How To Read Human Design Chart: The Ultimate Intro to Human Design Types

Lana Star

Whimsy Intern

At this point we’ve all heard a lot about astrology and charts and all you can learn about yourself through those (if you are a beginner to astrology too, check out our article about all things astrology here). 

Fewer people have heard about human design, but its popularity is definitely growing. So you might be wondering, what is human design? What can it tell me that astrology doesn’t? How does it work? And why are the charts so complicated looking and hard to read? 

I recently found human design in my quest for all things spiritual and have so enjoyed getting to know my chart and the chart of my loved ones. It can also be such an impactful tool, especially if you are currently diving deep into your inner world and searching for your purpose in this life. 

It has also deeply helped me come home to myself and my body. Understanding your chart is definitely quite the task so I’m here to share all I know, from breaking down all the aspects of your chart to websites, podcasts and apps that can teach you even more. 

At the end of this article you’ll be fluent in how to read human design charts. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll start to see your human design chart as an artful tool instead of an overwhelming amalgamation of lines and symbols. 

What is Human Design? 

Human design is a mix of both spirituality and past and current science, including numerology, I-Ching, astrology, Kabbalah, the chakra system, and vedic philosophy. It was developed by Ra Uru Hu aka Alan Robert Krakower in 1992 and has grown in popularity in recent years. 

Human design, like astrology, the enneagram test and other personality tests, is a tool to help us understand our life path, to understand who we’ve chosen to be this time around.

It details our baseline programming by showing us our gifts, where we get energy from, our responses when we are aligned and not, and so much more. It’s almost like an individual guidebook to the physical vehicle that is your body. 

It helps you tune back into your body, back into your nervous system, and learn to listen to the answers your body is giving you rather than society (your inner authority). It helps balance your mind, body, and soul. It helps you recognize where you are prone to conditioning and outside influences and where you have inherent energy and direction. 

Learning your chart (which takes a lifetime) is a process of remembering, of meeting yourself, of embodiment and exploration, and most of all a tool to find alignment and flow. 

Human design functions on the base understanding of taking what resonates for you and trying it out for yourself instead of blindly believing. It truly comes to life through practical application.

So stick around, download your chart, learn about human design chart meanings and the human design system

then test it out for yourself. 

Human Design Chart Analysis

Start by getting your chart. Sometimes you’ll see your chart referred to as a Rave Bodygraph. My advice is to also download your chart. Human design takes a long time to process and is a great tool to occasionally check back in with so having it handy helps!

You can download it any of these spots: 

• Jovian Archive (a human design chart generator with a ton of info on human design too). For this one make sure you put the hour in 24 hour time instead of AM or Pm. It is the official human design site.)
• International Human Design School (one of the Best free human design chart generators with a free report)
• Bodygraph Chart

Here is my body graph as an example. 

When you first look at your chart it can be insanely overwhelming, so here is a breakdown of the main aspects of the chart. It can be helpful to follow along with your chart so you can see each part in action.

Human Design Five Energy Types

Your energy type is arguably the most important and easiest aspect of human design. There are five different energy types (some sites will have four and exclude manifesting generators as a completely different type). 

Unlike other tests, you are not a percentage of all five combined. Each chart has one energy type and that energy type is determined by which energy centers are defined and which are open. Here are the five human design types and the energy centers they correspond with and a brief description of each: 

Manifestor

Manifestors are the idea generators of the five types, the initiatory energy in society. They are the ones starting the fire. They often start something with their passion and then pull the exact people towards that project. They have spontaneous energy followed by periods of rest. 

When manifestors people please and play small they are not aligned with their energy. 

Their strategy, which is basically like the ideal approach to life for each type, is to inform. Manifestors thrive on reaching out and initiating action. 

Manifesting Generator

Manifesting generators are generators first as they have a defined sacral center. They generally have more initiatory energy than generators. 

Manifesting generators struggle when they try to fit themselves into boxes or engage in tasks that don’t bring them joy. 

Their strategy is to respond then inform. 

Generator

When you do things that inspire you, you create life force energy, energy that impacts everyone around you. Since they generate so much energy when they are following their passion, they have reliable energy stores, almost like a battery that needs to be used during the day and then recharged at night. 

Praise from others is the conditioning generators must break as they learn to follow their bliss, not obligation and shoulds. 

The generator’s strategy is to respond. 

Projector

Projectors are here to guide others through sharing their opinions, when asked. They naturally see things that others do not. 

The ideal strategy for a projector is to wait to be invited into a situation. If they share their visions without being asked, it can cause a lot of discomfort, but if they wait until invited, their visions can be revolutionary.

Because projectors don’t have an inherent source of energy, defined sacral, they are more prone to energy waves and thrive on naps and frequent rest. 

Reflector

Reflectors’ body graphs are completely open, none of their energy centers are defined, meaning they reflect the energy of those around them. Reflectors are essentially sampling life and mirroring energies.

