The Human Design System: The Foundation Explored — Type, Strategy, & Authority
Unlock the magick of your unique design with a deep dive into Human Design Types, Strategies, and Authorities.
Explore how understanding these fundamental elements can empower you to navigate life with greater authenticity and alignment.
You can download a PDF version of this article, here.
Screenshot of Bodygraph Chart by Author
Hey Friends and Fellow HD Experimenters. Today we are on another journey within the Human Design System.
The Human Design Bodygraph chart is a visual representation of the sum of human possibilities and energies. Our bodygraph chart shows the different ways we love, lead, follow, know, grow, energetically interact, and more.
My hope during this time of sharing about the Human Design System is to help you see how all the different parts of your chart work together to provide you with a guide on understanding your place and purpose in this lifetime.
In this article, I will cover some essential aspects of the Human Design Bodygraph chart.
Learning about the different aspects of the chart in isolation can take it out of context, however, I hope to show that the full expression of each aspect depends on the other elements present in your chart.
Here, I will give a broad overview of the Energy/Aura Types and their Strategies, the Authorities and their purpose, and the energetic themes for the Types.
In the coming days, I will create individual articles for each Energy/Aura Type. These articles will give more detailed information, and share my experience with the Auras.
For today, let’s explore the Energy/Aura Types, Strategies, and Authorities and how these aspects of our chart relate to each other.
If you are new around here and interested, here are related Human Design System articles currently available in the publication:
The Human Design System: I’m obsessed and I want you to be too
The Human Design System: The Body Graph and Key Elements
Now, let’s get started!
Table of Contents
ENERGY/AURA TYPE
The Manifestor (also known as The Initiators)
The Pure Generator + Manifesting Generator (also known as The Builders)
The Projector (also known as The Guides)
The Reflector (also known as The Discerners)
STRATEGY
Manifestor: Inform then Initiate
Generator: Wait to Respond
Manifesting Generator: Wait to Respond, then Envision, Inform, then Take Action
Projector: Wait for Recognition and the Invitation
Reflector: Wait a Lunar Cycle
AUTHORITY
INNER AUTHORITIES/CENTERED BASED
Emotional Authority
Sacral Authority
Splenic Authority
Ego Authority
Self-Authority
OUTER/PROCESSED BASED AUTHORITY
Mental (Environmental) Authority
Lunar Cycle Authority
FINAL NOTE RE: AUTHORITY
BRING IT ALL TOGETHER: An Exercise
EMOTIONAL THEMES
SIGNATURE: Sign You’re In Alignment with your True Nature
NOT-SELF: Sign that You’re Out of Alignment with your True Nature
THANK YOU
RESOURCES/REFERENCES
Screenshot of Bodygraph Chart Keynotes by Author
When you pull your chart, locate these four areas Type, Strategy, Authority, and Not-Self Theme, this is the information they reveal:
ENERGY/AURA TYPE
This is MACRO level. “Macro-level” refers to the overarching characteristics and traits that define each Type at a broader, more generalized level.
When discussing Human Design Types at the macro level, I am addressing the fundamental qualities, strategies, and approaches that characterize each Type in a general sense.
One of the popular and probably, easiest, ways to begin benefiting from the Human Design concepts is to figure out your Type and to follow the Strategy for that specific Type.
Your Human Design Type carries a specific vibration that calls into your life the exact kinds of experiences you need to have to engage with your abundance in a way that is joyful and sustainable.
The ENERGY/AURA TYPE advises you on how your aura or energetic body “works.” It determines the best way for you to navigate your life and get things done. It also reveals how others may feel or experience your energy/aura.
It will also provide a picture of your role in the grand scheme of things, as it relates to the collective. There are five types and you will be one of those five (here I combined the Pure Generator and Manifesting Generator):
The Manifestor (also known as The Initiators)
Manifestors have a focused and repelling aura. They are often characterized by their ability to initiate and impact the external environment. Their role in the collective is to initiate action from ideas and their inner creative flow.
NOTE: Manifestor’s independence and closed, repelling aura, which pushes energy outward, is often experienced (and misinterpreted) by others as the Manifestor’s need to take control or be in charge of the situation. People often feel ignored or run over by the “stubborn” Manifestors and tend, therefore, to fear them. Manifestor’s repelling aura causes other auras to contract, putting people in a defensive or protective mode.
Manifestors are a minority, making up around 8% of all people.
