the big problem with human design
on theory vs practice and how to actually use a little bit of knowledge vs the inertia of information overwhelm, plus simple, life-changing stuff by Aura Type
It doesn’t matter what you know.
It matters what you live.
Ra Uru Hu
Over five hundred, is what I calculated this morning, roughly.
I was driving to my local yoga studio to prep for a workshop I’m delivering there on Sunday. Obviously it’s a human design workshop, and the attendees are all regulars on the mat. I’m wondering as I meander the lanes, a rare music-free journey, what I might share with them.
It’s a short session, less than an hour, a brief taster. And as I drive I’m musing on what might be the very best part of HD to share…
Of course Aura Types (and their un-separate-able Strategies) are the obvious choice - they weren’t part of the original ‘knowledge’ but have become the typical jumping off point for most - and always bring some aha moments…
But starting with the Centres is powerful too - knowing how we variously emit and absorb energies lends itself to seeing relationships in a whole new light…
And then again, I’ll be talking to body-conscious people, so perhaps sharing the curiously unexpected “how to best digest food / life” and “where your body is healthiest” would be most valuable (although, seriously, even I catch myself thinking how can human design really know this kind of stuff?!)
After a while my mind drifted into wondering how many different things there are to find out about in the HD world. I’m not great with maths so don’t hold me to this, but I got to around 500.
500… gates, shadows, centres, incarnation crosses, variables, authorities, and don’t get me started on colour, tone and base…
The system is incredible. Brilliant. Life-changing.
But honestly none of that matters if you don’t know what to do with it.
It’s all meaningless information. You might as well know none of it, if it’s just theory, or yet another “super-interesting” profile you put in a drawer to gather dust.
So how do you make it into an actually-useful profile? (and if you haven’t seen yours yet, you can grab a copy just here 👇)
Here’s where I would start, with something simple…
(and yes I know what you’re thinking, you want to get past the “basics” and into the fun stuff, discover allll the juicy details, but I see this all the time, and nothing shifts, you just know more super-interesting stuff that doesn’t change your life…)
So, I would start with something simple AND life-changing, aka the Strategy for your Aura Type, which is:
For Manifestors → Initiate and inform
For Generators → Respond
For Man Gens → Respond and Inform
For Projectors → Wait for the invitation
For Reflectors → Wait a lunar cycle
But what does that actually mean? This is one of the questions I got from a reader recently…
How can I apply it practically to my life & business?
So today I’m sharing some simple tips for each of the Aura Types - and remember that beneath the overarching Type, there is so much nuance. You can be wildly different to someone with a very similar looking chart!
That said, Strategy still holds true… ready to play?
⬇️ Scroll down to find your section…
Simple, life-changing stuff for Manifestors
If you are a Manifestor, you are here to lead, to stir things up and get things going. You already know what you want, but you’re probably too conditioned to believe in your own knowing. You maybe found yourself squashed by others who found you a bit “too much”, who were intimidated by your ability to make things happen. (And yes, you can be too much for the wrong people, they’re just not your people; please keeping on being you regardless of them!)
You are not here to ask permission, or to check your answers, or to wait for a partner or business coach to tell you what to do or validate your choices. You are here to Initiate based purely on your creative urges (and if your Inner Authority agrees). And as you are the only Aura Type to ‘correctly’ behave in this way, we need you to spark off these new directions, new ventures.
Most of my Manifestor clients feel a strong release of emotion when we open this up, it’s often exactly how they wanted to be, but were taught not to be.
➡️ What is it you feel a pull towards, what excites you right now? It could be something small, a conversation, a day trip, a haircut. Act on it - now!
(no, you don’t need permission, but in the early days you might need a jump-start! I’m here for that 😘 )
➡️ And if you’ve got an urge to begin something too big to act on right now, at least take small steps right now - make notes, make a phone call, do a drive-by - that way you are telling your body, yes I’ve heard and I’m initiating, even in a small way. You’ll build trust in yourself by doing this.
