Journal #4

UNPACKING THE HUMAN DESIGN LIFE CHART

Human Design is a road map that gets you in touch with the parts of yourself that knows the best way for you to thrive energetically. Living your unique design helps you be in the world without resistance, to feel safe to say 'yes' or 'no' and to live a life that's true to you with confidence and without hesitation. All this information is presented in the form of the Human Design Life Chart, also known as a Rave Mandala. This Mandala is a combination of four ancient modalities, four distinct ways to understand the rhythm and flow of life. All the colours, shapes, lines, symbols and numbers denote the person you were designed to be. You are looking at the very core of your being, your unique design or genetic code. 

Like natal astrological calculations, the Human Design Chart is based on the date, time and place of your birth. This calculation combined with the wisdom from the Hindu Chakra System (the shapes in your chart, also known as the nine centres), the Chinese I Ching (the 64 gates, the numbers that sit inside the centres) and the Kabbalah 'Tree of Life' (the 36 channels, the lines that link the gates and centres together). This combination makes up the foundation of your life chart.

Astrology's contribution, with its 12 Zodiac signs, assists in the calculation and recording of two precise moments in time and space. The first calculation is the exact time and place of your birth. This is your Personality data that represents your conscious self and are the black lines in your chart. These are traits that you know about yourself and have access to and are easy to work with. The second calculation is three months before your birth (when your soul enters your body). These are the red lines in your chart and is your Design data, representing your unconscious self. It is here to tell you what is going on below your conscious mind and introduce you to traits you have inherited from your mother, father or grandparents, that you don't consciously recognise within yourself. It is how you are genetically programmed to move through the world. These are traits you cannot consciously access, meaning what might come out of your mouth can be as much of a surprise to you as it is to others. However, as you dive deep into your chart, over time, you will begin to learn more about the unconscious side of yourself. The use of the two calculations together distinguishes the difference between Human Design and traditional Astrology.

The ancient Chinese I'Ching was one of the first books about Chinese oracle wisdom ever written. The amazing mathematical structure of its 64 hexagrams, represents the 64 sections of the Human Design Mandala's outer ring. Each hexagram is a combination of 6 broken (yin) and solid (yang) lines, and each of the lines contains information specific to its position within the hexagram. The hexagram around the wheel has an association directly aligned with our genetic code (the codon). There are 64 condons in our genetic code, as there are 64 hexagrams in I'Ching. These hexagrams around the outer ring of the Mandala, translates as gates within your Life Chart (numbers 1 to 64) and are here to interpret and help us understand our genetic imprint. It provides us with specific details about the characteristics that make you unique. 

The outer ring of the Mandala is here for interpretation, where was the inner ring is here for calculation. Every hexagram, with its corresponding gate, has a specific place and measurement within the arc in the outer ring. When you are born, each hexagram is aligned with a planet, node or moon, which at that precise moment in time imprints our characteristics which we will carry with us for the rest of our lives. This moment is what gets recorded, colouring in your Life Chart.

The Hindu Chakra System brings us the nine centres. Traditionally there were seven centres, but during a cosmic shift in 1781, our species evolved to 9 centred beings to ensure our survival. Each centre has its own energy that correlates to different parts of the body.

The Crown – is a pressure centre that bookends the top of your chart and is in control of your pineal gland. But also where you are open to new insights, questions and draw inspiration. The Crown asks the question which moves on to the Ajna to conceptualise the answer.

The Ajna – an awareness centre that is in control of your mind and pituitary glands, but is also in charge of your opinions, judgments and point of view. It is merely the interpreter that transforms the pressure of inspiration from the Crown, into useful information for review, research and communication. The Ajna is here to way up the pros and cons of any decision, but not to make it for you.

The Throat – the centre for communication and manifestation, but also governs your metabolism (Thyroid & Parathyroid). It is where you are given a voice to either physically manifest and/or express yourself verbally.

The G Centre – is all about love, sense of self and direction, but it also governs the liver and your blood. This centre is located in the centre of the Mandala, and is here to establish our identity. This is where our unique energy flow or if defined, connects to the flow of life. It is through this centre where we are wired to the Universe, allowing it to live within us as well as pulling life toward us.