The Pure Generator + Manifesting Generator (also known as The Builders)
There are two types of Generators: Pure Generators and Manifesting Generators.
Generators have an open & enveloping aura. They are the only Types with defined Sacral Centers that allow them the gift to create the work of the world. They tend to have sustainable energy and are designed for interactive and engaging work. Their role in the collective is to do the work of the world and to find mastery in their work. They make up about 70% of people.
The Projector (also known as The Guides)
Projectors have a focused, penetrative, and absorbing aura. They have a knack for guiding and managing energy efficiently but may not have the same sustainable energy as Generators. Their role in the collective is to manage, guide, and direct others. They are our advisors.
Due to the makeup of their Aura, we’ll discuss this more in the specific Projector article, Projectors can see deeply into others, but they cannot always see themselves clearly. Projectors make up about 21% of people.
There are three categories of Projectors:
Mental Projectors: they are defined by any combination of defined Head, Ajna, and Throat Centers, but have no definition below the Throat. They have an open design and a deep reliance on their mind. Mental Projectors are the archetypes of outer Authority, which is to say one who provides valued information and guidance for others.
Energy Projectors: they have one or more motors, except the Sacral Center, defined in their design. This means they will have the Heart, Emotional Solar Plexus, and/or Root. They need to pay close attention to the guidance of their Authority, being extra vigilant for invitations from people who want access to their energy just to fill a vacant position to get a job done. Even though these Projectors are under pressure to discharge built-up energy from the motors defined, they must expend it either by doing something they enjoy or by doing what they have been recognized for and properly invited to do.
Class Projectors: Their definition lies below the Throat Center but never includes a defined motor center. They would have some combination of your Head, Ajna, Throat, Spleen, or G Center defined. Without motor definition in their design, they can test or taste the fuel from the motors of others, and discern which people are correct and which are not. This gives them the potential to be more objective and more selective about the invitations they accept.
The Reflector (also known as The Discerners)
Reflectors have an open, resistant, and sampling aura. Their role in the collective is to reflect the health and alignment of the people around them and they are influenced by the lunar cycle. Reflectors have all Centers undefined and their chart looks almost empty, however, they do have active gates.
Reflectors are fully open to the world and others. Due to them not having any defined Centers by Design, Reflectors take in the energy of everybody else, seeing the world through others’ eyes, sampling a frequency of energy, and reflecting it back to others. Reflectors are said to be like mirrors. They make up 1% of people.
In a perfect world, Manifestors get things started; Projectors guide the process; Generators provide the energy to realize or complete it; and reflectors tell them how well it is going.
PLEASE NOTE:
Describing Types at this macro level provides a foundational understanding, but it’s important to note that individuals within each Type can still have unique variations and expressions based on other factors in their Human Design chart. As you delve deeper into the system, you can explore nuances and individual variations that contribute to a more personalized picture and understanding.
STRATEGY
Each Type has a unique Strategy pairing. Your Strategy speaks to the most correct way for you to approach and navigate through life. It highlights the unique way of making effective decisions and taking action in the world. It provides key information about how to operate in the world, how to make the right choices for you, and how to recognize when you are on the correct path in life.
Following your Strategy offers you the opportunity to experience events and circumstances that are correct for you. Not following the Strategy for your Type may bring events and experiences into your life that may not be correct for you.
It can take time — months, or even years — to effectively practice following your Strategy; don’t let up, it’s worth it! =)
Each Type’s Strategy has a purpose, and its Strategy supports how their Aura works. This is why I believe it is extremely important for people to understand their Aura. I think when we understand that our Aura is communicating, and how it operates, it can help us better understand how we are perceived and why the interactions we have, go the way they tend to (whatever that means or looks like).
Manifestor: Inform then Initiate
Inform those who will be impacted by your actions.
Manifestors have a long-standing reputation for posing a threat to order and stability. The Manifestot’s gifts are their ability to act independently, to initiate action, and to impact others. Their design can rub people the wrong way, which is why their strategy to inform and then initiate, helps to alleviate that possible tension and help the Manifestor create flow. The Strategy’s main goal seems to help Manifestors avoid confrontation.
When a Manifestor comes to a decision and listens to their Authority, they begin the quantum creation sequence through visualizing. As they daydream, the vision becomes more and more solid.
Their job is then to begin initiating the vision into reality by informing the right people about their vision. As they inform, they start drawing in the knowledge, resources, connections, and circumstances they require to bring the vision to life.
