Demystifying Human Design: A Beginner's Guide to Understanding Your Human Design Type

Over a decade ago, I started my healing journey and dedicated so much time and energy to learning how I could work with my own unique energy. There are so many different ways we can do this, believe me, I’ve tried dozens of modalities since my initial spiritual awakening, and to this day, I haven’t found a system that helps me understand my own energy quite like Human Design. 

Maybe you’ve heard of Human Design and know a little about your type, whether you are a Human Design Projector, Generator, Manifesting Generator, Manifestor, or Reflector. There’s a lot of information out there to learn about and I know it can be overwhelming, so I felt called to share with you a guide for how to integrate the wisdom this incredible system has to offer. 

What is Human Design? 

Human Design was channeled by Ra Uru, and if i’m being honest, there’s a lot of language he uses that feels limiting and disempowering.

Part of the reason I feel so called to share the system of Human Design is because I know there is so much beauty in understanding our energy, and as humans we filter messages from the divine through our own conditioning and filters.

Ra, being a man born in 1948 and channeling this system in 1987, had his own filtering process, and I think the way he spoke about the system was often from a lens that may not resonate with a lot of people who can benefit from the divine magic he channeled. 

 All this to say, if you ever read something about your Human Design that feels limiting or disempowering, this is your permission to drop it, and my intention is to share it in a way that expands you even further into your innate power and beautiful energy.

Human Design Types

Our Human Design Type shows us how our energy works best. Each type has a Strategy, Signature, and Not-self theme.

Our Strategy shows how we are meant to bring in our most aligned opportunities. Our Signature is a guidepost to how we feel when we are living most in alignment. Our Not-self theme is a message when we are out of flow. Knowing these three key indicators can truly change your life by changing how you show up. 

Your Type is determined by your defined centers in your chart and how they interact with each other.

All Generators have a defined Sacral with no connection to the Throat.

All Manifesting Generators have a defined Sacral that connects to their defined Throat.

All Manifestors have a Defined Throat that connects to a defined Motor Center that is not the Sacral, which is either the Heart, Emotional Solar Plexus, or Root.

All Projectors have at least one Center defined, and it is not the Sacral and the Throat is not connected to a Motor Center.

Reflectors have no centers defined.

Let’s look into how these energies play out depending on your type.

Human Design Generators 

The Generator is a consistent energy being. You have the power of the Sacral, which allows you to dive into action that feels satisfying to you with a lot of energy. The Generator is here to build, to get things done, and you are here to respond to what comes into your space over and over again. 

Your Aura works like a magnet. It is traditionally called open and enveloping, which means you are here to bring opportunity into your realm by taking aligned action, doing what lights you up and what brings you satisfaction. What brings you satisfaction is a portal to aligned opportunities for you to respond to. 

Your Strategy is called Waiting to Respond, but this does not mean you are meant to wait around and do nothing. You showing up in the world with your beautiful energy ensures that you will bring opportunities to you for you to say Yes or No to. Your Sacral will tell you what is meant for you, and if you are a Sacral Authority, you’ll know what’s right in the moment. If you’re an Emotional Authority, you are here to wait out your emotions, which are a consistent energy. If you’re feeling really High or Low emotionally, this is a sign for you to wait until you’re in a neutral space to make a decision. Once that moment of neutrality and calm comes, your sacral will tell you whether the opportunity is a Yes or a No. 

Your Signature Energy is Satisfaction. This means when you are saying yes to what your sacral wants to say yes to, and no what it doesn’t, you’re going to feel deeply satisfied. This satisfaction brings more energy that’s available to you to act on. It also brings more opportunities for you to respond to. When the tables are turned, the Not-Self Theme that shows up is Frustration. This is an invitation for you to check in.

Have you said yes when you wanted to say no?

Do you need to set healthy boundaries with your time and energy?

Are you doing enough of what lights you up and energizes you? Do you need to move?

Do you need to rest?

Checking in, instead of feeling discouraged when frustration comes is an amazing way to get to know yourself more and work with your unique energy! 

