We are all individuals – that is true. Let me pat myself on the back for being an individual, for having unique gifts.

We were all bestowed with a lot of false ideas about who we are – that is very true. Let me shake off all this “not-self” real quick.

Look at me now, so gifted, so self-empowered. Let me go share this system with everyone else so we can all know how bright and perfect we are as individuals.

But wait! Do I really know anything about anything? Is my life freed from difficulties through this knowledge or is it only in telling people about the knowledge that I can feel good about myself? Do I really know how to play my role or empower my peers? Am I really empowered myself?

What is this “not-self” exactly and will talking about it be enough to get rid of it? If I stay true to my Strategy and Authority will all be well? Oh no oh no…

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I am writing this post as an experiment. I am a 3/5, so experimentation is my life. And in saying I am a 3/5, I am indicating that I do like Human Design. It’s incredibly useful! 

But I do not like the culture of human design. If I had to describe the culture briefly and bluntly, I would describe it as astrology done by new age children. Picture a sandbox outside of an Eckhart Tolle conference. Children are playing with little colored blocks. That is the culture of human design.

“Oh no, I practice Quantum Human Design.” Ok now you are just in the sandbox outside a Joe Dispenza conference.

Again I don’t want to diss either Mr. Tolle or Mr. Dispenza. I do not know Mr. Dispenza’s work much, but I believe his overall message as far as I know it. I definitely went through an Eckhart Tolle phase. We all need to know about presence and about the power of the mind, even to heal ourselves, cause miraculous occurrences, etc. But I hope you get my drift… (if not now, perhaps in a few years you’ll get my drift.)

Concretely I will tell you one problem with the culture of Human Design: no one even knows how the charts are calculated. And I’m not just talking about planets in signs, high level. I’m talking about variables, lines. If you use all the nuances, like digestion, or ideal environment, how those are calculated. Can anyone tell me why, astrologically or astronomically, there is a shift from the Cross of Planning to the Cross of the Sleeping Phoenix in 2027?

If you know the answer to these, bravo! Please share your understanding more. 

I have dug around and discovered the answer to some of these questions as I’ve learned, but it was not easy. So much high-level nonsense got in the way!

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First of all, the reason that understanding the details like these are important is because everything is symbolic. Knowing where the outputs on a chart come from will teach you what they actually mean.

For example, the lines, like 3/5 are determined by the position, within a given zodiacal degree, of the Sun (Personality for the first line, Design for the second line). This tells us that they are solar qualities – for example, what you are active and consistent in doing, what is right to you, where your leadership qualities might show. If they were according to the Moon, they would have different indications – for example, more related to emotions, mood, family, etc.

Ideal environment, on the other hand, is based on the North Node (also determined by the section of the degree). This alone tells me, ok, ideal environment may not be the environment you are most comfortable in (since that is more a South Node quality), but what is conducive to your growth and what might take you out of your comfort zone. 

Variable is determined based on the sub-degree again, but rather than the “line,” it uses the “tone.” Tone has a different calculation, but I’m not sure why. It involves the Sun and North Node, on the Personality side, and the Sun and South Node on the Design side.

HD uses the Sun much more than the Moon. Of course, the Nodes are nodes of the Moon, but astrologically they’re their own entities, just as related to the Sun, since they’re intersection points with the ecliptic (where eclipses occur).

Currently the spring equinox – which corresponds to 0 degrees of Aries tropically – lands in the sidereal sign of Pisces, around 6 degrees. Roughly speaking, we can say it lands near the beginning of the constellation of Pisces (that’s what I mean by sidereal). The reason there is a shift in 2027 is because one of the Human Design gates ends near 6 degrees of Pisces. So that shift is what is occurring, as well as shifts in the opposite point and at 90 degree angles (the cross).

This makes sense, but it is strange to me how the sidereal zodiac is used here for the gates, whereas the tropical zodiac is used in all other places. I would think that Human Design Gates are fixed in the sky, as opposed to being relative to whatever zodiac is being used. But I digress.

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If you are confused, good!

I am not really trying to show off my knowledge of Human Design because I am most certainly not an expert. 

My energy goes much more towards Vedic astrology, and Human Design is just a side interest (though it’s been very helpful and continues to be).

One of the reasons I write this is precisely because I am not an expert in HD and do not intend to be.

But what I want, what I hope for, is for those people who are called to Human Design as their primary system of self-understanding. For people who offer Human Design readings, please to actually learn it in depth. I also recommend learning the I Ching. How can you understand the gates without understanding the I Ching? The best you can do is parrot what is posted elsewhere (which trust me, is not all that reputable!).

Also learn astrology, develop a relationship with the planets so that you can find a real substance of the chart. Pluto falling in a gate will not be the same as the Moon falling in a gate, I can guarantee that. 

I would love for more people to study transits and their effects in human design. And if anyone knows of good resources that quell my concerns, of any teachers that really “get it,” please let me know.

I know it is a new system, but we can do better. 

(And don’t worry about the 2027 shift, it will all work out for the best!)

(That said, I do think in 2027 and beyond there will be much less room for bullshit and shallow content – that goes for HD and for other subjects as well…)

Fortunately we have one more year to get ourselves together! I’m kidding – probably a few years.

In any case since this happens to be my New Year post, I wish you all a blessed one. Think back to how far you’ve come and how many interesting experiences you’ve had in the last 365 days. Wow! May this year be even more eventful (but in a peaceful way).