When it comes to Human Design, let’s face it … there’s no shortage of information. You can start down one path and finds yourself going to a never-ending quest of various rabbit holes, one after another.
In doing this work now over the last six years, I am no rookie when it comes to rabbit-hole diving in the context of Human Design.
And, in my study and work, I’ve come across numerous clients and friends who feel overwhelmed in exploring their own charts.
Let’s take the Lines, for instance.
Too many people get confused in how the energy of each one works, and what the significance of the combination of the two lines that make up their Profile really means.
So, I thought, why not create a more simplified, fun approach to explaining all the magic and nuances that reside in the Lines within your chart.
What Are the Lines Anyway?
If we look at Human Design as a storytelling tool, then in that analogy, your Type would be the main character (or role) you play, and your Profile (consisting of two Lines) would be the personality traits.
Think of your Profile as the “flavor” (style) you bring or characteristics you offer in how you, as the main character, show up in the world.
Your Profile then is a pairing of two specific lines extracted from your conscious (soul purpose) and unconscious (life purpose) Sun.
All that really means is that the two Lines in your Profile represent the specific energy imprint within the gates that were transit at the exact time and location of your birth. It’s like a timestamp in astrological terms.
The Lines, themselves, represent a time measurement and correlate to astrological placements and the Chinese I Ching Hexagram.
The Lines are split into two categories: the Lower Trigram (Lines 1–3) and the Upper Trigram (Lines 4–6) in the overall Hexagram configuration.
The Lower Trigram are intrapersonal lines. These energies are self-focused and your wisdom comes from your personal experience, contemplation, self-reflection, and understanding.
The Upper Trigram lines are transpersonal. These energies are derived from the experiences we collect in relationships with others.
Two Lines Create Your Profile
Your Profile, then, is a combination of the lines illuminated within both your conscious and unconscious Sun signs.
The conscious line (which usually looks black on the chart, and is represented by the numbers on the right side of your bodygraph chart) highlight what you are here to express in your Soul Purpose.
The unconscious line (usually red on the chart, and is the numbers on the left side on your bodygraph) illustrate what themes you must feel grounded in as you navigate your Life Purpose.
It only in bringing both sides of the chart together, and marrying the energies that we can truly live in authentic alignment and express the fullness of our purpose and what gifts we are here to offer the world.
As we begin our fun exploration into the six different Lines that make up the twelve Profiles, we will begin to see a natural duality or contradiction between the two numbers that make-up our our Profile.
This is to be expected, especially as you dig even deeper into the chart, as part of our Soul Curriculum is to move out of the “either or” energy that has us feeling separate and polarized, and shift us into a more expansive, whole “and both, and all” energy.
Meaning, we are here to learn how to dance in all aspects on our design, bringing harmony to what feels opposing or contradictory, so that we can remember who we truly are and connect back to oneness.
Understanding the unique flavors that make you who you are, is not only important in terms of your own alignment, but as you will see quickly, it also can be quite validating and reaffirming, not to mention … fun!
So, that being said, let’s take a look at each Line individually …
In the next sections, we’ll explore key characteristics of each Line and how the Lines influence your life and interactions.
You’ll find I use the power of mnemonics and alliteration to help anchor in the key characteristics.
Let’s dive in …
Line 1: Hit the Bulls ‘I’
As the first Line of the Lower Trigram, Line 1 is foundational in nature. This line is concerned with knowledge, ideas, and information.
With it comes an insatiable curiosity to learn, access data and facts, and obtain what in needs in order to feel safe and secure.
Line 1 needs to understand before it can do anything. They want to go to the depth of depth, itself. Thus, they love their research.
As we look at the key characteristic of the Line 1, it’s all about the ‘I’s:
- Investigation: Line 1s need to probe, analysis, assess, and experiment with thoughts and ideas. They have a huge fear of failure, along with a desire to be perfect in their knowledge, that they seek more and more information and research to be sure what they know is “true” and that they are able to “cross all the t’s and dot all the ‘i’s.”
- Introspection: This Line needs to, and wants to, go super deep into the areas that spark its curiosity. It likes to play with ideas, roll them around in their head, and then find the data to support those ideas and theories. For Line 1’s, it’s all about becoming masterful in their zone of genius and honing their craft.
