What Is In Our Soul Seat vs. Ego Seat?

Previously, we have talked about the difference between growing up vs. waking up, and how a person is meant to shift from ego to soul activation during their lifetime. We have also learned that our consciousness is not in the head but in our chest area. What happens when our heart opens? What is in our soul seat vs. ego seat?

Where is the soul seat?

Our sentience sits in the soul seat, which is in the midpoint between the front (4F) and rear (4B) heart chakras about 3 inches behind the sternum, according to Guy Needler. Think of the sentience as the driver and the human vehicle as the car made of blended energies.

The front chakras are our intention and the rear chakras are our action. Opening the front chakras (A) to rotate clockwise automatically opens the rear chakras (B) as well.
The different chakras pull in energies at different frequency bands, which get blended within our human form that exists at ten frequency levels (below, click to enlarge).

The ego sits in the same place as the soul. When a soul is fully immersed in the human experience, the ego takes over and has command and control of our sentience.
By midlife, the soul wants us to drop the ego’s limiting filters and programs that keep us feeling small, separate, fearful, reactive or defensive. The soul wants us to fully express our unique gifts and talents, to connect with others and serve others, not just ourselves.

What is in our soul seat vs. ego seat?

Let’s look at the heart chakra area using Human Design as a tool to illustrate the I Ching Gates that exist at that level. There are two energy centers in the chest (see the blue circle, below):

Self or Identity center (yellow diamond, middle of the chest; enlarged below, right).
Ego or Will center (red triangle below). The numbers indicate the gates that connect with other gates in other energy centers to create 36 energy channels with different functions. For example, Gate 25 is connected to Gate 51 to create the Channel of Initiation (below).

Note: Each center has a specific set of I Ching Gates that connect with other centers in the body. Each gate can be expressed in a lower acting way, if the ego/small self is fully in charge OR in a higher acting way by the soul. It just depends on the most intense force in the Now moment (e.g. fear, anger, denial or love, wisdom, power).

The Self or Identity center has 8 gates divided into two subsets:

Gates of Love:

Gate 10: Love of Self, self-love, self-identity, self-empowerment, behavior of the self. This gate’s higher expression is seen as principled behavior and actions guided by intuition. A person that has mastered this gate becomes a natural vessel of love, who emanates love to others by their state of beingness (e.g. Jesus Christ). The low expression is seen as self-obsession, narcissism, blaming others or martyrdom as a way to attract attention.
Gate 15: Love of Humanity, the archetypal humanitarian, who views humanity as one big family. The person may be modest but magnetic to all kinds of people from beggars to princes. The low expression is seen as stoicism, resignation, denial or martyrdom.
Gate 25: Love of Spirit, Universal Love, the Spirit of the Self connected to Source. The loving person has a childlike innocence, trust in the universe and heals others with the power of love. The low expression is seen as being constricted, ignorant or cold-hearted.
Gate 46: Love of Body, recognizing the body as a temple of love, delight, humor and ecstasy. The person is in the right place at the right time because of their effort and determination. The low expression is seen as being overly serious, frigid or frivolous.

Gates of Direction:

Gate 1: Purpose/Self-Expression, making a unique contribution, being a creative role model with a drive to change the world Now. The low expression is being depressed, numb or frenetic.
Gate 2: Direction/Self-Direction or being the driver guided by the Higher Self, being receptive to support and resources from the universe and giving them direction toward unity/oneness. The low expression is being lost in the void or overly regimented or materialistic.
Gate 7: Guide/Self in Interaction, directing others as a natural leader that looks forward (future) and acts as the heart of the group, guides groups to find common intent. The low expression is being jealous, divisive, hidden, dictatorial, authoritarian, autocratic, etc.
Gate 13: Listener/Fellowship with Mankind, Empath who is a magnet for people that need someone to hear their stories or secrets. They direct others by looking back using the lessons of the past and letting go of the past to unite people with empathy or fellowship. The low expression is being naive, permissive, pessimistic, narrow-minded or bigoted.

The Ego or Will center has 4 Gates of Action:

Gate 21: Control, the ego drive to dominate, to be the one in charge of material resources (e.g. president, boss, mafioso). The higher expression is seen as courage, authority and valor, where the will of the group supersedes personal interests. The lower expression is seen as being controlling (control freak) or being controlled, submissive or powerless.
Gate 26: The Egoist, wants to be the best, uses willful energy for material accumulation. The higher expression is enterprise, adaptability, integrity and internal balance to fulfill everyone’s needs. The lower expression is the trickster, covert manipulator, pride, overt displays of wealth, power and property or lack of grit. The small self (ego) runs the show.
Gate 40: The Provider, Love of Work, Willful Energy to provide or deliver the goods. The higher expression is resolve, hard work, efficiency, resoluteness and forgiveness. The lower expression is exhaustion, being permissive or in denial, rigid or contemptuous.
Gate 51: Agitation, Arousing, Shock, competitive drive, wants to be the first at something. The higher expression is having initiative, inner strength, initiation and awakening. The lower expression is seen as anxiety, cowardice or being competitive, hostile or shocking.

Final Thoughts

I hope this piece helps you see the multiple aspects of “heart opening” that go way beyond a “kumbaya” moment. This is what our observer self needs to be more aware of, when it comes to self-love and our interactions with others. Most of us have lots of room for growth and evolution in the gates found in the soul seat (represented by the Self and Will centers here).

Nora Herold said that ALL of us experienced a massive heart chakra opening as a result of the recent lunar eclipse (July 27, 2018). That means all of us are capable of operating as heart-centered beings, whether we’re conscious of it, understand it or have words for it or not. We are able to activate more compassion and take actions based on the higher energies we’re running in our heart centers now.

She said that moving forward, it’s very important to release your stories about the past, not stay attached to how things have been, the struggles you have had. Some people may be surprised by moments of deep grief or sadness, which means you’re opening and accessing more of your heart to be able to transmute any traumas. As we do that collectively, suddenly we are creator beings, sovereign, able to take heart-centered action that begins to physically alter and change our reality.

When writing this piece, I was also reminded of the three spiritual forces (Love, Wisdom and Power) that we are trying to master and how they are represented in the soul seat as well:

“Know thyself” (Wisdom) means self-love and knowing that we are always connected to our Source. Honor that divine spark or spirit within you. That is part of our soul activation.
“Love thy neighbor as thyself” (Love) means self-love, being open to receiving support, nurturing yourself as well as fellowship with mankind and unconditional or universal love. That is soul connection.
“Do good deeds” (Power) means taking willful action from a heart-centered place, whether it’s charitable works or spiritual awakening or more. That is soul contribution.

The question is: Are you taking your direction from the heart or the mind? As Lyssa Royal said:

“The mind is the realm of linearity and separateness, the heart is the realm of collectivity. When you begin to see other people hurting just like you, and they’re trying to find their way — recognizing that mirror reflection softens you. It helps you accept other people in a very profound way, but more than anything it helps you accept yourself in a very profound way.”

“Who you are is an individuation of Divinity. Why you are here is to demonstrate that.”

I Believe God Wants You to Know …

… that love is not what you want, it is what you are.
It is very important to not get these two confused.

If you think that love is what you want,
you will go searching for it all over the place.

If you think love is what you are, you will go sharing it
all over the place. The second approach
will cause you to find what the searching will never reveal.

Yet you cannot give love in order to get it.
Doing that is as much as saying you do not now have it.
And that statement will, of course, be your reality.

No, you must give love because you have it to give.
In this will you experience your own possession of it.

— Neale Donald Walsch