THE COSTUME OF OUR PURPOSE
We now come to another foundational component of Human Design. The Profile is the beginning of the foundation of a lifestyle, a Role described as a Costume of our Purpose. And a Costume in which we grow within and which can also be uncomfortable if distorted by our non-Self or if perceived as our true skin and the true Role we are here to live. The Profile is also one of the aspects that sets you apart as a unique being. You might be an Emotional Generator, for example, sitting with three other Emotional Generators, but if you have different Profiles, you are very different individuals. Alongside your Incarnation Cross, the Profile allows us to live our Purpose as our authentic character on the stage of our Life.
The basis of the Profile is the recognition of the Fundamental Duality that exists within each of us. We are a Binary Awareness, a Synthesis of Personality Awareness and Design Awareness, and within the Profile, we are able to understand the proportion of the two. There are 12 basic profiles, each derived from the combination of the Definition of the Level of the Personality Sun Line (black) and the Unconscious Design Sun (red). The specific interpretation of our Profile, the Role our Character plays, makes the Performance of our Life unique compared to all others. And the Drama, the Film, begins at birth.
STRUCTURE OF THE PROFILE
The Base of the Profile is the Hexagram. The 64 Hexagrams (Gates in the BodyGraph) each have six Lines, giving us a deeper level of differentiation than the Gates themselves. The key to understanding the Profile, and the reason for this incredible differentiation in how Human Beings live their Lives, lies in the understanding of the Lines. The Basic Structure of a Hexagram is divided into two parts, the Lower Trigram (Lines 1, 2, 3) and the Upper Trigram (Lines 4-5, 5). The Structure of the Lines flows from the First Line at the bottom of the Hexagram upwards. There are specific Themes connected with each Trigram and specific values associated with each of the six Primary Lines.
The Themes of the six Base Lines, or Primary Roles, (Investigator, Hermit, Martyr, Opportunist, Heretic, and Role Model) also provide a Theme to all the Hexagrams in the BodyGraph. For example, the Investigative Quality of Line 1 will be an underlying Theme in every Line 1 of every Hexagram or Gate in the BodyGraph.
THE SIX PRIMARY ROLES: STRUCTURE OF GATE 10 HEXAGRAM
The six Primary Roles are the Basic Themes of the Profile and are rooted in the division of the Lines of Hexagram 10, the Gate of the Behavior of the Self. The Profile is the combination of these two Primary Roles. The qualities of these two Roles are lived or Experienced differently through our Personality, who we believe ourselves to be, and our Design, our Innate Nature. Together they form a Proportion and the Costume for how we live our Life in the World.
Your Profile is listed for Personality and then Design, meaning a Third Line of Personality and a Fifth Line of Design will be shown as a 3/5 Profile. Your Profile can also be interpreted with keywords through the Names of the Themes of the Lines, so a 3/5 Profile is also called Martyr/Heretic.
HEXAGRAM STRUCTURE/HOUSE METAPHOR
It’s useful to use the metaphor of a house to understand the Six Lines and their Qualities. The 1st Line is the Foundation upon which the house is built. The 2nd Line is the living space on the first floor of the house, with curtains wide open, so that others from outside can see inside. The 3rd Line is the transitional space or the spiral staircase that moves from the first to the second floor. The 4th Line is the second story, or the second-floor level of the house. The 5th Line is the mystery hidden behind closed curtains with speculative expectations from the outside. Meanwhile, the 6th Line is the roof of the house with a panoramic view of the neighboring house, the rest of the neighborhood, and the surroundings.
PRIMARY ROLES OF THE LOWER TRIGRAM: LINES 1 – 3
The lower trigram is a highly self-centered, very personal process. These are roles that do not itch to express outwardly and do not particularly want to deal with others.
LINE 1 – INVESTIGATOR: INTROSPECTION, CHAMELEON, EMPATHY
The 1st Line is the ground floor or the foundation of the Hexagram, and 1st Lines are driven to Investigate the Foundations of things, to discover how life works. Once they have firmly established a secure Foundation, they can relax. The more they know, the less fear they have, as the 1st Line feels that “If we can be sure, anything is possible.”