- Information: They seek endless amounts of information. In fact, so much so that they often can find themselves in analysis paralysis, as a result. For they believe, there’s always one more piece of research, data, or information to discover. They want to make sure their foundation is secure and that they have every piece they need to do something.
Overall, Line 1s need to have a sense of stability and feel grounded in what they know. For it’s in that foundation, that they then can connect into the world, teach what they know, and transition in a the right way for them.
Line 2: ‘R’ You Going My Way
Ah, now Line 2 I feel a deep affinity to as it represents my unconscious (or 2nd) Line in my Profile (I am a 6/2 Emotional Manifesting Generator). So, when I say this Line loves to retreat into their shell and cave, believe me.
The bottom line is this energy loves to be alone. If they had a mantra it could be, “It’s not you, it’s me.” When they say they want to be alone, it has nothing to do with someone else. It is simply how they are wired.
Line 2s need lots of space and time to contemplate life and integrate their knowledge, thus effectively magnetizing their aura so that others feel compelled to draw them out. Their energy is a projected energy.
If you are a Projector with a Line 2, your energy is further amplifed. You really need to wait to be recognized and call out to share your gifts.
This is their magic formula, as Line 2s don’t know the depth of their own gifts (often feeling as if it’s just common sense or easy … the point is, it’s easy to them). For what comes easy to them … isn’t to everyone else.
They need others to really see them, recognizing how natural and powerful their wisdom is, and then call their innate, old soul wisdom and gifts out.
So, when we look at the key traits of the Line 2, we roll with the ‘R’s:
- Retreat: Line 2s are all about their cave. And, they need ample time to retreat. For the most part, they want to be left alone to study, reflect, learn, and integrate in the areas of their deepest interest.
- Reflect: They tend to be old souls with innate wisdom. In order to cast their magic, they need time away from others to reflect and integrate. In many cases, they struggle to explain how they know what they know.
- Recognition: As a projected line, they need to be given feedback and then be drawn out of their cave to share their natural gifts and talents. It’s in that recognition, that the Line 2 energy really is able to shine.
Line 2s often feel a natural polarization in the Line alone, without even needing the other side of the Profile to be in play. For a Line 2 wants to hide away and be left alone to play in their own sandbox. Yet, the only way a Line 2 is able to activate their gifts is in interaction with others.
It’s definitely a bit of a yin-yang pull for them to dance in both.
Line 3: Fit to a ‘T’
Now, for Line 3s, there’s an entirely different challenge at play. For, Line 3s are here to get messy and fail. Yep, that’s right … fail, or at least in the traditional sense of the word.
Because in reality, there is no such thing as failure for a Line 3. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, is part of the learning process and journey.
They are the epitome of being in the “arena” ALL the time as they are experiential learners who access their magic by playing in the laboratory of life. The need to break stuff, get their knees scraped up, and BE fully immersed in whatever they are doing, studying, learning, or playing with.
Line 3s tend to have more “life” than most people (with the exception of the Line 6 … which we’ll get to in a moment). They are never at a loss to tell a good story or to share their wares and woes as they navigate through a tremendous amount of trials and tribulations over the course of their lives.
This energy lends to being highly innovative, creating forward progress. Line 3s teach others as to what works from knowing what doesn’t.
The are masters of resiliency, and tend to be quite versatile. They love a good adventure, and can be somewhat unpredictable, at times indecisive and non-committal in one aspect and daring and bold in another.
I like to sum up the traits of Line 3s with the powerful three ‘T’s:
- Trial (Experience): Line 3s learn through trial-and-error. They need to learn what doesn’t work in order to access what does. They’re here to “fail”, and need to remind themselves that this is their superpower.
- Test (Experimentation): This is a highly innovative and inventive energy, as a Line 3 comes up with theories for everything. They love to tinker, to play, to blow shit up, and to test out every scenario and possibility. Thomas Edison was a Line 3, and when asked how he felt about failing 10,000 times before he figured out the lightbulb, his response was extremely aligned for his Line 3-ness: “I didn’t fail, I just found 10,000 ways it didn’t work first.” It’s all about testing out the possibilities.
- Transformation: Again, it’s through all that trial-and-error and testing, that the Line 3 is able to generate new ways of doing things. They are transformative in nature, and often create ripples of change in their work and energy. They are able to find improvement and access to new potentials and possibilities in the process, thus transforming us all (again, think about the invention of the light bulb).
