Hi Everyone,

How are you feeling?

How is your spirit?

How is your heart?

How is your health?

How are you as a person?

Sometimes we can get caught up with what we have to do that we don’t stop and check in with ourselves to make sure we’re good or have the energy to do some of the things we need to do and want to do.

What if I told you that there is a system where you can check in with yourself to see if you have the energy to do something and how to best operate according to your unique divine design?

Cue Human Design…

WHAT IS HUMAN DESIGN?

I tried to find a definition on the internet to describe human design but I couldn’t find one that FELT right for this post, so I’m paraphrasing Rachel Lieberman, the creator of the site puregenerators.com and author of the book “A Modern Guide to Design” and using knowledge I’ve accumulated over the years to describe the origins and essence of human design:

A “voice” came to a Canadian white man named Alan Krakwer, giving him a download of information that we now know as human design. Human Design is a combination of astrology, the Judaic Kabbalah Tree of Life, Chinese I Ching, and the Hindu chakra system.

Krakwer later changed his name to Ra Uru Hu, which he felt was more fitting given the journey he was on during the creation of human design. While human design is derived from many esoteric systems, it is NOT a religious system – you do not have to change your faith or belief system.

CULTURAL APPROPRIATION

Now, some people DO NOT like human design because they view it as cultural appropriation since it was given by a white man, who made it accessible mainly to white people, without fully acknowledging the roots of the original systems derived from Black and Brown cultures. Even if you look into human design now, there are more white teachers than Black and Brown.

If you would like to see how Black and Brown people discuss cultural appropriation in Human Design and how they are staking claim in the space, check out the book “The Soul Map: Liberation, Human Design, and the BIPOC Experience” by Aycee Brown and Asha D Ramakrishna.

There are also teachers like Lieberman who believe Human Design is NOT cultural appropriation because Ra Uru Hu acknowledges the original esoteric systems Human Design derives from, so he did not steal those systems nor not give credit to said systems. She breaks that stance down and more here.

I’m very neutral on this stance because I see both sides. I just wanted to provide context since many of you are new to human design and identify as Black or Brown. If you’re still interested in learning about your human design, let’s get into the basics of Human Design.

STARTING WITH THE BASICS

I found this AMAZING guide from freehumandesignchart.com, so here is a combination of the guide, Erin Claire Jones’ human design audiobook and my memory from researching over the years for starting with the basics of Human Design:

Type

Human design has five types: Manifestors, Generators, Manifesting Generators, Projectors, and Reflectors.

Manifestors are here to get things started. They have unique bursts of intense energy that are followed by equally intense periods of rest. Manifestor’s intensity is felt by everyone around them and inspires change in the lives of those they come in contact with.

Generators are here to get stuff done. Generators are here to respond to the needs of the world and their seemingly endless energy is perfect for making real change.

Manifesting Generators are here to get a little bit of everything done. Generators tend to be focused in one area while Manifesting Generators are good at a little bit of everything. They are trailblazers and inspirational to those around them.

Projectors are here to guide the world. Projectors have a unique and intense gift of being able to truly see those around them and offer meaningful advice.

Reflectors are the rarest of the Human Design types. They are truly unique, unusually sensitive people who must be in the right place with the right people to experience true happiness.

Strategy

Your Strategy describes how the best opportunities in life will come to you, and what you need to do to make sure you don’t miss out… Each strategy is intricately tailored to the unique energy dynamics of each Human Design type, ensuring that choices align harmoniously with individuals’ natural inclinations and energetic capacities.

Manifestor Strategy: To Inform

Generator Strategy: To Wait to Respond

Manifesting Generator Strategy: To Respond-Envision-Inform-Then Act

Projectors Strategy: To Wait to be Invited / Recognized

Reflectors Strategy: To Wait a Full Lunar Cycle

Authority

On the most basic level, Authority is how we make the best decisions for us… Each person has a unique authority that guides them on how to make decisions. Trusting your true self to access your inner authority ensures that you make the best decisions for you.

Sacral Authority: Listen to your gut

Emotional Authority: Wait until you are in a neutral emotional state to make a decision (sleep on it)

Splenic Authority: Listen to that little voice that only you can hear. This can also be a quick, intuitive hit, so make sure you pay attention the first time.

Ego Authority: Be honest about what you truly desire and use the willpower you have to get what you desire. In my opinion, your strategy is just as important as your authority, so make sure both are in alignment.

Self-Projected Authority: You get clarity through your voice. You need your options reflected back to you so you can listen to how you answer them in order to make a decision. You can do this by talking things out with trusted friends and making voice notes for you to listen back to later.

Mental Authority: Clarity unfolds over time as you talk things through with others AND being in the right environment.

Lunar Authority: Waiting a full lunar cycle (28 days) before making a decision.