As a Manifestor, it is correct for you to start things but not necessarily implement the details or finish the projects. You must learn to delegate and/or move on when it feels correct to do so.
Informing may not be comfortable or a natural inclination for our Independent Manifestors, however, it will help with your living and being in the flow.
NOTE:
Recall the Manifestor Aura — it is a focused and repelling aura. They have their eye on the prize. They know what they are aiming towards. And the minute someone gets in their way, that repelling Aura does its work of repelling (pushing outward), and it can be unpleasant for everyone involved.
Manifestors can feel inconvenienced, and/or bothered and feel anger (Not-Self Theme), this is why the Manifestor should inform those who may be impacted. This is not about asking for permission, this is informing them so that people don’t come interrupting or getting in the way because they don’t know what the Manifestor is doing.
This is about us living easeful lives. Lives in flow. And that includes keeping in mind that we are social creatures and we do impact one another. And at the same time, we are designed in a way to allow space for harmony, while being in our roles and purpose.
Manifestor, also — recognize the impact you have on people around you. If people feel like you are off-putting, that’s just your design, and you’re likely being misunderstood. You have a powerful aura (when I speak specifically about your type in more detail, I’ll share my experience with Manifestors), and that frightens some people.
Without informing you will get resistance every step of the way.
Generator: Wait to Respond
Respond, then Act
The Generator’s Strategy is to wait to respond. “Wait to respond” means that even if you have an incredibly inspiring insight, thought, or idea, you need to wait for confirmation in your outer world before you take action.
This Strategy is often confused with the Sacral Response itself (which is the authority). The Response Strategy refers to an external, environmental experience post-decision.
Generators are designed to build things when the time is right.
Confirmation in your outside world can be someone saying something to you, a sign from the Universe, or some kind of physical initiation that comes from outside your mind. Once you get the sign or something you know you should respond to, you can act on the inspirations that feel good and correct.
To find your path, Generator, you have to learn to use your energy correctly. For Generators, life is about response. Instead of chasing after a life you think you should live, you must be patient and allow an authentic life to appear. Your goal as a Generator is to discover, pursue, and dedicate your life to what YOU LOVE.
Generators play the part of patient seekers who become fully activated in their life purpose when they learn to respond to what the world brings them, instead of trying to figure out with their minds what they should be doing.
Manifesting Generator: Wait to Respond, then Envision, Inform, then Take Action
Since Manifesting Generators are a hybrid of Manifestor and Generator Types, their Strategy is a combination of the two as well.
Though a Mani-Gen should follow the same protocol of waiting to respond, they also need to continue to inform people supporting them.
This can feel like a chore to a Mani-Gens in action, but it will allow them to gain more clarity about what the next, most efficient step is and will prevent them from taking energy-wasting missteps.
Mani-Gens ( like Manifestors) have to inform those who will be affected by their actions (including family, team, staff, or peers) before following through.
To sum it up: The best Strategy for Mani-Gens is to first wait to follow their Sacral response (as they respond to whatever is coming towards them) before they take action.
Once a response has been made, the Manifesting Generator should stop and envision its next decision and the impact. They will do well if ideas are imagined first for a visualized outcome before actually doing them. When they decide on their actions, they should then inform those who will be affected by their actions.
Projector: Wait for Recognition and the Invitation
Projectors are DESIGNED TO BE SEEN. They are always being noticed, but they must question what is really getting the attention. Are they being recognized for their true gifts or not?
Projectors thrive when they wait for recognition and the invitation before sharing their insight. This waiting strategy is essential for Projectors as it helps them to utilize their energy in the most efficient way for them.
As a Projector, to be invited means that you are seen and recognized for your values. If you don’t wait for an invitation or the energy of invitation, you’ll meet resistance.
Projectors have an undefined Sacral Center, which means they do not have the same consistent energy for work as the Generator or Mani-Gen. By waiting for an invitation, they ensure their energy is used most effectively. It allows them to avoid potential burnout, disappointment, and bitterness that could occur when their guidance is not appreciated or respected.
Adopting this strategy requires patience and trust. It means believing that the right opportunities will come in time and that their value will be recognized.
As a Projector do not fear you will not be invited. Following your Strategy and waiting for the invitation changes the aura’s frequency. The more in tune a Projector is with their design, the more invitations they will get. This will in turn bring great success (signature theme).
