What is Human Design?

Human Design is a self-knowledge system that combines the I Ching, the Kaballah, The Chakra system, Astrology and Quantum Physics to create a chart that shows each of us have a unique energetic design with a specific purpose to fulfil.

Want to know more about the Origins of Human Design? Click here to read my blog explaining each system above and how they link to Human Design. 

At its core, Human Design is the Science of Differentiation. It shows that each of us are truly different and unique – our task is to align to this uniqueness rather than be drawn into collective ‘sameness’ where we wish to be like everyone else.

In doing this, we connect with an internal power that guides us to the correct opportunities and situations in life. Human Design offers you your unique strategy to follow in order to meet life with less resistance. When you move against this strategy, you’ll find more resistance in your life – more events you don’t want to happen, less satisfaction and less success. Learning how to follow your unique Design allows life to flow freely, with ease and with purpose. 

Human Design invites you to participate in an experiment of re-discovering who you truly are without the external conditioning from others. It invites you to live life as your true self.

The Human Design system mechanically divides humanity into 4 design types:

Generators (approx. 36% of the population) and Manifesting Generators (approx. 30% of the population)

Projectors (approx. 22% of the population).

Manifestors (approx. 9% of the population)

Reflectors (approx. 1% of the population)

How do I find out what Human Design type I am?

To find out your Human Design you will need your:

• Birth date
• Exact birth time
• Birth location (to confirm time zone)

Your exact time of birth is important because even a few minutes can change your chart information. If you don’t have your time of birth, check your birth certificate, ask a parent or family member or check a baby book when this information is sometimes noted down.

Not all birth certificates have time of birth on them, and if that’s you, trying to narrow down a range of hours you think you were born in is a good starting point.

Not sure on your exact birth time?

If you still can’t find your time of birth, and have a time range of a few hours that you think you were born (i.e. afternoon between 1pm and 5pm), you can try to use a birth time rectification calculator. After inputting your time range you’ll be taken through multiple questions to help narrow down your exact time of birth based on astrological traits and past experiences.

The calculator will only give you a result if it believes it’s matched enough of your answers (over 70%) to confirm a likely time of birth.

If all else fails, you can input your time of birth into a Human Design calculator, note down the details and then change the time by 1 hour, note down the details again etc. and carry on until you have a map of what is definitely correct (doesn’t change throughout the day) and what does change you will have to disregard. 

I’ve recorded a video here showing you how to do this, and also a link to an astro rectification calculator to try: https://humandesign.myflodesk.com/epzo0uyljf

Traditional Charts vs Modern Charts

Once you’ve got your date, location and time of birth, make sure you get your chart from a reputable website. There are lots of websites out there that will give you a fancy and aesthetically pleasing looking chart in pink and blue pastel colours or their brand colours.

However, if you are serious about learning to read and understand your Human Design, I would highly recommend the traditionally coloured chart that will contain all the information you need and will be much easier to read! 

In the traditional chart view, colours will be red and black either side of the chart, and the centres will be a mix of green, brown, yellow and red – examples shown in the images below.

  Traditional Software Chart                           Modern Software Chart

You can get a traditional Human Design chart from my website

Your Human Design Chart

Once you input your details you will receive your Human Design Chart. It will likely be presented in two forms. The ‘Bodygraph’ which is an image of the 9 energy centres connected by lines (known as channels) and the ‘Rave Mandala’ which is an image of the BodyGraph inside a wheel showing planetary placements as well as the I-Ching hexagrams.

Your chart gives you information on your genetic imprint and activations, based on your birth time. Where you are imprinted (coloured in) is who you really are. Where you are open (white) is who you are not – but likely are drawn towards. This is because genetically we are designed to seek what we are not, on a scientific level this is a pre-programmed desire for Human beings in order to expand the gene pool. What this results in, is that we are attracted to what we are not, or do not have, and therefore we are drawn into living a life disconnected from our true self if we aren’t aware of this. We spend our life ‘seeking’ what we don’t have rather than being present with who we really are. Human Design is reminding you who you really are by showing you the real you.

Both versions of charts show the key data presented in different ways. However, I highly recommend using the ‘Body Graph’ version when learning about your chart.

Next to (or underneath) your Human Design Chart you’ll see a column that shares written information about your chart such as Type, Strategy, Authority Profile etc.

This is where you will find your Human Design ‘Type’. 

It will either be: 

• Generator
• Manifesting Generator
• Projector
• Manifestor
• Reflector 

Your Human Design Type

What defines your ‘Type’ in Human Design is the combination of coloured in and white centres in your Body Graph chart. 

For example, if you have the ‘Sacral’ centre coloured in (the red square) you will always be either a Manifesting Generator or a Generator. Or, if you have no centres coloured in (all centres are white) you will always be a Reflector. 

Understanding your Type in Human Design is your first step to uncovering how you are designed to live, work and thrive. 

For example, in a general sense: 

• The Generator is here to build 
• The Manifesting Generator is here to build also, but can build multiple things at once
• The Projector is here to Guide
• The Manifestor is here to Inform 
• The Reflector is here to mirror back the health of the other and our environment

Because the Types have such different roles, the planet needs different volumes of each to evolve and grow. This split is approximately:: 

9% of the population are designed to inform what’s to be built (Manifestors)

68% of the world are designed to build (Generators and Manifesting Generators)

22% of the world are designed to guide the building (Projectors) 

1% of the population are designed to reflect the health of the environment back (Reflectors)

These percentages can fluctuate over generations as the planet needs more builders (Generators) during a certain era, or more individuals to guide (Projectors) at a pivotal shifting point, but the figures currently remain relatively stable.