Profile

Your profile is the fraction numbers you will see in your chart. There are 12 Profiles in human design. Each Profile describes major life themes you will encounter and how your personality interacts with the world. The first number in your Profile is the element of your personality you are consciously aware of and the second number in the Profile may be unconscious and more hidden from you. The 12 Profiles are:

The 1/3 Profile: Investigator/Martyr

The 1/4 Profile: Investigator/Opportunist

The 2/4 Profile: Hermit/Opportunist

The 2/5 Profile: Hermit/Heretic

The 3/5 Profile: Martyr/Heretic

The 3/6 Profile: Martyr/Role Model

The 4/6 Profile: Opportunist/ Role Model

The 4/1 Profile: Opportunist/Investigator

The 5/1 Profile: Heretic/Investigator

The 5/2 Profile: Heretic/Hermit

The 6/2 Profile: Role Model/Hermit

The 6/3 Profile: Role Model/Martyr

I know these names may sound dramatic and alarming but it’s not what you think. Please review the guide I’m referencing above and the links in the resources section.

BODYGRAPH BREAKDOWN

Thanks to Ra Uru Hu and his early team, we have human design charts called BodyGraphs, similar to astrological natal charts, that break down who we are as complex individuals.

BodyGraphs can be confusing and overwhelming at first glance but the basics are centers, which are the shapes you are going to see in the chart, and the gates, which are the numbers inside the shapes.

There are nine centers: Head (Inspiration), Ajna (Clarity), Throat (Manifestation), G-Center (Identity), Heart (Willpower/Ego), Sacral (Life force energy), Spleen (Intuition, fears, immune system), Solar Plexus (Emotional Awareness), and Root (Pressure, Time, Adrenline).

Check out this link from Clarice Leong for a visual breakdown

If the shape or number is colored in: that center is defined and that gate is active.

If the shape is white and the numbers in the shape are not colored in: center is completely open – nothing is defined or active.

If the shape is white but there are numbers colored in, that means you have an undefined center with active gates.

Defined centers have fixed and consistent energy. This energy will always be there for you and radiates out to impact others. The energy here is inconsistent and depends on your environment and mood. If you see colorful lines connecting two centers, that is called a channel.

Check out this link from Clarice Leong for a visual breakdown

Now there is WAY more to human design than this BUT I don’t want this post to be longer than it already is, so please use the resources I’m providing and focus on whatever section you feel drawn to the most.

SO HOW DO YOU GET YOUR BODYGRAPH?

You will need your birthday, the time you were born, and where you were born. You can put this information in the following websites:

Jovian Archive | My Human Design | Genetic Matrix

My favorite is puregenerators.com. She has a free version but she gives you an optional PDF to purchase ($20) for a lengthy breakdown.

What if you don’t have your birth time?

If you don’t know your time, please look at your birth certificate. If it’s not there, you may need to ask your parents or find the city/state you were born in and see if they can send you a copy of your official birth certificate.

If you truly do not have the time, you may need to find a human design teacher who knows how to calculate your chart without an exact time.

CHELSEA’S HUMAN DESIGN TYPE, AUTHORITY, STRATEGY AND PROFILE

I gave you a lot of information, so let’s put it all together using parts of my human design chart:

I am a 1/3 Sacral Generator. I have to wait to respond to life as it comes to me and do things that light me up. Generators are described as “worker bees” because we have A LOT of energy to complete tasks and see things through but if we spend our energy on tasks that drain us, it can make us frustrated.

As a sacral generator, I do not have to wait to make decisions. I pretty much know in the moment if I should or shouldn’t do something based on my gut feeling or even with the sounds I make (uh huh, eeeee, mmmm) when questions or options are placed in front of me.

Sometimes I may doubt my gut feeling or choose not to listen, which I pay for in the end because I either quit my commitment and feel guilty about it or spend so much time completing what I agreed to that I burn myself out.

As a 1/3 profile, I’m an investigator (1 profile line), so I research a lot of topics that pique my interest. I’m also a martyr ( 3 profile line), so I have to act on/put into practice/test out what I learn and let others know my findings. A perfect tangible example of living my 1/3 profile on this website.

My biggest issue with being a 1/3 is that I get so stuck in research mode, I delay putting what I’ve learned into action, and sometimes hide under the guise of trying to “know all my options” or not feeling ready enough to start.

While I need to know my options and research, I have to be mindful of not getting stuck in that process and not use it as an excuse to stay stagnant.

What I LOVE about being a 1/3 is once I do my research and test it, I have evidence to back up my perspective and my next move because I lived it, which makes me confident enough to share my experience with others – even if it’s not on a grand scale.

What’s your human design type? Does human design resonate with you?

Leave a comment below!

*Originally post was published on the I Care Project Newsletter. Content has been edited to reflect website format. Some links may no longer be live.*