Why am I here?  What am I doing? What do I really want out of life? How do I function in a world that seems to have increasingly lost its direction and as a consequence leaves me feeling disoriented? How we are meant to live our lives and find our purpose are questions we seek to answer.

Crazy, chaotic, hectic, busy are ubiquitous ways to describe where we find ourselves today. What we need is a roadmap, a blueprint, an operating system to help guide us. It needs to be the truth, it needs to be foundational, and it needs to reflect our authentic selves.

For those of you who haven’t heard of Human Design it is a tool that allows us to align with our unique energy, to make decisions that bring ease and flow to our lives, to recognize when we are off track and on track with our decisions and choices, to understand our innate gifts and strengths so we can lean into our super powers, and so much more.

What Is Human Design

Human Design is the science of differentiation. What this means is Human Design is a way for us to discern what is truly us and what isn’t.

We are all subject to conditioning. It begins in childhood when our need for attachment (love, self-worth, food, shelter) pulls us away from our authentic selves. Survival depends on fitting in and conforming. For most people, how they view themselves and their behaviors are a reflection of the world around them and not of who they are deep down inside.

Human Design uses your birthday, birth time, and birth location to create a body graph that is uniquely yours. It is made up of 9 energy centers, 64 gates, and a varying number of channels.

Energy Centers

Energy centers govern different aspects of our lives from communication to emotions to intuition, etc. The 9 centers are Head, Mind, Throat, Identity, Ego, Emotions, Sacral, Spleen, and Root.

Energy centers can be defined or undefined/open. Centers that are defined (colored in on your body graph) are energies that are reliable, consistent, and recognizable in your design. Undefined/open centers (white on your body graph) are energies where you are most vulnerable to outside influences, making them valuable learning centers. They also can be your greatest source of wisdom.

Type

In Human Design there are 5 energy types which are determined by which centers are defined, which are undefined or open, and how these centers are connected or not connected. The 5 energy types are Generators, Manifesting Generators, Projector, Manifestors, and Reflectors. Type shows us how we can use our energy in the most aligned way in work, relationships, family, friendships, etc.

Generators

Generators are the doers of Human Design. With their Sacral center always being defined they can count on this energy to go-go-go. They find deep satisfaction in mastering tasks and skills that truly light them up. When they make decisions to undertake life (work, relationships, etc) from their Authority, they will have boundless energy to accomplish their goals. When they commit to things that aren’t in alignment with their design they will experience frustration. This is called the Not-Self. For Generators it’s important to discern what is truly for what they truly have the energy for and what is a projection of someone else’s enthusiasm or expectations of them. Their greatest impact is when they prioritize their excitement.

• Generators make up 36% of the population.
• Some famous Generators are Beyoncé, Oprah, Lady Gaga, Madame Curie, the Dalai Lama, Robin Williams, Truman Capote, and Albert Einstein.

Manifesting Generators

Manifesting Generators are in many ways similar to Generators with their abundance of energy. The biggest difference is their need to be multi-passionate. Manifesting Generators are meant to be lit up about many different ideas, careers, pursuits, etc. They have a trailblazing kind of energy that allows them to be inspired by a new endeavor and bring it to fruition quickly. Like Generators, they need to be discerning about what they say yes to. They will know they are in alignment with their Human Design when they feel a sense of freedom and satisfaction.

• Manifesting Generators make up 32% of the population.
• Some famous Manifesting Generators are Elon Musk, Rihanna, Martin Luther King Jr, Vincent Van Gogh, Donald Trump, Brené Brown, Bruce Lee, Elton John, and Mother Teresa.

Manifestors

Manifestors are the trailblazers of Human Design and can often see the future before others do. They are here to initiate new ideas and concepts but not necessarily to bring things to a fruition. They thrive when not being told what to do or how to do it. Manifestors have an energy that works in creative bursts and they need to honor these ebbs and flows; resting when the energy is not there to create. It is in these periods of rest that new inspiration and creativity typically happens. A sense of peace is the way Manifestors know they are living in alignment with their design. When not aligned they tend to feel anger.

• Manifestors make up 9% of the population.
• Some famous Manifestors are Ra Uru Hu (the founder of Human Design), Maya Angelou, Gloria Steinem, George W. Bush, Jesse Jackson, and Tom Cruise.

Projectors

Projectors are here to be our guides, advisors, and teachers. They have the ability to see how things work and how they can be improved. It is this desire to improve things that makes them masters of their craft. Like Manifestors, their energy ebbs and flows and it is important for them to honor this on/off energy by resting, even if that means taking a nap during the day! They are not meant to go-go-go! Because they have the ability to go deep in their knowledge and understanding it is important that they wait to be invited in by others before sharing this knowledge otherwise the wisdom they share will fall on deaf ears and can even lead to feelings of bitterness or rejection.