Their insecurity drives them to seek Authority and they become Authorities themselves, even though the pursuit of their investigations is an introspective process that usually says, “I am committed to studying, doing my research, so don’t bother me.” The solid Foundations that 1st Lines create are then externalized or universalized by the Lines of the upper trigram. There’s also a deep empathic nature in the 1st Line, and their ability to take in information from others can be very transformative.
1st Lines study behavior. They observe how other people act and learn to see which behaviors work and which don’t. When they feel insecure, they change their color to blend with it like a chameleon. They’re not actually changing anything, but they are very good at showing you what they think you need to see. The Keyword for Gate 10 – 1st Line is Modesty or the ability to recognize one’s place and how to behave regardless of circumstances. 1st Lines are very sensitive in this way, and nothing is more important for them than being able to see that they can navigate this plane and that everything will be okay.
1st Line Designs also need a secure physical base. The most common feeling of the 1st Line’s not-self is a sense of inferiority, usually caused by not allowing themselves to be self-centered, which is necessary for full investigation and establishing a foundation.
Strategy and Authority will determine the correct investigations for the 1st Line and allow them to focus on one thing at a time, also releasing a lot of not-self anxiety.
LINE 2 – HERMIT: NATURAL, PROJECTION, DEMOCRATIC
The 2nd Line is like a seed that sits in a drawer for years, just waiting for the right moment to be planted so it can awaken, grow, and produce its Unique Fruit. While the 1st Line Investigates in order to build a Foundation, 2nd Lines are Natural and don’t know the Origin of their Inborn Gifts. 2nd Lines are Noted for their Natural Talents or for their Genius and are therefore challenged by others who want to use their Gifts in a particular way. These are Hermits who want to be left alone to do their things, in their own personal way. While the 1st Line needs others to assist in its Investigation, 2nd Lines are Independent and can feel quite uncomfortable when others enter their Aura and expect something from them. They don’t want, and often don’t know if they can, explain how they do what they do or, worse yet, how you should do it. They behave Democratically because they don’t want to be bothered or invest their energy in participation.
The natural talent that the 2nd Line possesses doesn’t respond well to any interference. In our House analogy, it’s as if they stand alone in front of the window with the curtains open, lights on, happily absorbed in their game, not realizing they’re being observed by those outside on the street. In fact, a 2nd Personality Line generally doesn’t even want to go out into the world. They want to receive the correct Call for them, specific to their Unique Purpose in Life, that will allow them to share their true Genius with the world. And only through Strategy and Authority will the 2nd Line know if the call is Correct. Realization is very important to 2nd Lines, and if they can’t live up to the Projections placed on them, or if they allow themselves to respond to Calls that aren’t correct for them and that they can’t fulfill, they can suffer deeply and isolate themselves more than normal or in ways that wouldn’t be healthy for them.
LINE 3 – MARTYR: TRIAL AND ERROR, MUTATION, ADAPTATION
The great gift of the 3rd Line is discovering what doesn’t work. Being the transitional point between the first and second floors of the house (Personal and Transpersonal), Life collides with them in every way, or they collide with it, and they discover through the ‘Trial and Error’ and ‘Falling in and out of Bonds’ Process how the material plane operates. 3rd Lines are our Catalyst for Change, and although they may sometimes appear socially incapable and very often feel alone, they are the most adaptable interpersonally in the lower trigram, with a natural resilience and tenacity that will support them through their Discovery Process. For a 3rd Line, it’s more likely to notice and recognize a new Potential Mutation faster than anyone else simply because they crash into it. Often associated with Scientific Exploration (but from the perspective of what doesn’t work), and deeply material, 3rd Lines don’t take Life at face value. They’ll kick the wheels and look for the defect, the shortcut, or where the trick is. The 3rd Line models Transformation for us, which is possible when we’re grounded in these Bodies on the material plane.
These Beings, whose natural gift is to challenge lies, are essentially shifting the Maia. They’ll also notice what’s not working in a relationship much faster than anyone else, and that’s why their Intimacy Strategy is ‘Bonds made and broken.’ The Keyword of the 3rd Line refers to its ability to stand up and say “This is not true,” taking the blame for it. When operating correctly as themselves, there are no failures for a 3rd Line—only Discoveries. The mechanism of ‘Bonds made and broken’ can become natural in their lives, like a parent leaving home for work every day and returning. The 3rd Line is also part of the 6th Line Process in its three life stages (see 6th Line – Role Model), and its mutative quality permeates the Roles of the Profiles more than any other Line.
