HD&Me Reference
Human Design
Glossary
Human Design terms defined clearly. Whether you just got your chart or you are going deeper, use this as your reference.
A
Ajna Center (a.k.a. Conceptual Center)
Energy Center
The second energy center in the Bodygraph, located between the Head Center and the Throat. The Ajna processes and conceptualizes information received from the Head, forming opinions, concepts, and mental frameworks. When defined, it produces consistent ways of thinking; when undefined, it absorbs and amplifies the mental pressure of others, often creating anxiety about needing to have answers.
See also: Head Center, Centers, Defined Center, Open Center
Aura
Fundamental Concept
The electromagnetic field surrounding every human body, extending roughly six feet in all directions. In Human Design, each Type has a distinct aura quality that shapes interactions with others. Generators have an enveloping, open aura that draws life to them. Projectors have a focused, penetrating aura that sees into others. Manifestors have a closed, repelling aura that can feel initiating or impactful. Reflectors have a sampling, resistant aura that buffers and reflects the energies around them.
See also: Type
Authority
Decision-Making
The inner, body-based intelligence specific to each person's design and the most reliable source of guidance for individual decisions. Authority bypasses the mind, which Human Design considers unreliable for personal choices. It is determined by which energy centers are defined. The main types are Emotional (Solar Plexus), Sacral, Splenic, Ego/Heart, Self-Projected (G Center), Mental (Environmental), and Lunar (for Reflectors).
See also: Strategy, Emotional Authority, Sacral Authority, Splenic Authority, Ego Authority, Mental Authority, Lunar Cycle
B
Bodygraph
Core Chart
The central visual chart of the Human Design system. It maps nine energy centers, 64 gates, and 36 channels in a geometric diagram calculated from a person's birth date, time, and location. The Bodygraph integrates data from the I Ching, the Kabbalah Tree of Life, the Hindu-Brahmin chakra system, and quantum physics to create a unique energetic blueprint. No two Bodygraphs are identical.
See also: Centers, Gate, Channel, Human Design System
C
Centers
Fundamental Concept
The nine geometric shapes within the Bodygraph that represent distinct aspects of human biology and consciousness. From top to bottom: Head (inspiration, mental pressure), Ajna (conceptualization), Throat (communication, manifestation), G/Self (identity, direction, love), Heart/Ego (willpower, self-worth), Solar Plexus (emotion, feeling), Sacral (life-force, sexuality), Spleen (intuition, survival), and Root (adrenal pressure, drive). Each center is either defined (consistently active) or undefined (open to conditioning).
See also: Defined Center, Open Center, Bodygraph
Channel
Chart Element
A connection between two gates in adjacent energy centers. When both gates of a potential channel are activated, either by birth data (conscious, shown in black) or by the chart calculated 88 days before birth (unconscious, shown in red), the channel is defined and both connected centers become defined as well. There are 36 channels, each carrying specific archetypal themes that form the core of a person's fixed energetic expression.
See also: Gate, Centers, Defined Center, Bodygraph
Conditioning
Core Concept
The process by which a person's undefined (open) centers absorb, amplify, and become fixated on the energies of those around them. Over time, this shapes beliefs, habits, and behaviors that are not authentically one's own. Conditioning is not inherently negative; open centers can be a source of great wisdom. The problem arises when a person identifies with conditioned energy as their own and makes decisions from that place.
See also: Deconditioning, Open Center, Not-Self Theme
D
Deconditioning
Core Concept
The lifelong process of releasing conditioned patterns, beliefs, and behaviors absorbed through open centers. Ra Uru Hu described it as a seven-year process tied to the body's cellular renewal cycle, of experimenting with one's Strategy and Authority. Deconditioning is not intellectual; it happens through consistent experimentation with the body's guidance, gradually shedding what is not authentic and returning to one's original nature.
See also: Conditioning, Strategy, Authority, Not-Self Theme
Defined Center
Chart Element
An energy center that appears colored in the Bodygraph because it has at least one activated gate connecting it to another defined center via a complete channel. Defined centers operate consistently and reliably, expressing a fixed quality of energy regardless of the people nearby. They are a stable, predictable part of a person's energetic identity and also what others around them will be conditioned by.
