​Archetype (Energy Centers)

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There are 9 decision and influence centers in Human Design where each center reflects a different theme of how you process and express energy:

 

• Pressure Centers: Crown/Root; external demands and internal drive 

• Awareness Centers: Mind/Emotional Solar Plexus/ Spleen; perception, intuition

• Expression Centers: Throat/Heart; influence, communication and willpower 

• Motor Centers: Heart/Emotional Solar Plexus/Sacral/Root; energy and momentum

• Direction Centers: Crown/Identity/Heart; orientation, purpose and self-direction

 

Your Human Design type (archetype) is determined by which of your nine decision and influence centers are either active / consistent (defined) or adaptive to external influences (open). 

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• Defined centers (colored in any given chart) represent areas where you operate with consistency. This is your natural “signal”, something you project outward and where you influence others

• Open or undefined centers (white in any given chart) are more adaptive. Here, you absorb and often amplify input from others or from external circumstances. This makes these areas less predictable but also rich in perspective and flexibility (learning areas)

 

Given this adaptability, open centers are more susceptible to conditioning, i.e. you may adopt behaviors, expectations or decision patterns that don’t truly reflect how you work best. Even defined centers can be influenced. Key is ensuring decisions come from the authentic operating model vs. external pressure.

 

Dependent on the combination of defined and undefined centers, your archetype emerges: 

 

Generator (37%) – The steady builders of organizations. With a defined Sacral Center, they bring reliable energy and stamina. They thrive in roles that require consistent focus, operational excellence and mastery. Their reliability makes them the backbone of teams and companies.
 

Manifesting Generator (33%) – The dynamic multitaskers. With both a defined Sacral and a motor connection to the Throat, they combine sustainable energy with the ability to move fast and initiate. They excel in entrepreneurial ventures, innovation and juggling multiple priorities, but need freedom to pivot and adapt.
 

Projector (20%) – The strategists. Without a defined Sacral or motor-to-Throat connection, they aren’t built for constant doing but for directing others. They shine in leadership, coaching and advisory roles where they optimize systems and people, especially when recognized for it.

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Manifestor (9%) – The initiators. With a motor directly connected to the Throat (but no Sacral), they spark movements and drive change. They thrive as founders, executives and visionaries who set new directions. Their power lies in getting things started, not necessarily finishing them.
 

Reflector (1%) – The mirrors. With no defined centers, they reflect the health of their environment and the people around them. In business, they act as cultural barometers, sensing whether teams, organizations, or markets are in alignment. Their strength lies in offering objective insights and perspective.

 

Decision Making - General Approach and Style (Strategy and Authority)

 

Depending on your archetype, there is a natural way you are designed to make decisions. In Human Design, two of the most practical aspects of this are your Strategy and Authority. Together, they act as your personal decision-making compass, guiding you toward choices that create more ease, alignment, and sustainable success in both life and business

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• Strategy tells you how to take action when to move forward, when to wait and how to engage with opportunities.

• Authority tells you how to make the right choice once options are on the table whether to trust your gut, wait for clarity or lean on another inner signal.

 

In simple terms, Strategy and Authority help you distinguish what you actually have energy for versus what you do not. Human Design shows that not every idea, opportunity, or demand is correct for you and trying to force what isn’t aligned often leads to frustration or resistance.

Of course, you can still make decisions without following your Strategy and Authority. You’ll learn something from the experience, but the process is usually heavier and less effective because you’re pushing against your natural design, i.e. doing things out of pressure or expectation rather than genuine alignment.

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When you follow your Strategy and Authority, you begin to work with your energy rather than against it. This doesn’t just make life easier, it directly impacts how you lead, collaborate, and create results. Depending on your archetype, applying the right Strategy opens the door to the experiences, opportunities, and relationships that are correct for you, while Authority ensures you make the right choice once inside that door.

Depending on your overarching type, following these strategies will allow you to enter experiences and relationships that are correct for you: 

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• Manifestor: to inform before acting

• Generator: respond to what shows up

• Manifesting Generator: respond to what shows up

• Projector: wait to be invited (from someone or something)

• Reflector: wait for a lunar cycle (28-29 days) to gain clarity

 

Authority in Human Design is the extended decision making process and it works together with your strategy. An inner authority is your body’s knowing and wisdom and there are 7 types of it: 

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• Emotional: clarity and ultimate decision comes with time, waiting is key

• Sacral: primal response, full body wisdom, expands throughout the body in the moment

• Spleen: instinctive yet quiet voice that requires to be deeply present in the now to hear it

• Ego: connected to what you want and your own truth, “heart wants what it wants”

• Self-projected: wait for the invitations, talk decision out loud to yourself or someone else

• Mental: gain clarity by talking things out, be in environments where you feel comfortable 

• Lunar: amplifying everything in the outer environment, time to process (28-29 days)

 

Our signature themes act as guideposts, showing when we’re in alignment versus when we’re forcing, i.e. how we feel when making decisions according to or against our strategy:

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• Manifestor: peace / anger

• Generator: satisfaction / frustration

• Manifesting Generator: satisfaction / frustration

• Projector: success / bitterness

• Reflector: surprise / disappointment

 

Strategy opens the door, allowing you to interact with life in a way that brings the right opportunities while with your authority you make the ultimate choice, i.e. you decide which of those opportunities are truly correct for you. When strategy and authority work together, you’ll feel your signature theme (or non-self theme). 

