Encyclopedia of Embodied Energy

1. Embodied Energy Chart Our chart of how a person's energy is built — two moments in time, sixty-four gates on the zodiac, nine centres and the channels between them — drawn in the Human Design tradition and described in our own words.

2. The aware side The half of the Embodied Energy Chart cast for the moment of birth — read as the part of you that you know from the inside and would recognise as yourself.

3. The built-in side The half of the Embodied Energy Chart cast for the moment the Sun stood 88° earlier, about three months before birth — read as what simply runs in you, often seen by others before you see it yourself.

4. The design moment The second moment the chart is cast for — the instant the Sun stood exactly 88 degrees of arc before its birth position, which falls between about 86½ and 92 days before birth.

5. The gate wheel The zodiac cut into sixty-four equal slices, one for each hexagram of the I Ching, beginning with gate 41 at 2° Aquarius — the ring every position in the chart is read from.

6. Activation A planet sitting in a gate at one of the chart's two moments — the single event the whole Embodied Energy Chart is built from.

7. Defined centre A centre that a complete channel runs into — read as a part of you that works the same way all the time, whoever you are with.

8. Open centre A centre with no complete channel — read as the place you take in and amplify what is around you: the most influenced part of the chart, and often the wisest once noticed.

9. Conditioning How the tradition describes the open parts of a chart taking on other people's definition — and the habits that can grow from it over a life.

10. Definition Whether a chart's defined centres form one connected island or several — single, split, triple split or quadruple split, or none at all — and what the tradition reads into the gaps.

11. Hanging gate A lit gate that completes no channel — half a circuit, a theme that is live in you and reaches for its other half in other people.

12. Bridging gate In a split chart, a single unlit gate that would join two separate islands of definition if it were lit — the gate such a chart tends to feel the pull of in other people.

13. Manifestor The Initiator — a chart with a motor wired to the Throat and no defined Vitality centre, read as built to start things, and to tell people before it does.

14. Generator The Builder — a chart with a defined Vitality centre and no motor wired to the Throat, read as a deep, renewable working energy that works best in response to what life brings.

15. Manifesting Generator The Quick Builder — a chart with a defined Vitality centre and a motor wired to the Throat, read as fast, many-tracked working energy that responds first and then tells people.

16. Projector The Guide — a chart with some definition but an open Vitality centre and no motor wired to the Throat, read as built to see how others and systems work, and to be invited to guide them.

17. Reflector The Mirror — a chart with all nine centres open, read as sampling and reflecting the world around it, and as needing a full lunar month for its biggest decisions.

18. Strategy The way each of the five types is said to meet the world best — respond, respond then inform, inform then act, wait for the invitation, or wait a lunar month.

19. Signature The feeling the tradition says shows up when a type is living by its strategy — satisfaction, peace, success or surprise.

20. Not-self The feeling the tradition says turns up reliably when a type is not living by its strategy — frustration, anger, bitterness or disappointment — read as the design's own warning light, not a fault.

21. Inner compass Where a person's clearest decisions are said to come from — worked out from the chart by a strict ladder of seven, from the emotional wave down to the lunar month.

22. The emotional wave The inner compass of every chart with a defined Feeling centre — clarity that comes with time, never in the moment, by riding the wave rather than acting on its crest.

23. The gut response The inner compass of Generators and Manifesting Generators whose Feeling centre is open — the body's immediate yes or no, in response to something in front of it.

24. The quiet instinct The inner compass of charts with a defined Instinct centre and open Feeling and Vitality centres — a knowing that comes first, faint and once only, in the moment.

25. The heart's promise The inner compass of charts whose Will centre is defined and reaches the Throat, with the Feeling, Vitality and Instinct centres open — what you actually have the will to commit to, heard as you say it.

26. The sounding self The inner compass of Projectors whose Self centre is joined to the Throat — hearing your own direction as you say it out loud, to someone who will simply listen.

27. The sounding board The inner compass of Projectors with no motor, no Instinct and no voice-led route to the Throat — talking a decision through in the right company and the right place, without letting the company decide.

28. The lunar month The inner compass of the Reflector — a full turn of the Moon through all sixty-four gates before any big decision, about four weeks of trying the question in every part of the chart.

29. The Head centre The centre of inspiration and questions — a pressure to know that crowns the chart and feeds only the Mind below it.