See also: Open Center, Channel, Centers
Definition
Chart Element
The pattern of defined centers in a Bodygraph and how they connect to each other. Single Definition means all defined centers are connected in one circuit, producing consistent, self-contained energy. Split Definition means two separate groups; Triple Split has three; Quadruple Split has four. Definition type influences how a person processes energy and often explains why certain people feel particularly grounding or enlivening; they may be bridging a split.
See also: Defined Center, Centers, Channel
E
Ego Authority
Authority Type
Also called Heart or Will Authority. Available to Manifestors and some Projectors, never Generators. Decision-making comes from the Ego/Will Center: specifically, whether there is genuine will or desire to follow through. If you have to convince yourself, it likely is not right. Ego Authority Manifestors trust what they say from the heart; Ego Authority Projectors wait for what their will naturally gravitates toward without pressure or coercion.
See also: Authority, Heart Center, Manifestor, Projector
Emotional Authority
Authority Type
The most common Authority type, defined by an active Solar Plexus Center. People with Emotional Authority are designed to ride an emotional wave, a natural cycle of highs and lows, before making significant decisions. Clarity emerges over time, not in the moment. The guidance is to wait for the wave to settle, check in at multiple emotional states, and notice where there is consistent resonance. There is no such thing as certainty for Emotional Authority; the goal is to reach a place of greater clarity.
See also: Authority, Solar Plexus Center
G
G Center (a.k.a. Identity Center)
Energy Center
Also called the Self or Identity Center. Located at the geometric center of the Bodygraph, the G Center governs love, identity, and direction in life. When defined, it provides a consistent sense of self and a reliable compass for life direction. When undefined, a person may experience a more fluid sense of identity and find that their direction in life is significantly shaped by the environments and people they spend time in, making environment particularly important for them.
See also: Centers, Defined Center, Open Center
Gate
Chart Element
One of 64 specific positions in the Bodygraph corresponding to the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching. Each gate is located within an energy center and carries a specific archetype, theme, and quality of energy. When a gate is activated in your chart, it colors the energy of that center even if it does not complete a channel. A gate without its partner in the connecting center is called a hanging gate: it carries a potential that seeks connection.
See also: Channel, Centers, Bodygraph, I Ching
Generator
Type
The most common Type, comprising approximately 35 to 37% of the population. Generators have a defined Sacral Center and are considered the life-force energy of the planet. Their Strategy is to Respond: to wait for something in the external world to respond to with their gut rather than to initiate. Their Signature (the sign of alignment) is Satisfaction, and their Not-Self Theme (the sign of misalignment) is Frustration. When a Generator is doing work they love, their energy is sustainable and enveloping.
See also: Type, Strategy, Sacral Center, Sacral Authority, Manifesting Generator, Signature, Not-Self Theme
H
Head Center (a.k.a. Thought Center)
Energy Center
The topmost center in the Bodygraph, associated with inspiration, existential questions, and mental pressure. The Head does not drive action; it generates questions and inspiration meant to be passed down to the Ajna for processing. When defined, there is a consistent style of mental pressure and inspiration. When undefined, a person may take on and amplify the mental pressure of others, feeling obligated to answer questions that are not truly theirs to resolve.
See also: Ajna Center, Centers
Heart Center (a.k.a. Willpower Center)
Energy Center
Also called the Ego or Will Center. One of the four motors in the Human Design system. The Heart Center governs willpower, the ego, self-worth, and material resources. Only approximately 37% of people have a defined Heart Center. When defined, willpower is consistent and reliable. When undefined, willpower is inconsistent and not a trustworthy resource for making commitments. A person with an undefined Heart who makes promises based on willpower often ends up exhausted or guilty for not following through.
