Demystifying the Heart Center
It feels like this summer in particular has been one for the heart. Relationships to self, with others, between friends or enemies, exploring creativity and passions have all taken center stage for the last few weeks. We’ve left Cancer season, a time to tend to the heart space by sharing in nurturing loving energy, and we are now smack dab in the middle of Leo season. The sign of Leo corresponds with the muscle of the heart, the cardiovascular system, the upper back and the spine. Which makes sense considering that Leo is the sign of self-expression, confidence and loyalty. It is the heart that pumps our blood, fueling the other tissues of the body with oxygen, steadily and autonomically. In Chinese Medicine, yang energy from the sun enters our body through the upper back. And those who express their willpower are said to have a strong backbone, whereas those with a distinct lack confidence are “spineless.”
During this time, I’m tailoring my stretching to more heart opening techniques, finding flexibility in my upper back and playing with intervals of getting my heart rate up. While I’m connecting with these parts of my physical body, I’m also more aware of the energy of my Heart Center as it is expressed in Human Design. I’ve been taking careful note of how my willpower, my ego, drive, and senses of worth and value are operating within me and externally with others.
Tell me more about this “Heart Center”
In Human Design, there are nine centers of the bodygraph which house particular energies, similar to the concept of chakras. The Heart Center is a small triangle located on the right side of the bodygraph between the diamond shaped G-Center and the Solar Plexus Center. Although depicted as smaller than the other centers, it is a powerful motor of will and the ego, and drives our ability to bring things forth on the material plane. It corresponds to the concept of worth both within ourselves and of things external. The Heart Center only has four gates that make channels with the Throat Center—action and manifestation; the G-Center—love, identity, and direction; the Spleen—intuition and body consciousness; and the Solar Plexus—emotional awareness. Its definition fuels these centers with a tenacity and awareness of value.
The majority of folks have an undefined or open Heart Center, historically meaning that they don’t have consistent access to their will power or self-worth; it is a journey for them in this life. They are sampling the experience of this energy from transits and people around them. This is healthy and correct for them. Most people with open and undefined Heart Centers can do very well on the material plane because they have the opportunity to learn how to be adaptable in their value judgments and experience their worth as the intrinsic asset that it is, independent of what they are producing or fulfilling.
For those with an undefined or open Heart Center:
You most likely experience the not-self theme of feeling undervalued and a low or inconsistent sense of self-worth. This theme expresses itself as behaviors like over-achieving, over-promising and people pleasing. You may be more susceptible to those who would manipulate you by bestowing a sense of worth upon you.
Remember this: You have nothing to prove to anyone else. Your value is inherent in your existence. Having an inconsistent will-power means that you must learn to navigate your obligations carefully. Be wise about the promises that you make, or better yet, don’t make promises at all! Be discerning in where and what you place value. And don’t let others convince you of the value (or lack thereof) of something.
Those with a defined Heart Center, like myself, are supposed to have consistent and reliable access to our willpower and self-worth. A defined Heart Center is a motor that can override other undefined motors, driving us to complete things or fulfill obligations beyond our capacity. It is always naturally proving its capability and setting the tone for the undefined or open Heart Centers around it.
For those with a defined Heart Center:
You were likely called “willful” as a child and maybe even “bossy.” It is generally healthy for you to make promises because exercising your willpower and personal value system keeps you aligned with what is correct for you. Go ahead and ask for that raise, your sense of value and worth is inherently your own, and you know your work is valuable.
Remember this: Your autonomy is vitally important, but you want to check that you are in a healthy relationship with your ego. A defined heart can inadvertently steamroll others with its will. Your ego is here to serve you, not drive you. Build up your confidence by using the power of your promises.
When you begin studying or using Human Design, you learn about deconditioning as it relates to open or undefined centers. We identify the not-self behaviors of our undefined or open centers and practice deconditioning from our parents, our close relations, and our societal and economic infrastructure in order to be more aligned with our natural design. However, the relationships between centers within your chart can also play into this conditioning.