The Ego (Heart) – is a motor centre that governs the stomach, gall bladder and thymus gland and is also the centre for will power, motivation your heart's desires. The Ego centre is the motor energy behind the 'I, me, mine' source of our will power if your centre is defined.

The Solar Plexus (Emotions) – is an awareness and motor centre that governs the kidneys, pancreas and bladder. But most importantly is the home to our emotions and the process of knowledge around the emotional waves of the defined Solar Plexus. It is this emotional wave that provides you with the desire to experience more, to seek intimacy in relationships, and for spiritual consciousness. 

The Sacral – is a motor centre, which helps you call the shots. It governs not only your sexual organs and gut but also your creativity and desire. Its generative energy is here to support you and the people around you by giving you the power to sustain activity.

The Spleen – is an awareness centre that's primary focus is about survival. It is here to govern your immunity and lymphatic system but is also in charge of your fears and instincts. It is in charge of your intuition, providing you with the physical awareness you require in the present moment as a way of protecting your safety and wellbeing.

The Root – is a motor centre, which gives people the momentum to get things started. Like the Crown, it is a pressure centre that bookends your chart. This centre governs your adrenal glands but is here to ground you, so you find the balance between fear and trust.

Lastly, the ‘Tree of Life’ from the Kabbalistic tradition contributes to the Human Design System by providing the energetic pathways that connect the centres through the gates. These are called channels, and they create the living circuitry that directs the flow of energy throughout your body. At either end of a channel, is one of the 64 gates, also known as hexagrams in I'Ching. Energy enters and exits a Charka centre through each single gate; they are always open to meet energy from the other end of the channel it connects to. To have a defined centre, (coloured centre) and to highlight a whole a channel, both gates at either end of the channel need to be activated. Alternatively, one gate can be activated, which means we then have the opportunity to meet others that can complete the channel for us, creating an electromagnetic connection. Each channel has their own set of characteristics within the Life Chart, but remains flexible so it can encompass the energy and traits of the two gates at either end and the defined centres that it connects to, to bring everything together. A defined channel is often your most dominate trait and the key to your uniqueness.

If you would like more information on Human Design or to look into your own Life Chart, please get in touch hello@billieroutledge.com

Journal #3

In Human Design, it recognises five different types of person. These types are called Energy Types. There is the Manifestor, Generator, Manifesting Generator, Projector and Reflector. What determines your type on your chart, is which Chakra centres (if any) you have coloured in (also called 'defined') and to which other Chakra centres they connect. Just this alone will reveal some of the most insightful information about you and others. It is essential to know that no two people are the same, even if there are similarities in your charts.

Your Energy Type is the first point of call when looking at your Human Design chart. It essentially identifies who you are. It tells you how you are supposed to be exchanging your energy with the world around you. If at first, you don't recognise yourself in your type, this might mean you have some 'conditioning' to work through that has made you act in ways that misaligned with your true nature. So look beyond how you act and focus on implementing the tools suggested below for your Energy Type and see what comes back. 

Each Energy Type has a Strategy that helps align you to your true nature by drawing your awareness of resistance in your life. By using your correct Strategy, you will start to see the elimination of what no longer serves you, leading you to a happy and more fulfilled life.

The different Strategies are as follows:

Generators and Manifesting Generators are here to engage with life by waiting for things to come to them so that they can respond. To respond is your Strategy. If you try to initiate, you will end up feeling frustrated (your Not-Self Theme). By waiting to respond will see you experience satisfaction in your life. Loving what you do is your gift to the world.

Projectors are quite similar, although you are here to engage with life by waiting for your unique qualities to be recognised and invited to share. By being invited, you experience recognition and success in your life. If you try to initiate, rather than wait, you will encounter resistance and rejection and will become bitter (your Not-Self theme). Your gift to the world is to understand and be a guide for others.

Manifestors, on the other hand, operate differently. They are here to inform others of their decisions before they take action. Informing others will eliminate any resistance. When you can't manifest peace, you will experience anger (your Not-Self theme). You have the power to make an impact by initiating for the other Energy Types. Initiating is your gift to the world.