Human Design Manifesting Generator 

The Manifesting Generator has a lot of the same qualities of the Generator. You are a Generator first, with some Manifestor qualities. But the way your energy works is similar to a Generator, so if you resonated with what was shared already, that makes total sense! You have the same Strategy, Signature, and Not-Self theme, just with some added elements of the Manifestor energy. 

Even though you are a Generator in essence, the way your energy moves expresses itself differently. You may feel more in flow when you allow for multi-passionate experiences in your daily life. While “Pure” Generators may feel most satisfied when completing a task, you may feel most satisfied with doing multiple tasks throughout the day and making progress in all of them. 

Adding in the Manifestor elements into the Generator energy, the Manifesting Generator has the ability to bring things to life quickly as they are responding. The primary strategy of the Manifesting Generator is waiting to respond, there is an added Manifestor-esque where you are here to inform once you’ve responded, AKA letting people that are impacted by what you’re doing. Your energy moves fast, so giving people a heads up, if they are impacted by what you’re responding to, will help you gather support and decrease resistance. It will also help you not feel frustrated!

Your energy signature is Satisfaction and it has another layer, Peace. You feeling fulfilled and satisfied by what you’re doing will lead to an inner sense of peace. A great way to see what will help you align to these feelings is to ask yourself these questions - 

• What you have done in the past to get there?
• What kind of actions have brought you great satisfaction and peace before?

Or checking in if there is something new you want to try to connect with that feeling!

The not-self theme for the Manifesting Generator is frustration and there is an added element of Anger. When these arise ask yourself what needs to change for me to feel differently? Is there anything I can do to support myself through these feelings like movement or journaling?

Manifesting Generators may notice these feelings coming up when they are keeping themselves stuck in something that is no longer a fit, or they are getting a lot of resistance from people because they are not informing them of their moves.

The feelings of frustration and anger are always a guide for you, not anything to wish away! And remember, all emotions are valid, and sometimes we might feel frustrated or angry because of something specific, but if it is recurring, that is a good indicator your energy needs to shift! 

Human Design Manifestor

The Manifestor Type has a special ability of bringing things into the world without any other energies needing to be involved. They have a powerful ability to make internal things external. Manifestors are here to initiate, to spark change, and to make things happen. 

Your Aura is traditionally called closed and repelling, which I like to think of as protective. Your Aura is like a protection bubble-like energy where people and experiences that are not meant for you will be repelled. When you walk into a room, people notice. It is a strong energy you’re moving in the world with. 

What makes you a Manifestor is your Throat being connected to a Motor Center in Human Design, and the motor center is NOT the Sacral. This means you have more of an ebb and flow to your energy, rather than it being consistently there. Manifestors have something called an Urge, where you get this inner force to bring something forward into the world, and then once you bring it forward, you are called to rest. Urges come when you give yourself enough time and space to rest. 

The energy signature of the Manifestor is called Peace. This means when you are initiating aligned action, following your creative urges and resting, and informing those around you on what you’re doing, you will inherently feel Peace. Your not-self experience is Anger. Anger may arise when you are not getting enough rest, responding to others instead of initiating and informing, and depending on others to tell you what to do instead of following the beat of your own drum.

Some reflections for you are -

• How well do you practice your strategy of informing others about your plans and actions?
• Are there areas in your life where you could communicate more effectively?
• Have you noticed any patterns of anger or frustration in your life?
• Can you pinpoint moments when you didn't inform others about your intentions and encountered resistance?

Some ways to help cultivate more peace in your life is through dedicating time to meditation and mindfulness exercises to connect with your inner peace.

Also following your strategy of regularly Informing about your intentions to reduce resistance and foster cooperation.

You can also establish clear boundaries to protect your energy and maintain inner peace and surround yourself with support by building a network of understanding and supportive individuals who respect your unique role as a Manifestor. 

Human Design Projectors 

If you are a Projector, you are here to show us how easy success can be and have an amazing gift of efficiency. of the world. Projectors are here to guide, manage, and direct others. You are also a non-sacral being like the Manifestor and Reflector, which means that your energy is flowy and not always consistent. 

Your Aura is the only one that actually connects to anothers’ energy field, and you can go right to the heart of other people. Because of this unique set up, you are great at reading people and one-to-one connection is really important for you. 

