Human Design Reading – The Ultimate Guide (2024) & Toolkit

Behold your ultimate guide to human design reading!

In this guide, you’ll discover what a human design reading is, what it achieves and how it works. 

You’ll also understand how your Human Design type, profiles, gates and lines affect your overall personality. 

As a certified life coach with plenty of knowledge on this complex topic, I have to say I really love it! I’m excited to improve your understanding.

I’ve tried to keep it as snappy and relatable as possible, in case it’s your first time trying to make sense of this concept.  

So let’s start!

Human Design Reading
Photo by Jonas Ferlin from Pexels

What Is A Human Design Reading?

Human Design Reading was introduced to the world by a mystic called Ra Uru Hu in 1989.

This man created a system to read a human’s energetic patterns, based on the positioning of 13 astrological symbols at the time of their birth.

With this information, a reader can advise people on the best steps to take if they want happiness and fulfilment in their life.

Human Design Reading has elements of quantum physics, human genetics, Western astrology, the Kabbalah, the Hindu chakra system and the Chinese I Ching included. So, it’s not as if Hu made this all up from scratch.

In spite of all these elements, your reading can take place within seconds, as it only requires the time and date of your birth. There’s no need to ask further questions. Several online calculators will give you an instant reading, once you’ve entered this information. 

Still, if you want a detailed reading, you’ll need to hire a professional reader to explain how all the different energies from these astrological symbols are affecting you. 

What Is The Aim Of A Human Design Reading?

A full reading will give you a detailed explanation of what makes you who you are. You’ll learn about the energy you give and receive, and how this affects your mood and personality.

You’ll be advised on your optimal energy levels, life tempo, decision-making process and ways of interacting with the world.

Many people approach Human Design Readers with a sense that something is ‘off’. Perhaps they feel lost or directionless. Usually, during their reading, they’ll discover that’s because something about the way they’re approaching their life isn’t sitting right with their human design.

A human design reader will be able to identify their problems, and deliver a strategy to help clients feel more like their authentic selves. 

The result is that they become happier, more fulfilled, more positive and more productive. On top of that, they’re able to make more intelligent life decisions and develop better relationships with those around them.  

How Does A Human Design Reading Work?

To discover your human design, you need only reveal your date and time of birth, plus your place of birth (for time zone purposes only).

With that information, a human design calculator can reveal: 

  • Your Human Design Type, which determines the best strategy for you to navigate your life. 
  • Your Human Design Profile, which summarises how you interact with the world. 
  • Your Bodygraph. A chart which reveals your Human Design in a lot more detail. You’ll learn about the gates from which energy enters and leaves your body and the lines it travels on.  

These are all based on where various astrological elements were placed at the time of your birth. These are the eight planets and Pluto, the sun, the moon, the North Node and the South Node. 

What Are The Four Human Design Types? 

Your Human Design Type is primarily determined by the position of the Earth and the North Node at the moment you are born. It tells you the best way to navigate your life.

This is the highest-level result of your Human Design Reading. It is important to understand your Type before anything else, as this is the lens through to understand your more complicated results. 

Here is a summary of the four types:

  • Generator (70% of the global population). People who thrive when executing, creating and bringing ideas to life. 
  • Projector (21%). People who thrive when guiding others. 
  • Manifestor (8%). People who thrive when dreaming up ideas and getting the ball rolling. 
  • Reflector (1%). People who thrive serving as mirrors for those around them. 

What Are The Five Human Design Types?

In some Human Design guides, you’ll see the Generator Type divided into Manifesting Generator (33%) and Generator (37%) to create five types in total.  

What Will You Learn From Your Human Design Type?

 

Based on what your Type proves to be, your Human Design Reader will give you advice on the following topics,

  • Your Strategy. An overarching plan to help you start making better life decisions.
  • Your Aura. A summary of the energy you put into the world and how people tend to respond to it. 
  • Your Signature. How your body signals that your life is moving in the right direction. 
  • Your Not-Self Theme. How you tend to react when you’re not acting in line with your true purpose. 

Together your Signature and Not-Self Theme form your Authority. The five authorities explain where you experience your ‘gut feeling’. These are solar plexus (47% of the population), sacral (35%), splenic (11%), the ego (4%), and none (3%). Note how the mind isn’t included. A key element of Human Design theory is that it’s better to make decisions from the body, rather than from your mind. 

If you feel like it, you can write your birth date and time into an online Human Design calculator now, and receive all of the unique personal information mentioned here.   

However, if you choose to dive deeper and explore your profile, gates and lines, it becomes more complicated – and that’s when a professional Human Design Reader can come in handy. 

What Are The 12 Human Design Profiles?

Your Human Design Profile is primarily determined by the lines of the Earth and the Sun at the moment of your birth. It reveals how you tend to naturally interact with the world around you.

Here are the 12 profiles: 

  • 1/3 – Investigator/Martyr
  • 1/4 – Investigator/Opportunist
  • 2/4 – Hermit/Opportunist
  • 2/5 – Hermit/Heretic
  • 3/5 – Martyr/Heretic
  • 3/6 – Martyr/Role Model
  • 4/6 – Opportunist/Role Model
  • 4/1 – Opportunist/Investigator
  • 5/1 – Heretic/Investigator
  • 5/2 — Heretic/Hermit
  • 6/2 – Role Model/Hermit
  • 6/3 – Role Model/Martyr

These numbers are based on the lines on which Earth and Sun energy travel through you. You’ll learn more about what lines and gates mean shortly.

