Can learning your human design type help you succeed in life?
If you love any test, system, or trend that tells you about your personality type (like Myers Briggs, for example, or astrology), welcome to your newest rabbit hole: Human Design. According to some spiritual experts, this type of birth chart provides a so-called 'energetic blueprint' for life.
Your Human Design chart is based on your birth time, and the concept itself is rooted in spiritual practices from various different cultures and religions. Human Design uses a combination of The I Ching (an ancient Chinese divination text), astrology, the Kabbalah Tree of Life (a diagram used in Rabbinic Judaism), the Hindu-Brahmin chakra system, and quantum physics to help you find your 'flow' in life, says Mikaela MacLean, a Human Design expert based in Washington. Your chart assigns you one of five aura types to help you understand how to live in a way that feels natural to you, regardless of anyone else’s opinions.
Human Design is a fairly new belief system. It originated in the 1980s when a man named Ra Uru Hu—formerly Robert Allan Krakower, an advertising executive, magazine publisher, and media producer—reportedly channeled a spirit in Ibiza, according to the Definitive Book of Human Design. Ra Uru Hu claimed a voice spoke to him and told him the principles of Human Design, which he wrote and published as a 400+ page textbook.
While the belief system is rooted in scientific theory and draws from many ancient spiritual systems, the practice has not been studied and doesn’t have hard roots in science. That said, if you’re a spiritual person, Human Design and its five aura types—manifesting generator, generator, manifestor, reflector, and projector—can reveal interesting insights about your personality. Keep reading to learn more about Human Design and your aura type.
How does Human Design work?
Human Design experts believe that your DNA gets encoded with neutrinos—or subatomic particles similar to electrons, but with no electric charge—and that these particles influence your personality and how you move about the world, says Erin Panzarella, a spiritual mentor and Human Design expert based in New York.
Although there’s no scientific proof that these particles affect your personality or actions, neutrinos are definitely real. Dedicated labs study these particles, and while much about them is unknown, physicists at the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science say they can help us understand the origin of matter and the Big Bang.
The Human Design system also has roots in ancient practices, as mentioned: The I Ching (an ancient Chinese divination text), astrology, the Kabbalah Tree of Life (a diagram used in Rabbinic Judaism), the Hindu-Brahmin chakra system, and quantum physics.
Human Design splits the sky into 64 sections, which is a method taken from The I Ching, rather than 12 like the traditional signs of the zodiac, shares MacLean. Experts believe these 64 hexagonal sections of sky relate to the 64 possible permutations of DNA. On a Human Design chart, there are 64 'gates' or energy centres, which draw from the energetic study of the chakra system and the Kabbalah Tree of Life, she adds.
What is the Human Design chart?
If you enter your birth information into a Human Design generator, you’ll receive a chart based on the planetary placements at the time of your birth, similar to a natal chart in astrology, says Emma Dunwoody, a behavioural coach and Human Design expert based in Australia.
'Your Human Design chart is this treasure map, effectively, of who you really are at an energetic level,' says Dunwoody. 'It gives you the road map for how to achieve love, success, and happiness effortlessly by living your true authenticity.'
How do you find your Human Design type?
To find your Human Design type, you need your birth time, date, and location. Many charts are free to access online.
What are the Human Design types?
Generator
Generators are highly intuitive beings that do best when they go with their gut, says MacLean. Their goal in life is to respond to the world around them, follow their passions, and do what they love. They are masters of their craft, especially when it is something that lights them up. These are the workers of the world and, ultimately, the people who put in the grunt work to make things happen.
If generators are in a career or relationship that does not inspire them, or they can’t dedicate time to their newest hobbies, they can feel depleted of their energy. 'When a generator does what they love, they produce more good, positive energy, and they have a positive effect on everybody around them,' says MacLean.
At their best, a generator’s aura 'is like a warm cashmere blanket,' she explains. 'It’s inviting, and they are magnetic.' But generators should be aware of people-pleasing: While this aura type may want to do everything and make everyone happy, this is not practical, says MacLean. Panzarella agrees, adding that generators should set firm boundaries with people and remember the power of saying no.
