defined centers

In Human Design, shadows can live in your conditioning (openness) and in your defined centers, gates, channels, which are fixed energy in your chart.

With open centers we are hopefully filtering, using, learning from (rather than absorbing), the energy of those closed centers we come into contact with (atleast once we bring awareness). Many believe we are pretty much living through our open centers; being pushed and pulled, until we start to really live by our Strategy + Authority which is why we took a look there first. But, really getting to know our definition can help us to identify our openness. When we really know who we are, we recognize more easily what we are not. And, leaning in to our gifts is a big way that we can decondition. Choose to lean into the high vibrations as often as you can. Build trust in yourself in these spaces.

Use the keywords and phrases below to see where you may be operating in Shadow bringing them through as needed.

You can find out your defined centers by visiting My Bodygraph. There will be 9 shapes in the bodygraph and most likely some will be white and others will be colored in (color doesn’t matter). The colored in centers are your defined or closed centers.

CLOSED CENTER | POTENTIAL SHADOWS

HEAD/CROWN

Shadow: questioning everything and everyone, fixed way of thinking, acting on every idea that you have, inability to break big ideas into manageable steps, mental pressure, needing a clear answer, needing to explain yourself to everyone.

Gifts: can entertain themselves with all their internal inspiration constantly filtering through.

AJNA

Shadow: opinionated, not looking at other perspectives, comparison, fixated on a problem leading to worry/anxiety, future projecting, limiting your experience, hearing without listening, lacking grace.

Gifts: : great at problem solving. trustworthy and reliable. hold lots of information. can alchemize ideas.

THROAT

Shadow: opinionated, a garbage receptacle for everyones venting (they’re drawn to you - set healthy boundaries), speaking out of turn, talking over others.

Gifts: succinct, words carry authority, speak with a tone/cadence that instills confidence, get shit done

• following your Strategy here is key. If you’re a Manifestor or MG then you can speak freely. Generators respond and Projectors wait for the invitation.

SELF/g

Shadow: knowing how to get to their purpose, rigid, invest too much in helping others, carry others baggage, shepherding rather than pointing the way.

Gifts: clear sense of self, here to give love, strong sense of purpose, they are who they are, express themselves through all they do, good at giving relationships direction.

HEART/willpower

Shadow: over-promising/committing (it’s important to follow through so be thoughtful about your commitments), egoic, need to be validated, pushing too hard - not taking care/resting, controlling, judgmental, unrealistic expectations.

Gifts: will power, dependable, efficient, driven, assertive, empowering.

• keep your word

SOLAR PLEXUS

Shadow: emotional waves - sometimes manageable/other times tsunami size, impulsivity/making emotional decisions, victim mentality, avoiding feelings, emotional stuffing, unhealthy coping mechanisms, wallowing/chronic negativity, judging your feelings, overly spontaneous.

Gifts: empathy and compassion; emotions allow us to evaluate things from different perspectives.

• keeping a log of your emotions can help you notice the pattern in your emotional rhythm. It can also help you know how long it might take you to typically reach emotional clarity around something. Remember there is no truth in the now when you’re surfing a wave.

SACRAL

Shadow: saying yes to things that don’t light you up, overthinking, thinking at all when making decisions rather than listening to your body, working in jobs you hate, staying in bad relationships, low self worth, impatience, not trusting in the process, .

Gifts: life force incarnate, juicy sparkly light being, powerful, magnetic, nourish others through their energy when in alignment.

SPLEEN

Shadow: ignores intuitive hit, fear, and blowing fear out of proportion rather than listening to the information it’s giving us (intuitively), ignores health, using our minds to try to figure it out, over-analyzing, feeling inadequate, fearing responsibility, perfectionism, fearing your dreams will never materialize/life is meaningless.

• know that fear is a place you can pass through, rather than hang out in. Learn to decipher between the Spleen sending you an intuitive hit to tell you something isn’t right for you or you’re just running some Splenic energy. We do this by using our Strategy + Authority. Don’t let the fears of the Spleen stop you from acting when you should.

Gifts: intuitive, warm vibes, great survival instincts, aware of time, the person you want with you for the Zombie Apocalypse.

ROOT

Shadow: restless, impatient, acting out of integrity b/c feel pressured, taking on too much, bad time management, setting unreasonable expectations for others, listening to others timetable, not honoring your own energetic rhythm.

Gifts: do well with stress, typically great procrastinators, somewhat immune to external stress, light up others internal fire.