See also: Ego Authority, Centers
Human Design System
The System
A synthesis framework developed by Ra Uru Hu (Alan Robert Krakower) following an experience he reported in Ibiza in 1987. The system integrates elements of the I Ching, Western astrology, the Kabbalah Tree of Life, the Hindu-Brahmin chakra system, and quantum physics to produce individual energetic blueprints. Human Design is presented as a tool for self-understanding and practical decision-making rather than a belief system; it invites experimentation over acceptance on faith.
See also: Ra Uru Hu, Bodygraph
I
Incarnation Cross
Life Theme
A person's overarching life theme, derived from the four gates activated by the sun and earth positions at birth (conscious) and approximately 88 days before birth (unconscious). There are 192 Incarnation Crosses, each describing a broad archetypal purpose. The Cross is considered the backdrop of a life, the context in which everything else operates, rather than a prescriptive life purpose. It becomes most legible when a person is already living in alignment with their Type, Strategy, and Authority.
See also: Gate, Bodygraph
Inner Authority
Decision-Making
Used interchangeably with Authority. Refers to the body-based intelligence that is reliable for an individual's personal decision-making, distinct from the mind, which Human Design refers to as the outer authority. The outer authority is useful for advising and communicating with others but not for making one's own life decisions. The shift from mind-based to body-based decision-making is central to the Human Design experiment.
See also: Authority, Strategy
L
Lunar Cycle
Authority / Reflector
The 28-to-29-day cycle of the moon moving through all 64 gates of the Bodygraph. For Reflectors, the only Type with no consistently defined centers, the lunar cycle provides the primary rhythm for decision-making. Reflectors are encouraged to wait one full lunar cycle before making major decisions, allowing them to experience a complete range of conditioned energies and arrive at a clear sense of what consistently resonates throughout the month versus what was simply a transit-driven feeling.
See also: Reflector, Transit, Authority
M
Manifestor
Type
A Type comprising approximately 8 to 9% of the population. Manifestors are the only Type with the energetic capacity to initiate, to act independently without waiting for an external signal or invitation. They have a defined Throat connected to a motor center, but not the Sacral. Their Strategy is to Inform others before taking major action, which reduces the resistance their naturally impactful aura creates. Their Signature is Peace; their Not-Self Theme is Anger.
See also: Type, Strategy, Signature, Not-Self Theme, Ego Authority
Manifesting Generator
Type
A sub-type of Generator (some analysts classify them as a distinct fifth Type). Manifesting Generators have a defined Sacral Center and a direct or indirect energy path from the Sacral to the Throat, giving them Generator life-force combined with a Manifestor-like capacity for speed and multi-passionate engagement. Their Strategy is still to Respond first, though they may also need to Inform. Their Signature is Satisfaction; their Not-Self Theme is Frustration, often mixed with Anger when they skip their response.
See also: Generator, Manifestor, Type, Strategy, Sacral Center
Mental Authority
Authority Type
Also called Environmental Authority. Available only to Projectors with no defined centers below the Throat. Because there is no reliable body-based authority, these individuals are guided to make decisions by talking things through with trusted others in the right environment. The point is not to receive advice; it is to hear themselves speak and find clarity through the process of articulating their own thinking aloud. Environment and who they surround themselves with are critical.
See also: Authority, Projector
N
Not-Self Theme
Alignment Signal
The emotional signal that indicates a person is living out of alignment with their authentic design, making decisions from conditioning rather than Strategy and Authority. Each Type has a specific Not-Self Theme: Frustration for Generators and Manifesting Generators, Anger for Manifestors, Bitterness for Projectors, and Disappointment for Reflectors. These are not emotions to suppress or judge; they are information. Noticing the Not-Self Theme is an invitation to examine what decision or habit led there.
See also: Signature, Type, Strategy, Conditioning
O
Open Center
Chart Element
An energy center that appears white in the Bodygraph, lacking a complete channel. Open centers do not generate consistent energy independently; instead, they receive, amplify, and reflect the energies of defined centers in others. They are both the source of the greatest wisdom in a chart (through observing and experiencing many variations of an energy) and the greatest vulnerability (through over-identifying with amplified energies that belong to someone else). See also: Undefined Center.
