Origins: Human Design — A Synthesis of Divination Systems + Modern Sciences
Human Design is a comprehensive system that integrates several ancient divination systems with modern science to provide a tool for understanding oneself and revealing the natural, energetic alignments of an individual. This blog post aims to explore the origins of the Human Design System, focusing on its creator, Ra Uru Hu, his encounter with ‘the Voice,’ as well as the divination systems and modern sciences synthesized together to create this holistic and innovative approach to understanding the human condition.
The Human Design System is a multifaceted approach to understanding human behavior, cognition, and decision-making. It was developed in 1987 by Robert Allan Krakower, a former advertising executive and artist who later adopted the name Ra Uru Hu. He asserted Human Design to be an empirical system for experimentation where one could see its benefits firsthand by simply implementing it. Correctly implementing both the System’s general knowledge and one’s specific, energetic information, by way of a unique Design, leads to a more fulfilling life because one is able to live in alignment with their body’s natural energies. The crux of Human Design is about taking the time and effort to decondition: the process by which an individual learns to differentiate their authentic, personal energy from the influential energy of others. This approach to living an authentic life, understanding social relationships, and raising one’s self-awareness dawned on Ra Uru Hu while he was spending time in Ibiza, Spain.
Ra Uru Hu and His Encounter with 'the Voice'
Ra Uru Hu's journey to create the Human Design System began with a profoundly, life-changing experience. In January 1987, during a period of solitude in Ibiza, Spain, he encountered a mysterious presence that he later referred to as ‘the Voice.’ In multiple media recordings, Ra Uru Hu describes how this non-physical entity ‘transmitted’ detailed information to him over eight days, outlining the foundational principles and structure of what would become the Human Design System. Although initially skeptical, Ra Uru Hu eventually embraced this knowledge and spent the next decades refining, teaching, and expanding upon the System. Slowly but surely, other individuals who resonated with the information Ra Uru Hu asserted joined him in his quest to share with everyone the knowledge to live a personally authentic life — aware of external conditioning and living in internal, energetic alignment.
Divination Systems Incorporated into the Human Design System
Human Design combines several ancient divination systems to create its unique and holistic approach. Each system forms the foundation of one or more components in Human Design, and all of these components are highly interconnected and interdependent with one another. Essentially, the components build off one another with each providing an additional layer of nuance in terms of thematic expression and interpretation to some aspect(s) of a person’s Design. This interdependence is precisely the reason for Human Design’s increasingly lauded complexity and nuance. Each of these ancient systems play a role in creating an individual’s Design and modify each other’s effects. These systems include:
The I Ching • 64 Hexagrams + Gates
A Chinese divination system dating back over 3,000 years. The I Ching, a.k.a. the Book of Changes, was used for cleromantic practices and utilized dried stalks from the flowering yarrow plant to divine answers. These stalks serve as the physical representations of six lines which together are referred to as a hexagram; the I Ching consists of 64 hexagrams, each providing insight into various life situations. There are six unbroken and six broken lines that are combined in various ways to create eight trigrams (3 line combinations). These trigrams are joined to create the hexagrams. The Human Design System incorporates these hexagrams as a means of establishing a Design’s associated Profile in addition to each gate activation’s Line level sub-structure — the first layer of differentiation in a person’s Design’s circuitry. Moreover, each line of the hexagram has an associated archetype that serves as the basis for its thematic expression, modifying the relevant Design component.
The Hindu-Brahmin Chakra System • 9 Centers
An Indian system dating back to 1500-500BCE and first referenced in a large body of religious Hindu texts called ‘the Vedas’. The system asserted that humans existed in two planes of existence, one being physical and the other mental/emotional. The body was the manifestation of the physical mass, while emotions and the mind were energetic in essence. The chakras act as energetic focal points that allowed the non-physical, emotional/mental energy to interact with the physical body, anchoring the two together through these energetic pathways and nodes. While the chakra system consists of seven energy centers in the human body, the Human Design System expands upon this concept by introducing nine centers. Each center corresponds to a different aspect of human life, such as the Root Center being the nodal source of adrenal energy and physical pressure energy.
The Kabbalistic Tree of Life • 36 Channels
The Kabbalah is a Jewish mystical tradition that explores the relationship between the divine and the created world. The Tree of Life, a key component of Kabbalistic teaching, is a series of ten to eleven nodes or spheres, separated into three columns or pillars, and connected by 22 various paths between them. Each sphere represents an archetype or aspect of God, existence, or the human psyche. The paths connecting the spheres are energetic representations of the concepts that link the spheres or are symbols for the requirements to move between them. The Kabbalistic Tree of Life is incorporated into the Human Design System's structure, providing a symbolic map of an individual's life journey. It provides the foundation for the 36 channels that link the nine centers in an individual’s bodygraph; these channels link the centers together via their associated gates and represent shared energies.
