THE SPLEEN CENTER | HUMAN DESIGN
This seemed like an appropriate photo for the Center associated with survival, and listening to our bodies. I mean for a second I thought they were going to have to carry me off of Cathedral Rock. I hiked, and by hiked I really mean mostly bouldered, with Harold and my water bottle on my back, in 98 degrees, in full sun, in jeans, with no snacks, like a very unprepared asshat. I actually made it to the top, sprawled out in the shade for a half hour, ate some delicious granola offered to me by a stranger and sat in the vortex for about an hour before making my way down when my new friend snapped this photo. As you can see from my pants I mostly slid my way down but I survived and boy was it worth it. And, did I ever learn a lesson, hiking in the desert is VERY different than hiking in the Pacific Northwest. She takes no prisoners.
THE SPLEEN IS AN AWARENESS CENTER
The Spleen is the inner facing triangle on the most left side of the bodygraph, it will be either white (open) or brown (defined). The Spleen Center is one of three centers associated with our sense of self, the oldest in fact, which is why it deals with our basic instincts (the Ajna + Solar Plexus being the other two). Our Splenic intelligence is associated with our survival awareness, though it is actually the weakest of the three centers. The voices of the Solar Plexus and Ajna can easily override its alerts.
It is associated with the anatomy of our Spleen, our T-Cells and our lymphatic system. Our T cells are constantly gathering information to let us know if something is amiss and therefore this is the hub of our immune system, of our physical health and well-being. It helps us to filter out physical toxins as well as negative vibrations.
While the Spleen is tied to our survival instincts and I often joke in readings that you want your friend with the defined Spleen along with you for the Zombie Apocalypse, it is also a center of sweetness, of laughter and spontaneity, of living into life’s fullness.
The three awareness Centers are also home to our potential fears which you can learn more about inside The Collective or read about The Fear Gates within The Spleen here. Fear serves a purpose when it is alerting us to danger or letting us know when we need to change course, or not head down that alleyway. It can also become Shadow when we allow our fears to keep us stagnant or when we find ourselves making decisions from fear that keep us small. Our Strategy can be very helpful in guiding us through our fears.
DEFINITION
About 55% of the population has a defined Spleen. The Spleen is all instinct, in the now. A defined Spleen (whether you have this as your Authority or not) will tap you in to lightning bolt intuition.
This is an instant, in the moment energy. It is intuitive, raw, instinctive, an inner knowing. A Splenic Authority is when you have a defined Spleen without a defined Sacral or Solar Plexus. And without the balance of those centers it is most likely that what others would term rash decision making is exactly your wheel house. You know right away if something is right or wrong for you and you don’t need any additional time to process. If you have, say, an Emotional Authority then you will want to listen in to this wisdom but still ride the wave for decisions as our defined Solar Plexus takes precedence.
The Spleen only gives you that hit once, so it’s very important that we learn how to pay attention. Like all inner guidance the more we practice tuning in and acting on these nudges (or sometimes shoves), the more prominent they will become.
Our instinct is usually 9 seconds before our mind starts to get into the way, questioning, second guessing or doubting our decisions. If you are second guessing you have left the territory of your Spleen and are trying to figure it out with your mind. You do not need to process, and think it though, for those with this Authority it is the moment to moment decisions.
Your defined Spleen is in constant communication with you about what serves you and what does not. It is tied to your very well-being. Listen to all of those little messages your body is telling you. It’s not just about survival but thriving.
Be open to what is good for you in the moment changing in the next moment. The Spleen doesn’t have awareness around the future and therefore what is correct for you may change. Trust in your body, in your instincts, to point you in the right direction. Tune in by experimenting and noting what those urges feel like.
The Spleen is here to show us what serves our greater well being. It tells us what is good for our survival as well as what isn’t. Sometimes folks with a defined Spleen can miss the first signs of dis-ease and keep pushing/working through. It’s important we all take the time to recognize imbalance and allow our body the time it needs to heal.
We also tend to be the folks who are on time, or early and consider that on time. It can be helpful to remember that not everyone is on our timeline or as fast as we are. I always have a book or work with me so I don’t build resentment around my open Spleen friends who are usually on a much less punctual time table.
The GATES defined from the Spleen Center give us a lot of information about our primary fears for survival, and each time we move through, not letting our fears get in the way, we build a greater sense of well-being.
OPEN CENTER
If the Spleen Center is white then it is open or undefined. This means you do not have consistent access to this energy. It does not mean that you are not intuitive. But it does mean you can take on and amplify the fears of those around you. It’s very important with any openness in our chart to constantly check in with what we’re feeling and ask, “Is this mine?”. And, with openness here you become stronger and develop much more self awareness when you face your fears head on. This is how you master this energy.
Without definition here, children enter the world feeling like they don’t have the wherewithal to survive life on Earth. There is a sensitivity to the world around them and they feel safer when in the aura of someone with a defined Spleen. There can be a dependence that develops, feeling like they need someone in order to feel safe. This can easily manifest into a pattern one perpetuates in adulthood, leading to co-dependencies and unhealthy relationships. In addition, folks with an undefined Spleen often don’t know when to let go and will hold on to things, jobs, people that are not serving their highest good for far longer than they should. Although you don’t have to have an Open Spleen to hold on too long, hello Virgo North Node 🙋♀️.
Those without definition here should be weary of making spontaneous decisions and really rely on their Strategy + Authority to show them the way, knowing that they can be conditioned by those around you. If you are in a relationship with someone who has a defined Spleen make sure you check in regularly to ask yourself if the life you are living is the one you want to be. If you are feeling ill or unwell, check in that that feeling is yours and not a product of your environment or something you are absorbing from the person(s) you are around.
As I said, if your Spleen is undefined you absolutely still have access to intuition (see above w/ regard to Gates and below about inner knowingness). We all have access to all the archetypes and the goal is to learn how to find the wisdom in our openness. Practice tuning into your body when you are alone and really getting to know how your container feels, tune into your intuition to discern when something is serving you or not, unpack your own fears and let those that aren’t yours flow through. Know that you may experience your intuitiveness differently depending on your company. People who have mastered this energy can make incredibly intuitive healers, able to penetrate a clients aura and recognize where the imbalance lives.
Physically, know that you may have a sensitive immune system or recognize early when things feel off. You may want to work with homeopathic medicine rather than allopathic as your system can be quite responsive.
You may struggle with the concept of time and when you’re on your own you should trust in your own innate right timing however one should also respect the time of others. Always leave a little extra time for you to get where you’re going.
Prompts for unpacking:
Do I trust my intuition? How does it typically show up for me?
What am I holding onto for too long? What needs to be released?
Do I listen to my body and its needs?
Do I rest?
Do I honor my own sense of time? Do I respect other people’s time?
For members - visit Knowing inside Living Your Design for a breakdown of the many ways our intuition and psychic abilities can show up based on our charts.
Practice sitting with yourself + tuning in. Ask for guidance and listen. Cultivate a relationship with your knowingness.
+ you will gain access to your complimentary energy type workshop in your first Weekly Nourish! <3