For now, know that if you’re acting in line with your unified Human Design Type and Profile, you’ll be a lot more content and comfortable as you live your life.  

What Does A Human Design Bodygraph Look Like?

Here is an example of a Human Design Chart (Bodygraph), which I generated here.

The 13 logos represent the eight planets and Pluto, the sun, the moon, the North Node and the South Node.

The red numbers beside them represent gates and lines. The information in black represents one’s conscious personality, while the information in red represents one’s unconscious design.

In the centre of this chart is an illustrative version of the information in the boxes on the left and right. 

Yes, it’s really complex, but I’ll break down the basics below. 

How Do The Astrological Symbols Affect Our Personality According To Human Design?

The impact of the astrological symbols is really similar for horoscope reading and Human Design, although there are few subtle differences. 

The list below explains the impact for each symbol in Human Design, in order of how they appear in the chart above:

  • Sun. Expression of the personality/purpose.
  • Earth. Grounding and balance.
  • North Node. Future direction.
  • South Node. Past direction.
  • Moon. What drives you. 
  • Mercury. Communication.
  • Venus. Values. 
  • Mars. Immaturity and mutation. 
  • Jupiter. Law/protection. 
  • Saturn. Discipline. 
  • Uranus. Unusualness/expansiveness.
  • Neptune. What remains hidden.
  • Pluto. The truth of a generation. 

What Are Gates In Human Design?

There are 64 gates from which energy can leave and enter the body. Each gate, represented by a unique number, gives this energy a different ‘flavor’, which impacts your personality. 

What Are Lines In Human Design?

Once it’s passed the gate, there are six lines through which energy can transport through your body. Again, this has an impact on its ‘flavor’ and its impact on your overall personality. (Remember, the lines through which your Sun and Earth energy travel determine your Profile.)

There are six lines. These are: 

  • 1. The Investigator. Someone who is driven by curiosity and a deep thirst for knowledge. Investigators often refuse help, because they like to try things their way first.   
  • 2. The Hermit. A quieter person who likes to keep themselves to themselves. Hermits tend to be naturally talented, yet reluctant to come forward and share their talents with the world. 
  • 3. The Experiential. Someone who is driven by an adventurous life. They’re happy to try new things and make mistakes provided it means living a life packed with new experiences.
  • 4. The Opportunist. A social person who values their brotherhood or sisterhood more than anything else. They recognise and embrace that more connections mean more opportunities in life.  
  • 5. The Heretic. Someone who always thinks outside the box and is never scared to share unique ideas. Heretics tend to become great leaders as they grow older.  
  • 6. The Role Model. A visionary. The role model is always keen to learn from previous experiences and improve themselves. They’re never afraid of hard work or making dramatic changes. 

Is Human Design Legit?

The idea that serves as the main selling point of Human Design is: a one-size-fits-all approach to life isn’t optimal for anyone. All humans are unique and this reading gives you a unique blueprint to approach your life.

People have varying opinions on whether astrology impacts human life. Some people swear by what the stars and planets tell them. Others ridicule this idea beyond belief. It’s not up to me to tell you what to think…

Still, I can report that plenty of positive online articles from high-standing people praising the effect of their Human Design Readings. These reviews typically explain how a Human Design Reader’s advice helped them improve their decision-making and overall mental health. 

In many cases, the Reader was able to see into their client’s soul, identify their problems and offer useful advice to get them acting in line with their energy.   

Ra Uru Hu, the founder of the Human Design System, says: “The Human Design System is not a belief system. It doesn’t require that you believe in anything, or that you believe in me. It is not stories or philosophy. It is a concrete map to the nature of being – a logical way we can see ourselves.” 

What Is A Typical Human Design Reading Price? 

Sessions are typically priced between $200 and $400. They can range from one to three hours.

Please note that many Readers offer discounts for customers that buy multiple readings, instead of just one session.

Indeed, there’s so much to discover in these sessions, it’s common to walk away feeling like you want another one.   

What Are The Alternatives To Human Design Readings?

If you don’t mind spiritual readings, but remain unconvinced by Human Design Readings as a strategy for self-discovery, maybe you’d prefer tarot reading, palm reading or other types of fortune-telling

If astrology-based decision-making isn’t your thing, you may prefer a more traditional personality test. The most famous one is called the Myers-Briggers Test. The Enneagram test is another good one, which will give you a really clear understanding of your deepest personal traits.  

Still, in comparison to these self-discovery tools, Human Design Reading is arguably the quickest and simplest. At the same time, its results are surely the most detailed. Also, remember you could easily get your results online for free.

Any More Questions?

We’re done! Thanks for reading my deep dive on Human Design Reading. 

Do you feel like you could benefit from a live session? Are you going to book one and become more familiar with your deepest personal traits? If so, there’s no better time than now to get started!

If you’d like to ask any questions about the Human Design Reading process, feel free to leave a comment below. 

I always love to hear what my readers have to say.

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About The Author

Bijan Kholghi is a certified life coach with the Milton Erickson Institute Heidelberg (Germany). He helps clients and couples reach breakthroughs in their lives by changing subconscious patterns. His solution-oriented approach is based on Systemic- and Hypnotherapy.

Bijan