Recently, I was listening to back episodes of Jordan Younger's podcast Soul on Fire and came across one featuring an interview with Jenna Zoe, Human Design expert. The conversation was FASCINATING and totally turned something on in me that I didn't realize was switched off, and I was left wanting to know EVERYTHING there was to know about Human Design.

So what exactly is Human Design? Think of it like a personality-testing-best-of-roundup: it's like an astrological natal chart, the I-Ching, a Myers-Briggs test and an Enneagram all got freaky and gave birth to a new system of breaking down all the different aspects that make up our personalities.

The technology that is Human Design has a crazy backstory: according to the books I've read, a former newspaper advertising salesman named Ra Uru Hu was traveling and on the island of Ibiza in Spain, and he was coming home one night with his dog and noticed that there was a bright light shining in his cottage...a light he hadn't left on. Dun dun DUUUNNNN! Apparently, when they entered the cottage, the dog starts growling then passes out (!!) and Ra felt what he described as an internal explosion occur. Moments later, he's standing in a pool of his own sweat (ew) and a disembodied male voice is telling him to get to work (WHAT??). The information he channeled from that encounter became known as Human Design.

...

Yeah. I know. The fuck, right? Another way I've heard Human Design described (and this is the way that speaks to me) is as a map of our soul's contract with the Universe. It's a tool for getting rid of all the habits and beliefs we've picked up over the years that aren't actually aligned with who we are at our core so that we can realign with the highest version of ourselves.

Regardless of whether or not you choose to believe in the system's origins, the amount of insight I've gained by studying my chart has been miraculous, so I've decided to set aside the backstory and focus on the tools it provides. By going through all of the aspects of my chart, I've gained so much clarity around what motivates me (and what doesn't), and why I click with certain people, places and experiences and why I am super turned off by others. It's also given me tools I'm just starting to implement around decision-making and processing and really inventorying where I want to grow and what I want to release. And, since tomorrow night we're welcoming a bright, beautiful full moon in Scorpio, which is all about releasing what no longer serves us, talking about Human Design on interior creature felt timely.

Because it's given me so much insight into who (and why) I am, and because I'm in several Facebook groups where people have run their charts and are struggling to interpret them, I'm starting a series of posts that will break down the parts of the Human Design chart piece by piece, so you can learn as I learn.

There are a few places online to run your chart for free. My favorite is www.mybodygraph.com. The information you'll need is your birth date, birthplace and exact time of birth. The website asks for your email in exchange for running the chart and then offers to upsell you the analysis afterward. Once you run your chart, you'll be provided with a graphic that shows your internal Human Design, and then on the right are several drop-down menus that list the following things:

your type
your profile
your open (or undefined) centers
your closed (or defined) centers
your channels
your gates

Typically, you'll receive a free analysis of your centers and type, but have to pay to receive info on the rest. After a couple glasses of wine, back after hearing the podcast, I clicked "buy" on an Amazon cart full of books om Human Design, so I've decided to turn a personal oopsie into a learning opportunity for the greater good ✨

All of these pieces of information combine and interact to create who we are and how we interact with the world. So far, everything I've uncovered about my own chart has given me goosebumps in how accurate it was. The most meaningful part of going through this type of analysis are the tools each piece of information provides: once we understand WHY we react or feel the way we do it's easier to grow and evolve from there and find ways to truly live in the flow.

I'll be starting with the nine centers, tackling one a post, and go from there. If you want to run your chart and learn along with me, I'd love to have you! And let me know in the comments as we go whether the information resonates with you or not 💕💕💕

#selfcare for the soul: An Intro to Human Design