Find and feel your truest gifts and purpose
When first presented with The Human Design System, many find it complex and foreign. Type, Strategy, Authority, Centres and Profiles are words without relatable context or meaning. On closer investigation, one finds is a system rich in knowledge that explains how our energies collectively and individually interface, engage and communicate. Through this understanding, one can better grasp the dynamics and undercurrents running beneath all relationships and associations. It is basic quantum physics — everything in the universe consists of vibrations and energy and we are an integral part of that same energy.
Human Design was founded in 1987 by Ra Uru Hu, formerly Robert Allan Krakower, from Montreal, Canada. Ra dedicated his life to disseminating the Science of Human Design around the world. Ra was quoted on many occasions saying, “Don’t believe a thing I tell you; try it for yourself.” Unfortunately, Ra is no longer with us; he passed away in his home on March 12, 2011, less than a month before his 63rd birthday. Ra described Human Design as a synthesis of two streams of science, modern and ancient. The ancient system consists of eastern and western astrology, the Hindu-Brahmin chakra system, the Zohar or Kabbalah, and the I’Ching. The modern sciences incorporated are genetics, physics, biology and chemistry.
A Human Design chart, known as a BodyGraph, contains nine Centres, 36 Channels and 64 Gates. The BodyGraph contains two calculations; one is called the Personality and the other the Design. The Personality is the conscious side and the Design is the unconscious. The date, time and place of birth get used to calculate a BodyGraph. If one is uncertain of their exact birth time, it is advised not to guess and be cautious when approaching this knowledge.
Human Design is known as the science of differentiation – meaning that each of us has a unique design and, by coming to understand this knowledge, one can truly discover what true individuation is. Through the BodyGraph, deep insights are found into how we rest, digest, fear and emote. For the sceptics, Human Design is not a belief system and does not require you to believe in anything. Neither is it a philosophy nor is it a tool for foretelling. It is simply a map to the nature of being, a mapping of one’s genetic code. This science opens the door to the potential of self-love, self-acceptance and the compassion to accept and love others for their unique being.
The journey into understanding oneself starts with type. There are four types: Manifestor, Generator, Projector and Reflector. One might come across information that places Manifesting Generators as their own type, but according to Ra, this is not true as they belong to the Generator aura. Type has nothing to do with psychological or personality typing, rather it concerns the body, genetics and aura. The four types get grouped according to their ability to generate or initiate energy consistently, or not. Both the Manifestor and Generator are ‘energy types’ as they can consistently generate or initiate energy. On the other hand, the Projector and Reflector are ‘non-energy’ types. Their energy and stamina for work waxes and wanes, making it essential they manage themselves to avoid burnout.
Your Human Design is always affected by the energies of those with whom you engage in love, business, or friendship. It is a system that is interconnected, like humanity itself. Auric communication takes place between types. This non-verbal communication, if understood, creates the potential to interact and communicate amicably on all levels. In addition, each aura type has a unique way to access and make decisions. This is known as Strategy and it is based on the way we are genetically designed to operate. Strategy allows one to express the unique way in which their energy flows through their BodyGraph.
A Generator is designed with a Strategy to respond. Generators have an open and enveloping aura; this provokes others to ask them so they can respond. Manifestors have a closed and repelling aura, which challenges or initiates. For Manifestors, their Strategy is to inform; this opens the way to clear, productive and peaceful communication. The Projector’s focused and absorbing aura provokes recognition and invitation. Only through their Strategy of being invited can they be correctly empowered to fulfil their purpose. Finally, Reflectors provoke others to look at them for their assessment, which takes place through their sampling aura. Reflectors need to be initiated for the big decisions in life, which means waiting a 28-day lunar cycle.
Strategy helps you maximise opportunities, but to know if these are genuinely correct for you, the BodyGraph reveals how you can lean into and access decision-making that speaks to your authentic truth. This is called Authority and your personal Authority is listed on your Human Design chart. There are several authorities and the hierarchy is as follows: Solar plexus (emotional), sacral, splenic, heart (ego), self, environment and moon. Mastering Authority is especially powerful for individuals who tend to get stuck in their heads when faced with decisions. This is only the surface – once Type, Strategy and Authority are understood, the layers of Human Design present further insight into our nature through how we are conditioned.
The nine centres in the BodyGraph reveal where one is open to conditioning and influence and where one conditions and influences others. A defined centre has fixed traits and functions, versus an undefined centre, of which qualities are intermittent. Definitions speak further into this, as they show how we have been set up to take in conditioning. There are five Definitions: None (reflectors only), single, simple-split, triple-split and quadruple-split. Another basic component of Human Design is Profile. This is classified as the ‘costume of our purpose’ and it is one of the aspects that differentiates us as a unique being. There are 12 Profiles and they form the basis of the fundamental duality that exists within each of us.
With all this information how does one even begin to understand and work with this knowledge? Ra was adamant that only an understanding of strategy and authority is needed and the rest is optional. To break through this first entry point it is advisable to find a website that offers a free BodyGraph chart. There is an abundance of websites and social media accounts that have videos and posts explaining everything that is covered in this article and more. There are also brilliant books including audio books available on the subject.
Before venturing further, take a moment to consider the invitation that Human Design extends to you personally, one where you get to participate in your potentially life-transforming experiment using the tools and information gained from your BodyGraph. The invitation is the opportunity to individuate – to find and feel your truest gifts and purpose. This happens when you begin to experiment with this knowledge and your decision-making process begins to move away from the mind. Slowly your Strategy and Authority regain their rightful position and, as a result, your life begins to move with flow and alignment.
Lauren Sharp is originally from Cape Town, recently relocated to London, Lauren offers remote and in-person Human Design readings and workshops. Her role as Head of Strategy and Marketing for Genetic Matrix, a Human Design software company, provides her with deep insights into this system’s mechanics and finer nuances.