• Projectors make up 22% of the population.
• Some famous Projectors are Princess Diana, Ariana Grande, Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela, Brad Pitt, Marilyn Monroe, Pablo Picasso, Steven Spielberg, Queen Elizabeth II, and JFK.

Reflectors

Reflectors are the “mirrors” of Human Design. With all 9 energy centers undefined/open they can act as any type, moving between being a Generator, a Projector, a Manifestor or a Manifesting Generator. Because of this they are extremely sensitive to the energy of their surroundings (environment and people). Reflectors have the ability to see things from a bird’s eye view and know what needs to be corrected or improved upon. This makes them great facilitators and evaluators. Reflectors experience alignment with their design when they feel delighted and surprised. When not in alignment they experience disappointment.

• Reflectors are the rarest type and make up only 1% of the population.
• Some famous Reflectors are Rosalyn Carter, Dick Smothers, Sandra Bullock, HG Wells, and Richard Burton.

Authority

The energy centers also determine your Authority; how you are best designed to make decisions. For example, if your Emotions center is defined you have what in Human Design lingo is called “Wait For Clarity” authority. You are best to not make decisions in the moment but to “sleep on it” and let any emotional knee-jerk reaction pass. Patient is key for those with Emotional Authority.

Another example of Authority is “Trust Your Gut”. This is when the Sacral center is defined and the Emotions is undefined. With this type of Authority listening to your gut is the most aligned way to make decisions. You can trust that when you get a deep felt (literally gut!) “oh yes” response to a commitment of your energy to either an activity or relationship that it’s right for you.

Gates

There are 64 gates in the Human Design body graph divided up between the 9 energy centers. Each of us has 26 gates activated in our design. When activated a gate gives you specific abilities and strengths; sometimes referred to as “gifts”. Whether you are conscious of these gifts or not, they are a part of you. When you know and understand your gates you can begin to see where your gifts have either been hidden, denied, or on full display.

Example of Gates

Gate 17 – Solutions
Those with this gate have a gift for looking for the patterns in things and coming up with logical solutions. They form their opinions based on facts. Not having the details to back up their opinions leads to a fear of being challenged. When they do have their ducks in a row they can be a calming force to a world fearful of the future.

Gate 62 – Precision
Those with this gate have a gift for detail and a desire to know the facts. They are organized and clear communicators especially when it comes to complex concepts or visual patterns.

Channels

There are 36 channels in the Human Design body graph. A channel is formed when the energy of two activated gates connects. This activated energy gives innate strengths and abilities you can rely on without exception. Like gates, once you know and understand your channels you can lean into their gifts. Except for Reflectors who do not have any channels in their design, all the other types will have at least one channel, with some having as many 4 to 5.

Example of a Channel based on the Gates described above

Channel 17-62 Organization
People with this channel are natural organizers of people, teams, communities, projects, etc. They dive deep into facts and details to back up their opinions and solutions and have a gift for communicating their findings in a clear way, either visually or audibly. They may face a challenge when they share their findings or solutions with those who are either not ready to hear it or did not ask for it.

Profile

Your Profile in Human Design is made up of 2 numbers (eg. 1/4, 3/6, 6/2). Profile is a way to understand how you are designed to learn and the path you are meant to walk to fulfill your purpose.  As with all of Human Design there are layers of nuance that take time to learn and assimilate but on the highest level the profile lines can be described as follows:

Line 1 – you have a thirst for investigation and knowledge with a love of going deep on the details and knowing things from the foundation up.

Line 2 – things come naturally to you; so much so that it is only by others remarking on how gifted you are that you recognize them in yourself.

Line 3 – you learn best by trial and error and at times it can be messy and wide of the mark; it is the gift of discovering what doesn’t work!

Line 4 – your community (big or small) is important to you; you are here to be influential and have a gift for networking.

Line 5 – your presence makes a big impact and you are often looked upon to innovate and lead.

Line 6 – you have a natural wisdom that shows up differently depending on where you are in your life (0-30 yrs, 31 – 50 yrs, 51+ yrs); because you have the ability to see possibility in others you are often looked upon as a role model.

Human Design is actionable. It grounds you and is a permission slip to be who you truly are meant to be.

If you’re curious about your Human Design and how you can use it to find more flow in your work, your relationships, and your life, I’d love to connect with you here!