What about informing? Informing is simply to clear the way… you probably get irritated when you’ve decided on your path and then other people get in the way, asking you stuff, questioning your route, just being in your space. Inform them - don’t ask them - of what you’re doing and when, for how long. And then go! Sometimes people will come along for the ride, and you’ll probably need them when your energy shifts to a new thing - let them pick up the reins at that point to free you up for more initiating. That’s how we work together best.
➡️ Depending on your unique design you might find that working in short bursts and resting a lot feels good. Think about how you can make this happen in your world and notice how your energy changes.
Simple, life-changing stuff for Generators & Man Gens
If you’re a Generator Type (I’m including Man-Gens here as your Aura Type is the same), you’re here to build and create and do work that lights you up. And a lit up Generator Type is a wonderful thing! You’re not here to Initiate - although you’ve probably been hustling away trying hard to make things happen and wondering why it’s not working… of course, the standard one-size-fits-all advice would encourage you in this direction too - instead you’re designed to Respond. To what? The outside world. Not the many ideas that pop up in your head out of the blue.
Obviously you want to know why. Well, Generator Types run on sacral energy, from the Sacral Centre. When you Respond to external clues, your Sacral is saying YES or noooo, or maybe? which is a no. When you feel this response and act accordingly, you’ll either have the energy for the thing (if it’s a YES) or you’ll save yourself from burnout (if it was a noooo). The problem for Generators and Man Gens is you know you have good energy and there’s a temptation to say yes to everything, overriding what your body is telling you.
And depending on your design, you might have a lot more or a lot less energy to offer than other Generators or Man Gens. The 500 nuances, remember? Don’t get stuck in the memes and one-liners - they don’t define you. Nothing about HD is here to define you or keep you trapped!
➡️ Try it today. When someone asks you for help, see what your Sacral Response is - a YES or a noooo? When you’re scrolling on socials, what do you really respond to? When you look in the fridge to fix dinner, what excites you, what drains you?
Yes / no questions are brilliant for Generators, and know that the Response is in the moment, this is about what do you have the energy for NOW. It might change later. And this is why Generators / MG’s find it so hard to plan ahead… Make A 5 Year Plan! they say… errr, no? But following the Sacral breadcrumbs by responding will get to exactly where you’re meant to be, I know that for sure.
➡️ Oh, and if you’re wondering why you don’t feel a YES for anything right now, declutter your life. Please. If you do one thing, practically, listen to your Sacral and get rid of everything / everyone / every project that is a noooo. You’ll be so glad you did.
Lastly, Man Gens have the additional Inform as part of their Strategy. Because just like the Manifestors, they’ll likely move fast when they get going, so as above, Inform your people to clear the path - not for advice or permission!
Simple, life-changing stuff for Projectors
If you’re a Projector, you’re here to see the use of energy and to guide the other Types. Unfortunately for you others don’t always want your brilliant wisdom and that can leave you feeling flat, bitter or resentful - why don’t they see how much you help them?
Quite simply, because you haven’t been invited to share. You have to Wait for the Invitation. Think of it as consent. Your aura type is kinda pointy and it can feel pretty invasive if you direct it right at someone without their say-so! On the other hand, if you’re invited in, your intense attention is a beautiful thing.
This is the part that so many of my Projector clients find hard to accept… but what do I do while I’m waiting? they ask me.
➡️ Simple. Look after you. You have to value yourself first, if you ever want others to recognise you and invite you in. Do the work. Heal. Rest. (It’s worth remembering that Projectors are not here to work long hours, and design-dependent, might need a lot more rest than Generators, don’t judge yourself by their access to Sacral energy!) Be playful. Be obsessed about your favourite things.
➡️ Waiting isn’t about sitting home on the sofa either. It’s about being out in the world, when your Inner Authority wants to be, in the Environments that work for you, having conversations with people it feels good to be around, asking questions, being you.