In the meantime, while a Projector is waiting for recognition and the Invitation, it is recommended that we make ourselves available for as many aligned invitations as possible; we need to make ourselves visible.
The more visible and known a Projector is for what they do and how they do it, the more likely it is that they’ll be the one to receive an invitation — direct or otherwise. As Projectors, we are encouraged to use our waiting time wisely, by cultivating our knowledge, and skills, and nurturing our well-being. This way, when the correct invitation comes, we are ready to embrace it fully and guide others with our unique wisdom.
“STAY READY SO WE DON’T HAVE TO GET READY.”
An invitation in the context of Human Design doesn’t always mean a literal invitation. It could be an opening, a signal, or a feeling of being recognized, appreciated, or valued. This strategy doesn’t imply passivity or inaction, rather, it’s about engaging in ways that are healthy and empowering for the Projector’s energy.
NOTES:
While the natural role and instinct of the Projector is to manage, guide, and direct others, the Projector can only do so effectively when others want to be managed, guided, and directed.
Through our open centers, we take others in deeply. Our aura focuses on the very core of the others’ being, and we can clearly see who people are. But if we try to guide others without being invited to do so, we’ll be met with resistance or feel that no one sees us. Then– here comes the bitterness, often mixed with exhaustion.
The invitation is the key.
Just because you receive an invitation does not mean it is for you… allow your Authority to be a guide.
Use your energy wisely!
As an example: Projectors can see people deeply and therefore are wise about people and the wise about the best way for people to utilize their energy; they are also wise about other things.
But if a Projector attempts to Guide someone without that person’s invitation — say a Manifestor, who I consider to be very independent — — this can cause tension and create resistance between the two.
Now, if the Projector decides to wait for the Manifestor to ask for the Projector’s guidance and support — then it will likely be received with openness and both individuals will be in harmony.
In the latter situation, the Projector was recognized (the Manifestor saw them as having the information they were seeking) and they invited them, by asking for that guidance. That is what it can mean to be recognized and wait for the invitation.
Reflector: Wait a Lunar Cycle
Wait before making decisions, pay attention (wait for the lunar cycle appx. 28 days)
Reflectors please understand any kind of pressure you experience can be detrimental to your health. By taking the time to make important decisions and knowing that the time spent on considering your decisions is how your success is completed. You will realize how vital it is to keep from letting anyone pressure you.
As a Reflector, you are a lunar being, so your Strategy is to wait about 28 days before making any major decisions. During those 28 days, you should speak with different people about your decisions. This will allow you to see the different responses and possibilities to any situation.
As a Reflector, you need to have people in your life who will serve as your sounding board, not because you need advice, but because you need to hear yourself talk about what you are feeling about your choices.
NOTES:
With every Center in a Reflector’s BodyGraph being Undefined or Open, there’s a lot of opportunity for external pressure, ideas, ambitions, emotions, stresses, and instinctual responses — to be filtered through the Reflector’s aura.
For a Reflector to make aligned decisions, they should wait at least one full lunar cycle to meditate on the decision in a safe environment and discuss the decision with supportive people in their world.
As time goes on, a Reflector will become clear on whether something is correct for them or not.
Four of the most important decisions a Reflector will need to make correctly in life are: Where they live; Who they live with; Where they work; Who they work with
It is also helpful for Reflectors to monitor the daily transit of the planets and the impact this will have on them for that day. The daily transit chart shows the gate activations in all human beings for that day as a result of the current position of the planets. These activations (depending on the gates involved) can activate centers, form channels, or add additional active gates to an existing center.
Photo by AbsolutVision on Unsplash
Your Aura Type speaks to how your aura operates and communicates.
The way your Aura is designed supports the role you are here to live in this lifetime. Get to know your Aura, and understand how it works. And understand how it works with your Strategy. When I share about the individual Aura Types, I will address how their Aura supports their role and how/why the strategy is needed.
In the example with Projectors — due to how their Aura operates, their Strategy helps them to not overstep others’ boundaries, and this helps Projectors exist in harmony with the other Types.
Understanding the Manifestor’s Aura; their ability to initiate, and their need to inform people is great so as not to (1) trigger their not-self theme, and (2) create tension with those around them.
Imagine if we knew why others perceived us the way they do. If we understood how we impact others, energetically. How much this knowing might help us in our interpersonal experiences.