Over time, as a Line 3 matures, the don’t feel as much pain in the process of exploration as they experienced in their youth, but rather, they become wise and are able to anticipate what will work and what won’t.
The experiential nature affects all aspects of their lives, from work to relationships, to even their own health and wellness.
For life, in general, is a massive experiment and playground for them.
Line 4: Down by the ‘C’
Now, we start to explore the inner-workings of the Upper Trigram, as Line 4 is the foundation of that part of the Hexagram.
Line 4 is also very foundational in nature, much like Line 1. But, instead of being focused on information and knowledge, Line 4 is all about people … connections, relationships, and service.
This is a very community-oriented energy and Line within the chart. They see potential in everyone, often to their own detriment. Stable, intimate, deep relationships is their vibe. They tend to be quite social, as well.
Be careful of criticism you might want to offer a Line 4, as negative feedback or a sense of being judged can really shut them down. They need a more constructive, almost nurturing approach to offer a perspective.
Line 4s also struggle with pivots and change. As a fixed energy, they need to have a new foundation secured and in place before they can leave one that no longer serves them. They are extremely uncomfortable being in limbo.
If Line 4 has a mantra, it would be: “What the world needs now is love, sweet love.” … for they truly believe in the power of people.
When it comes to the stand-out qualities of a Line 4, it’s in the ‘C’s:
- Connection: Everything the Line 4 does is through their relationships. This the foundational line for transpersonal energy. As such, Line 4s love to connect people together creating communities and tribes that feel close and intimate. They are all about tight, deep bonds and love to network with people they have established relationships with or are connected into by people they trust.
- Community: As the ultimate connector, Line 4s also are all about the foundation, rules, and bonds within a community. They are not here for everyone, but they are here for their people. Trust is a high value in their interactions and a staple for building meaningful relationships. They believe every member plays a valued role within the tribe or group. And, they give of themselves tirelessly (sometimes to a default and at their own detriment) as they love lifting those in their circle.
- Contribution: Line 4’s core values are steeped in service. They model what love in action really looks like, as they hold in their hearts that we are all here to serve in some capacity. Many Line 4s have been known to start missions, movements, and nonprofit organizations. They have a heart of gold and believe in sharing the wealth with all.
Line 4s need to have a stable foundation and all the pieces laid out before they can move forward or create shifts and change.
They are here to lay the foundation of meaningful and sustainable connection, and to build communities steep in trust, values, and love. From the foundations of those relationships, they are able to share and spread new ideas and better ways for us to coexist together.
Line 5: Be of the ‘S’-ence
As visionary leaders, Line 5s are a powerful vibe and have quite the penetrating energy. They are the second of two projected lines (Line 2 being the other) where they also will need to be recognized and invited in.
The energy of a Line 5 can really feel provoking, and people either want to make them a “savior” or a “demon”.
Because their aura is so penetrating, they cut right through the veil and illusion and shine a light on hidden potential. This creates a “karmic mirror” where others see their own potential (and bullshit) mirrored back to them … yet, they often don’t realize that is what they are seeing.
So, the Line 5s energy pushes and provokes even without doing a thing. People are seeing themselves reflected back, and struggle at times to sit with what wants to shine through (the good, bad, and the ugly).
Line 5s also universalize whatever is in their chart. They are a natural teacher and solution-oriented in their approach. In fact, Line 5s are able to see “THE” solution, not just a solution, in many cases.
The challenge for Line 5 is to first acknowledge that people will project onto them and that that projection has nothing to do with them. This is especially important to remember if they also are a Projector and/or have a lot of openness in their chart as the energy will be amplified then.
Second, the Line 5 needs to realize that people have a tendency to put them on a pedestal. While that can feel good in the moment, as they seek recognition (if you also have an open Throat Center, this might feel extra).
However, they need to remind themselves that they cannot (and should not) stay on that pedestal as that creates unhealthy dependencies and expectations that they’re responsible and need to “fix” people.
So, when we look at what makes Line 5 tick, it’s all in the ‘S’s:
- Sage (Oracle): Line 5 energy is that of a visionary leader, meaning they can see the potential for what’s possible in problems, challenges, and even humanity. They have an innate wisdom, and often it feels as if they are looking into a glass ball and making predictions as an Oracle or Sage. The trick is that this sorcery and magic is only effective when they wait to be recognized in their gifts, invited in to share their wisdom.