Similar to the projectors, they do not have inherent access to an energy source and so might need more frequent rest. 

The strategy for a reflector is to wait a lunar cycle. 

Human Design Energy Centers

Each of the shapes in your body graph represent different energy centers. You’ll also notice that some are filled in and some are empty. If they are filled they are defined centers, which are your inherent sources of energy. Your defined centers describe your nature, what is consistently present and where your internal authority resides. 

Open centers are ones that are receptive to energy from others and conditioning forces. This receptivity can be both positive and negative as those centers are shaped by experience.

You can find more information here about how each center being defined or undefined manifests. 

Inner Authorities

Your human design authority is where in your body you make decisions from. Your inner authority is determined by which centers are defined. There are 7 different authorities. 

If you have a defined solar plexus, you have an emotional authority (that’s what I have!) Emotional authorities do best when waiting for their emotions to pass to make decisions.

When you have a defined sacral center (generators (also me)), you have a sacral authority, meaning when you are making decisions and you listen, you have a strong gut response. This only functions in black and white, yes and no situations. If you have been detached from this authority through years of conditioning and ignoring it, it might take time to learn what your gut yes and no feel like. 

If you have an open sacral center and an open solar plexus and a spleen center defined, you have a splenic authority. Splenic authorities get an almost immediate inner knowing in decision situations. With this authority it’s important to learn to quiet your mind through the decision making process. 

It’s a little more complicated to see the next type of authority, the ego authority, but basically it depends on the connections from your heart and throat centers. This type is split into the ego manifested and ego projected which are slightly different, but it’s important for both to embrace cycles of work and rest (the heart is a motor center and so is connected to doing things). 

Self-projected authorities have their g center connected to their throat. These authorities need to hear themselves speak to make decisions and so it is critical for them to be around people that can support that process. 

The environ(mental) authority type will only have the top part of their chart filled in. Since all the centers below this are open, the environment these people find themselves in is critical. Clarity on decision making can come from feeling into the environment. 

The last authority, the lunar cycle authority, is the type that reflectors have. For this type it is important to wait a full lunar cycle whenever possible when making big decisions. 

Read more about the authorities here. 

My Signature and Not Self 

This might be one of my favorite parts of human design. Each energy type also comes with a certain feeling that they feel when they are aligned with their human design (their signature or sign), and another when they are not (not-self). 

This “sign” theme for me as a generator is satisfaction. If I am doing things that light me up, I will feel satisfied in life. If I am not aligned, I will experience frustration, my not-self sign. Here are the sign and not self themes for all the energy types: 

• Manifestor: Peace, Anger
• Manifesting Generator: Satisfaction, Frustration/Anger
• Generator: Satisfaction, Frustration 
• Projector: Success, Bitterness
• Reflector: Surprise, Disappointment

Recognizing when you are feeling your non-self theme can be a powerful tool to help you notice when you are unaligned and make shifts. Noticing you are feeling the feeling associated with your sign can also be so powerful since then you can recognize and celebrate where you are at. 

Not-self themes are also associated with your undefined centers, each with their own theme. You can find the not-self themes for each center here. 

How to Read Human Design Chart Numbers

Once you understand the driving meanings of your chart, mostly based on your defined centers, the next step is to start diving even deeper through learning about all the numbers in the chart. This step can be really overwhelming and so only dive in as much as you want to and when you’re ready. It can almost be easier to approach one piece at a time, learning different gates and channels with different seasons of your life. 

Trying to memorize all of your gates right away is almost like picking up a tarot deck and trying to memorize the exact meaning of each card instead of creating space and time to truly connect with the underlying meaning of that card. 

Read through the basis of the rest of the aspects of the chart and sit with what resonates now and maybe come back and check in later to see what resonates then. And if you are looking for more information on how they all work together cohesively, reach out to a reader, they are trained to understand these complexities and communicate them in a more digestible way. There is a list of readers at the end of this article. 

Gates/Gifts

It can be overwhelming to learn how to read human design chart gates, mostly since there are 64 of them. Your gates, or your gifts as you’ll see in some places, are the little numbers scattered among the centers. 

Each person has a maximum of 26 activated gates (one for each of the 13 planets in the unconscious and then the conscious charts). Your first instinct might be to find a list of the gates and write down each of yours (that’s what I did on like day 2 of knowing human design). An easier strategy to approach your gates would be to sit with them one at a time and meditate or journal on it. Or you could download this human design app and it has recordings for each of your gifts. 

Channels

Your channels are essentially how energy flows through your chart, through your body. Your defined channels are themes and gifts that are consistent for you. There are a ton of different gates so like with the gates, take your time to learn and interact with them. Here is more info about all of the gates. You can find yours by finding the lines between centers that are filled in and then noting the numbers on either side. 

