The Five Human Design Types, Explained

When it comes to human beings, there are many possibilities for the type of person each individual can turn out to be. Personalities and perspectives are unique, and each person has their own special way of moving through life.

There is one groundbreaking way to help you understand your genetic nature and where energy flows within your body. It’s called Human Design.

What is Human Design?

Human Design was created about 35 years ago by a Canadian man named Ra Uru Hu.

Its teachings are based on elements of various ancient systems like Western astrology, quantum physics, chakra systems, Kabbalah, and I Ching.

It is based around neutrinos, particles with a mass equivalent to zero, enabling them to be fast-moving. They are the foundation of the Human Design System, dictating how energy moves through us and influences our interactions.

Like mapping your astrology birth chart, the human design chart is calculated with your birthday, birth time, and place of birth.

Those details are used to create a snapshot of the cosmos at the very moment you entered the world, as well as three months prior to your birth when your brain was still developing in your mother’s womb.

These two snapshots are layers together to give you an energetic blueprint. From there, you can develop a mindset that fits your energy type.

In human design, there are 9 centers represented by geometric shapes in a BodyGraph. These hubs, like chakras, receive and transform energy that circulates throughout our bodies.

Those 9 centers are:

the head (pressure, inspiration)
Ajna (awareness, conceptualization)
throat (manifesting, speaking, doing)
"G" (self, love, direction)
heart (motor skills, ego, willpower)
spleen (immunity, intuition, awareness)
solar plexus (emotions)
root (adrenaline, stress)
and sacral (life force, sexuality)

How To Determine Your Human Design Type

To get your human design type, go to the calculator at the Jovian Archive or use the one at My Human Design. As explained earlier, you will need your birth date, exact time of birth, and location of birth to calculate your chart.

Once calculated, you will find many elements in addition to your Human Design type.

Your "strategy" is the way your energy connects with the flow of life. If you align with it, you will attract opportunities and environments that help you to be who you truly are and fulfill you life’s purpose.

The "not-self theme" gives insight into the way you feel when you are not honoring your true design and trying to be something you are not.

The "inner authority" tells you how you make major life decisions that are right for you. It tells you how you empower yourself to take authority over your own life.

Your "profile" consists of two numbers called lines. The first is something you are conscious of, while the second is something you are likely unconscious of. There are 12 profiles:

1/3: Investigator/Martyr
1/4: Investigator/Opportunist
2/4: Hermit/Opportunist
2/5: Hermit/Heretic
3/5: Martyr/Heretic
3/6: Martyr/Role Model
4/6: Opportunist/Role Model
4/1: Opportunist/Investigator
5/1: Heretic/Investigator
5/2: Heretic/Hermit
6/2: Role Model/Hermit
6/3: Role Model/Martyr

The "definition" is the way our defined human design centers interact with each other. Yours can be set up in one of five ways:

No definition: This has no defined centers and is specific to the Reflector human design type.
Single definition: This means that all of your defined centers and channels are interconnected and flow together like a continuous circuit.
Split definition: Also known as a simple split, this indicates two separate unconnected circuits with defined centers.
Triple-split definition: This is three separate circuits that are not connected but have defined centers.
Quadruple-split definition: This is four separate circuits that are not connected but have defined centers.

Finally, the "incarnation cross" is what defines your ultimate reason for being here. It uses positions of the Sun and Earth at our time of birth to define our life’s purpose. There are 192 possibilities.

The 5 Human Design Types

Manifestors

Making up just 10% of the population, Manifestors initiate the action then pull back and let other people pick up where they left off.

Their style is to put forth a great deal of energy, then take sufficient time to rest. That on-and-off cycle is important for giving optimal performance.

Manifestors have a closed and repelling aura, meaning they have an energy that radiates onto everyone in their presence. They are catalysts for change, impacting everyone around them.

They are trailblazers who value freedom, independence and peace, but can suffer from burnout so they need to take time and come back with renewed energy.

Generators

Generators make up 30% of the population. They work hard and their strategy is to respond. They move things forward with their get-up-and-go energy.

To maintain their high level of activity, Generators tend to focus on things that give them life. The caveat is that they will still take on tasks they are not moved by, resulting in getting burned out.

Generators have strong sacral chakra energy, but must learn to tune into it to avoid letting their fire die out. They value satisfaction and are all about action.

Manifesting Generators

Manifesting Generators are 37% of the population and are exactly what they sound like: a combination of Manifestors and Generators. They can be considered jacks-of-all-trades.

Manifesting Generators use their high energy to create what they want, like a Generator. But they also use their intuition to guide them toward what they truly love in life.

They are inspirational and impactful, like Manifestors, and believe that variety is the spice of life. You can expect a Manifesting Generator to seek constant growth, change and evolution.

As with Manifestors and Generators, the hybrid human design type can easily become burned out when they neglect their inner voice and forgo rest periods.

Projectors

Twenty percent of people in the world are Projectors who are here to guide us and give wisdom. They are key in directing others as to how to use their energy efficiently.

Projectors can see the attributes of others and provide helpful advice, but have the ability to put people off with their unsolicited input.

They take in the auras and energies of people around them, making them great leaders. However, Projectors must learn to wait for the invitation before offering guidance.

Unlike Generators, Projectors are considered "non-energy beings," therefore they shouldn’t be expected to give off the same consistent energy. Because of that, their work should be efficient.

Reflectors

The rarest human design type is Reflectors. They act as mirrors and tend to be open and enveloping, possessing great discernment due to their understanding and healing of others.

Reflectors are at their best when attuned to the 28-day lunar cycle, so their strategy is to wait for clarity before making big decisions about their lives.

Human Design Authority Types

There are seven human design authority types. This inner authority is your decision-making principles, telling you how you are guided.

Emotional Authority: This type makes up 47% of the people in the world and falls under that authority of the solar plexus. These people react emotionally and need to take time to sleep on it before making big decisions.

Sacral Authority: This type is 35% of the population and includes most Generators. They tend to wait for things to come to them so they can respond and don’t feel the need to chase. They are either open and giving energy, or completely closed off.

Splenic Authority: This authority type is related to the spleen and attributed to 11% of the population. It’s about awareness, intuition, and recognition. It is thought to be a "knowing" energy.

Ego Authority: Heart-centered, this type comes from a Projector or Manifestor and make up just 1% of the population. They trust themselves and speak uninhibited, unconcerned with what people want to hear. They have a lot of willpower and must know when to harness it.

Self-Projected Authority: Like Ego Authority, this type is unfiltered, confident energy. These are powerful people who account for just 2.8% of the population. They identify with the "G" center and should speak with authority, authenticity, and conviction.

Lunar Authority: This is a type of Reflector who gets authority from the lunar cycle, so they naturally are just 1.39% of the people in the world. They need the entire 28-day moon cycle to make important choices.

No Authority: Making up just 3.53% of the world, this type are mental Projectors who are extremely open. They get guidance from the environment around them, so being in the right place is important.

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NyRee Ausler is a writer from Seattle, Washington, and author of seven books. She covers lifestyle and entertainment and news, as well as navigating the workplace and social issues.