30. The Mind centre The centre of thinking — where questions become concepts, opinions and explanations — an awareness that is brilliant at making sense and is not, in this tradition, where decisions are made.

31. The Throat centre The centre of expression and doing — the hub every other centre is trying to reach, and the one whose connections decide much of a chart's type.

32. The Self centre The centre of identity and direction — who a person takes themselves to be, where they are heading, and the kind of love and place that suits them.

33. The Will centre The smallest motor in the chart — the centre of willpower, promises and worth, which works in bursts and needs its rest as much as its effort.

34. The Vitality centre The chart's great working engine — renewable life-force that answers rather than starts, and whose definition is what makes a Generator.

35. The Feeling centre The centre of emotional weather — a motor that moves in waves, and, when defined, the first and strongest inner compass: clarity comes with time.

36. The Instinct centre The centre of body-level knowing and timing — a quiet, in-the-moment awareness that speaks once, faintly, and does not repeat itself.

37. The Drive centre The centre at the base of the chart — a pressure to get things moving, the fuel beneath the Vitality, Instinct and Feeling centres, with its own rhythm of on and off.

38. Motor centres The four centres that supply energy — Will, Vitality, Feeling and Drive — and the single question about them that sorts a chart into its type: does a motor reach the Throat?

39. Awareness centres The three centres that perceive rather than power — the Instinct in the moment, the Feeling centre over time, the Mind in concepts — and why only two of them can decide.

40. Pressure centres The two centres at the top and bottom of the chart — the Head, pressing to know, and the Drive, pressing to do — which push the rest of the chart into motion without deciding anything.

41. Channel A fixed pathway between two centres, made of two facing gates — when both are lit, the channel completes and both centres become defined.

42. Circuitry The three currents the 36 channels run on — individual, tribal and collective — and what a chart weighted toward one of them says about how a person sits in a group.

43. The individual current The fifteen channels of mutation and empowerment — wiring that brings something new, on its own timing, and is here to make a difference by being different.

44. The tribal current The seven channels of support, bargains and belonging — wiring that keeps people fed, held and looked after, and expects something back.

45. The collective current The fourteen channels of sharing — patterns worked out and tested, or experience gathered and told — where what is learned is meant to leave the person who learned it.

46. Channel 47-64 — making sense of the swirl “Making sense of the swirl” — the Head–Mind channel that turns a flood of images and half-memories into understanding, in its own time.

47. Channel 24-61 — the thinker of inner truth “The thinker of inner truth” — the Head–Mind channel of a mind drawn to what cannot be known for certain, returning to it until something new surfaces.

48. Channel 4-63 — doubt refined into answers “Doubt refined into answers” — the Head–Mind channel that questions whether a pattern holds, and proposes the answer to be tested.

49. Channel 17-62 — opinion made precise “Opinion made precise” — the Mind–Throat channel that forms a view of how things fit together and backs it with the details that make it checkable.

50. Channel 23-43 — insight put simply “Insight put simply” — the Mind–Throat channel where a sudden inner knowing is stripped to its essentials and said out loud.

51. Channel 11-56 — ideas told as stories “Ideas told as stories” — the Mind–Throat channel that catches a stream of ideas and turns them into tales that stir and teach.

52. Channel 7-31 — the influential guide “The influential guide” — the Self–Throat channel of leadership that comes from within the group and is given voice when people are ready to follow.

53. Channel 1-8 — creative contribution “Creative contribution” — the Self–Throat channel that offers something wholly one's own as an example others can take heart from.

54. Channel 13-33 — the keeper of stories “The keeper of stories” — the Self–Throat channel that listens, remembers, withdraws to reflect, and later tells what the past has taught.

55. Channel 10-20 — awake in one's own way “Awake in one's own way” — the Self–Throat channel of behaving true to oneself, here and now, and saying so.

56. Channel 21-45 — stewarding the means “Stewarding the means” — the Will–Throat channel that takes charge of a group's resources and says how they will be used.

57. Channel 16-48 — depth become skill “Depth become skill” — the Instinct–Throat channel where a deep sense of how things could be solved meets the enthusiasm to practise until it is mastered.

58. Channel 20-57 — intuition in the moment “Intuition in the moment” — the Instinct–Throat channel where a quiet intuitive hit is spoken the instant it arrives.