I’ve heard many Manifestors tell me they feel misunderstood, and I can see why. People don’t know how to take the initiator, our society expects people to play nice and follow what’s popular, which sometimes means not creating conflict by doing what you want. For the Manifestor, they need only inform, not ask permission. But their role is to get things started, their way.
AUTHORITY
Authority is about decision-making. It is how you can make decisions you can trust. It is your body’s knowing or intelligence. This will be determined by the Centers’ definition within your chart.
Your decision-making Authority is the way you’ll know if something is correct for you or not. It influences what you need and, in some cases, the timing to use your Strategy effectively to help you make decisions.
This is necessary for your Signature (energetic theme) and helps you stay engaged with life in a way that lights you up. With your Authority, you want to experiment to see how it works.
If you’ve ever been told to “listen to your gut,” this is similar to that.
INNER AUTHORITIES/CENTERED BASED
These authorities are connected to the Centers. It is the inner intelligence that enables us to know whether a decision is correct for us or not is called Inner Authority. It is as though each of our bodies possesses an inner compass or device that reveals whether something is a healthy and fulfilling use of our energy, or not. Our Inner Authority is a body-based knowing that precedes the cognition of the mind, and thus accessing it requires us to become more embodied and to listen better to our bodies.
EMOTIONAL AUTHORITY
Listen to your emotions when making decisions. If you have Emotional Authority, you are not designed to be spontaneous in your decision-making.
You need time to make decisions, and learning to wait for clarity is essential to help you not experience disappointment or regret. Emotional Authority can influence your Strategy, so be sure to check with your strategy and see how you feel over time.
When making a decision ask yourself how it would make you feel if you made that choice. Always wait until you are cool, calm, and collected before deciding anything important; this is similar to getting to a place of neutrality. Since you have a defined Solar Plexus, you can trust that any emotion you have is truly yours; you are not picking up other people’s feelings.
There are four different types of Emotional Waves. Look at your chart and see which channel is colored in:
6–59 = Subtle: Can be difficult to even notice you have this quality because your random emotional waves might be so subtle.
40–37 = Build up: Your emotional waves slowly build up and all of a sudden need to be released.
22–12 and/or 55–39 = Spontaneous: Out of the blue, you have a big emotion that needs releasing.
36–35 and/or 30–41 = Escalator: Your emotional wave slowly builds like an escalator and then drops out of nowhere.
***If the Emotional Solar Plexus is Defined, this Center overrides all other Centers and becomes the Authority
SACRAL AUTHORITY
This Authority is exclusive to Generator and Manifesting Generator Types. Sometimes also called “Gut Intuition.” With Sacral Authority, your gut response lets you know whether something is correct for you or not. The biggest challenge with Sacral Authority is learning to trust your instinctual response. Listen to your excitement level when making decisions. If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a no.
NOTES:
Do not ask yourself open-ended questions. For example, “What do I have a taste for?” Instead, always ask yes or no/this or that questions. Try this instead: “Would I like to eat Chinese food? Pizza?” Get specific so you can have something to visualize and respond to.
Learn to recognize the “gut feeling” with practice. Ask clear yes/no questions about things that have little to no consequence. For example, “Do I want yogurt for Breakfast?,””Do I want to go for a walk this morning?” — — Observe what happens when you follow the “yes” or if you choose to go against your body. The more you practice with things with little at stake, the more likely you’ll be able to trust it when the question is big and deeply important (for example, Do I want to leave my job?)
Sometimes the sacral gives you signs in your physical body. If you lean forward, smile, or physically perk up, it’s probably a yes. If you lean back, frown, cross your arms or legs, and shrink, it’s probably a no. These actions will happen subconsciously.
For the friends and loved ones, you can also observe those around you who have a Sacral Authority. Watch their body language when they try to make a decision. This will help you help them.
The Sacral is also known to have verbal cues associated with it: A Sacral ‘ah-huh,’ which is a Yes, carries enough energy to complete the task or honor the request. While an ‘uh-uh’ is a ‘no’ and warns against committing to it. This is a moment-by-moment guidance from within — that connects Generators directly to their truth, revealing who they are, and what they love and value. Note — your sacral may not ‘ah ha’ or ‘unh-uh.’ I’ve heard different experiences with what the Sacral may experience.
Check your motivation before saying “yes” or “no’ ‘ to something — because it’s important to know — are you people pleasing? Sacral Authority person would have an Undefined Emotional Center– so it is possible to have people-pleasing tendencies that confuse your connection to the Sacral Center.
