The Variables: Understanding the Conscious

Variables are an advanced mechanic within the Human Design System that handle key aspects of an individual’s being, and each Variable is oriented toward a specific modality that enables a person’s transformation of their mind and awareness. Two Variables pertain to one’s Unconscious aspects (Design) and two govern a person’s Conscious aspects (Personality). An individual must align with and operate all four of their Variables in order to embody their Outer Authority: a person’s true awareness that is effectively immune to external conditioning or social homogenization — an almost metaphysical surety in oneself.

The second two Variables that one aligns are the Conscious Variables: Perspective and Motivation. Perspective is established by one’s Conscious Nodal placements, while Motivation is established by one’s Conscious Sun and Earth placements. Together these two Variables encapsulate a person’s correct points of view and reasons for action or thought. Both Conscious Variables are stratified by their Color frequency and further specified by its Tonal frequency being either Left or Right Binary. Perspective is associated with the mind and how it perceives its surroundings as well as its interests in life; it involves the literal perception of life, how one views the world, what point of view best suites the way one’s mind operates and its strengths. Perspective is stratified into: Color 1(Survival) Communalist vs. Separatist, Color 2 (Possibility) Theist vs. Anti-Theist, Color 3 (Power) Leader vs. Follower, Color 4 (Wanting) Master vs. Novice, Color 5 (Probability) Conditioner vs. Conditioned, and Color 6 (Personal) Observer vs. Observed. On the other hand, Motivation establishes the underlying reasons for one’s actions and thoughts, the overall purpose behind their existence and the choices that involve being alive. It is the last Variable to align before one can fully express their Outer Authority. Motivation is stratified into: Color 1(Fear) Communalist vs. Separatist, Color 2 (Hope) Theist vs. Anti-Theist, Color 3 (Desire) Leader vs. Follower, Color 4 (Need) Master vs. Novice, Color 5 (Guilt) Conditioner vs. Conditioned, and Color 6 (Innocence) Observer vs. Observed.

Transference

Both Perspective and Motivation are subject to a phenomena called ‘Transference’. This term describes the effects of social homogenization and external conditioning upon one’s vulnerable mind. Essentially, it’s the distortion of one’s mind that leads to one operating an incorrect Perspective or Motivation. The exact dynamic behind transference relates to the harmonies, or energetic associations, that exist between the Lines of the hexagram with each Line having a harmony with another specific one: Lines 1 & 4, Lines 2 & 5, and Lines 3 & 6. It is important to note that avoiding transference is impossible and Ra Uru Hu actually emphasized that it’s all about awareness not avoidance.

Transference + Perspective

Transference within the Perspective Variable is quite common. Given that Perspective has to do with one’s perception of the world, transference here distracts an individual’s point of view. Essentially, one gets distracted by what they can see, yet are not meant to focus on. To illustrate this concept, one can look at Perspective’s Color 6 - Personal which has a harmony with Color 3 - Power; an individual with Personal will become distracted by Power and vice versa. The Personal Perspective, disregarding Left or Right Binary for brevity, emphasizes that an individual is meant to view the world from their own, self-oriented point of view — they are meant to be self-focused and sort of narcissistic. Power, on the other hand, emphasizes a world view that takes into account everyone and their material conditions — the observation and focus on who is winning, who is losing, who has what and who does not. The Personal Perspective individual is able to see both his own circumstances as well as those of other people because both Personal and Power share the same harmonic energy. The critical difference is that a Personal-oriented person should never compare themselves to others and really is meant to be inward in their contemplations, whereas the Power-oriented person is not meant to be inward as much as be outwardly perceptive and engaged with those external circumstances and fluctuations. It is normal and unavoidable for one to experience transference, but one should strive to improve their awareness in order to recognize when one is acting out of of transference and when one is acting based on their correct Perspective.

Transference + Motivation

Transference within Motivation is a little more nuanced than within Perspective. The same fundamental dynamics characterize this kind of transference in regard to the Color Lines and their harmonies as well as the basic principles described above. While a transference of Perspective affected one’s world view, transference of Motivation affects one’s underlying rationale and impetuses for action and thought. Think of this as a warping of the true reason by which one is meant to operate in life. Again for the sake of brevity, we disregard Left or Right Binary implications, and focus solely on the Color frequency. In this example, Color 1 - Fear and its harmony with Color 4 - Need are examined. An individual with a Fear Motivation best operates with fear as their underlying motivator, they are driven to alleviate or control fear in one way or another. Conversely, a person with a Need Motivation is driven by their ability to know what is needed in society, what is lacking, where there is surplus, and other similar considerations. An individual with the Fear Motivation can experience transference with Need because need is linked to fear; putting this reductively, where there is a need, there is an insecurity and where there is an insecurity, there is a fear. The need motivated person can also succumb to a fear transference when their observations of the needs of others lead them to fearing for their own being. Unlike in Perspective, transference within Motivation is also affected by a phenomena specific to Motivation: Trajectory.

Trajectory

An individual’s Motivation follows a trajectory over their lifetime: the move from what one currently is, but should not be, toward what one truly is and meant to be. If one’s Motivation is the Left Binary of say Color 6, they will actually begin life on the Right side of that Color frequency — starting as what one is not and moving toward what one is meant to be. Motivation is the final Variable needing to be aligned before one can embody true Outer Authority and this understandably takes some time to achieve.

Trajectory + Motivation

Understanding Motivation’s trajectory can be illustrated by examining Color 4 - Need. An individual with the Left Binary, Master Motivation begins life on the Right side with a Novice Motivation. They will steadily move from Novice to Master over their life time, with their trajectory being affected by all aspects of their unique life. They are meant to master something in life, essentially being born to learn something until perfected. Conversely, if one has a Right Binary, Novice Motivation, then one is born as a Master and moves toward their final Motivation as a Novice where they are meant to foment and generate new ways of conceptualizing — the way a new member can offer an unheard of insight in the group. Notably, transference affects this Variable as well. The same Color Line harmonies are in play here, but a person does not directly undergo a transference trajectory. Instead, transference simply arises based on where one is on their motivational trajectory; if one is currently on the Left Binary of Motivation, then they will experience transference with the Left Binary of that Color frequency’s harmony (e.g. Left Binary, Color 4 - Master transfers with Left Binary, Color 1 - Communalist, where as Right Binary Color 4 - Novice transfers with Right Binary, Color 1 - Separatist).

Perspective and Motivation are the final two Variables to align in order to unlock one’s Outer Authority. They can be difficult to align given the complexities of transference and trajectory, but their difficulty is matched by their potential to yield the highest form of awareness someone can attain. By transforming one’s Conscious Variables, the cycle can renew itself and ensure one maintains an optimal alignment in all four Variables. Remember, when it comes to Perspective and Motivation, its not about avoiding transference, its about being aware. Refining one’s awareness is what leads to Outer Authority and a deep liberation of one’s Design.

For insights on the Unconscious Variables, click here.