PRIMARY ROLES OF THE UPPER TRIGRAM: LINES 4 – 6
When we move up into the Upper Trigram, the Role Mechanics change entirely. The upper trigram is a transpersonal, outward-directed process. These Roles have an essential need to socially share with others, to share the past and future possibilities.
LINE 4 – OPPORTUNIST: EXTERNALIZATION, CORDIALITY
In harmony with the 1st Line, the 4th Line represents the Foundation of the second floor of the Hexagram and builds upon the security that the 1st Line has built. There’s also a fragility in the 4th Line in allowing an opening for the transition to the Upper Trigram. While the 3rd Line is deeply involved with material resources, the 4th Line is the foundation of Transpersonal relationships and deals with Human Resources. The 4th Line is deeply influential and awaits opportunities to embrace its community and externalize the foundations, gifts, or discoveries of the Lower Trigram. An innate Cordiality, akin to brotherhood or sisterhood, facilitates the 4th Line’s gift for connection. Cordiality creates the necessary opening but also makes the 4th Line susceptible to surprises and shocks. Their sphere of influence is typically limited to people with whom they have already established relationships—strangers generally aren’t correct for them except for chance encounters.
The quality of life for the 4th Line is directly proportional to the quality of their network of friendships and associates. Anchoring their energies in correct relationships allows them to enjoy joyful camaraderie. There’s also an inflexibility that creates in the 4th Line a tendency towards exhausted people. They need time to withdraw, nurture, and renew themselves. The potential opportunities their networks offer must bring a return of invested Energy or they might abdicate and find a network that does. Correct 4th Lines don’t create their Network; their correct networks are already there, and they encounter them through Strategy and Authority. The 4th Line possesses a fixed quality and must transition confidently and risklessly from one network (or relationship) to another, or risk losing their security and true opportunity to influence.
LINE 5 – HERETIC: UNIVERSALIZING, PROJECTION, THE GENERAL
The 5th Lines bear the responsibility of universalizing the message of the Hexagram. The 5th Lines carry the most transpersonal karma and are as effective as they are ‘immune to consequences,’ like the general who steps in when standard solutions have failed and offers a practical but unconventional solution. The Aura of the 5th Line invites needy or crisis-stricken individuals to project onto them a potential for rescue. Heretics operate in a Projection Field that seduces others into recognizing the potential power residing there, but the 5th Line can also be very suspicious of how others see in them things that don’t exist or have expectations that cannot be realized. The 5th Line peers at the world through the window curtains on the second floor and often, at the same time, hides behind them.
Strategy and Authority provide the 5th Line with a practical and reliable tool to determine which situations to enter to bring about a solution. Unaware of the Projection Field, the 5th Line might believe in others’ perceptions of them as saviors and be flattered by it. In order not to respond to illusions others may have about them, 5th Lines must be truly self-aware and aware of what they are genuinely capable of resolving or saving. The Heretic’s reputation depends entirely on the success or failure of their solutions and on their meeting others’ expectations. If they haven’t provided something of real value, they might figuratively get burned. Once the crisis has passed and the leadership of the Heretics is no longer required, they’re generally ignored. This is the natural time for the 5th Line to regroup. As Heretics, they’re not in constant service, but they’re expected to remain on standby, ready and capable when the next crisis arrives.
LINE 6 – ROLE MODEL: ADMINISTRATOR, OPTIMIST, PEACEMAKER
The 6th Line stands alone compared to the other Lines of the Hexagram and is best described as sitting on top of the roof. Although sometimes perceived as disinterested, this detached perspective provides the 6th Line with an advantage point from which to look downward at the other five lines, while also looking forward to the 1st Line of the next Hexagram. While the 5th Line moves toward others, the 6th Line ultimately moves away from them so as to pass through a single three-phase life process and emerge as the natural Role Model.
1st phase, from birth until approximately age 30, they are individuals who explore and live life through the 3rd Line process of ‘Trial and Error’ and ‘Falling in and out of Bonds.’ Driven to seek a soulmate (an attribute of the 6th Line), they generally don’t find it until they complete the 2nd phase around age 50. 6th Lines are not as resistant as true 3rd Lines, and this chaotic process of crashing into things can lead to disillusionment and a pessimistic view of life after their early 20s. To regain their optimism, they seek a way to physically and emotionally withdraw from the world. The 6th Line’s first Saturn Return around age 28 marks the climb to the roof and the transformation of the external discovery process into a more internal one.