**For anyone with a sacral authority (Generator Types) who ALSO has their Solar Plexus defined… always wait until you get to a neutral state with your emotions before making a decision.
SPLENIC AUTHORITY
Sometimes called “Instinctive Intuition”; this Authority is exclusive to the Manifestor and Projector Types. Splenic Authority means that you are designed to know at the moment what feels correct for you. Your Splenic response means that you can be spontaneous with your decisions. You don’t need time to process or to contemplate. Listen to that instant voice that speaks to you immediately in the moment.
This authority is described differently by different people– and similar to the Sacral experience, you get better at feeling your own specific Splenic sensations the more you practice listening to it. Generally, the Splenic response is experienced as a “subtle” “yes,” followed immediately by a rush of fear/adrenaline.
With this Authority, my experience has been that I receive guidance and then my mind might start doing the most, lol– which can lead to that fear/anxiousness. The fear response will illicit questions: How will I pay? Will they be mad if I say No?; All these possibilities.
NOTES:
You probably cannot explain or justify why you have this instinct… you just do.
It can express as intuitive hits, pings, messages, and downloads that just drop into your head out of nowhere.
Practice asking your spleen questions when making low-stake decisions. Then listen for the intuitive hit.
The more you practice, the stronger your instincts will become.
The more you ignore your instincts, the quieter they get (basically your level of awareness shifts).
If you think using logic or reasoning is better than listening to your instincts, you’ll continue to have trouble connecting to your spleen.
You do not need to explain your instinctual hits to anyone. Oftentimes you won’t be able to explain them.
Because this Center deals with instinct and the immune system, Splenic Authorities will have a better connection with their Authority if they keep their bodies physically healthy.
Remember not to look outside yourself for answers!
EGO AUTHORITY
Ego Authority is exclusive to the Manifestors and Projector Types. The Ego Authority lives in the Will Center, so people with this Authority need to follow their heart. This may be experienced by the sensation of an opening or “swelling” in the chest area.
Because the Will Center is about having sustainable energy and resources, or not, having Ego Authority means that you won’t decide to do something unless you have the necessary energy or resources.
This Authority is all about LISTENING TO YOUR HEART when making decisions.
NOTES:
Do not address what the decision will make you look like if it makes you popular, or if you “should” do it. Instead, ask if your soul is craving this.
The difference between listening to your heart and your sacral? The sacral is more about what excites you. It’s telling you to follow what lights you up. But the ego (or the heart) is telling you more about what you long for. What makes you feel more like you? It is deeper than just what excites you. The ego or the heart will show you what makes you feel powerful.
Follow what you want. It doesn’t matter if it’s selfish.
Develop a healthy self-worth to be comfortable saying ‘no’ to something. If you’re in a pattern of trying to prove your worth by pleasing others, you may find that you have to strengthen your sense of value before you can truly follow the Authority of your WIll Center.
The most important part of the Ego Authority is to unapologetically go after what you want with the best intentions.
Do not question why you want something. If you want it, there is a reason for you to have it. You might not ever know that reason though.
SELF-AUTHORITY
Self-authority is exclusive to Projector Types. Sometimes this is also called “Self-Projected”. The Self-Authority comes through the recognition of their internal compass, out of the Identity/G-Center. Someone with this Authority will get more and more clear on what’s right through a stream-of-consciousness dialogue with themselves (or AT another person) — before the Mind has a chance to step in and mess with clarity.
When you hear yourself talking, you can come to a conclusion or decision. If you are talking to another person in your process, you aren’t using them to make the decision or consider what they think. You are using them as a sounding board.
Only Projectors can have this authority. Projectors cannot always see themselves clearly, so speaking their thoughts out loud helps them get clarity.
If you don’t have anyone to talk to, try just talking to yourself. Or use a voice recording that you can listen back to.
Journaling may work.
Speaking out loud is important because of your tone of voice and its vibrations. Notice if you start revving up, raising your voice, whispering, or any other tone that would indicate how you really feel.
OUTER/PROCESSED BASED AUTHORITY
What we call Outer Authority in Human Design is the ability to provide your authentic perspective. This perspective is derived from your particular design, as an expression of your uniqueness.
MENTAL (ENVIRONMENTAL) AUTHORITY
Also known as No Inner Authority.
The Mental Authority is exclusive to Projectors and is extremely rare. The experience is inherently tied to feeling invited to do something, go somewhere, or be with someone.