Profile Lines/Personality 

Our personality in human design tells us what our purpose in this life is. Your personality comes from your conscious sun and earth gate (the first number) and the second number comes from unconscious sun and earth gate. 

The first number describes how you see yourself and the second is how others see you. Combined, they give you your personality. Here is more about all 12 of the personality types. 

Incarnation Cross

Your incarnation cross in your chart is essentially your life theme. There are 192 different incarnation crosses. It is also not something you have to do anything for, but rather will develop throughout your life as you grow into your purpose. 

16 Variables (4 arrows)

The four arrows at the top of the graph represent your digestion, environment, awareness and perspective. 

If the top left arrow (digestion) is facing left, you process information actively and do well with structure. If it is facing right, you have a more intuitive, adaptive way of digesting information. 

If the bottom left arrow (environment) is facing left, you prefer familiar places. If it is facing right, you thrive on new places and experiences. 

If the top right arrow (awareness) is facing left, you have strategic awareness and stay focused with meticulous details. If it is facing right, you have receptive awareness and prefer to look at the bigger picture. 

If the bottom right arrow (perspective) is facing left you are a specific manifestor, meaning detailed planning and goal setting benefits you. If it is facing right, you are a non-specific manifestor and manifest easier when you are focused on how things feel, rather than the specifics of what you want. 

Conscious/ Unconscious 

One final thing you’ll notice on your chart are the two columns and the fact that the lines between your centers are either red or black. 

The left column and corresponding red channels correlate with your astrological chart from 3 months before you were born and are associated with your unconscious. The right column, black numbers and channels, correlate with your birth chart and represent your personality. 

Read more about the conscious/unconscious importance here. 

Now you can probably see the complexity that human design holds, it is the combination of a bunch of science and spiritual systems after all!

Advice for Human Design Newbies  

Now that you know all the specifics of learning charts, I want to share a few tips that’ll make this process easier and more impactful. 

Human design has the potential to be deeply impactful for your life, especially if you are currently trying to find your purpose and who you are meant to be.

It is also a massive, individualized blueprint and so is not designed to be a tool to read through and completely understand now and then move away from. It is a lifelong tool, an evolving roadmap. 

When I read my chart, there are pieces that immediately resonate, parts that make me feel seen, like I am home in myself. These pieces are infinitely reassuring and are why I got into human design in the first place.

There are also parts of my chart that I don’t see manifested in my life yet. There are also pieces that I am not yet aligned with and that will likely make sense in a different way to future me. 

So my advice is to take what resonates for you now, and work to integrate it into your life. Aligning with all that excites you, all that makes sense today, recognizing that what all this means will change for you. 

Another major tip is to learn your chart and to look at the chart of the people in your life. It can truly help you understand the people around you. It has been extremely powerful to learn my sister’s charts and especially their non self themes so when I notice them in that state I know where it’s coming from.

Connecting with my people on having the same gifts has also been fun. We also tend to fill our open channels with people who have matching gates and so human design can directly show us how people are functioning in our worlds. 

Human design, like many other tools and spiritual pursuits, has so much information that it is people’s entire careers. There is so much power and so much potential to overwhelm in this. What I’ve discovered is that there are a ton of resources and these resources speak to people with different levels of exposure to that world.

So often, I’ve started reading an article or listening to a podcast about human design and have been completely lost. Be kind to yourself and find resources that speak in a language you get. This tool is meant to change your life, to be approachable and actionable, not out of reach. 

Most of all, get curious. Try to approach your chart with an open mind and so much excitement! 

Tools to Learn More 

There is so much to learn and while I tried to be thorough, this is such a brief overview of this system. So, here are a ton of resources that have helped me!

I love the app MyHumanDesign and its associated podcast. Jenna Zoe is the voice behind both and is a human design expert. The app not only shows you your chart and gives you the option to put in other people’s charts, it also has audio and written explanations of each of your categories that helps you both understand and act on that section. It is a great option for a free human design chart interpretation. 

I also learned a ton from the episodes in the School of Higher Consciousness devoted to the specific energy types with different experts for each. This is often where I send my friends and family when I first tell them about human design. Here is each episode from this podcast: 

• What is human design?
• Generator  
• Manifestor 
• Manifesting Generator
• Projector
• Reflector
• Human Design Profile Lines

If you are looking for someone that specializes in reading human design charts, here are some great options! Having a human design reading can help you understand your chart so much faster. 

• Sara with Diving Stillness ($85)
• Many different readers with MyHumanDesign ($150-350)
• Ardelia with
  

  That Projector Guide ($180-230)

• Balance by Meghan ($55-222) 

I hope human design makes at least a little more sense to you now! It is such a great tool to learn about our unique bodies and how to live in alignment with our purpose. 

And always remember, take what resonates, leave the rest, and always be patient with yourself when learning new systems and ways of being.