Reflectors are a rare species and are here to wait for a full lunar cycle before making significant decisions. Your delight is in the little surprises that life brings. When you try to initiate, you will often be left feeling disappointed (your Not-Self theme). You are born to be a mirror for society, reflecting what is working correctly or not and objectively share what you have observed. Your ability to be this for the community is your gift to the world.

…..

Like with the Energy Types, your defined Chakra centres will also identify what your Authority in life is. It comes from one coloured or defined centre within your chart. It is this place deep within your body (and it's not your mind) that will help you make wiser decisions, by removing hesitancy and installing confidence. Your Authority is the driver that helps steer you towards a more careful decision-making process. It is the part of your chart that you should be listening to for guidance. It can be the emotions, the gut, the heart, the Spleen, the g centre, the mind or have no inner authority at all, we are all different.

The Authorities are as follows:

Emotional Authority, it is your nature to experience the full spectrum of feelings. Emotions are like rolling waves, rising and falling, peaking and dipping; never sitting still for too long. When you feel happy, you want to capture that moment. When you feel sad, you wonder when the blues will end. There is never a state of permanence when it comes to your emotions. Therefore you must recognise your emotional waves, allow them to pass through you instead of them owning you. Don't get attached to particular feelings or the expectation of how something might turn out. Emotional decisions made in the heat of the moment are your worst enemy. You need to allow your emotions to pass through you, disengage from them and wait for calmer waters before you make your move. Clarity will come. A good tip is to sleep on things before making an important decision.

Sacral Authority, your correct decision-making process is about 'following your gut' and trusting it. The gut is your inner guidance system that is only effective when in 'response' to something. It will tell you when something is right or wrong, a yes or a no, by the sound or sensation it makes. For some people, it is a familiar 'uh-huh' (yes) or 'uh-uh' (no). For others, it is feeling a push towards or pull away from something. It is a visceral physical expanding or contracting response to yes or no questions, never open-ended ones. If there is no response, this then will mean that there is a lack of interest at the time. You need to apply your Authority to everything in your life. It will give you a clear cut decision, based on your level of excitement. It is never healthy to engage or commit to anything without first waiting and then checking in with your Authority. Learning to get out of your head and into the gut is how you'll learn to make better, wiser decisions. 

Ego (Heart) Authority, 'I want it, so I'm going to make it happen' should be the mantra of the Ego authority. When you make a decision, tune into your heart as the 'yes' or 'no' answer lies within. The heart will draw you in or pull you away from what is energetically correct for you. It is a very personal, subjective process, but extremely powerful. If your heart's not in it, then there is your answer. Your heart soars at the mere idea of something, so if it is a yes, then go for it with gusto.

Splenic Authority, your inner guidance can be felt as an instantaneous resonance with something or someone, and an inner knowing as to whether something is healthy for you or not. This survival intuitiveness alerts you to which environments, direction, opportunities and people you should engage with. It will present itself as a sensation within the body, like a muscle which you need to build to trust the message it gives back. To detect this sensation, takes a deep level of attention, as it will only alert you once when you are in the moment. This Authority gives you the ability to act when its necessary and correct, regardless of your circumstances. Don't let your mind and emotional needs, and the wants and pressures of others, cause you to second guess yourself. Listen to the messages your Spleen is giving you, it speaks softly but is there to protect you.

Self (G Centre) Authority, a defined G Centre gives you a compelling sense of self, a voice that speaks to you in reaction to an invitation. The key with this Authority is to listen to what you say. Your inner knowing is all you need to direct you to make correct decisions for yourself. When invited, listen to what you say, as your truth lies there. Don't try to figure stuff out mentally. It helps to discuss impending decisions with others, as allows you to hear yourself, to sense what level of self-satisfaction your choice might bring.

Mental Authority is a rare and unique authority that is only for Mental Projectors. With no centres defined below their throat, they have a design that seeks guidance from how they feel in their environment. This sensory information comes from their open centres and is an essential thing to tune into. If an environment feels wrong, the people you are with or ideas exchanged will be wrong too. Beware of the strength of your mind and its ability to intervene. When making decisions about what is correct, it is best to have a taste and see how your body reacts to that environment. Your answer lies there and not from the opinion or thoughts of the people around you. 