Astrology • 14 Celestial Bodies + Positions
Astrology is an expansive umbrella system found in many cultures throughout history and across the globe. Regardless, astrology systems center around the interpretation of meaning based on the positioning of planets and other celestial objects. The positioning of these celestial bodies and their arrangements with one another are used to divine meaning in a person’s life, with each celestial object having an associated theme that refines the interpretation. The Human Design System synthesizes both Western and Eastern astrological principles, including the zodiac, planets, and lunar nodes, to determine an individual's Design and life trajectory as well as establish the literal foundation of a Design by determining the potential 0-26 activated gates in a Design.
Modern Sciences Synthesized into the Human Design System
The Human Design System integrates modern scientific disciplines, such as genetics, quantum physics, and astronomy, to complement and expand upon its esoteric foundations. The System makes various connections between the numbers within its components and concepts within these sciences. In fact, the System itself would not be possible without accurate information from the field of astronomy to chart and track the positions of the celestial bodies in our solar system. Some of the key scientific components include:
Astronomy
Astronomy is one of the oldest natural sciences dating back to multiple ancient civilizations including, but not limited to, those of Egypt, the Maya, Babylon, China, and India. It studies the origins, evolution, and dynamics of celestial objects and phenomena using other fields of science such as math, physics, and chemistry. Astronomy has been used to understand Earth’s origins, the beginnings of life, and has even been used by seafaring people to navigate the world. The Human Design System incorporates astronomy’s celestial positioning data to place and track certain celestial objects of importance within the System. It utilizes precise astronomical calculations to map an individual's Design by considering the positions of celestial bodies at the time of birth and around 88 days prior to the birth time. These two sets of calculations determine the activations within the bodygraph and thus the activations within an individual’s Design.
Quantum Physics
Quantum physics or quantum mechanics is one of the newer sciences relatively speaking. Its purview revolves around studying and explaining the physical properties of objects and phenomena at the scale of the atomic and sub-atomic — the realm of the small. The study of such small objects lends quantum physics to having quite a degree of theoretical calculations; generally speaking objects will have both particle and wave properties and have limits as to how accurately they can be measured given observational conditions. Arguably, quantum physics is the core behind the Human Design System since without one particular sub-atomic particle, called the ‘neutrino’, none of Human Design would be possible. Human Design’s founder, Ra Uru Hu, was adamant in proposing that the neutrino was the physical manifestation and medium through which energy could transform and affect change int he material plane — the basis for Human Design’s entire transference and absorption of energies. The System embraces the principles of quantum mechanics, acknowledging the interconnected nature of the universe and the impact of consciousness on reality.
Genetics and Epigenetics
Genetics is the study of genes, genetic inheritance and variation within organisms, while epigenetics is the study of mitigating factors around genes that affect their expression without changing the fundamental DNA sequences underneath. The formal advent of genetics is attributed to Gregor Mendel, a friar in the 19th century, observing the process of specific and observable inherited traits across plant generations. These fields of study have been profoundly integral in explaining and understanding not only the human body and human development, but also the domestication and breeding of animals and agricultural plants, the study and mitigation of disease, and countless more scientific advancements. The Human Design System incorporates genetic information in multiple ways, notably drawing connections between the I Ching’s 64 hexagrams, each with 6 lines per hexagram, and DNA itself having 64 codons with 6 groups of amino acids per codon. It can be argued that while other divination systems are more mental or abstract, Human Design emphases the need for energetic alignment with one’s natural, physical body and genetic information — the literal vessel of one’s consciousness.
All in all, the Human Design System is an innovative approach to understanding human nature, offering a comprehensive framework that blends ancient divination systems with modern scientific disciplines to do so. The System's origins can be traced back to the experiences of its creator, Ra Uru Hu, who was inspired by his encounter with a mysterious presence known as ‘the Voice.’ By incorporating the I Ching, Hindu Chakras, Kabbalistic Tree of Life, astrology, as well as various astronomical and scientific principles, the Human Design System provides a holistic understanding of an individual's life, psyche and body.
Furthermore, the integration of genetics, epigenetics, quantum physics, and astronomy lends the Human Design System an element of scientific grounding, ensuring that its principles are not only rooted in ancient wisdom but also ostensibly supported by connections to modern discoveries. The combination of these elements makes the Human Design System a versatile and powerful tool for self-discovery, self-awareness, and personal growth. As it continues to evolve and gain recognition, it is likely to provide invaluable insights into the complexities of an ever-evolving humanity, fostering greater understanding and empathy among both individuals and communities alike.