Similar to the Self-Authority, the Mental Authority gains clarity through talking out the decision before the Mind can step in to confuse things. Use your observations to make decisions. This is all about your point of view and thoughts. You are the only type that can make rational, logical decisions.
NOTES:
Listen to what makes sense to you, and do that.
Watch out for the “should” or what society says is a ‘right’ choice.
You are here to share your very own unique opinions and viewpoints. Beware of what the world is telling you to think. Instead, formulate your own opinions based on what YOU think is correct.
All the energy centers on the bottom half of your chart are undefined… so you can pick up on everyone else’s motivations, emotions, fears, instincts, desires, and drive. It’s easy for you to get wrapped up in all this information coming from everyone else. When it’s time to make a decision, stop and take time to determine what YOU think. What is YOUR perspective on things?
Since you are so incredibly sensitive, use that as a skill to be able to pick up information. Then use your mind to sift through it all to come to your own conclusion. Be sure you aren’t blocking out your sensitivities. You might feel weak because you are so affected by other’s emotions, fears, and desires… but this is a gift for you! This is the information you need to feed your mind to come up with a decision.
LUNAR CYCLE AUTHORITY
Sometimes this is also called “Outer Authority.” The Lunar Authority is exclusive to the Reflector Type.
The Reflector’s Strategy is to connect to the lunar cycle, the Moon’s approximately 28-day cycle around the Mandala, which encompasses all 64 gates in the wheel. This reliable and repeating pattern provides Reflectors with a sense of consistency comparable to having a fixed definition.
Reflectors need to be initiated for the big decisions in life. Their lunar cycle (decision-making process) begins when an important offer has been made or an invitation extended to them by others. They cannot initiate themselves. For Reflectors to make their wisest decisions, they should contemplate the decision over a full lunar cycle.
During this time, they will want to talk with others, not to seek advice but to articulate their own thoughts and hear their own potential truth.
The Lunar Authority’s process lies heavily in their environment. The more comfortable, safe, and supported Reflectors feel where they are, the more energy they’ll have to give to the decision itself.
Always wait a full moon cycle, or 28 days to make important decisions.
As Reflectors process toward clarity through their lunar cycle, their Reflector’s perceptions will change.
It’s normal for you to feel differently about a decision at different times of day, or in different situations.
This does not apply to small decisions (what to wear, what to eat for breakfast, etc…)
You are incredibly sensitive to so much information (all your energy centers are white), so you must get quiet, listen, and pay attention to what messages are coming to you over many days or weeks.
Do not allow those outside of you to rush you to a decision. Train the people around you that you’ll need time to make choices and decisions — it may take weeks; whatever the process is… allow it! There may be times that this process feels socially awkward outside the norm, or even inconvenient, but keep in mind, this is about honoring your needs and well-being.
FINAL NOTE RE: AUTHORITY
I always recommend that people practice with their Authority to see how it expresses for them. I have a Splenic Authority and because I have always trusted my intuition in a sense, I knew how to listen to it. I hear people talk about their Splenic experience and it varies.
So please don’t doubt your experience based on someone else’s. Get to know what that experience is like for you. We may be describing similar experiences using different words.
NOTE:
Additionally, I am sharing information from my studies and observations.
Outside of Projector-related things and the Splenic Authority, I have no direct personal knowledge of living as the other Types or the other Authorities. Though I have some very amazing openings in my chart, so I do get to experience many things, they are not consistent.
With that said, please know that I would love to hear your feedback and experience as it relates to your Design.
Together, your Strategy and Authority act as the key to you living an aligned and authentic life. If you’re making decisions utilizing your Strategy and Authority, then for most of us… you are not making decisions with your mind.
The way to bring this all together is: you are advised on how the world receives your aura (Type), and you are then guided on how to approach and navigate life with this knowing (Strategy), whether that means to Respond, Initiate, or Inform, and then, you determine if that thing, invitation, or experience is correct for YOU (through Decision Making Authority)!
Following your Strategy makes your entire life experience easier, in flow, and more enjoyable.
BRING IT ALL TOGETHER
Here is an exercise to bring it all together. To begin telling the Story of YOU!
Fill in the blanks with personalized insights and reflections on how your unique combination of Type, Aura, Strategy, and Authority works together for your big-picture success.
You can use this template as a starting point and personalize it based on your own experiences and insights.