Outer Authority is for Reflectors only. You have no fixed definition in your chart, and so you are unable to depend on a source of personal Authority. There is no reliable source of yes or no inside to guide you to make significant decisions in your life. Your Strategy is to connect to the lunar 28-day cycle as it is a reliable and repeating pattern that will provide you with a sense of consistency comparable to, but not the same as having a fixed definition. Reflectors are lunar beings, which means they ruled by the moon and not the sun. As you practice to wait out the lunar cycle, you will soon have awareness around the pattern of when clarity comes to you. You must pay close attention to your unique pattern as it might mean you won't have to wait the full 28 days for clarity to arrive. The more in sync you are, the faster the clarity will come, as long as you don't try to rush the process. Patience is key. For smaller decisions, like going for coffee or what movie to watch, waiting is not required. Just go with the flow and enjoy what life brings. It is the more significant life-changing ones, like moving house or a marriage proposal is where waiting is required.

…..

Your Strategy and Authority are the gateways to living life authentically. They are here to be tapped into and trusted. The design of our body's intelligence allows us to make decisions through its consciousness. Every choice you make is crucial to the trajectory of your life flows. Your mind, however, is not equipped for the task of making decisions for you. Its role is actually of the 'involved observer', so you must alleviate the pressure. Your mind is purely here to collect information and experiences, measuring things against each other and contemplate opinions, points of view and reflections. If you let your mind make the decisions, it is like you are making a 50/50 guess and in most cases will steer you off course. Your Not-Self then starts to take control.

If you can experiment with one thing in Human Design, put trust in your Strategy and Authority. You will be amazed by how much better you will feel. Your mind will begin to play a very different and more appropriate role in your life, freeing you to experience what it is like to be an aware and awake passenger. Your mind is here to participate in the process of your self-discovery, but it is up to your Strategy and Authority to help guide you to what is energetically correct for you.

Here is an example of a Human Design Life Chart. This is my chart. I am a Generator with Sacral Authority, because my Sacral centre is coloured in (or in other words ‘defined’), and my Emotional Centre (Solar Plexus) is white. If you would like to know what Energy Type, Strategy and Authority you are, please reach out and I will look you up.

Journal #2

Before I kick-off, I feel it is important to introduce myself and share my story.

My name Billie Routledge and I am a Generator with a Sacral Authority. I am also a wife to an artist, Elliott Routledge and mother to two gorgeous kids in Sydney, Australia. Human Design came to me when I was in a place of stuckness. Juggling two young kids and freelance design business, I lost my way. This loss of identity as I leapt into motherhood was a big one. My struggle of trying to keep all the balls in the air as I tried to retain some normalcy of my old life vs navigating through this new scary one with a sidekick by my side struck me.

Reflecting, I realised I made many mistakes and took several wrong turns during this time, which lead me to feel more confused than ever. I couldn’t have been further from myself, honouring everyone’s needs (bar the kitchen sink), than my own. Every second word that came out of my mouth was coming from a place of frustration (my Not-Self theme), resentment and guilt. This negativity then manifested into my digestive system, acting up, weight fluctuating, and my lower back and hips giving in, leaving me with a lot of pain. I wasn’t sleeping well, but exercising every day to get the endorphins I required to get through the day. I was becoming undone but was too scared to realise it.

It wasn’t until I was gifted with a weekend away to a health retreat (game changer) where I started to reflect on where I was at in present time. What I realised was huge. Apart from being exhausted, what was bothering me was that I lost who I was, what I was passionate about and what excited me. I was confused and knew I had to push forward but didn’t know which direction to go. I needed guidance.

I began my self-exploration process, dabbling in Astrology, Tarot, RTT and the like, however, Human Design was something that piqued my interest. Listening to how other people have used this modality to enrich their lives, really resonated with me. I was desperate to find out more. When I had my life chart read, it was like I was starting from the beginning again—slowly piecing together my puzzle to discover my true nature. Who I was I before I became a daughter, a sister, a friend, a colleague, a wife and now a mum. Some parts of my self I recognised, while other parts took me by surprise. Traits I maybe knew about deep down or had always dreamed of showing, but didn’t have the confidence to share with the world.

