There's a lot of advice going around. Which is great. Really. It is. But... what works for one person doesn't always work for another person. Take the personal growth industry. Go into your local bookshop and look at the section headed "Motivational". Now, I love a bit of motivation. But how many years have those same books being saying the same thing? If it was working, do you think they'd have to keep telling us? It sounds great and we all rush around trying to do what they suggest, but somehow after a while the thrill wears off, the book slips down the back of the lounge and we nod off to sleep.

And if you're not convinced yet, take a look at the diet industry!

The reason why generic advice doesn't always work for you is because humans aren't generic. We are not all out of the one mould. We have our own idiosyncrasies, our own passions, motivations and vices. Like snowflakes, each one of us is different from every other human being ever born in the history of planet earth. That includes YOU. What an extraordinary creature you are!

What are you to do with all that magnificence?

Human Design is an extraordinary tool for human consciousness because it gives a map of each chakra. And it makes sense even if you don't know what a chakra is. There are thousands of ways that your Sacral Chakra can differ from those of your best friend, the person sitting next to you on the bus, and your daughter.

You can tell that Prince William has a defined Sacral Centre - that red box (which is the Sacral Centre) is coloured in. This simply means that he has a channel coming from his Sacral Centre that connects to another Centre. Prince Will has not one, but five Centres - all connected to his Sacral Centre. His Sacral Centre connects to his G Centre, and then on down to the Spleen Centre. The Spleen Centre connects to the Throat Centre and also to the Root Centre, which connects to the Solar Plexus Centre.

The knee bone connects to the thigh bone which connects to the foot bone, and generally Prince William has a very powerful Sacral Centre - and I suspect he is going to need it. He is heir to the English throne at potentially the most crucial time in it's existence.

Having said that, can you see that he has only ONE gate coming directly from the Sacral Centre. ONE gate for all that energy to flow along! This is the gate that the I'Ching calls The Power of the Great and it deals with two main issues.

Firstly, learning the difference between force and true power.

Secondly, learning how to act at exactly the right time. Not rushing forward, not hanging back.

And the planet? Uranus, archetype of individuality. For Prince William, these two issues and that one planet contain a lifetime's contemplation. We are going to see some fireworks when he hits his Uranus Return at around age 40.

Now let's look at Brad Pitt's Sacral Centre. No gates at all! This is what we call an Open Centre. This is an unusual design. It means he is open to influence from anyone around him. Want to come and have a drink Brad? Yeah, sure. Want to stay in and watch TV Brad? Yeah, sure. He will be energetic when he's around energetic people and Mr Sloth around others.

Coming in on the right, from the Solar Plexus Centre, is gate 6 - Brad can be intimate and warm towards others, but he finds it hard to feel connected to people. He's looking for the adjoining gate 59 to penetrate him, to literally bring him to life by lighting up his Sacral Centre. Remember, this is the Centre for life force energy, creativity and sexuality.

Brad is profoundly affected by those around him. It's probably why he often has that stunned 'how did I get here?' look on his face.

Ellen DeGeneres has the most gorgeous smile. And with her Sun in the Gate of the Transmitter, connected to a powerfully magnetic defined Sacral Centre, she's always going to have a strong effect on people.

Her Sacral Centre is connected to the Spleen Centre via the Channel of Values and Nurturing. Ellen is very, very interested in the wellbeing of humanity. Her entire life force energy is available to be applied to upholding values (gate50) that nurture (gate 27) the health and wellbeing of others (Spleen Centre).

She's a bit lost without a partner - she has the Channel of Marriage running from the Root Centre to the Solar Plexus, and Gate 32, Duration that represents marriage as an enduring union in the sphere of social relationships. She's looking for the gate that gives her Sacral Centre (her life force) direct connection to the Solar Plexus (ability to experience emotions) - gate 6, the gate of intimacy, and she offers a warm (gate 26) nurturing (gate 27) energy in return.

Ellen has all four motors - the Centres that pump energy around the design - connected in a single group - Sacral, Solar Plexus, Root and Heart Centres. And nothing going anywhere near the Throat, so being able to act on or express her energy is a major issue and, I imagine, a source of intense frustration. To be relaxed and happy, Ellen will need to have developed her ability to WAIT to an art form.

The channels that run from the Sacral Centre to the G Centre give a lot of clues about our life direction. Gate 5 is unconscious in Ellen's design, and it's Saturn, so perhaps a place where she can feel oppressed, limited or punished by others. It's also where she can build something very worthwhile in her life when she masters the limitations and works with, rather than against them. This is the gate of waiting, and fixed rhythms.

I'm sure as a child, she often felt pushed to do things when she didn't feel like it. It is crucial for Ellen to be in her own rhythm; she is acutely sensitive to being out of tempo with herself. It's an interesting channel for a stand up comic to have - she's probably much more comfortable doing television, where she can control the pace, than in front of an audience where she has to adapt to their cues.

I expect Ellen gets caught up in balancing her very strong desire to help people and her inability to seem to make things happen. For her, it's always going to be a waiting game that falls into place when she sticks to her own rhythm.

Understanding how your Sacral Centre is designed to operate can clear up a life time of confusion. Many people carry guilt and shame because they just can't seem to get the energy together to do what they 'know they should'.

Like Brad Pitt, they may only be able to act when they are with others who bring them the energy they need. Others, like Ellen DeGeneres, have a whole pile of energy just racing around their system and they can't seem to get it out there into the world. Prince William has a very specific energy to work with and knowing this will open the gate to his destiny as he matures.

When you look at the way your life force, sexuality and creativity - your Sacral Centre - expresses itself, each person is an individual. So next time someone gives you advice and it doesn't feel right for you, remember ... you're not here to be like everyone else. Oh, and get a Human Design Reading, so you know how unique you really are, and how to avoid being a generic human.

© Kim Gould. Dec. 2005

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