What I have experienced with Human Design, is that we cannot look at the centers in an isolated way, as in: if you are undefined this is your lot, and if you are defined it’s the opposite. It is necessary that we take into account the relationships between all of our centers, and how they are defined. Just like our physical bodies, our Human Design is not a tally of binaries, this and/or that, but a cooperative network of traits and energies that function together with nuance.
Lessons from a Defined Heart Center
I have struggled with my self-worth and value for most of my life. As someone with a defined Heart Center, this “technically” shouldn’t be the case. However, I see it as relational to my undefined Sacral Center. Without knowing when enough is enough, my willpower can drive me blindly to complete any project I’ve set my mind to. But, because I have inconsistent creative energy, I have often felt like my contributions were less than worthy or that the inconsistency itself was the reason I couldn’t reach certain goals. My self-worth was not a given and I have worked at it for years. I have battled with being paid appropriately for my contributions, and for a long time truly didn’t understand the value of a dollar. I had the willpower that translated to a strong work ethic, but without a sense of fair compensation for my energy. I’m also someone with a strong placement in Gate 1—a sense of purpose through self-expression, but an inherent distaste of marketing it, and Gate 44—the ability to set the scene and bring people into a journey, but not to necessarily make the sale and close the deal.
What I do have defined in my Heart Center is Gate 51: The Arousing, The Gate of Shock, and Gate 40: Deliverance, The Gate of Aloneness. It could be said that these gates express my will and ego as a competitiveness or the need to create bonds, respectively. However, when we take the other elements of my chart into account, these expressions take on certain nuances. For example, I have the entire channel of Initiation (25-51), so personally I don’t identify with a competitive nature. I’m good at competition, I played competitive sports in high school, but being in competition doesn’t necessarily inspire me to complete anything. When I engage in competition it’s usually because I know I have the capacity to succeed anyway. Lazy or smart with my energy, I’ll let you decide. I do, however, often experience competitive energy from others who likely have an undefined or open Heart Center. This is one place where I see my definition being amplified by those without it. Others will put me up to a challenge, or I tend to unintentionally elicit a lot of the folks with “one-upper” stories. I have learned that this is not a personal reflection on me or an energy that is healthy for me to engage with. But I know that when I need to, I can rely on a willfulness to stand up for myself or others.
On the other hand, my defined Heart energy can be very inspiring. Many motivational speakers have defined Heart Centers. It can uplift and imbue a sense of drive into people and situations. It’s why I do the work that I do. I’ll meet with folks in INITIATION or a Counsel session and within a few short minutes they’re all lit up and raring to go on some idea. They feel like they have all the willpower in the world, they feel certain and convinced. We tend to see more options and opportunities when we’re in a positive state of mind, when we’re opened up. This is also why I structure my sessions the way that I do. I want folks to make use of that energy when we are together; brainstorming, making connections, and having those “A-Ha!” moments, while practicing the tools to tap into their own resources so they are able to maintain it when we are apart.
Working with your Heart Center during Leo Season
Sometimes having a defined Heart Center can be as confusing as the inconsistency of working with an undefined Heart Center. Being defined in an area tends to make it less flexible or receptive, but being undefined can leave you feeling all over the map. When we take the entire bodygraph into account, we get a better idea of how the energy of the centers is expressed within us, as well as between us and our environment.
The backdrop of Leo season gives us the opportunity to explore our relationships to our egos, to our willpower, and to what we want to commit our loyalties. If you’re defined, this is a chance to tap into that well of determination and share your inspirational ego energy with others. If you’re undefined or open, take this opportunity to reflect on when and where you have felt the most confident. Do those things still stimulate you now? Perhaps there are some obligations you’ve made that no longer serve you, and it’s time to set a boundary. Find your light by leaning into the skills and gifts that are defined for you, and trust that your worth doesn’t come from proving it.
When I work with folks who are undefined or open, they usually express that they have struggled with their self worth and their value. To which I can honestly answer, “Same, boo!” Let’s look at what else has been playing into that struggle, and what lesson is here for you. Using the tools of self-knowledge through Human Design, deconditioning, and embodiment, let’s get you back to a place where you can consistently rely on yourself to boost that self-worth and approach life’s challenges with confidence in your unique skills.