2nd phase, between ages 30 and 50, involves a retreat from the chaos of the 3rd Line experience in order to contemplate and reflect. ‘Climbing to the roof’ for them is a time to observe what’s reliable and truly works in the world, to reevaluate life, and develop the resources they’ll need later. Their energy might be perceived by others as disinterested, but they begin to be sought for their Wisdom. During this period of inner retreat, 6th Lines generally feel more secure than they did initially, choose a vocation, a partner, or family. Their 3rd Line discoveries are now integrated, forming the foundation for the External Authority they’ll express as Role Models.
3rd phase begins with the Chiron Return around age 50. They’re given a tap or pushed off the roof to become fully involved in the world again, but as more authentic and optimistic 6th Lines. This can be a period of radical changes in their lives, and they might become particularly vulnerable if they don’t make their decisions according to their Authority.
The Awakened Role Model is a living example of a being who consciously lives out their Unique Purpose. For a 6th Line, dealing with hypocrisy is very difficult. They’re deeply trusting beings and show us how we too can trust in our Authority and live our unique life. Diving deeply into experiences as young people, withdrawing and healing through inner work in middle age, re-engaging and blossoming into the world after age 50, 6th Lines bring a unique perspective and wisdom on how life can work. They’re an example of the possibility of transcendent life for nine-centered beings.
GEOMETRIC PROGRESSION OF PROFILES
THE THREE GEOMETRIES
Just as the Sun and the Earth progress through each Gate and Line around the Mandala over the course of a year, three different geometries are created. These Geometries set the mechanical potentials and limitations in motion that give structure to specific ways in which we interact with others and impact them in order to fulfill our Purpose. Each of the 12 Profiles falls into one of these geometries: Right Angle, Fixed Juxtaposed, or Left Angle.
THE GEOMETRY OF THE RIGHT ANGLE, which includes the first seven Profiles (4/6, 3/6, 3/5, 2/5, 2/4, 1/4, 1/3), creates a self-centered personal destiny. Encompassing roughly 60% of the planet, these Profiles are here to work on their Life. The Right Angle Geometry is focused on self-exploration and confronting personal challenges encountered in life. They are not here to be absorbed into someone else’s process. The lives of people intersecting with theirs might trigger new experiences, but they will not alter their trajectory through life. Right Angles are not particularly aware of the reason (or do not understand it) they are connected to a certain type of people, as if these Profiles entered an Incarnation with a veil over the experiences of their past lives. They are here to seek, explore, re-experience, and gain new perspectives, and as such, they are the creators of Karma on the Planet.
THE GEOMETRY OF JUXTAPOSITION (only Profile 4/1) forms a bridge between the Right Angle and the Left Angle. This is a Fixed Juxtaposed, neither personal nor transpersonal, and the 4/1 Profiles, representing less than 3% of the population on the planet, are instead fixed in their Line of Movement – like a train on rails. The power of the Fixed Juxtaposed Profile comes from the fact that whatever else comes into contact with it and remains in contact for an extended period becomes part of that Juxtaposed as well. The Juxtaposed Profile serves as a bridge between the Research and Personal Development Department of the Right Angle and the Transpersonal Marketing Department of the Left Angle.
THE GEOMETRY OF THE LEFT ANGLE is Transpersonal and possesses a trajectory or path with different intersecting lines. These four Profiles (6/3, 6/2, 5/2, 5/1), representing 33% of Humanity, cannot fulfill their Purpose alone. While they don’t depend on others, even the simplest connections can potentially change their Direction or Path, or that of others, which is the opposite of the Right Angle Process. Left Angle Profiles possess greater awareness of others and the world, and they are always ready to observe and engage with life. Transpersonal Profiles maintain a Connection with past Incarnations and often feel an inexplicable familiarity with a certain type of people and experiences. While Right Angles create Karma, Left Angles cleanse the Karma that has been created.
Their Geometry is recorded in their Charts as part of their Incarnation Cross; for instance, the Right Angle Cross of Eden, the Juxtaposed Cross of Power, or the Left Angle Cross of Dedication.
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