Here’s an introduction to the five human design types (manifestors, generators, manifesting generators, projectors, and reflectors) and what makes each one tick. The information he received then became human design, as Ra recorded his experience in a book called Rave I’Ching. And in the decades since, human design has steadily gained popularity around the world. But as human design experts Dana Stiles and Shayna Cornelius of DayLuna tell mbg, human design actually combines a number of different ancient systems. “It’s using elements from Western astrology, from the I Ching, from the Kabbalah Tree of Life, and from the chakra systems,” Stiles says, adding, “They’re weaved together in this one system that gives you a really detailed blueprint of how your energy is designed, how you are unique, and what your gifts and life purpose are.” As human design expert Nikki Brafman previously explained to mbg, this information is applied to a human design chart that represents a snapshot of the cosmos at the moment you were born—and three months before that when your brain was developing in utero. “Human design composites those two and layers them on top of each other and then looks at how [their] energy interacts,” she explains. According to human design expert Emma Dunwoody, when you can understand your human design chart, you understand your truth. “Oftentimes when we’re trying to change our lives, we’re doing it the way we think we should do it. Whereas with human design, it’s literally our energetic blueprint, and it flips the transformation process… You take a look at your energetic blueprint, and through that process, you can shed your conditioning and then create a mindset that supports the blueprint,” she says. And as Stiles notes, these are individuals who have an energetic aura, or energetic body, that is “closed and repelling.” This basically means they have a very strong presence and their energy can be felt by everyone around them. “Their energy is here to initiate, to start new things, and to be a catalyst of change in the lives of people around them,” Stiles says. “And they’re really people who are designed to have freedom and independence—to be trailblazers and create new things in this world and in their own life,” she adds. The caveat, however, is Manifestors can deal with burnout and shame when they feel they can’t keep up. “Their energy is like a slingshot,” Brafman previously explained. “They pull back and then they catapult forward.” The Manifestor’s “strategy,” (aka how they’re meant to respond to life) is to inform others. Their life theme is finding peace, which Brafman defines as a place where their initiations can start to roll freely. When a Manifestor can combine their ability to effect change without resisting the opportunity to inform others, that is when they are most in alignment, Cornelius says. We’ll get into those distinctions shortly, but we’ll break down Generators in general first. As Brafman previously told mbg, Generators are like the workhorses of the world, and their “strategy” is to respond. “They respond to things like gaps in the market, or inequities in the world. They’re propelling the world forward with their work and energy, and they access that energy by doing things that light them up,” she explains. “They’re really here to use their body to show them how they’re meant to use their energy, what they actually want, and what they actually love,” Stiles tells mbg. This is part of the reason their theme is satisfaction, which will be achieved, according to Brafman, by “continually responding to things that are a ‘yes’ for them,” she explains. “In the end, Manifesting Generators are really here to use their energy creating and building what they want, the same way a Generator is—and they’re here to use their body’s responses to guide them toward those things. But they’re also designed to be trailblazers and to be super impactful and inspirational, just like a Manifestor,” Stiles explains. Overall, the thing to know about this type is that they love variety. As Stiles tells mbg, these people are not going to be satisfied without constant change and evolution. “People can feel like they get whiplash from Man-Gens, [thinking that they’re] flaky or quitting things too soon,” Cornelius says, “but if you just inform them of your process and what you’re thinking and feeling, they’ll be on board.” Projectors have the ability to see others on a deep level, and as such, they are helpers who love offering up advice. But, as Cornelius adds, Projectors can run into problems when people become frustrated by their unsolicited guidance. “A Projector’s work is to wait for recognition, and in the meantime,” Brafman says, “elevate themselves and share things so people can understand what they’re all about.” Or, as Cornelius puts it, “It’s about holding your tongue, focusing on your own fascinations and your own wisdom, and letting people come to you so that energy exchange feels easy and harmonious instead of repelling or forced.” Stiles also notes that projectors are “non-energy” beings, and thus do not create the same consistent energy we see from Generators and Manifesting Generators. “So it’s really important that they’re working efficiently and working less maybe than other people,” she adds. “They’re like the unicorn in human design,” Stiles says, adding, “Their energy, their aura, is like sampling. It’s like a sponge—they’re drinking in other people and temporarily mirroring that person’s energy back, experiencing the world around them in their own body and in their own being.” Interestingly, these folks operate best when they’re living in attunement to the 28-day lunar cycle. They require “an entire 28 days to find clarity before making their own life decisions,” Stiles explains, adding, “The reason for that is they’re constantly taking in the ideas, thoughts, feelings, and emotions of people and the world around them, so giving themselves that much time gives them an opportunity to make sure they find their own clarity.” It’s no wonder the “strategy” for Reflectors is patience. And as Brafman previously noted, the life theme for Reflectors is surprise. “Ideally,” she says, “a reflector would always be in an environment that would continue to surprise [them], bring them joy, and help them understand the area that they’re in.”
