Key Components of Human Design

At first glance, the Human Design Body graph might seem intricate, with its many interconnected elements creating a rich and detailed energetic blueprint. To make it more approachable, we’ve simplified the key components for easy understanding. Feel free to explore the tabs below to learn about the energy centres, the channels connecting them, and the gates that reflect different personality traits.

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You’ll also discover the five main Types of people, each with its own way of interacting with the world, and a unique strategy for life. Finally, uncover how Authority helps you make aligned decisions, guided by your body’s natural intelligence.

Energy Types

Which type are you?

The Human Design, “energy type” refers to the basic classification of individuals based on how their energy operates
and interacts with the world. There are five main energy types and your type shows how all your energy activations
create an aura type that is your energy field that interacts and attracts.

Manifestor

These individuals are initiators. They have the ability to start new projects and get
things moving. Their energy is impactful, and they are here to initiate and make things happen.

Key Role:
Initiators who bring ideas into
reality and spark action in others.

Generator

This is the most common type. Generators have a powerful, sustainable energy that is designed for building and doing work they love. They respond
to life rather than initiating, and their energy is like a battery that gets recharged by engaging in activities that excite them.

Key Role:
Builders who generate sustainable energy and get things done when aligned with their true desires.

Projector

Projectors are guides and natural leaders. They are here to understand others and systems deeply and offer valuable insights. They do not have a consistent energy supply like Generators and should wait for invitations to share their wisdom.

Key Role:
Guides who see things clearly and lead others through their wisdom and insights.

Manifesting
Generator

A hybrid of Manifestors and Generators, they have the ability to initiate and sustain energy. They are versatile and can handle
multiple tasks at once, often needing to pivot between activities to stay engaged.

Key Role:
Multi passionate builders who generate sustainable energy and get things done when aligned with their true desires.

Reflector

The rarest type, Reflectors are mirrors of the community. They are highly sensitive to their environment and take in and reflect the energy around them. Their role is to assess and reflect the health and well-being of their surroundings.

Key Role:
Mirrors who reflect the health and
state of their community, providing
insights and awareness.

Strategy

What is yours?

In Human Design, “strategy” refers to the specific approach each energy type should use to interact with the world and make decisions. Following one’s strategy helps align with their true nature, leading to less resistance and more fulfillment. Here are the strategies for each type:

Manifestors

  • Strategy: To Inform
  • Manifestors should inform others of their intentions before taking action. This helps reduce resistance and allows smoother initiation of activities and projects.

Generators

  • Strategy: To Respond
  • Generators should wait to respond to external stimuli rather than initiating action themselves. By responding to life, they tap into their powerful energy in a sustainable way, engaging in activities that light them up.

Manifesting Generators

  • Strategy: To Respond and Inform
  • Like Generators, Manifesting Generators should respond to external stimuli. Once they have responded, they should inform those around them about their actions, helping to reduce resistance and ensuring their fast-paced energy is understood.

Projectors

  • Strategy: To Wait for the Invitation
  • Projectors need to wait for invitations or recognition from others before sharing their insights or taking action. This ensures their guidance is valued and they engage with the right opportunities

Reflectors

  • Strategy: To Wait a Lunar Cycle
  • Reflectors should wait a full lunar cycle (about 28 days) before making major decisions. This allows them to gain clarity and reflect on their environment and how it affects them, ensuring decisions are aligned with their true nature.

Each strategy helps individuals align with their energy type, reducing resistance and enhancing their ability to flow with life in a way that is natural and fulfilling for them.

Authority

Which authority are you?

In Human Design, authority is your personal decision-making tool. It’s about how you know what’s right for you, helping you make choices that align with your true self. Each type of authority is associated with a specific area in the body, guiding how one should navigate their decision-making process. Here is a brief outline of each authority.

Emotional
Authority
(Solar Plexus)

Individuals with this authority need to ride the emotional wave and avoid making
decisions in the heat of the moment. They should wait for emotional clarity over time to make decisions that feel right.

Sacral
Authority

Present in Generators and Manifesting Generators. Decisions are made through gut responses or bodily sensations, often
experienced as a strong “uh-huh” (yes) or “uh-uh” (no) reaction in the moment.

Splenic
Authority

This authority relies on instinctual and intuitive responses from the spleen, which are spontaneous and in-the-moment. The
spleen’s messages are quiet and fleeting, so they need to be trusted immediately.

Ego
Authority
(Heart)

Decisions are made based on what one’s willpower and desires truly want. It involves listening to the needs and wants of the
heart and ego.

Self-Projected Authority

Found in Projectors. These individuals make decisions by talking things out and listening to their own voice, gaining clarity about what resonates with their true self.

Environmental (Mental) Authority

Found in Reflectors or certain Projectors. Decision-making involves discussing and reflecting on the issue in the right environment and with trusted people, gaining insights over time.

Lunar
Authority

Unique to Reflectors. They need to wait a full lunar cycle (about 28 days) to make major decisions, allowing them to process and gain clarity through the movement of the moon and their environment.

