Human Design Academy By Ra Uru Hu: Part 7 - The Chemistry of Connection - Channels, Gates, and Attraction

Part 7: The Chemistry of Connection - Channels, Gates, and Attraction

From the original teachings of Ra Uru Hu – “Understanding Our Design in Relationships”

“There is nothing more seductive in the world than chemistry. But chemistry alone is not correctness.”
— Ra Uru Hu

What Is Relationship Chemistry in Human Design?

When Ra Uru Hu spoke of chemistry, he wasn’t talking about romance novels or casual attraction. He meant something mechanical and precise — the actual interaction of gates and channels in two people’s charts.

When two people come together, their combined bodygraphs create a new energetic map called the Connection Chart. This chart shows how their definitions, activations, and openness interact. Within this map lies the secret to understanding what brings people together, what pushes them apart, and what may lead to deep growth or deep challenge.

Chemistry isn’t magic — it’s mechanics. But it can feel magical when it’s correct.

Gates: The Magnetic Keys of Attraction

Each gate in Human Design is like a frequency broadcasting from one of the 64 hexagrams of the I’Ching. Gates represent specific themes and archetypes — such as logic, love, power, ideas, or sensitivity.

When one person has a gate, it’s like half of a magnet. If someone else carries the other half of the same channel, the energy wants to bridge and connect.

For example:

Gate 59 (Sexual Openness) + Gate 6 (Emotional Clarity) = Channel 59-6 (Intimacy).
One person has 59, the other has 6 → Strong attraction.

This “click” between gates is often felt instantly as sexual attraction, emotional curiosity, or mental fascination.

But here's what Ra emphasized:
Chemistry ≠ Compatibility.
Just because something “feels strong” doesn’t mean it’s healthy or correct for you.

Electromagnetic Channels: The Pull of Completion

When two people each carry one gate of a channel and together form a full channel, Ra called this an electromagnetic connection.

Examples:

One person has Gate 19 (Wanting), another has Gate 49 (Principles) → Channel of Synthesis.
One has Gate 34 (Power), the other Gate 20 (Presence) → Channel of Charisma.

These connections create a chemical pull — something that feels destined, like “You complete me.”

However, Ra taught that this is not necessarily a sign of correctness. In fact, this attraction can become addictive and codependent if not rooted in awareness and correct decision-making.

“The most powerful relationships are rarely the most electromagnetic. It’s about harmony, not just magnetism.”

Hanging Gates: The Unfulfilled Craving

A hanging gate is a defined gate in a person’s chart that does not complete a channel. This gate can create a sense of yearning, almost like it's waiting for its counterpart to arrive.

When someone else carries the other gate, the channel activates temporarily in the connection chart. The energy flows. This can lead to:

Desire for closeness
Intense attraction
A feeling of being “seen” or “understood”

But Ra warned: this connection disappears when the other person leaves. It’s not your energy. So the more you attach to it, the more lost you can become if the relationship ends or turns out to be incorrect.

Chemistry Traps: When the Body Says Yes but the Truth is No

Many people get caught in energetic illusions in relationships. Why?

Because chemistry is a body thing. Your body responds to energetic mechanics before your mind understands. This is why we can fall deeply in love with someone who is completely wrong for us.

Here are a few of the traps Ra pointed out:

1. Sexual Chemistry ≠ Long-Term Alignment

The 59-6 Channel of Intimacy is known to create intense sexual magnetism.
But if your Authorities are not aligned, and your definitions are incompatible, it becomes a volatile connection.

2. Mental Connection ≠ Emotional Compatibility

Sharing channels in the Ajna Center can feel like you “click” intellectually.
But if one is emotional and the other is not, long-term emotional friction can emerge.

3. Open Centers Craving Definition

If you have an undefined G Center (identity) and meet someone with a defined G, it might feel like they give you a sense of purpose or direction.
But this can lead to dependency if you’re not anchored in your own inner authority.

The Role of Authority in Navigating Chemistry

Ra Uru Hu’s foundational message was clear: only your Authority can guide you to correct relationships.

It doesn’t matter how strong the chemistry is — if you’re not making decisions from your design, you may end up in profound distortion.

Types of Authority and Chemistry:

Emotional Authority: Chemistry may feel good now, but clarity comes over time. Wait before leaping.
Sacral Authority: The gut knows immediately if the connection is correct. Trust your response.
Splenic Authority: Intuition whispers in the moment — either safe or not.
Ego Authority: It must feel correct for your own heart.
Self-Projected Authority: The voice will reveal the truth through expression.
Mental Projectors: Environment must feel correct — clarity comes through recognition.
Lunar Authority (Reflectors): Wait a full moon cycle. Chemistry will rise and fall — observe it.

The Beauty of Chemistry, When Aligned

When two people both live according to their own strategy and authority, chemistry becomes a bonus, not the foundation. It adds to a relationship already rooted in correctness and respect for each other’s definition.

This is where true synergy arises: not just attraction, but recognition, empowerment, and peace.

Ra said:

“The most beautiful relationships are those where no one needs to be fixed. Where each can be what they are — and be seen for it.”

Summary of Part 7:

Chemistry is mechanical — it’s how gates and channels interact.
Electromagnetics and hanging gates create attraction, but not necessarily correctness.
Chemistry can lead to deep lessons or deep distortion.
Strategy & Authority must guide relationship decisions — not just attraction.
When two people live their design, chemistry becomes aligned magic.