Your strategy is called “wait for an invitation," and is a crucial aspect of your design. Instead of initiating like Manifestors, Projectors are meant to wait for recognition and invitation from others before sharing your wisdom and insights. This recognition is the key to unlocking your potential.

The key element of this is to protect YOUR energy. Your energy is precious and you don’t need to waste it on those who will not be available to hear your insights and ways of improving. Waiting for an Invitation is not a passive process, you get to do what is helping you feel lit up and joyful in the meantime and watch what invitations come to you from that space. You don’t need to wait for an invitation to do things that light you up, you just are meant to wait when it comes to sharing your insights and wisdom! 

Your Energetic Signature is success. When you are waiting for those invitations to share your insights, and your wisdom is landing with others, you’re going to feel it! Projectors love to be seen and validated for their incredible wisdom, so it’s important you are surrounding yourself with people who honor you and understand how much you bring to the table. When you are feeling out of alignment, the feeling that’s going to come is bitterness. This can happen when people aren’t listening to the insights you give, even when you know it will make the process better. The way to protect yourself from experiencing bitterness is by waiting for an invitation to share and doing what you enjoy in the meantime. You can also create invitations by saying “would you like to hear my input?, or I noticed there are some changes that can be made, are you open to hearing what I think? 

Some reflection questions for you can be - 

• ​​What steps can you take to practice your strategy of waiting for an invitation more diligently?
• How might waiting for recognition lead to more fulfilling interactions and experiences?
• Who recognizes my wisdom? When do I feel most validated?
• What actions or interactions help me feel the most successful?
• Think about moments when you felt truly wise and in alignment with your true self, how can you cultivate and harness this energy more frequently in your life?

Human Design Reflectors 

And now we move to the Reflectors, who are the only Type that have NO centers defined, which means your entire chart looks white! Reflectors are the rarest of the Human Design types, comprising only about 1% of the population. Reflectors are wise beings, who have the capacity to intuit what’s working in communities, teams, people, and spaces, and the insights to how things can be improved. 

Your Aura is Reflective, hence the name, and it samples other people’s auras. Your environment and those you surround yourself with are vital for your energy. You are also very much in sync with the transits of the cosmos, so your energy will feel what is going on collectively. 

Your strategy is "to wait for the lunar cycle," which involves taking a full lunar month (approximately 28-29 days) to make major decisions. The reason this is your strategy is because all of the gates in human design move through the moon within 28 days, so you’ll get a chance to sample all of the different energies before coming to clarity. Remember, this is for your bigger decisions, not every decision you make on a daily basis! Reflectors are highly sensitive to the energies around them, and by waiting for the complete lunar cycle, you gain clarity and insight into the best course of action.

Your Energy Signature is called Surprise, which you can think of as delightfully surprised by what is coming into your life experience when you are headed in the right direction in your decisions and life. You are in awe of all the possibilities that life has to bring and curious about what life has to offer, you feel delight and wonder, you are surrendered and don’t need to know what’s going to happen. Surprise happens when you’re taking time for those decisions, allowing yourself to feel all the different energies, and honoring your rhythms and cycles. What comes up when you’re rushing or feeling out of alignment is Disappointment. 

Disappointment is an invitation to check in with yourself. Disappointment can look like being in a space that doesn’t feel good, life feeling constricted, you feel pressured to make decisions impulsively, or you are getting lost in others’ energy. Pay attention to when disappointment becomes an overwhelming feeling, not a momentary one.

Some points of reflection for you are - 

What helps me feel expanded by life?

Who or what spaces feel the most supportive for me?

What feels like me today?

Who recognizes my gifts?

How can I honor the ebb and flow of my energy? 

Human Design Chart for Free 

And that wraps up our dive into each Energy Type and gives you a better understanding of human design and the different human design types!

No matter which energy type you identify with, the key takeaway is to honor your unique design, embrace your strengths, and use the reflection points to understand yourself more.

As you navigate life with a deeper understanding of your Human Design, you can unlock your full potential, create more harmony, and contribute positively to the world around you. If you want a FREE 12 page Report based on your Energy Type, sign up for my email list here https://www.erinpanzarella.com/links.