Each authority provides a unique way for individuals to align with their true self and make decisions that honour their natural energy and life path.

Centers

What energy do you have consistently?

In Human Design, the Centers are nine energy hubs within the body graph, each representing different aspects of human experience, such as emotions, communication, and identity. These Centers are similar to chakras but are specific to the Human Design system. Each Center can be either defined (colored in) or open (white), indicating how a person consistently experiences and processes energy in that area.

A defined Center means that the energy in that area is stable and reliable, consistently influencing the person’s behavior and traits in a fixed manner. When a center is defined it will be colored in on your chart. People with defined Centers have a strong sense of identity in those areas, often providing them with a consistent way of operating in the world.

An open Center, on the other hand, is not fixed, making the individual more flexible and receptive to external influences in that area. Open Centers amplify and reflect the energy of those around them, leading to variability in how they experience and express the traits associated with that enter. This openness can be a source of wisdom and insight, but it can also lead to conditioning from external sources.

Understanding whether a Center is defined or open helps individuals recognize where they have consistent strengths and where they might be more influenced by their environment, allowing for greater self-awareness and alignment with their true nature.

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‘’The most powerful this you can do in your life is to learn how to make the right decision as yourself” – Ra Uru hu

Profiles

In Human Design, profiles describe the themes and roles individuals play in life, combining two numbers (lines) that represent different aspects of personality and life path. Here are the profiles and key words associated with each:

1/3 Investigator/Martyr

  • Keywords: Curiosity, Trial and Error, Depth, Resilience.
  • Known for seeking knowledge and understanding through research and personal experience.

1/4 Investigator/Opportunist

  • Keywords: Foundation, Networking, Stability, Influence.
  • Builds a solid foundation of knowledge and uses social connections to share and apply it.

2/4 Hermit/Opportunist

  • Keywords: Natural Talent, Influence, Solitude, Community.
  • Balances time alone developing innate skills with being called out by the community to share those talents.

2/5 Hermit/Heretic

  • Keywords: Natural Talent, Leadership, Solitude, Practical Solutions.
  • Known for seeking knowledge and understanding through research and personal experience.

3/5 Martyr/Heretic

  • Keywords: Experimentation, Problem-Solving, Adaptability, Realism.
  • Builds a solid foundation of knowledge and uses
    social connections to share and apply it.

3/6 Martyr/Role Model

  • Keywords: Experimentation, Wisdom, Realism, Leadership.
  • Early life of trial and error leads to becoming a role model and source of wisdom later in life

4/1 Opportunist/Investigator

  • Keywords: Networking, Stability, Influence, Foundation.
  • Combines a strong social network with a deep foundation of knowledge, creating stability and influence.

4/6 Opportunist/Role Model

  • Keywords: Influence, Wisdom, Networking, Leadership.
  • Uses social influence and wisdom gained over time to become a guiding figure in their community

5/1 Heretic/Investigator

  • Keywords: Leadership, Problem-Solving, Practicality, Depth.
  • Provides practical solutions and guidance, built on a solid foundation of research and understanding.

5/2 Heretic/Hermit

  • Keywords: Leadership, Natural Talent, Practical Solutions, Solitude.
  • Innate gifts are drawn out by others, and they
    provide practical and impactful solutions.

6/2 Role Model/Hermit

  • Keywords: Wisdom, Natural Talent, Leadership, Solitude.
  • Evolves through three life stages, ultimately becoming a role model while balancing solitude and social engagement.

6/3 Role Model/Martyr

  • • Keywords: Wisdom, Experimentation, Leadership, Realism.
  • Provides practical solutions and guidance, built on a solid foundation of research and understanding.

Gates

Which of the 64 gates do you have?

In Human Design, gates are specific points within the energy channels that connect the Centers on the Bodygraph. Each gate corresponds to a hexagram from the I Ching and represents a unique trait or energy pattern, influencing personality and behavior. When a gate is active in your chart, you consistently express that energy; when inactive, it may be experienced more unpredictably, often influenced by others.

Gates connect to form channels, linking different parts of your chart and showing how different aspects of your personality interact.

Overall, the gates give a more detailed and nuanced understanding of your unique design, helping you navigate life with greater awareness of your innate energies and how they interact with the world around you.

You can learn more about each of the gates in our Gateways Guide coming soon.

Channels

Which channels do you have?

In Human Design, a channel is a line that connects two Centers on the body graph. Channels are composed of two gates, one at each end, and represent the flow of energy between those Centers. When both gates of a channel are activated (coloured in), the channel itself is defined, creating a consistent energy pathway that influences the individual’s traits and behaviors. Channels highlight specific themes and life experiences, showing how different aspects of a person’s design interact. You can find channels on the body graph as lines connecting the Centers, with each channel having its own unique number and meaning based on the gates it connects.

You can learn more about your specific channels in our Gateways Channels course coming soon