If you can lean into all of this, you’ll become absolutely magnetic! Others will see you doing your thing, radiating out brilliance and be drawn to you, to ask for your guidance and wisdom, when they’re ready.
➡️ Oh, and when you are at home, it’s being mindful of what your nearest and dearest actually want from you. You’ll see what they need, but have they invited it from you right now? Or can you sit back, breathe, and release the urge to fix. In this release, you’ll discover so much more time for you. Now, tell me that’s not life-changing?!
Simple, life-changing stuff for Reflectors
If you’re a Reflectors, you might feel quite different to others at just 1% of the population, and Human Design is often the most powerful for you, especially if you can connect with other Reflectors (like Annie over on Insta).
So, you are not here to rush. Not here to hustle, force, initiate or even respond in the same way the other Types do. You’re here to sample, observe, and wait. And if that sounds frustrating, yes, I get it, bear with me.
Your Strategy is to wait a lunar cycle before making big decisions. A whole 28-ish days. And you’ve probably noticed this is pretty much the opposite of what the world tells all of us. Decide quickly. Be confident. Trust your gut. Make it happen.
But Reflectors don’t have a Sacral to respond with, or an inner Authority that gives you clarity in the moment. Your clarity emerges over time, through being in the right places, around the right people, soaking up and reflecting back the world around you. You’re literally designed to take your time. To notice. To feel. To shift.
Being in the right place, with the right people, is deeply important for you as this allows your natural wisdom and perspective to come alive. So that you can sense things that no one else can. And that’s your gift - mirroring the health of your surroundings, amplifying what’s good, highlighting what’s not.
So what does waiting a lunar cycle look like? It’s about giving yourself space before jumping into new jobs, relationships, houses, projects. It could be journalling through the ups and downs. It might be talking it out with trusted people - but so that you can hear your voice, not because you need answers from them. And noticing how your sense of things changes over the weeks. Noticing what stays - three weeks ago that new project felt important, how about now?
➡️ And if you’re not feeling clear, check your environment. Are you in the right place? Are these your people? Does it feel calm, open, supportive? Reflectors thrive when things around them feel good. And when they don’t, you’ll really notice it.
You’re not here to be consistent. You’re not here to be like anyone else. You’re here to show us a new way of being, one that honours cycles, space, and deep reflection.
➡️ Try it this week. Take something you’ve been trying to decide on, and instead of solving it, watch it. Track your feelings over the days. Map the phases like the moon. See what emerges. Enjoy how your wisdom was there all along, once you stopped trying to rush it.
Surely this is all too simple? Honestly no. Find anyone who’s been in their human design experiment (because that’s what it is when we play around with this wonderful system!) for a while and ask them what helped them shift most - I bet it’ll be Strategy.
So, tell me…
🤔 How does it feel to read about your Strategy?
💫 How aligned are you now?
💪 What simple changes could you experiment with?
I can’t wait to hear how HD changes your life!
Wait! You still want to know, what did I decide to share in Sunday’s workshop? Strategy, of course. And as the yoga part of the workshop is all about the Chakras, I’ll be sprinkling a little bit of Centres magic too ✨ hmm, is that something you’d like to hear more about?
In the meantime, I’m sending so much love
Sarah xx
🙌 I’m very good at helping people shift from being stuck in the theory of HD to bringing it to life! If that sounds like what you need, here’s two ways we can work together.
Human Design Unpack - discover the fundamentals of your chart and how to actually use them
Align your Inner Compass - your four month Human Design coaching journey back home to the heart of you
Hey, I’m Sarah, 4/6 Sacral Generator with the Cross of Laws. If you’re in my world, you’re probably ready to ask yourself “what rules am I ready to break?”
Summer is a Cavapoochon Reflector and is always asking “what can I eat next?”
Do say hi and tell us more about you in the comments, or hit reply to email us 🧡