What is human design? (4 ways I’ve used it in my real life)
Some things you encounter in life will literally change the trajectory of it.
For better or for worse.
Human design is one of those things that has changed my life, the way I see the world, and how I interact with people.
How do I use it?
For self exploration + awareness, it is one of my favorite tools.
One MAJOR reminder human design has given me is the fact that we are ALL unique individuals (and that's a gift).
And I’m not even talking about the seemingly surface level things like:
The way you look
Your cultural background
Your race
Personal preferences
and things like that
I mean the essence of WHO YOU ARE is unique, even magical.
When I first heard the term “human design” I was instantly intrigued. But when I started Googling, I felt completely overwhelmed. So much so that I did not return to really study it for another few YEARS.
Because of that experience, this is why I love sharing human design in a way that is simple and applicable (although the topic can be complex, scientific, and esoteric).
Here’s my simple definition of human design
Human design is a system founded by a man who went by the name Ra Uru Hu in 1987. Although it’s a new-ish system, it's a melding of ancient and modern sciences. Human design meshes astrology, the chakra system, kabbalah, the I’ching, and quantum physics.
So what can you learn about yourself using human design?
It’s truly a tool for self development and growth. When you pull your chart, you’re looking at a blueprint that’s showing you:
How your unique energy flows
How your energy shows up in the world
What gifts + wisdom you're here to share with the collective
How you’re designed to make decisions
What strategy you can use to meet less resistance from others
And who you are at your most authentic level beyond any societal conditioning
I want to share 4 ways human design has personally impacted my life
Learning about the power of my emotions. In human design, your authority is what helps you make aligned decisions. Growing up, I was always told I was too sensitive and I felt like there was something wrong with me because my emotions were so powerful. Now I have the ability to see my emotions as a gift and I’ve learned how to work with them, instead of against them.
I have greater acceptance of myself and others, which ultimately improves my relationships. I’m able to be more objective about my strengths and how I may be challenged. I also recognize how other people are different than me and it changes my expectations. Instead of expecting someone to think and behave like me, have similar levels of energy as me, or handle their emotions like me, I accept people for who they are and experience less frustration. I'm more compassionate and less judgemental.
I’ve stopped trying to keep up with other people’s energy levels. As a Manifestor, my energy levels are different than say a Manifesting Generator (which a lot of my family and friends are). Keeping up with them or coworkers who may be Generator types can lead to overwhelm and burnout for someone like me. Now I understand this and I prioritize self care practices that are supportive for me.
And the biggest realization recently has been using my understanding of human design to support me with grief. In November, when I lost my Mother to cancer, I had to deal with emotions in a new way than I had in the past. People around me wanted to support me in the best way they knew how. However, sometimes that felt counterintuitive to the way I needed to process. I'm a 2/4 Emotional Manifestor who thrives with alone time to process thoughts, emotions, etc. So being surrounded by people at all times didn’t leave room for what I needed most during the most difficult time of my life. Understanding my human design helped take away some of the guilt when I intentionally created space for myself and set boundaries.
If you’re curious about your human design chart, here’s how you get it:
First you’ll want to get your birth date, birth time, and birth location. Why? Because as you may be familiar with astrology, the planets (each with their own energetic theme) were in a certain place in the sky when you were born and this impacts how your energy is expressed. Those themes are illustrated through you in a unique way. That’s why it’s important to use the correct birth details when pulling your human design chart.
There are a few websites I’d recommend for pulling your chart if you haven’t already done so.
https://www.geneticmatrix.com/
Now, don’t be alarmed when you pull your chart and see a bunch of shapes, lines, and colors that seem to make no sense! It’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed at first, I know I did!
There is a lot to explore in human design, but the 3 keys to it that you can experiment with right now are:
Type - How your energy operates
Authority - The energy center that helps you make the correct decisions for your life experiences
Strategy-The way you’re designed to interact with the world to meet the least amount of resistance
There are many layers to human design. But at the broadest level, you have 5 types (well, technically 4 because 1 is a hybrid):
Generators - 35% of population
Manifesting Generators - 35% of population (the hybrid type)
Manifestors - 9% of population
Projectors - 21% of population
Reflectors - 1% of population
Generators + Manifesting Generators
The Generators and Manifesting Generators, which combined make up the bulk of the population are the builders. That is because their defined sacral centers give them the physical energy and stamina necessary to see things through, particularly when it’s something they love! The way our world operates today is based on how the energy of the Generators works. Note: the Manifesting Generators are a hybrid type. They are actually a hybrid of the Generators and the Manifestors, sharing qualities with both.
Manifestors
Next, we have the Manifestors (that’s me!). The Manifestors are the initiators of the world, but we don’t always have the physical energy to see things through like the Generators and Manifesting Generators. Manifestors are here to bring forth the vision and get the ball rolling.
Projectors
Projectors are the guides of the world. They’re great at seeing the bird's eye view and guiding the rest of the types in the most efficient way to do things. However, the guides are not meant to be in the trenches doing the work from start to finish either.
Reflectors
Reflectors are the mirrors, meaning they take in the energy around them in a sampling manner and reflect it back out. So their environment is key. If they’re in a tense or chaotic environment, they’ll amplify that energy. Same goes if they’re in a cheerful environment. So in essence, the Reflectors have a way of showing us what’s going on, what’s working, and what’s not working.
As I mentioned, there are many layers to your human design outside of type. But type is where I’d recommend starting with your exploration. Each type also has an associated strategy, which again is how you’ll want to interact with others to usher in the most easeful experiences.
Here are the strategies by type:
Generator - Respond
Manifesting Generator - Inform + Respond
Manifestor - Initiate + Inform
Projector - Wait for the invitation
Reflector - Wait a lunar cycle
I’m going to create more content around strategy to go in depth about what they mean and how it may look in real life. And for authority, which supports you in making aligned decisions, I created a post that breaks it down for you. Click here
What I love most about human design is how it focuses on the ways we are all unique and how those differences can work together to complement the whole. Although the system shares amazing information about us, I do not believe it needs to be another label that you live by. Human design is meant to be an experiment. So you learn, try things out, and see what feels good and what works for you. It’s not meant to be another thing in life that limits us. When I work with clients, I use it as a system that highlights the MAGIC within you. If you’d like to learn more, I have resources to support you:
Resources
If you’re ready to learn more about your own human design ➮ Illuminate the Muse Human Design Reading
If you want a FREE guide to explore your gifts based on your human design ➮ A Guide to Remembrance: Awaken Your 4 Unique Superpowers For Authentic Expression, Fulfillment + Purpose
Note: this post contains affiliate links.