Channels and Gates in Human Design: The Details of Your Design
By Anna de Vries · 10 min read
When you look at your Human Design chart, you will see, in addition to the nine centres, lines connecting the centres to one another - these are the channels. And on those channels are numbers - these are the gates. Together, they form the detailed layer of your design.
What are gates?
There are 64 gates in the Human Design BodyGraph, based on the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching. Each gate represents a specific energy, talent, or theme. A gate can be activated (colored) or not.
When a gate is activated:
- In black (conscious): This is a talent or trait that you recognize in yourself
- In red (unconscious): This is a quality that others see in you, but that you are not always consciously aware of yourself
Hanging gates
An activated gate that does not have an opposing gate to form a channel is called a "hanging gate." This is an energy you broadcast and that you are attracted to in others. Hanging gates often explain why you attract certain people into your life.
What are channels?
A channel is formed when two gates on opposite ends of a channel are both activated. There are 36 channels in the BodyGraph. A complete channel:
- Defines the two centres it connects
- Provides a specific talent or life theme
- Is a reliable, consistent energy in your life
The three circuits
Channels are organized into three circuits:
1. The Individual Circuit - creativity, mutation, melancholy Channels in this circuit carry unique, individual gifts. They bring innovation and change. People with many individual channels are here to be different.
2. The Tribal Circuit - community, family, business Channels in this circuit are about connection with the group. They support family, loyalty, and material security.
3. The Collective Circuit - sharing, logic, abstract Channels in this circuit carry knowledge and experiences that are shared with the broader community. They are oriented toward the past (abstract) or the future (logic).
Examples of channels
Channel 34-20: Charisma
Connects the Sacral Centre to the Throat Centre. This is the channel of the Manifesting Generator - the power to respond and act in the moment.
Channel 48-16: The Wavelength Channel
Connects the Spleen to the Throat Centre. Deep knowledge (48) shared with enthusiasm and talent (16).
Channel 20-10: The Channel of Awakening
Connects the Throat Centre to the G Centre. The love of the self expressed in the now.
How do you read channels and gates in your chart?
- Calculate your chart
- Look at which centres are colored (defined) - this is determined by your channels
- See which channels are completely activated
- Pay attention to hanging gates - these are the energies you look for in others
The combination of your centres, channels, and gates forms the complete picture of who you are. Every detail adds another layer to your unique design.
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