Manifestors

The Initiator

As a Manifestor you are here to initiate action. You have an undefined sacral, but are still considered to be an ‘energy type’ in Human Design. What you have is a deep desire to have an impact on the world, and the gift of being successful in stepping out and declaring to others your ideas and projects. Your energy moves in pulses, some weeks you do a lot, some weeks very little. That is your design.

Strategy: to inform others of what you plan to do before you do it in order to avoid conflict. Informing is not to be confused with asking permission. You are the only ‘Type’ who is here to take action immediately if you feel called to, without having to wait for something.

Aura: Closed and Repelling. Unlike the Generator Aura (open & enveloping), or the Projector Aura (penetrating and focused), the Manifestor can often feel it a struggle to interact to be seen deeply by others as the Aura builds a wall between the Manifestor and others. This can be particularly noticeable as a Manifestor child. In a general sense, the closed Aura helps protect you from what’s not for you.
Signature theme: Peace. Your peacefulness arrives out of informing (your strategy) as informing others clears the path, moving any resistance from outside forces. Informing others of your plans and communicating them clearly really is your path to freedom and peace.

Generators and Manifesting Generators

The Builder and Multi-Builder

You are here to respond to what lights you up in life. You are the type that is most required (in volume) on the earth, with nearly 70% of the population being a Generator or Manifesting Generator. Generators have built the Human civilisation for generations, and without you ideas and dreams would not come into physical fruition. You are here to create and build and have the energy to do so.

Strategy: To respond. The core message of this strategy is to learn to wait until something comes into your field that you are excited to participate in, and resist the temptation to initiate something from its inception – as initiating is the Manifestor Type’s role. You have access to a powerful sacral energy source to build anything you want. It’s your job to make sure you direct that energy towards something that excites you.

Aura: Open and enveloping. This Aura surrounds your body and welcomes everyone in with a big energetic hug. Others are attracted to your feeling of openness. The reason your aura is designed like this is to allow you to get a feel of everything around you before responding to what lights you up the most (which is your strategy). More on that below.

Signature theme: Satisfaction. As a Manifesting Generator your Signature feeling is Satisfaction. Feeling Satisfied is feedback to you that you are on the right path. You have hooked your energy into creating and building something that is in alignment with your true purpose.

Manifesting Generators

The Multi-Builder

If you are a Manifesting Generator, read above in the Generator heading.

There is often discussion and debate over the Manifesting Generator being a combination of Generator and Manifestor traits, but this isn’t the case.

In the original teachings of Human Design, Manifesting Generators fall under the ‘Generator’ Type heading and have the same strategy, Aura, Signature and Not-Self as the Generator. There are slight differences due to the connection to the throat, and the manifesting generator’s ability to remove themselves from a project or task more easily than the Generator, but the core teachings for Manifesting Generator are the same as the Generator.

Projectors

The Guide

As a Projector you are here to guide others. You are a non-energy type. This means you often do not have access to consistent energy to ‘work’ in the traditional 9-5 sense. You are here to be a leader, to guide others into the new paradigm, into a new way of living. Projectors are the newest of the ‘types’ in Human Design, only starting to appear from the year 1781 after the discovery of Uranus. They now make up around 20% of the population.

Strategy: To wait for the invitation. Projector’s are here to be recognised for their gifts and talents, before sharing them. As a non-energy type, a Projector can easily burn out by offering their expertise over and over without invitation. Ensure you are recognised for your talents before offering them to avoid burning out and try not to offer unsolicited advice without being invited first. You deeply want to guide others, but they must recognise your gifts first.

Aura: Penetrating and focussed. A Projector can see directly into the other, and this is the key that allows them to guide others in such a successful way. Their Aura is like a laser beam of energy coming from the centre of their body directly into the other. Because this Aura is so direct and outwardly focused, Projectors can often struggle to see and recognise their own talents and gifts and seeking guidance from others can help them uncover these.
Signature theme: Success. Feeling successful is a key indicator you are on the right path, no matter how that success may look to others . Your feeling of success comes from being seen and recognised for your gifts and the unique perspective you have to share.Reflectors

Reflectors

The Mirror

The rarest Type in Human Design, making up only 1% of the population. The Reflector Type is assigned to you due to the openness in your chart. You’ll notice every energy centres is undefined (white in colour) and these undefined centres act as receptors to take in the environment around you. This means you can be very sensitive to energy. Your talent is being able to reflect the energy of the environment back to others, to help guide improvement and change.

Strategy: To wait a Lunar cycle. As the planets transition throughout the solar system over the course of the month they active various gates in your Human Design chart. Waiting a lunar month allows you to sample the energy of each of these transitions and get clear before taking action. Look up ‘Human Design Transits’ or ‘Just Now Chart’ to find where the transits are at the moment.

Aura: Sampling & resistant. The Reflector’s Aura keeps a small amount of resistance between itself and the other. This is to protect its sensitivity to the external environment. It takes in and samples energy in order to not feel overwhelmed by its environment. To others this may appear that the reflector is closed off or timid. In fact, their Aura is this way for their own energetic protection.
Signature theme: Surprise. The Reflectors feeling of Surprise comes from being in the moment and taking in the environment around you without processing it through the mind. Being open to the energy moving through your open centres throughout the lunar cycle will leave you surprised and in awe of the beauty of the world and how life unfolds.

Next step: Understanding your Authority

Once you’ve found and understood your Human Design Type, you can dive into your Authority. I have a blog post about Human Design Authorities here!