The Human Design Variables and Their Arrows
The Variables come from finer steps than the gate and the line, since each line divides again into six steps called colors, and each color into six tones. The colors and tones of the Sun and the Nodes give four Variables, each with an arrow that points left for the first three tones and right for the last three. Many charts draw these arrows beside the Head, here they're listed below the chart. Left is strategic, focused and active, right is receptive, open and passive. The arrows of the Sun can change within the hour, which is why they need an accurate birth time. They describe finer details of how the body and the mind work best.
Determination
Determination, also called Digestion, comes from the Design Sun and describes the way of eating that best supports the brain, how and in what conditions food is taken in. There are six ways, Appetite, Taste, Thirst, Touch, Sound and Light, each with a version for each direction of the arrow.
Left This arrow points left, so the brain is active, strategic and focused.
Right This arrow points right, so the brain is passive and receptive, taking things in without filters.
Appetite Appetite is about the order of food, one thing at a time and finished before the next, or small amounts of different things alternated. On the left this is Consecutive Appetite, eating one thing at a time and finishing it before the next. On the right this is Alternating Appetite, going back and forth between small amounts of different things.
Taste Taste is about letting taste choose the food, open to trying most things once, or closed to all but what truly tastes right. On the left this is Open Taste, open to trying most tastes once. On the right this is Closed Taste, keeping to the few tastes that are truly right.
Thirst Thirst is about temperature, food and drink that are hot or cold. On the left this is Hot Thirst, food and drink that are warm or hot. On the right this is Cold Thirst, food and drink at or below the temperature of the body.
Touch Touch is about the state around a meal, calm and settled, or with some stimulation such as talk, reading or movement. On the left this is Calm Touch, eating in calm and settled surroundings. On the right this is Nervous Touch, eating with some stimulation around, such as talk, reading or movement.
Sound Sound is about the sound around a meal, plenty of it or very little. On the left this is High Sound, eating with plenty of sound around, such as talk or music. On the right this is Low Sound, eating in quiet surroundings.
Light Light is about the light around a meal, eating in daylight with light on the body, or after dark and out of direct light. On the left this is Direct Light, eating while the sun is up, with light on the body. On the right this is Indirect Light, eating after dark or out of direct light.
Environment
Environment comes from the Design Nodes and describes the kind of place where the body does best. There are six, Caves, Markets, Kitchens, Mountains, Valleys and Shores, each with a version for each direction of the arrow.
Left This arrow points left, so the environment is a place to be seen in and to take an active part in.
Right This arrow points right, so the environment is a place to watch from, taking in what's going on around without needing to take part in it.
Caves Caves are enclosed, secure places with controlled entry, where safety comes from choosing who comes and goes. On the left these are Selective Caves, private places with a single way in, open only to a chosen few. On the right these are Blending Caves, enclosed places that can welcome more people in.
Markets Markets are busy places of exchange, where people come and go and things change hands. On the left these are Internal Markets, where the exchange comes into a place of its own. On the right these are External Markets, out in the busy flow of the market.
Kitchens Kitchens are places where things are made, transformed and shared, full of activity and purpose. On the left these are Wet Kitchens, humid places and climates. On the right these are Dry Kitchens, dry places and climates.
Mountains Mountains are high places with a wide view, set apart from what happens below. On the left these are Active Mountains, high places with activity going on. On the right these are Passive Mountains, high places of quiet and solitude.
Valleys Valleys are places of flow and connection, the old pathways where people, goods and news pass through. On the left these are Narrow Valleys, close and contained spaces. On the right these are Wide Valleys, wide and open expanses.
Shores Shores are edges where two worlds meet, such as land and water, city and suburb, or the natural and the made. On the left these are Natural Shores, natural edges such as where land meets water. On the right these are Artificial Shores, made edges such as the border of a park or a neighborhood.
Motivation
Motivation comes from the Personality Sun and describes the motivation underneath the mind, what really drives it. There are six, Fear, Hope, Desire, Need, Guilt and Innocence.
Left This arrow points left, so the mind is strategic, it follows a particular angle of what motivates it and leaves out what doesn't relate to it.
Right This arrow points right, so the mind is receptive, it takes in everything at once without needing to focus on a particular angle.
Fear Fear drives the mind to make sense of what's uncertain and to find safety in understanding it.
Hope Hope drives the mind toward what could be, the expectation that things can get better.
Desire Desire drives the mind toward what it wants to have and to experience.
Need Need drives the mind toward what's truly needed, its own needs or those of others.
Guilt Guilt drives the mind to set things right, with a strong sense of what should be done.
Innocence Innocence drives the mind without an agenda, open and curious about what life brings.
Perspective
Perspective, also called View, comes from the Personality Nodes and describes how the mind naturally sees the world. There are six, Survival, Possibility, Power, Wanting, Probability and Personal.
Left This arrow points left, so the view is focused, it picks out specific things and sees them in detail.
Right This arrow points right, so the view is peripheral, it takes in everything at once without a fixed point of focus.
Survival Survival sees the world in terms of what supports life and what threatens it.
Possibility Possibility sees the world in terms of what could happen and the options it opens.
Power Power sees the world in terms of who's in charge, who's winning and who's losing.
Wanting Wanting sees the world in terms of what's missing, the needs and gaps that are still to be filled.
Probability Probability sees the world in terms of patterns and likelihood, what's most likely to happen.
Personal Personal sees the world through its own experience, how things touch its own life and each individual connection.