Reflecting on my experience, Human Design has given me a voice. A platform to lean on, to experiment with, to guide me to the better version of myself. The version of myself that maybe others could see, but I couldn’t. Human Design provides me with the tools to help recognise when I fall back into old patterns and where to tap into to make wiser decisions. I am not perfect in any way, and it isn’t a modality that I can perfect straight away, but the little changes that Human Design has helped me make in my life, has to lead me to here. A place of excitement, a passionate feeling that leaves me smiling and a need to share this with my wider community.

When speaking with friends, peers and clients, I noticed that my story is a common one amongst us fellow women (and men). It is a story that needs unpacking, which leads me to my intention of exploring the ‘Not-Self themes in our lives. I would love to create a community where we all feel comfortable to share our own stories and help one another. If we can learn to operate authentically together, imagine the effect that would have on our children and beyond. Another passion of mine and something we will also explore here, the notion of conscious parenting.

I hope my story has some value to you.

Billie xx

Journal #1

This journal is an exploration of the ‘Not-Self’. This is the part that stops you living as your ‘True Self’, the person you were born to be. Your True Self is your unique authenticity that operates in the world without resistance. It is your life’s purpose. The Not-Self, however, is conditioning put on us from the day we are born, growing up with loved ones and being part of society. This conditioning usually presents itself as fear, doubt, low self-esteem, guilt, expectation, the list goes on. Unfortunately, conditioning is unavoidable as all life forms (animals included) are on this earth to connect with one another. We are here to influence each other’s thought patterns, behaviours and decisions. The more grounded you are in your True Self, the less chance your Not-Self will pop up and say hello and steer you off course.

Each Energy Type in Human Design has a specific Not-Self theme. It is like an internal gage or knowing that you cannot explain. This theme of the Not-Self may manifest as anger (Manifestor), frustration (Generator/Manifesting Generator), bitterness (Projector) and disappointment (Reflector). These themes are feelings you embody when you are not living your design. It is here to help indicate when you are not in flow with life and/or continually meeting resistance. Resistance is a significant signpost to be aware of. It is a sign that you need to take a step back and reassess your approach, actions or words. On the flip-side, that same internal gage or knowing can work in reverse, and that is your Signature. Your Signature is a feeling you feel when you are on the right path. These are feelings of peace (Manifestor), satisfaction (Generator/Manifesting Generators), success (Projector) or surprise (Reflector) and they pop up when there is a sense of ease in life. It means you have surrendered to your inner guidance system and are now awake and aware. Living authentically and in harmony with your True Self. 

Your Not-Self comes from the openness in your chart, your white Chakra centres. These are your more vulnerable spots, where unhealthy behaviours (conscious or unconscious) will reside as a way to protect you from confusion and pain. We must recognise these bad habits and let them go. Our openness is where impassive wisdom lie, that needs to be appreciated and enjoyed. There are valuable lessons to be learned from being open, so embrace this about yourself. So next time you feel resistance towards a decision or activity, ask yourself what the lesson is here, what are you trying to gain or holding to on as a way to prove or convince people about your worth. When you begin to unpack these thought patterns, quite often the answer is there right in front of you. 

My intention for this journal is to help guide you to a place of comfort. I will do this by giving you the tools you need to unpack the Not-Self, which in turn will help you make wiser decisions, free yourself of expectation and give you the space to follow the desires that are energetically correct for you. I know that the Not-Self sounds negative, but I feel it is your first point of call to get you to where we want to be, living in authenticity. Sounds pretty good, right?

Human Design is a complex system and can often overwhelm people, but I have never found a system so spot on. I want to share this wisdom by taking you step by step through the different aspects of Human Design, so it becomes a modality that is relatable and useful. Human Design is available to be experimented with, that was its intention from the very beginning and mine too. I invite you to participate in this experiment with me, and I promise as you learn more by diving deep into your Not-Self, you will begin to see yourself clearly (again). 

If you are new to Human Design, please reach out to me, and I can give you a bit more information on the nitty-gritty and look up what Energy Type you are. I just need your exact birth data (birth date, time and place). Your birth time is crucial, so if you struggle to find it, I can help you get in touch with an Astrologer that will be able to help you. 

I look forward to being on this exploration of self with you :)

Cheers, Billie xx