Manifestor
This aura type is here to inspire people into action. 'Manifestors are the way-showers, the visionaries, the initiators,' says Dunwoody. They do best when they can drop everything anytime inspiration hits and follow their creative flow, she adds.
If you are a manifestor, you’ve likely had a strong presence since you were a child, says MacLean. The aura type is slower to let people in, as a way to protect themselves. 'They push away the wrong people, but the people who understand them are obsessed with them.' Ra Uru Hu, the man who founded Human Design, was a manifestor.
Manifestors are self-sufficient and unapologetically themselves, says Dunwoody. But while manifestors have a lot of energy to create new ideas, they also need a lot of time to rest. If they don’t, they are likely to experience burnout.
Manifesting Generator
Like a generator, a manifesting generator is a person who’s meant to go with their gut and follow their passions in the moment. A key difference between the two types, though, is that while a generator is meant to dedicate their time to one area of expertise, a manifesting generator moves fast between different interests and projects. 'The manifesting generator is here to respond,' says Panzarella. 'They pick things up quickly and then, if they don’t feel like a good fit, let go of them.'
Manifesting generators tend to be multi-hyphenates. Your friend who has a PhD, is a killer pilates instructor, and runs a cupcake business on the side? Probably an MG. While manifesting generators can sometimes come across as frazzled, they are actually meant to hop around between interests, says Panzarella.
Manifesting generators can struggle to slow down and be as present, but should remember that their version of 'relaxed' is still pretty fast-paced for most people. In Ra Uru Hu’s original text, manifesting generators were also labeled generators, but many modern Human Design experts—like Dunwoody and Panzarella—believe these quick thinkers make up their own distinct type.
Projector
Projectors have a focused and ambitious energy. These people are all about organisation and systems, and they have a clear vision for how to succeed. 'Projectors are here to guide and direct energy,' says MacLean. 'They are not the doers. They are the managers, the overseers.'
Projectors are great in authority roles because they have a knack for improving whatever system is in front of them, says Dunwoody. Projectors generally seem to have it all figured out, and can get frustrated, or even bitter, when the people around them aren’t behaving in the way they see fit.
It’s important for this aura type to speak up and share their crucial insight. Projectors shouldn’t feel like their insight is annoying, because their clear viewpoint can provide essential information to those who are willing to listen.
Reflector
Reflectors are the rarest Human Design type and make up less than one percent of the population. 'In my experience, working with a lot of reflectors, these people are the most incredible readers of energy,' says Dunwoody. 'When they walk into a room, they know who's fighting. They know who's getting together. They know what's going on.'
Reflectors are highly intuitive people who need time to retreat and consider all of their options. They can sometimes feel like they are in their own world because they are, which is part of their magic, says Dunwoody.
They soak up information like a sponge, and are meant to wait for the start of a new lunar cycle before making major decisions. They sample energy from the other types throughout a month, says Dunwoody, and then receive clarity and can take action.
How can I use Human Design in my everyday life?
Once you enter your birth information, your Human Design chart will give you a ton of information. In viewing your chart, you can find insight into your 'strategy' for life, or generally, how you should approach things. Your chart gives information about when and how to rest, how you can best perform at work, and even details about your communication style.
How do you use these principles in your life? Depending on your type, try life the way the chart suggests. If you are a Reflector, for example, take time to consider your next new business before announcing it to the world. If you’re a Manifesting Generator, take this as your sign to try all of the things on your to-do list, from massage therapy school to slam poetry readings.
Human Design provides a permission slip to lean into your natural tendencies. All you have to do is be yourself to succeed.
Meet the experts: Mikaela MacLean is a Human Design expert based in Washington. Erin Panzarella is a spiritual mentor and Human Design expert based in New York. Emma Dunwoody is a behavioural coach and Human Design expert based in Australia.
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