See also: Defined Center, Conditioning, Centers
P
Profile
Archetypal Role
A two-number label derived from the lines of the I Ching hexagram activated by the conscious and unconscious sun gates. There are 12 possible Profiles (1/3, 1/4, 2/4, 2/5, 3/5, 3/6, 4/6, 4/1, 5/1, 5/2, 6/2, 6/3). Each describes a general archetypal role and life theme. The first number reflects the conscious personality (how you tend to see yourself); the second, the unconscious design (how others often experience you). Profile describes the costume a person wears in life: the role they are here to play.
See also: Gate, Incarnation Cross, Bodygraph
Projector
Type
A Type comprising approximately 20% of the population. Projectors have no defined Sacral Center and no motor directly connected to the Throat. They are designed to guide and direct the energy of others rather than generate their own. Their Strategy is to Wait for the Invitation for major life areas: career, relationships, place of residence. Their Signature is Success; their Not-Self Theme is Bitterness. Projectors often need more rest than other Types and thrive when their gifts are genuinely recognized.
See also: Type, Strategy, Signature, Not-Self Theme, Mental Authority, Ego Authority, Splenic Authority
R
Ra Uru Hu
Founder
The pen name of Alan Robert Krakower (1948 to 2011), the Canadian-born founder of the Human Design System. Ra reported receiving the knowledge of Human Design during an eight-day mystical experience in Ibiza, Spain in January 1987. He spent the following decades systematizing the material, training analysts, and teaching worldwide. The Jovian Archive, which he founded, continues to preserve and transmit his original body of work.
See also: Human Design System
Reflector
Type
The rarest Type, comprising approximately 1% of the population. Reflectors have no consistently defined centers; all nine centers remain open, making them uniquely sensitive mirrors of the people and environments around them. Their Strategy is to wait a full Lunar Cycle before making major decisions. Their Signature is Wonder; their Not-Self Theme is Disappointment. For Reflectors, environment and the quality of their community are not optional: they are central to wellbeing.
See also: Type, Lunar Cycle, Open Center, Signature, Not-Self Theme
Root Center (a.k.a. Stress Center)
Energy Center
One of the four motor centers, located at the base of the Bodygraph. The Root generates adrenal pressure: the biological drive to act, complete tasks, and keep moving. When defined, it produces consistent momentum and stress. When undefined, a person may take on and amplify the pressure of those around them, acting urgently to release that pressure rather than from an authentic inner response. Learning to sit with Root pressure rather than rushing to discharge it is a significant part of deconditioning for many people.
See also: Centers, Defined Center, Open Center
S
Sacral Authority
Authority Type
The decision-making guidance available to pure Generators (those without a defined Solar Plexus). The Sacral Center communicates through gut sounds and sensation rather than words: an instinctive "uh-huh" for yes and "unh-unh" for no. Sacral responses are in-the-moment and immediate. The practice is learning to hear and trust this gut response rather than overriding it with mental analysis, second-guessing, or conditioning from others. Yes/no questions can help elicit a Sacral response.
See also: Authority, Sacral Center, Generator
Sacral Center (a.k.a. Gut Center)
Energy Center
One of the four motor centers and the most powerful sustained energy source in the Bodygraph. The Sacral governs life-force, fertility, sexuality, and the capacity for sustained work. It is defined in Generators and Manifesting Generators (approximately 70% of the population) and undefined in Manifestors, Projectors, and Reflectors. The Sacral is also the body's most direct yes/no response mechanism: an energetic knowing in the gut about what is alive and what is not.
See also: Generator, Manifesting Generator, Sacral Authority, Centers
Signature
Alignment Signal
The emotional state that signals a person is living in alignment with their authentic design, following their Strategy and Authority. Each Type has a specific Signature: Satisfaction for Generators and Manifesting Generators, Peace for Manifestors, Success for Projectors, and Wonder (or Delight) for Reflectors. The Signature is not a permanent state but a recurring experience used as a calibration point. When it shows up, it confirms that recent decisions and actions were correct.