59. Channel 35-36 — the appetite for experience “The appetite for experience” — the Feeling–Throat channel that wants to try what it has not tried, ride out the emotional storm, and come back with something to tell.

60. Channel 12-22 — grace in expression “Grace in expression” — the Feeling–Throat channel whose words carry the mood they were spoken in, and land best when the mood is right.

61. Channel 20-34 — busy, visible power “Busy, visible power” — the Vitality–Throat channel that puts working energy straight into action, here and now, and always makes a Manifesting Generator.

62. Channel 25-51 — the initiated spirit “The initiated spirit” — the Self–Will channel of courage that meets the shock of the unknown with an open heart, and can initiate others into it.

63. Channel 2-14 — direction with resources “Direction with resources” — the Self–Vitality channel that knows where things should go and has the working energy to fund the journey.

64. Channel 5-15 — rhythm within the flow of life The channel that joins the Vitality centre to the Self through gates 5 and 15 — a person whose own timing becomes something others can set their day by.

65. Channel 29-46 — saying yes to discovery The channel that joins the Vitality centre to the Self through gates 29 and 46 — committing wholeheartedly to an experience and finding out what it holds by going all the way through it.

66. Channel 10-34 — conviction lived out The channel that joins the Self to the Vitality centre through gates 10 and 34 — the power to act on one's own convictions and to be exactly who one is, whatever the room thinks.

67. Channel 10-57 — the survivor's finesse The channel that joins the Self to the Instinct centre through gates 10 and 57 — an intuitive, in-the-moment sense of how to behave that keeps a person well and on their own path.

68. Channel 26-44 — the messenger of memory The channel that joins the Instinct centre to the Will through gates 44 and 26 — reading people and patterns from the past, and turning that memory into a persuasive offer.

69. Channel 37-40 — the bargain of belonging The channel that joins the Feeling centre to the Will through gates 37 and 40 — the give-and-take of a household or community, where warmth is offered and work is done on terms both sides keep.

70. Channel 34-57 — power guided by instinct The channel that joins the Vitality centre to the Instinct centre through gates 34 and 57 — strength that moves on an intuitive cue, the moment it is needed.

71. Channel 6-59 — closeness and its terms The channel that joins the Vitality centre to the Feeling centre through gates 59 and 6 — the energy that reaches past other people's defences, and the emotional sense that decides when to let them in.

72. Channel 27-50 — care that preserves The channel that joins the Vitality centre to the Instinct centre through gates 27 and 50 — the energy to look after others, held in check by an instinct for what the group needs to keep.

73. Channel 3-60 — innovation within limits The channel that joins the Drive centre to the Vitality centre through gates 60 and 3 — pressure that pulses, on and off, until something genuinely new takes form inside real constraints.

74. Channel 42-53 — cycles begun and finished The channel that joins the Drive centre to the Vitality centre through gates 53 and 42 — the pressure to start something new, and the energy to carry it through to its natural end.

75. Channel 9-52 — concentration's quiet power The channel that joins the Drive centre to the Vitality centre through gates 52 and 9 — the ability to sit still and put sustained attention on one thing, detail by detail.

76. Channel 32-54 — ambition transformed The channel that joins the Drive centre to the Instinct centre through gates 54 and 32 — the pressure to rise, steadied by an instinct for what will last.

77. Channel 28-38 — the stubborn search for meaning The channel that joins the Drive centre to the Instinct centre through gates 38 and 28 — the pressure to fight for a life that feels worth living, and an instinct for which struggles are worth it.

78. Channel 18-58 — correction toward joy The channel that joins the Drive centre to the Instinct centre through gates 58 and 18 — a lively urge to make things better, and an instinct that spots exactly what needs mending.

79. Channel 19-49 — sensitivity and principle The channel that joins the Drive centre to the Feeling centre through gates 19 and 49 — a sensitivity to what people need, joined to the principles that decide who belongs and on what terms.

80. Channel 39-55 — moody, provoking spirit The channel that joins the Drive centre to the Feeling centre through gates 39 and 55 — a pressure that stirs things up, joined to an emotional life that fills and empties like a cup.

81. Channel 30-41 — dreams fed by desire The channel that joins the Drive centre to the Feeling centre through gates 41 and 30 — the pressure of imagining something new, and the deep feeling of wanting to live it.

