Open Centres with No Activations
In the language of Human Design, technically, there is a difference between “undefined” and “open” centres. An undefined centre means you have hanging gates or dormant activations coming out of that centre. A completely open centre has no activated gates whatsoever. There is a slight difference in how they function and show up in the not-self.
this is the chart of SZA by the way.
With undefined centres, the hanging gates provide something to literally hang onto, a way to experience and process the energy of that centre. The way one deals with the amplification of that centre is through their hanging gates. Afterall, hanging gates are still an aspect of who you are.
But when you have a completely open centre, you have no way of relating to the energy of that centre; there is no fixed way of processing or dealing with those themes. This makes it a place of vulnerability because we are helpless to the conditioning of that centre — whoever comes along and activates it, we can automatically abdicate our authority over to them. We are, in a sense, at the mercy of how they impact and condition us, because we don’t question the conditioning we take in through their definition.
This is where we can be manipulated away from what is correct for us, pulled away from our authority because we are overwhelmed with the energy of that completely open centre. And this isn’t intentional — it’s just the mechanics at play, what happens when there is no awareness of what is ours versus what is someone else’s.
Open Head Centre – “I don’t know what’s inspiring or interesting!”
Whilst the undefined head is busy thinking about things that don’t matter and trying to answer everyone else’s questions, the completely open head centre doesn’t know what to think about at all.
In the internet age, where we are inundated with information, media, and news twenty-four hours a day, we are constantly being programmed with what to think about.
Since there is no place to hang onto for the open head, they could outsource their authority to anyone or anything which tells them what to think about and what is interesting. It might have nothing to do with what is correct for that individual, yet they can make decisions based from this place of what others think is inspiring or important.
Open Ajna Centre — “I don’t know what to think!”
If someone has an undefined ajna with dormant gates, they are busy trying to convince everyone around them that they’re certain about their opinions, knowing, or beliefs.
But when you have a completely open ajna, you don't know what to think and have no instinctual way of processing the mental plane. These people can can be vulnerable to other people telling them what to think about and how they should think about it. For example, they could adopt other people’s logical answers or opinions, or take on someone else’s ideals or abstract beliefs, as a way of alleviating the uncertainty of having an open ajna.
Because we live in a world which is dominated by mental decision-making, it is incredibly easy to ask somebody else what they should think and decide based on that information — essentially, outsourcing their own authority.
Open Throat Centre — “I don’t know what to say!”
The completely open throat centre is rare, as there are so many channels and centres pointing towards it that usually there is at least one activation.
With the undefined throat centre, there is a theme of trying to attract attention with their words or actions. But with the open throat, they can be at a complete loss on what to say. Other people can literally “put the words in their mouth”. They might reiterate and regurgitate what others are saying, because they have no reliable or consistent voice they are speaking from. They might find themselves saying things they would never expect (or want) to say when they walk into the aura of somebody with a defined throat.
On the other side, they could be entirely mute, paralyzed almost, because they have no idea what to talk about. Strategy and authority therefore gives them something to return to and trust when it comes to knowing when to speak or what to say.
Open G Centre — “I don’t know who to be!”
One of the worst questions you can ask a completely open G when they are a child is “what do you want to be when you grow up?” They have no idea. There is no fixed or consistent way to understand who they should be, where they should go, who they should love.
The undefined G is always looking for love and direction; but the completely open G can be overwhelmed with no way of handling that pressure. They can easily be conditioned by others who tell them who they could be or what they should do, and it can be tempting to follow the authority of others because it gives the illusion of feeling less “lost”, or clearer about who they are.
But this isn’t the case. For the open G, they are not here to worry about who they are going to be — their purpose and direction in life will unfold regardless of their open G.
Open Ego Centre — “I don’t know what is worthy!”
The undefined ego is always trying to prove itself to feel worthy. But the open ego has no idea what is worthy or what they should do to prove their worthiness.
With no consistent or reliable way of measuring what is worthy, they can turn to the conditioning of others, or the sheer pressure from society and culture, which tells them how they should prove their worthiness and what is “deemed” as worthy.
