How Does Your Light Express in the World? Sun Placement in Your Human Design Chart

Let’s talk about Sun placements! In Human Design, much like traditional astrology, the Sun represents our life force and personality. It speaks to our core energy and how we show up to the world. If the moon represents our inner motivations, the sun is who we appear as to the outside world. It’s the light that shines outward and shows us what others look to us for in this lifetime. Understanding your Sun gates is helpful for many reasons, but I find it is most instructive when learning about how others perceive you. It also helps you understand what others need from you and how you can help them. 

hOW TO fiND YOU suN pLACEMENT

Planetary placements are located on the right and left sides of the body graph. There is a set of red boxes (representing unconscious) and a set of black boxes (representing conscious). The sun is the first box on either side. Take a look at the numbers noted in each box to find the gate your sun is in as well as the line it expresses (lines are the numbers after the decimal point).

wHAT i’VE LEARNED FROM MY SUN PLACEMENT

My conscious sun is in gate 52, the gate of stillness, and my unconscious is in 17, the gate of opinions. What does this mean about how I show up in the world? Stillness speaks to a sense of calm I project, especially in the midst of a lot of movement. While its connotation is somewhat meditative, for me it’s the focus and silence that can only come from mastering chaos. I focus better when many things are going on around me and I can cut through the noise to single out what needs to happen next — I thrived working in busy restaurants and the editorial world.

Opinions (I laugh because ... yes) is a different sort of projected energy that allows me to open the possibilities of what could be for others. I have many opinions, but I’m at my best when I can lend these opinions toward helping others mentally organize information to bring them to a higher state of self-acceptance. This is what people look to me for - how I can help them cut through the noise and see what they need to see in themselves to fully embody their highest form of self-acceptance. 

How to Embody Your Sun Placement

The sun is the “yang” masculine archetypal energy so being in tune with its power often requires you to develop discipline around it. Once you have understood the basics of what your Sun gates are, take a look at where you might benefit from a consistent practice that might help you see how to best harness this energy.

Having stillness as my conscious sun, I know I need to foster a space where I can be at peace in order to use this energy in its highest expression. This can look like having daily walks/runs where I can clear my head and release pressure from my open centers, doing breathwork, sitting and drinking tea outside. If you have Gate 11, the gate of ideas as your conscious sun, you may benefit from having space to journal and write freeform every day.

Need ideas for how to work with your Sun placement? I dive into supportive practices and more in Foundational readings – you can learn more here.