The Sacral

       Life – force and Staying Power

      The middle square centre, second one up from the bottom of the life chart, is the Sacral. Another motor centre, this is the engine room of the Human Design system, powered by life – force energy. As such, it generates the juice which aims trees towards the sky, empowers baby birds to crack out of their shells and enables us to endure amazing hardship in life. It is the powerhouse centre that fuels growth, expansion and life. It harnesses an energy that has no awareness – it is just raw power, like a mechanical generator humming away, ready to unleash its stored energy.

      Sometimes this centre is referred to as the ‘sex centre’ because the majority of its gates have a sexual undertone. Physically, it also relates to the testes and ovaries.

      The vast majority of the world’s population – about 70 per cent – has a defined Sacral with the potential to run with this unstoppable energy. Yet, paradoxically, those people rarely know how to utilize it in a way that brings about personal fulfilment. Having something powerful in your hands doesn’t necessarily mean you know how to use it, but knowing this energy resides within can be a wake – up call.

      Our sexual drive and urges also stem from this centre, opening up all manner of human interaction and co – creation. It’s important to appreciate that ‘sacral’, ‘sacred’ and ‘sex’ are closely interlinked. This centre offers a commentary on the barriers you may or may not establish in your sex life and your approach to intimacy.

      If your Sacral is defined

      You are here in this world with the natural ability to respond to whatever life offers you. Whether you realize it or not, you have a continuous stream of life – force energy to draw on in order to sustain any endeavour which earns your commitment. But because this is a motor with no ‘off’ switch, once your Sacral energy is unleashed, there’s no turning back. Its momentum means it is has to be engaged until the experience is complete. Therefore, you must be sure about deciding what and who warrants your time and energy.

      The Sacral is where the gut response resides. ‘I’m following my gut,’ you might say, and this is a natural reaction within you and a reliable guide. You’ll recognize this response emanating from within: either an upbeat ‘a – huh’ for something that feels right or a frown – inducing ‘uh – uh’ for something that feels wrong. This is your gut, which is not to be confused with your emotions. A gut response might also be experienced as a rising or contracting of energy without sound, pulling you to or from someone or something.

      It is an ongoing tragedy that people with this defined centre often find themselves going through life unappreciated, slogging away as the workhorse, slave or gopher fulfilling others’ projects. There can be a self – perception that that’s all they are good for. There are scores of employees out there feeling unappreciated, and countless assistants and secretaries whose powerhouse energy and unstinting effort go relatively unrewarded and unrecognized but make their bosses shine. There is a saying that behind every successful man lies a brilliant woman. I would make it less gender – specific and say instead: ‘Behind every successful individual, look to the person supporting them and see if their Sacral is defined.’ More often than not, it will be. What would they do and where would they be without you?!

      Know that you are designed to be a powerhouse. Some of you might say that you don’t feel that way, and that can be true if your energy has not been harnessed properly. What I’m pointing out is the potential reserves within, waiting to be harnessed.

      When you do get motoring, you’ll find other people have trouble keeping up, and this can make you feel obliged to take on their tasks as well as your own. But what you’ll notice is that throwing your weight behind an endeavour which pleases you will give you a buzz, so it therefore must be right. Intolerance, boredom, frustration or impatience with an activity suggests you have committed to the wrong thing. Learn to heed your gut response. Wait for that upbeat ‘a – huh’ or downbeat ‘uh – uh’ as your guide.

      With this centre defined, sex, for you, is a driving force. This does not mean that you are naturally a lady killer or a seductress, but that you have the potential for a sustained and satisfying sex life, provided you make the right connections. This means exercising discipline and discernment rather than just unleashing the energy at every given opportunity. If you’re in tune with your gut over sexual partners, you’ll find harmony. If you indulge in reckless abandon, then frustration and depression are likely to arise. You may sometimes find yourself overburdened and unsatisfied with partners and projects, and you may ask what you have done to deserve this. The answer is simple: you have committed to people and projects indiscriminately. You have taken on too much. You have promised too much. It is therefore vital to take your needs into account – first! No one is indispensable, not even someone with a defined Sacral.

      If you happen to have both the Sacral and Heart defined, you are a positive whirlwind of energy, a non – stop go – getter. Your level of achievement can defy comprehension, but you truly have to find the things you love to do – and find time to rest up, because otherwise your huge efforts and sustainable energy can leave you flat on your back.

      If your Sacral is undefined

      You will eventually find out that you are not designed to maintain a life in the fast lane. You are not, by nature, driven. You were not born with staying power and don’t have consistent access to life – force energy. This doesn’t mean you are work – shy, but your best input tends to come in spurts or as part of a team. The danger of failing to recognize this nature is that you’ll try to keep up with the powerhouses and burn out.

      As an example, one woman I know worked in the high – pressured field of sales, in an environment which was relentless in its pursuit of targets, goals and profit margins. She was not designed to be immersed in such a high – powered environment, yet her job demanded it. She ended up collapsing at work, wiped out by the conditioning influence of the designs around her. Basically, her Human Design couldn’t cope. She would have been far better placed being given a team to manage and seeing how that collective energy was best utilized – a situation she has now happily incorporated.

      The key understanding here is to adopt a more objective view which mirrors the energy of others, thereby turning a conditioning influence into impassive wisdom which strengthens, not depletes. You need to learn to pace yourself – to outsource and delegate instead of getting caught up in the dust storm.

      When it comes to sexual energy, there is an innocence to your make – up. Your drive and urges will not be as great as those of people with a defined Sacral, and sex won’t be such a relentless driving force within you – unless, of course, you tap into a partner with the Sacral