See also: Not-Self Theme, Type, Strategy
Solar Plexus Center (a.k.a. Emotion Center)
Energy Center
One of the four motor centers and one of the three awareness centers. The Solar Plexus governs emotions, feelings, moods, desire, and nervousness. When defined (in approximately 50% of people), it generates an emotional wave, a biological rhythm of highs and lows, meaning these individuals have Emotional Authority and must wait for the wave to settle before making major decisions. When undefined, a person absorbs and amplifies others' emotional states, which can feel like their own emotions.
See also: Emotional Authority, Centers
Spleen Center (a.k.a. Survival Center)
Energy Center
One of the three awareness centers, associated with survival instincts, intuition, health, and in-the-moment fear signals. The Spleen speaks once, in the now, and then goes silent, making Splenic awareness easy to miss if a person is not attuned to it. When defined, it provides a consistent, animalistic sense of what is safe or healthy in the present moment. It is the oldest awareness system in the body and is not concerned with past or future, only now.
See also: Splenic Authority, Centers
Splenic Authority
Authority Type
The fastest and most present-moment form of Authority. People with Splenic Authority have a defined Spleen Center and no defined Solar Plexus or Sacral. Their guidance comes as a single, quiet intuitive hit in the now: a subtle knowing about what is safe, healthy, or right. It speaks once and never repeats. The primary challenge for Splenic Authority is learning to trust and act on that first quiet signal rather than waiting for louder confirmation that never comes.
See also: Authority, Spleen Center, Projector, Manifestor
Strategy
Decision-Making
The behavioral approach specific to each Type that, when followed, reduces resistance and allows life to unfold more aligned with one's authentic nature. The four strategies are: Respond (Generators and Manifesting Generators, wait for external cues to respond to with the gut), Inform (Manifestors, tell those affected before acting), Wait for the Invitation (Projectors, wait for genuine recognition and invitation in major life areas), and Wait a Lunar Cycle (Reflectors, wait one full moon cycle before major decisions). Strategy and Authority work together.
See also: Authority, Type, Generator, Manifestor, Projector, Reflector
T
Throat Center (a.k.a Expression Center)
Energy Center
The communication and manifestation center of the Bodygraph, the most active center in terms of gate activations (11 of the 64 gates sit here). The Throat is the hub through which all other energy seeks expression: whether through speech, action, or creation. Whether and how other centers connect to the Throat is one of the primary determinants of Type. When the Throat is directly connected to a motor, energy moves into the world with greater force.
See also: Centers, Type, Gate, Channel
Transit
Fundamental Concept
The movement of celestial bodies through the 64 gates of the Bodygraph in real time. Transits temporarily activate gates and channels, potentially creating temporary definitions in otherwise undefined centers. This is why the same person can feel meaningfully different energy on different days; they are being conditioned by different activations. The sun, moon, and planets all contribute to the transit field; the lunar transit is particularly impactful given how quickly the moon moves.
See also: Gate, Lunar Cycle, Open Center, Conditioning
Type
Fundamental Concept
The broadest and most foundational category in Human Design, determined by the configuration of defined centers, particularly which motors are defined and whether they connect to the Throat. There are four primary Types (Generator, Manifesting Generator, Projector, Manifestor, Reflector), each with a distinct aura, Strategy, Signature, and Not-Self Theme. Type is the starting point of any Human Design reading and the framework through which everything else is understood.
See also: Generator, Manifesting Generator, Manifestor, Projector, Reflector, Strategy, Aura
U
Undefined Center
Chart Element
Synonymous with Open Center. An energy center that is white in the Bodygraph because it lacks a complete channel. Undefined centers are inconsistent; they take in, amplify, and reflect the energies of defined centers in nearby people. They are both the source of the greatest wisdom in a chart (through observing and experiencing many variations of an energy without being fixed to one expression) and the greatest vulnerability (through over-identifying with amplified energy as if it were one's own).
See also: Open Center, Conditioning, Defined Center, Centers