It could be proving oneself through a certain career which may have been influenced by parental conditioning, or believing if one could just attain the perfect relationship, they would achieve worthiness.
This is the number one place of conditioning for anyone with an open heart — yet, with wisdom, they can learn to observe and measure the worthiness of others, who can prove themselves. But they are not here to defer their own authority to the power of the ego — or what other people decide is worthy. Proving themselves has nothing to do with who they are in this lifetime.
Open Spleen Centre — “I don’t know what to fear!”
If you have a hanging gate in an undefined spleen, you have some way of processing fear. But when you have it completely open — hello this is me! — you have no idea what to fear. This can lead one into situations which are incredibly dangerous, as they have no way of knowing what to be afraid of, or when to feel fear full stop.
I grew up with a parent who has a heavily defined spleen, and I was conditioned with all the fears coming from his splenic centre. They might have nothing to do with me or might be something I don’t need to be afraid of at all. Naturally, I don’t feel much fear on my own because it is a pure place of conditioning.
The open spleen might freeze and lock up because it doesn’t know what to do with the fear; in this case, one needs to wait, not be spontaneous, and defer to their authority if something is healthy and correct for them, or not.
Open Emotional Centre — “I don't know what to feel!”
When someone has an undefined emotional centre and someone comes in and activates them, they know what to feel through the amplification of their hanging gates. They know what to do with the feeling (most likely, avoid confrontation and truth).
But when you have a completely open solar plexus and emotional centre, you have no idea what to do with emotional energy. You might not know how to feel, how to interpret someone else’s wave, or what to do with the energy of need, passion, or desire (or even understand what any of them are).
In a way, they can be disconnected from feelings. That is okay — this is the place they are here to watch, learn, and observe through others. It’s not here to be a place to make their decisions from — and they are not here to “figure out” how they feel. Others may condition them into thinking they need to.
Open Sacral Centre — “I don’t know what to use my energy for!”
No Generator can have an undefined sacral centre, but Projectors, Manifestors, and Reflectors can potentially have a completely open sacral. When there are hanging gates in this centre, the not-self conditioning can appear as not knowing when enough is enough through the themes of these active gates.
But with a completely open sacral, there is no concept of how to use energy or what to use it for. This can lead someone to being pulled all over the place until the point of exhaustion, due to the overwhelm and pressure to expend energy. Someone else can tell them, “This is what you should use your energy for!” and they can be conditioned from that place and make decision based on someone else’s authority.
The open sacral, however, can become a very wise observer to the life process in general, to what it means to use life force energy, or to generate as a sacral being. Yet, they are not here to be caught up in trying to keep up with Generators, expending energy they essentially don’t have.
Open Root Centre — “I don’t know when to hurry!”
The root centre is the centre of adrenaline and stress — it is a pressure centre. The not-self theme of the undefined root centre is to always be in a hurry to get rid of the pressure. They might be in a hurry to begin something new or in a hurry to transcend a limitation, as an example.
But with an open root centre, they have no concept of when to hurry and when not to. They can have no idea what to do with the pressure — they can be told by others to hurry when there is no need to, or they can be told to not worry when perhaps there is an urgency to finish something. There is no internal sense of pacing.
They might even experience extreme stage fright or feel frozen by the pressure. This is where strategy and authority can become an anchor — because without it, there is no way to navigate the pressure of the root since it’s conditioned by the other. These are people who are here to be naturally relaxed and stress free, since stress is always conditioned by someone else’s defined root.
In sum…
Sometimes it’s harder to spot our open centres because there’s absolutely no theme to relate to them with. At least, that has been the case with my wide open spleen. But over time — often with other people pointing it out to me — I can see how easily swayed I am in the presence of a defined spleen, told what to fear, or what not to fear. In reality, all I can trust is my own authority to know what is healthy for me, not the opinions or judgments of others.
There is nothing wrong with you for not knowing how to deal with the energy of your open centres. It was never yours to begin with. Anchoring back into the body takes time and awareness. Seeing the conditioning first-hand — through your relationships and interactions with others — can show you how it affects and influences you away from who you are.