- Solution-Oriented: Line 5 sees the answer. When it comes to finding a solution, particularly when others seem to be hitting a brick wall and playing the problem over-and-over again, Line 5s can see “the” answer. It’s a knowing and it comes with profound clarity. In being able to do this, the Line 5 can get lost in troubleshooting everyone’s problems and fixes things versus teaching people how to fix it themselves. They risk becoming high-functioning codependents, in that case, assuming the responsibility for everyone and all things. Instead, they are only here to “fix” or solve the problems that are energizing to them.
- Sound Advice (Teacher): So much wisdom lies within the Line 5 energy. If only we could move past the penetrating aura that triggers us. Much like a Projector, Line 5s struggle to feel seen and heard at times. They have so much to share, yet the right people are not inviting them in to share. Their advice is sage,
Line 5s bring the potential for healing into every relationship and interaction the enter into. However, in order to share that tremendous gift with others, they often need to work on healing their own self-worth first.
For when they do their inner work and are ready, their aura becomes quite compelling and draws their people in.
Line 6: It’s All About the ‘E’s
Another line I am very familiar with, is Line 6. This is my first line in my Profile so it is my biggest expressed energy (my personality).
It is is the only line with three distinctive phases. And, within these phase, the Line 6 is here to explore and become the embodiment of the wisdom they extracted from living out those life experiences.
Line 6s go through a evolution process that moves them through experiences and exploration into an energy of “going up on the roof.”
In this second phase, they reflect, contemplate, assess and heal making sense of the experiences they had (and often are still having) from the first phase. It creates an aloofness and puts them into an observation role.
Finally, as they begin to “come off the roof” and drop into a deeper embodiment of the wisdom they gained from their observation period.
This then becomes the space from which they activate their role model aura and illuminate the all the potentials and possibilities from living in authentic alignment. This phase is about BEing, not DOing.
When we summarize the characteristics of the Line 6, it’s all in the ‘E’s:
- Exploration (Phase I): This phase is essentially the same energy as that of a Line 3 as it’s very, very experiential. It may, in fact, even be more experiential. This is an intense cycle of exploration. It starts at birth and continues until the first Saturn return (usually between age 28–30), though some still feel the effects lingering until about age 35 or so.
- Embodiment (Phase II): After the first Saturn return, the Line 6 starts to “go up on the roof” to make sense of all that happened in their first years of life. This is a time to reflect, contemplate, ruminate, study, and learn, as well as heal. Line 6s tend to have some big inner work to do. As they are on the roof, they quietly watch the dynamics around them.
- Emergence (Phase III): Like the butterfly emerging from its chrysalis, Line 6 “comes off the roof” and settles into a deeper sense of purpose. Add then two more E’s to the equation, as the Line 6's emergence is really about their expansion of their authentic alignment and offering the full expression of who truly are to the world.
For a Line 6, it can feel as if the world needs to fall apart and be built back up in order to fully emerge and expand into aligned truth and being-ness.
It’s in this journey and dropping into their own alignment that they can show others the way. In their highest expression, Line 6 is becomes selective of who has access to them and where they choose to show up.
They are very conscious about who gets their energy, and they seek depth in their relationships and work, as the alignment to purpose is everything.
‘F’ is for Finishing the Flavors of Our Alphabet Soup
As we’ve explored in breaking down the ingredients of this alphabet soup of Human Design, each Line brings its own unique flavor to your Profile.
From the investigative nature of Line 1 to the embodied wisdom of Line 6, these energies shape how we work, rest, and play best, interact with the world, and express our authentic selves.
Understanding your Lines isn’t just about gaining knowledge, it’s about embracing your inherent strengths and navigating your challenges with greater awareness and alignment.
By recognizing these energies within yourself and others, you open the door to deeper, more connected relationships, more meaningful work, and compelling impact that is aligned to your purpose.
Your Human Design is a complex interplay of various elements, with your Profile Lines being just one piece of the puzzle.
By better understanding the Lines, you’ve taken a significant step towards understanding a fundamental element of the bigger story.
So, as you move forward, carry these ‘flavors’ with you.
Savor them, and let them remind you of what alignment really tastes like.
For your Lines offer you an introspective view of your innate gifts and superpowers, and highlight the areas where you might need a little extra patience, compassion, and grace for yourself and others.
Because at the end of the day, it’s all about living life aligned AF!
After all, isn’t that what this journey of self-discovery is all about?