As a [Type], my aura is designed to [Aura Description], creating an energetic presence that naturally influences my interactions. My strategy is to [Strategy], which means ____________. To align with this strategy, I need to listen to my [Authority], which guides me by ____________. When I honor my Type, embrace the unique feel of my aura, follow my strategy, and trust my authority, it all comes together to support me in ____________ and contribute to my overall well-being.
EXAMPLE FOR MY DESIGN:
As a Splenic Projector, my aura is designed to be focused, penetrative, and absorbing, influencing interactions with an acute awareness. I am insightful, intuitive, wise with wisdom, resourceful, and sensitive which offers an opportunity for compassion, empathy, and the ability to connect with others. My strategy is to wait for recognition and invitation, which means I thrive when I’m acknowledged for my unique insights and invited to contribute. To align with this strategy, I need to listen to my Splenic Authority, which guides me by providing a quiet, intuitive knowing of the moment. When I honor my Splenic Projector Type, embrace the sensitivity of my aura, patiently wait for recognition, and trust my in-the-moment intuition, it all comes together to support me in offering valuable guidance where it’s invited and contributes to my overall well-being, and being in Purpose.
Photo by Guille Álvarez on Unsplash
EMOTIONAL THEMES
Our design has a built-in energy barometer that lets us know if we are in alignment with our true nature or not. Each Human Design Type has an emotional theme.
I consider these signposts. When we are operating in alignment with our Truth/Design, we’ll experience an energetic feeling that is described as our Signature.
Each type has its own signature and not-self theme that will guide them towards their highest potential.
Our signature is the signal that we are in alignment, it’s the universe’s way of nudging us and saying ‘more of this.’ The opposite of our signature is our Not-Self theme.
When You live your life according to your Human Design Strategy, you lessen the intensity of your experience a/k/a the possibility of you experiencing the Not-Self Theme.
Energetic Themes that can help you get in the flow, remain in flow, or course correct when you get out of the flow
SIGNATURE: Sign You’re In Alignment with your True Nature
How you know you are on your path.
Manifestor: Peace
Generator: Satisfaction
Manifesting Generator: Peace and Satisfaction
Projector: Success
Reflector: Surprise
Example: Generators are meant to experience and feel Satisfaction. So feeling satisfaction (and you can decide what that means or feels like) is an indicator that they have responded to something that Lights them up, or that they are feeling aligned with.
NOT-SELF: Sign that You’re Out of Alignment with your True Nature
Your body’s way of telling you that something is out of alignment and requires your attention.
Manifestor: Anger
Generator: Frustration
Manifesting Generator: Frustration and Anger
Projector: Bitterness
Reflector: Disappointment
Example: If a Manifesting Generator isn’t working on something they love, burnout occurs; if satisfaction isn’t found, frustration and unhappiness take hold. In contrast, when they realize their true work the Sacral Center provides them with a virtually inexhaustible spirit of energy, and peace and satisfaction become the vibe.
***Again, this is one of those areas I say that it’s important to bring awareness to and understand how it shows up for you. Though these are general terms, others may describe them differently, since they are emotional– and therefore, sensations.
As a Projector my Not-Self experience has been ‘bitterness,’ but I wouldn’t describe it as that. It’s been a while since I felt it, but it’s usually exhaustion… drained… overwhelmed, or even frustrated.
Photo by Pete Pedroza on Unsplash
Well, this was fun. I hope that this has helped to support you in your experiment and on your life path.
To quiet all the other noise and focus on the bigger picture, I would start here: Type, Strategy, and Authority; and keep watch for the Emotional Themes.
Once you begin experimenting you can then move on to the nuances, and details of your human design chart. These four areas will open up so much space for you to allow your true essence to unapologetically express itself.
May you enjoy your journey with Human Design and HAVE FUN!
I’ll be back around with some more information and/or resources soon.
In the meantime, what is your Aura Type and Authority? And do you resonate with anything that is written here?
I love you, and I am grateful to share this space with you.
Resources/References:
Bunnel, L. & Ra Uru Hu. 2011. The Definitive Book of Human Design: The Science of Differentiation. HDC Publishing
The Journal of Human Design: Bringing Your Human Design to Life by Rana Abaki
The Human Design Workbook by Karen Curry Parker
Making Decisions by Your Design (PDF) from Madelineeverygreen.com
Inner & Outer Authority Article from Jovian Archive.com