Human Design is a Science of Differentiation.
It was first initiated in 1987 by Ra Uru Hu aka Alan Krakower.
It is a beautifully complex and synthesized system, interwoven from multiple ancient and modern sciences.
Human Design takes the snapshot of our design at our exact birth time and 88 days prior, to create a double-chart system that Human Design readers and analysts can decipher for individuals, couples, friends, families and teams. If you know your birth date, location and exact time, then you can quickly pull up your own Human Design bodygraph here.
It offers insights into your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health and wellness, as well as the gifts of energy you were born with and how to wield them wisely and in alignment.
It also delves into relationships and how we are electro-magnetically and mechanically meant to relate to others.
There is great wisdom in this complex system that is both practical and nuanced, ambiguous yet crystal clear. So, it can sometimes be a conundrum, but the more you spend time contemplating and experimenting with it practically in your life, you can gain a better understanding of it and how to use it for your benefit.
It speaks to how, in this day and age, we are socialized to become homogenous with everyone else, but it invites us back to live as our unique, individual selves, as we were designed and meant to.
It also speaks to how we fit into the collective story of evolution, how we uniquely contribute to this world. We each have contributions to make. Just as nature requires biodiversity to thrive and sustain itself, we, as humans, are part of that biodiversity, but we often forget that. Instead of succuming to social, cultural, religious pressures that influence us to fit in, behave according to what is 'right', deemed 'good', 'admirable' or 'respectable'. As early as 4 years old, we learn what 'good' behaviour is and what 'bad' behaviour is. Our socialisation runs deep in our minds, and our world view, self-image and oppression starts there.
"What could I gain from Human Design?"
1. Guidance Human Design tells you more than 'who you are or who you were designed to be', it also offers strategies and tactics to live in alignment with your natural gifts. It also provides tools you can refer to and rely on in any situation in life. Sometimes we feel so lost in life and turn to mentors, family or friends but Human Design invites you to rely on your own guidance. It shows you exactly how to use that guidance. It's like you've been gifted with either a torch, an oil lamp or a flashlight to guide your unknown path forward. Each of those tools has a different way of using it and maintaining it. You learn these strategies in Human Design.
2. Personal transformation; self-awareness, self-trust, confidence By starting to shift your self-image thru the lens of Human Design, you will start to see that you succeed and enjoy life more when you live by trusting yourself. You are your own sovereign being and you and only you can read the signs that show up in your awareness, notice your radar's signals and be able to feel what direction is the right way for you. You gain confidence when you can trust yourself above anyone else and you aren't afraid to forge your own path despite what your loved ones say.
3. Results in your mental health, relationships, physical health, career, overall life.
By learning exactly when to step up, be ambitious and take action, versus taking a step back, being patient, trusting and surrendering to higher forces, your behavioural habits may change. As a result, you may find that you are finding a FLOW state in how you go about your day to day life. This can transform your relationship with yourself, others, how your work goes, your physical wellness, your money situation, your energy levels, and so much more.
4. Clarity of Focus
There are millions of sources of advice out there today, from podcasts, mentorshships, coaches, books and therapists. Solmetimes it's hard to identify what sources or advice are right for you. Nothing should be a blanketed approach. That's what I appreciate about Human Design. It is always considering how unique and differentiated each of us are. We are each meant to live life differently. Human Design can give us the clarity and focus that we may have never been exposed to, because it tells us what to look out for, what details and nuances make us so unique and what energetic gifts/skills are at play at any given moment.
Where does Human Design come from?
TLDR - Short answer: A "Voice" that Ra Uru Hu heard for 8 days and 8 nights in 1987. It turns out that the Voice spoke about a complex system that combined the themes from the ancient Chinese system of the I-ching, the Jewish-Kabbalist Kabbalah or Tree of Life, the Hindu-Brahmin chakra system and Western Astrology.
On January 3rd 1987 on the island of Ibiza, "The Voice said: 'Are you ready to work?' And for eight days and eight nights he worked, transcribing in detail what is now known as The Human Design System. Ra speaks of the encounter as a wake-up call, an education which showed him how blind and ignorant his assumptions were about the nature of being, the cosmos and the way things work.
Ra considered himself the messenger of The Human Design System, now his legacy, and dedicated his life since the encounter to disseminating the Science of Differentiation around the world. He settled, lived and worked in Ibiza where he enjoyed teaching, playing music, gardening and spending time with his family. Ra passed away in his home in 2011, less than a month from his 63rd birthday." - Jovian Archive
"Human Design is a mirror of our age of globalization and synthesis. There lurks real danger in clinging to the relative absolutes as this is the force that continues to condition us away from accepting our oneness. Human Design is not about seeing or accepting that there is one specific way. The way is all ways. Synthesis embraces all of the collected wisdom of these cultures and their systems and it does not dismiss or lessen the value of the knowledge and wisdom derived from these earlier systems. It brings them all together into their global body, into their proper place where their contributions can be properly recognized and honored. Each culture in its evolution has explored and discovered aspects of the truth. The synthesis of these diverse aspects creates a complete body of knowledge and, as demonstrated by the law of mathematics, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts." - Ra Uru Hu
FAQs about Human Design
When I tell people I'm a Human Design reader, and I share quickly what it's about, I get some frequently asked questions. So, here they are and here are the answers!
Can you tell me my future or what's in store for me? Answer: I can only tell you what themes you might be grappling with or will be a big trend or pattern at certain points in your future. I can tell you what the highest expression of that theme would be so that you can live with minimal damage, and what the low expression looks like so you can look out for that and try to correct your behaviour to go into the high expression. I cannot tell you what will or will not happen in your life.
Is this just going to tell me about myself? And leave me to hang dry afterwards? Answer: No! Human Design goes beyond just telling you about your natural gifts. In almost every aspect of the chart, you have the choice of what to do about it, and Human Design gives you strategies, tactics, signposts to look out for, a decision making guide and the descriptions of what your higher vibration looks like and what your lower vibration looks like. That way, you can catch yourself when you are living out of alignment and you can change your behaviours or attitudes to shift into the higher vibration of your design. You become your own sovereign being and reliable guide for the rest of your life the more you use/live in your design.
Is it a cult? Answer: No. There was no original intent to make Human Design a cult or religion. It is a system that anyone can use for their own benefit. There a few people who try to gate keep and regulate Human Design or shame people who don't follow the original Human Design transmissions to a T. But, if you think about it, we are all already receiving a biased lens and interpretation of the Voice's transmission. The founder was a human and all humans are biased. So, I think every human will have its own slight variation of how they interpret Human Design from lengthy contemplation and experimentation of applying it to their own lives.
Can you tell if me and my partner are compatible? Answer: Kind of. It's not necessarily compatibility that I can assess by looking at both of your charts, it's how your energies communicate with one another and how you two can support each others a bit better based on each of your designs. In one aspect, I can assess if there is likely a need for more hard work to be put into a relationship than other relationships that might be a bit 'easier' in terms of the amount of work but that is a bit generalized. Just because a relationship may require a bit more work compared to other combinations, doesn't mean it is not capable of succeeding or being a fruitful relationship. It is helpful to look more at the details of the charts combined and see where one partners' specific energies might be compromised while another's dominating. Or where your energies match each others and complete a particular circuit or channel of specific energy. By understanding each other through Human Design Type, Themes, Strategy and Authority, you can really make some big shifts in building a more seamless partnership each time you interact with one another. Because you'll learn what your partner needs and why they do what they do and how you can respect that.