to notice when you are living from someone else's energy. In Human Design this is called the not-self. A few examples:
- Open Head: Am I trying to answer questions that are not really mine?
- Open Heart: Am I trying to prove that I am worth something?
- Open Sacral: Do I know when I have done enough?
- Open Solar Plexus: Am I avoiding conflict to keep the peace?
- Open Root: Am I rushing just to get rid of the pressure?
Open centers are not weak spots. Over time they can become a source of wisdom. Someone with an open Solar Plexus can learn to read the emotional climate of a room very well, once they stop thinking every feeling is their own.
Open and undefined
Some sources make a distinction. A completely open center has no active gates. An undefined center is white too, but has one or more single gates active, so it has a few fixed themes. Both work in a receptive way. This wiki uses "open" for both unless the difference matters.
05How centers shape your type
Your type comes straight from your centers:
- Generator: Sacral defined, no motor connected to the Throat.
- Manifesting Generator: Sacral defined and a motor connected to the Throat.
- Manifestor: Sacral open, a motor (Heart, Solar Plexus or Root) connected to the Throat.
- Projector: Sacral open, no motor connected to the Throat, at least one center defined.
- Reflector: all nine centers open.
You can read more on the pages of the Generator, the Projector and the Reflector.
07Centers and the body
Each center is traditionally associated with certain organs or glands, for example the Head with the pineal gland or the Root with the adrenal glands. In this wiki these associations are only mentioned as background. The centers are symbols for themes of life. They say nothing about your health and are not a basis for any diagnosis.
08How to work with your centers
A simple start:
- Look at your chart and note which centers are colored in.
- Read the pages of your defined centers. They describe what you can rely on.
- Read the pages of your open centers. Pick the not-self question that feels most familiar.
- For a week, notice when that question applies. Just notice, without judging.
If you are new to charts, How to read your chart walks you through all the parts step by step. To see your own nine centers, use the free calculator.
Human Design is a tool for self-observation, not a science. Treat what you read here as an invitation to watch yourself with curiosity.
09FAQ
What is the difference between a defined and an open center?
A defined center is colored in and works in a consistent way in you. An open center is white. It takes in energy from others and from your surroundings and often amplifies it. Neither is better. Both have their own wisdom.
Is it bad to have many open centers?
No. Open centers are where you learn the most about other people. They can become a source of wisdom once you stop trying to live their energy as if it were your own.
What is the difference between open and undefined?
Some people say open when a center has no active gates at all, and undefined when it is white but has single gates active. Both are white in the chart and work in a receptive way. This wiki uses open for both, unless the difference matters.
Which centers decide my type?
Mainly the Sacral, the Throat and the motor centers. Whether your Sacral is defined, and whether a motor is connected to your Throat, separates Generators, Manifesting Generators, Manifestors and Projectors. With all centers open, you are a Reflector.
Do the centers say something about my health?
No. Each center is traditionally associated with certain parts of the body, but in Human Design these are symbols for themes, not medical statements.