82. Gate 1 — creative self-expression The gate of creative self-expression in the Self centre, joined to gate 8 in the Throat to make the channel of creative contribution.

83. Gate 2 — receptive direction The gate of receptive direction in the Self centre, joined to gate 14 in the Vitality centre to make the channel of direction with resources.

84. Gate 3 — ordering new beginnings The gate of ordering new beginnings in the Vitality centre, joined to gate 60 in the Drive centre to make the channel of innovation within limits.

85. Gate 4 — youthful answers The gate of youthful answers in the Mind centre, joined to gate 63 in the Head to make the channel of doubt refined into answers.

86. Gate 5 — steady rhythms and waiting The gate of steady rhythms and waiting in the Vitality centre, joined to gate 15 in the Self centre to make the channel of rhythm within the flow of life.

87. Gate 6 — friction that deepens intimacy The gate of friction that deepens intimacy in the Feeling centre, joined to gate 59 in the Vitality centre to make the channel of closeness and its terms.

88. Gate 7 — guiding from within the group The gate of guiding from within the group in the Self centre, joined to gate 31 in the Throat to make the channel of the influential guide.

89. Gate 8 — offering your contribution The gate of offering your contribution in the Throat, joined to gate 1 in the Self centre to make the channel of creative contribution.

90. Gate 9 — small, patient focus The gate of small, patient focus in the Vitality centre, joined to gate 52 in the Drive centre to make the channel of concentration's quiet power.

91. Gate 10 — how you carry yourself The gate of how you carry yourself in the Self centre — one of the four gates of the integration cluster, with channels to the Throat, the Vitality centre and the Instinct centre.

92. Gate 11 — a stream of ideas The gate of a stream of ideas in the Mind centre, joined to gate 56 in the Throat to make the channel of ideas told as stories.

93. Gate 12 — the caution before speaking The gate of the caution before speaking in the Throat, joined to gate 22 in the Feeling centre to make the channel of grace in expression.

94. Gate 13 — the listener who keeps stories The gate of the listener who keeps stories in the Self centre, joined to gate 33 in the Throat to make the channel of the keeper of stories.

95. Gate 14 — resources gathered by loving work The gate of resources gathered by loving work in the Vitality centre, joined to gate 2 in the Self centre to make the channel of direction with resources.

96. Gate 15 — love of extremes, pull to balance The gate of love of extremes and the pull to balance in the Self centre, joined to gate 5 in the Vitality centre to make the channel of rhythm within the flow of life.

97. Gate 16 — enthusiasm that becomes skill The gate of enthusiasm that becomes skill in the Throat, joined to gate 48 in the Instinct centre to make the channel of depth become skill.

98. Gate 17 — opinions that organise Gate 17 in the Mind centre — opinions that organise, a way of seeing that wants to lay the facts out in order and offer a view on them.

99. Gate 18 — the urge to repair and perfect Gate 18 in the Instinct centre — the urge to repair and perfect, an eye that notices what is not working and wants to put it right.

100. Gate 19 — sensitivity to what's needed Gate 19 in the Drive centre — sensitivity to what's needed, a pressure to sense what people lack and to bring it close.

101. Gate 20 — presence in the present Gate 20 in the Throat — presence in the present, the voice and action of right now, and the hub of three channels.

102. Gate 21 — the will to manage and control Gate 21 in the Will centre — the will to manage and control, a drive to take charge of the resources a life depends on.

103. Gate 22 — grace and openness of mood Gate 22 in the Feeling centre — grace and openness of mood, a warmth that depends on the emotional weather being right.

104. Gate 23 — stripping things to essentials Gate 23 in the Throat — stripping things to essentials, the knack of saying a new idea so plainly that others can take it in.

105. Gate 24 — returning thoughts, ripening Gate 24 in the Mind centre — returning thoughts, ripening, a mind that circles back to the same question until it settles.

106. Gate 25 — innocence of spirit Gate 25 in the Self centre — innocence of spirit, an open-hearted trust that meets life without a plan and without a grudge.

107. Gate 26 — the persuasive accumulator Gate 26 in the Will centre — the persuasive accumulator, a talent for gathering what is valuable and convincing others of its worth.

108. Gate 27 — care and nourishment of others Gate 27 in the Vitality centre — care and nourishment of others, the life-force that goes into looking after people.

