The Nine Centers in Human Design
✨Unlocking Energy, Conditioning, and Empowerment ✨
Welcome back to Human Design for Parents and Kids — I’m Sashya the Catalyst, your host. Today we’re starting a journey through all nine centers in the Human Design BodyGraph, and this episode is a quick “flyover” to help you understand what the centers are, what they do, and why they matter so much for parenting.
If you’ve ever looked at a Human Design chart and thought, “Okay… why is there a triangle on top of a diamond inside a weird little person?” — you’re in the right place.
What Are the Centers in Human Design?
In Human Design, we call the geometric shapes inside the BodyGraph centers. They’re collections of energy, and they correlate with different themes in life (and often to areas of the body too).
You’ll see:
- A triangle at the top
- An upside-down triangle under it
- Squares, a diamond, and more shapes down the chart
Each one is a center — and each center represents a specific type of energy you’ll experience, express, and be conditioned by.
Defined vs. Undefined Centers (And Why It Matters)
Here’s the simplest way to understand it:
Defined Centers = a Radio Station (Consistent Signal)
If a center is colored in, it represents energy that is consistent and “broadcasting” all the time — like a radio station transmitting day and night.
Defined centers still need deconditioning… but it’s a different kind of work than open centers.
Undefined or Open Centers = a Radio Receiver (Sensitive + Amplifying)
If a center is white, it acts more like a receiver. You pick up energy from other people (and amplify it), often without realizing it.
- Open center: white with no gates defined
- Undefined center: white with some gates defined
And yes — your child can be profoundly influenced by who they’re around, especially in their open/undefined centers.
How a Center Becomes Defined
A center becomes defined when there is a complete channel (a line connecting two gates) linking it to another center.
Example:
If one gate in the Head connects to its partner gate in the Ajna, that completed channel defines both centers.
You don’t have to memorize the jargon — the takeaway is simply this:
Color = consistent energy.
White = sensitive energy.
Parenting With Open Centers: Why Kids “Act Different” Around Certain People
Open centers often show up as:
- “Why is my child louder at school than at home?”
- “Why does my kid become anxious around that one friend?”
- “Why does my teen talk differently around certain adults?”
Open centers amplify what’s around them.
Example: The Open Throat in a Child
I have an open throat, and as a child I would often raise my hand and ask the exact question someone else was thinking.
I didn’t know why — I was picking up their “signal.”
As a teen, that same conditioning sometimes looked like talking fast, seeking attention, or using a higher-pitched voice—because I didn’t yet understand how much I was amplifying other people’s defined throat energy.
If you know your child’s chart, you can support them with far more grace and far less confusion.
Why Studying Your Child’s Chart Helps (Without Becoming Overwhelmed)
I’m not here to hand you 64 gates and tell you to memorize a new language.
I’m here to encourage you to study the original — your child — so well that you can spot when something is “not them.”
I like to compare it to learning to spot counterfeit money:
The counterfeit looks close to real… but something is always just slightly off.
Same with alignment.
When your child is acting out of tune, it doesn’t mean they’re “bad.”
It means they need a gentle retune.
Your Child’s Design Also Conditions You (And That’s Not a Bad Thing)
Here’s something I’ve seen again and again:
Children condition their parents, too.
I have an open G Center (direction/identity), and I noticed a pattern over the years:
- One child shifted my life into performing and creative expression
- Another shifted me into being home-based and safety-oriented
- Another shifted me into networking and business growth
- Another shifted me into slowing down, streamlining, and honoring rest
This isn’t proof that conditioning is “bad.”
Sometimes, it’s simply what happens when love is close.
You can’t avoid all conditioning—unless you go live on a mountaintop… and even then, the planets will still condition you (so… good luck with that plan 😉).
How to Work With Open Centers Instead of Being Run By Them
Here’s the empowering part:
If defined centers are the broadcast,
open centers are the tuner.
You have options:
- Turn the volume down
- Change the station
- Turn it off
- Or choose to amplify intentionally
One visualization that helps:
Imagine filling yourself with light and love, and letting that love flow out through your open centers like a soft, protective glow—reducing the “noise” coming in from others.
A New Resource for Parents: Learn to Read Your Child’s Chart (One Child at a Time)
Many parents tell me the same thing:
“There’s so much information online… how do I know what’s relevant for my kid?”
So I created a simple, affordable email course to help you learn your child’s chart in a choose-your-own-adventure style.
Instead of listening to everything, you follow the path that matches your child:
- Their profile
- Their energy
- Their specific design
It’s streamlined, supportive, and designed to help you parent with more clarity and confidence.
You are also welcome to get your chart, or your child’s chart free right here on my website.
Curious about how your chart and your child’s chart work together in relationship?
Looking to reparent yourself and come home to your design?
Designed to Be Loved supports the slow, compassionate work of deconditioning—helping you release old patterns and reconnect with your original blueprint.
