Grief and the Solar Plexus Center in Human Design
Photo by Louis Galvez on Unsplash
The study of grief and the emotional Solar Plexus center in Human Design is extremely important. It helps us understand how we experience emotions, our ability to navigate an intensely emotional time in our lives, and the beliefs we hold about emotional expression.
No matter what we’re grieving–whether it’s the loss of someone we love, an identity we’re being called to shed, a geographic move, or the end of a season that was special–it can trigger deep feelings within us. Loss and change plunge us into the unknown and all our nervousness rises to the surface.
Unpleasant emotions don’t feel good in our body so we do everything we can to avoid them. But when we shut he door on emotions, they don’t obediently go away. They wait until we’re ready to face them. Or they leak out of us in unexpected moments in unexpected ways.
Emotions are powerful messengers and they bring important information when they show up.
There’s an aspect of Human Design called our defined and undefined centers. Of the nine geometric shapes in our Human Design chart, some are defined (colored in) and others, undefined (white).
When a center is colored in, we have reliable energy there. It’s our strength. It is how we impact others with our energy and transmit who we are to the world: in the way we think, speak, what we believe, how we behave etc.
When a center is white, we are sensitive to others’ energy. We’re vulnerable to absorbing this energy from others.
We can live from the wisdom or the shadow of a center, whether that center is defined or undefined.
Let’s understand how this works with the solar plexus center.
In Human Design, the Solar Plexus center is all about the awareness and energy of emotional expression.
If you have a defined solar plexus center (colored in): In your highest potential, you’re aware of and understand your experiences with emotional maturity
If you’re grieving and living in the shadow of this center:
you can be reactive or suppress your emotions and explode in an inappropriate moment. You walk through life not honoring the anger that’s building up inside you because you were passed over for a promotion; then you explode at the checkout clerk who makes a simple error.
you make emotional decisions in the moment without giving yourself time to become clear. You agree to a conversation with your sister about sorting through your deceased mom’s stuff, then regret having committed to it at the end of a full day of work .
you rationalize your emotions. You try to “figure” things out and analyze your feelings endlessly.
If you’re living in the wisdom of your defined center:
You wait for clarity to arrive before making important decisions even if it means making someone wait.
You’re in touch with your feelings, no matter whether they feel good or not.
You let people know that you’re not in the mood for social activity when you’re feeling low.
If you have an undefined solar plexus center (white): In your highest potential, you’re an empath who knows how to hold space for others without getting tangled up in their emotions.
If you’re grieving and living in the shadow of this center:
you’re overwhelmed by other people’s emotions. Someone complains about their partner to you. Your sister calls and dumps all her anxiety. Your co-worker was let go. And you’re feeling all their feelings.
you avoid confrontation to keep the peace. I’m not going to tell Mom what I really think about her decision to live alone or she’ll go off on me.
you lack clean and clear boundaries. Even if the last thing I want to do is go to the dinner with my friends, I’ll just say yes and go or they’ll judge me.
If you’re living in the wisdom of your undefined center:
your natural state is calm
you’re not afraid of speaking your truth
you are a powerful empath who knows how to be a safe space for those in emotional turmoil
If you’d like some support in moving away from swirling in your emotions to feeling grounded please reach out here. Or book a Human Design reading with me to understand how your design affects how you grieve.