109. Gate 28 — risking for a life that matters Gate 28 in the Instinct centre — risking for a life that matters, the need to know that what you spend yourself on is worth it.

110. Gate 29 — saying yes and committing Gate 29 in the Vitality centre — saying yes and committing, the energy to see an experience through once the body has agreed to it.

111. Gate 30 — clinging desire and feeling Gate 30 in the Feeling centre — clinging desire and feeling, a burning wish to live something fully, whatever it turns out to bring.

112. Gate 31 — the voice that leads by influence Gate 31 in the Throat — the voice that leads by influence, speaking for a group because the group has chosen to listen.

113. Gate 32 — instinct for what endures Gate 32 in the Instinct centre — an instinct for what endures, a quiet sense of which efforts, people and ventures will last.

114. Gate 33 — retreat and remembering A gate in the Throat centre about stepping back from the action and keeping what was lived, so that it can later be told.

115. Gate 34 — raw independent power A gate in the Vitality centre about sheer strength that is its own — energy that works best when it answers to something real rather than to being seen.

116. Gate 35 — hunger for new experience A gate in the Throat centre about the appetite to try what has not yet been lived, and to come away with something worth telling.

117. Gate 36 — weathering emotional storms A gate in the Feeling centre about meeting the unknown with the emotions fully engaged — and learning, over time, to ride the turbulence rather than flee it.

118. Gate 37 — warmth of family and bargain A gate in the Feeling centre about the warmth that holds a household or a group together, and the fair exchange that keeps that warmth honest.

119. Gate 38 — the fighter for meaning A gate in the Drive centre about the pressure to stand against what feels pointless, and to struggle for something that makes life worth it.

120. Gate 39 — provoking spirit loose A gate in the Drive centre about the pressure to stir, poke and test — and so to shake loose the feeling and spirit in oneself and in others.

121. Gate 40 — work, rest and aloneness A gate in the Will centre about doing one's share for others, and needing to withdraw afterwards to rest and restore one's own worth.

122. Gate 41 — the dreaming that starts cycles A gate in the Drive centre about the pressure of imagining what has not yet happened — the first, faint wish from which a new round of experience begins.

123. Gate 42 — carrying things to completion A gate in the Vitality centre about the energy to see something through to its natural end, once it has begun.

124. Gate 43 — sudden inner knowing A gate in the Mind centre about insight that arrives all at once, from somewhere the person cannot fully explain — and the work of making it understood.

125. Gate 44 — the nose for patterns and people A gate in the Instinct centre about sensing, from what has gone before, who and what will work — an instinct for people built on memory.

126. Gate 45 — gathering the community's means A gate in the Throat centre about bringing people and resources together, and speaking for how what is shared should be used.

127. Gate 46 — the body's good fortune A gate in the Self centre about being fully present in one's own body and life, and the sense of being in the right place at the right time that can follow.

128. Gate 47 — making sense of what pressed down A gate in the Mind centre about turning confusing past experience over and over until, often suddenly, it makes sense.

129. Gate 48 — the deep well of solutions A gate in the Instinct centre about a reservoir of depth and know-how that others can draw on — and the worry that it is never quite deep enough.

130. Gate 49 — principles and revolutions Gate 49 in the Feeling centre: principles and revolutions, from I Ching hexagram 49, Revolution.

131. Gate 50 — guarding the community's values Gate 50 in the Instinct centre: guarding the community's values, from I Ching hexagram 50, The Cauldron.

132. Gate 51 — shock that initiates Gate 51 in the Will centre: shock that initiates, from I Ching hexagram 51, The Arousing.

133. Gate 52 — stillness that concentrates Gate 52 in the Drive centre: stillness that concentrates, from I Ching hexagram 52, Keeping Still.

134. Gate 53 — the itch to begin Gate 53 in the Drive centre: the itch to begin, from I Ching hexagram 53, Development.

135. Gate 54 — ambition that climbs Gate 54 in the Drive centre: ambition that climbs, from I Ching hexagram 54, The Marrying Maiden.

136. Gate 55 — the cup of spirit, filling and emptying Gate 55 in the Feeling centre: the cup of spirit, filling and emptying, from I Ching hexagram 55, Abundance.

137. Gate 56 — the storyteller wandering Gate 56 in the Throat centre: the storyteller wandering, from I Ching hexagram 56, The Wanderer.

138. Gate 57 — the quiet intuitive ear Gate 57 in the Instinct centre: the quiet intuitive ear, from I Ching hexagram 57, The Gentle.

139. Gate 58 — joy that critiques toward better Gate 58 in the Drive centre: joy that critiques toward better, from I Ching hexagram 58, The Joyous.

140. Gate 59 — breaking down walls to bond Gate 59 in the Vitality centre: breaking down walls to bond, from I Ching hexagram 59, Dispersion.

141. Gate 60 — accepting limits, finding magic Gate 60 in the Drive centre: accepting limits, finding magic, from I Ching hexagram 60, Limitation.

142. Gate 61 — the pull of inner truth Gate 61 in the Head centre: the pull of inner truth, from I Ching hexagram 61, Inner Truth.

143. Gate 62 — naming the details Gate 62 in the Throat centre: naming the details, from I Ching hexagram 62, Preponderance of the Small.

144. Gate 63 — doubt that starts the question Gate 63 in the Head centre: doubt that starts the question, from I Ching hexagram 63, After Completion.

145. Gate 64 — the swirl before sense is made Gate 64 in the Head centre: the swirl before sense is made, from I Ching hexagram 64, Before Completion.

146. Gates The 64 slices of the zodiac, one for each I Ching hexagram, that a planet lights up — the smallest working part of the Embodied Energy Chart.

147. Line One of the six divisions of every gate — the line of the hexagram a planet falls on, which adds a manner to the gate's theme and gives the profile its two numbers.

148. Line 1 The one who needs solid ground — the first line of every gate, read as going to the bottom of a thing before feeling safe to build on it.

149. Line 2 The natural left alone — the second line of every gate, read as a knack that works best unwatched, and that others notice and call out anyway.

150. Line 3 The one who finds out by trying — the third line of every gate, read as learning by bumping into things, where what doesn't work is the method rather than a failure.

151. Line 4 The one who moves through people — the fourth line of every gate, read as a life where the next thing tends to arrive through someone already known.

152. Line 5 The one others project onto — the fifth line of every gate, read as being expected to have the answer, often before anyone has asked.

153. Line 6 The one who becomes the example — the sixth line of every gate, read as a life in chapters: trial early, a watching stretch in the middle, then a settled authority.

154. Profile Two numbers such as 2/4 or 6/3 — the line of the aware Sun over the line of the built-in Sun — read as the overall manner in which a whole life is lived and met.

155. Colour, tone and base The divisions below the line — six colours, six tones and five bases — which feed the four Variables and depend so finely on the birth time that we show them only when the time can bear them.

156. The life theme The four gates of the two Suns and two Earths — the tradition's incarnation cross — read as a question a life keeps asking, named here from our own gate themes.

157. The cross angle Whether a life theme is a personal path, a fixed path or a shared path — the tradition's right angle, juxtaposition and left angle, read from the profile.

158. The four quarters The gate wheel divided into four runs of sixteen gates — initiation, civilisation, duality and mutation — and the quarter the birth Sun falls in, read as the kind of purpose a life works through.

159. The sixteen faces (godheads) The finest division of the life theme — sixteen runs of four gates, four to each quarter, each carrying an archetypal name from the tradition and a theme in our own words.

160. The Variables (the four arrows) The four arrows beside the chart — how a person takes things in, the surroundings that suit them, what drives their mind and what their eye goes to — read from below the line, and shown only when the birth time can bear them.

161. Digestion (the determination arrow) The upper-left arrow — how a person tends to take things in, read from the built-in Sun — described as rhythm, setting and attention, never as what to eat.

162. Environment (the lower-left arrow) The arrow that names the kind of surroundings a person tends to do best in — caves, markets, kitchens, mountains, valleys or shores — read from the built-in Nodes, and sturdy even on a rough birth time.

163. Perspective (the lower-right arrow) The arrow that names what a person's eye naturally goes to — survival, possibility, power, wanting, probability or the personal — and, beneath it, what the looking is for.

164. Motivation (the upper-right arrow) The arrow that names what actually drives a person's mind — fear, hope, desire, need, guilt or innocence — and the motivation it tends to slip into when things are off-track.

◈ Encyclopedia of Embodied Energy

The lessons