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Decision Making - Timespan (Definition)

 

Further, your chart reveals indications on how fast and seamlessly you are making decisions. The so called ‘definition’ shows how your internal “circuit board” of strengths and energies is connected, i.e. explains how self-sufficient you are, when you need others to “plug in” to make decisions and what environments help you operate at your best. Think of it as how information/energy naturally flows inside you and where you might look to others to fill the gaps.

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• No Definition: No consistency (~1%): highly adaptive, shaped by environment.

• Single Definition: everything is connected in one system (~41%): independent, processes things internally, does not need someone else to make decision

• Split Definition: two separate systems inside you (~46%): often seek collaboration or relationships to “bridge” the gap., i.e. needs others to be able to make decision

• Triple Split: 3 separate systems (~11%): thrive in dynamic, multi-person environments where different inputs keep things flowing

• Quadruple Split: 4 distinct systems (~1%): need variety and larger groups to feel fully “connected”

 

Characteristics and Strengths (Gates and Channels)

 

Beyond your type, strategy and authority, Human Design gets even more granular through something called ‘gates.’ These represent the specific traits and themes that shape how you work, communicate and interact with others. 

 

Gates are like access points or “ports” in your energy system and basically color the way your Strategy and Authority are expressed. They determine how energy flows in and out of your centers, shaping the way you think, make decisions and respond to opportunities. One can think of gates as functional modules in your operating system. They define the traits, tendencies, and patterns you consistently bring to work and when connected via channels, they determine how your internal energy flows and how you deliver value. Hence, your Strategy or Authority does not change because of gates. However, the themes of your gates influence what kinds of things you notice, attract and respond to.

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There are 64 gates, derived from the Chinese I Ching (Book of Change) which get activated by the specific astrological position when someone is born. Each gate represents a specific skill, behavior or theme that can influence how you operate. Each gate also has 6 lines (derived from the profile, see next abstract), which add another layer or variation to a trait, i.e. like different variations on the same skill or behavior, similar to how a team might have multiple ways to approach a single project.

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A single gate can be activated by different planets, in different lines (1-6), and on different sides (conscious / unconscious). This means your energy expressions are layered and nuanced and the same gate can show up in multiple ways depending on which planet is activating it and whether it’s conscious or unconscious.

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The planet activating each gate shapes how that energy expresses itself:

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• Sun: Expression – how you show up and contribute.

• Earth: Grounding – what keeps you stable and energized.

• North Node: Life theme 40+, what your focus is in the second half of life.

• South Node: Life theme 0–40, what you came here to learn early in life.

• Moon: Motivation – your driving force.

• Mercury: Communication – what you’re here to teach or share.

• Venus: Values & Relationships – what you care about and connect with.

• Mars: Growth – where you develop skills and resilience.

• Jupiter: Blessings – how you offer your strengths and receive support.

• Saturn: Discipline – your challenges for growth.

• Uranus: Innovation – your unique approach and evolutionary triggers.

• Neptune: Vision – creativity, inspiration, and spiritual direction.

• Pluto: Transformation – where profound change and renewal happen.

 

Each gate is activated on either the conscious (personality) side or the unconscious (body) side of your chart or sometimes on both. Think of it like multiple channels in a workflow. One system operates deliberately and visibly (conscious), while another runs in the background automatically (unconscious). Both contribute to the output but in different ways.

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• Conscious/Personality side: This is what you are aware of and can easily recognize in yourself. Others can also see these traits more clearly.

• Unconscious/Body side: This is harder for you to notice. It’s how your energy shows up automatically, often influencing others without you even realizing it.

 

This means some of your traits are very visible to you and others, while some are more subtle, influencing how people experience you even if you’re not consciously aware of it. Both sides matter equally in how you create impact.

 

Organizational Role (Profile)

 

Your profile in Human Design describes your role in life, how you experience yourself and how others experience you. There are 12 profiles of which each reflects a specific energetic theme and role. Profiles are made up of two lines, representing different aspects of your energy and are determined by the combination of your Conscious/Personality Sun + Earth (what you’re aware of) and your Unconscious/Body Sun + Earth (what operates automatically). It gets visible on the left and right side of your chart.

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Lines: 

1- Investigator: needs foundation of knowledge / data

2- Hermit: naturally talented, needs retreat

3- Experimenter: trial and error mentality, learns by failing

4- Opportunist: networks, builds community

5- Problem-Solver: offers practical solutions for others

6- Role Model: three stage life, i.e. trial and error, reflection, embodiment

 

Overview of various profiles: 

 

1/3 – Investigator / Martyr

• Learns through research + trial and error.

• Deeply curious, thorough, resilient.

• Ideal for problem-solving roles and practical experimentation.

 

1/4 – Investigator / Opportunist

• Gathers knowledge and connects it to relationships.

• Builds credibility and leverages networks.

• Thrives in consultancy, advisory, or team-focused strategy roles.

 

2/4 – Hermit / Opportunist

• Naturally talented but needs private space to develop.

• Success comes via networks and invitations.

• Works well in roles where expertise is recognized and sought after.

 

2/5 – Hermit / Heretic

• Talented, adaptable, and solution-oriented.

• Can be projected onto as a leader or fixer.

• Excels in consulting, troubleshooting, or high-impact problem-solving.

 

3/5 – Martyr / Heretic

• Learns by trial and error, then solves practical problems for others.

• Innovative, adaptable, often a crisis manager.

• Fits entrepreneurial, operations, or project-based roles.

 

3/6 – Martyr / Role Model

• Early life: trial-and-error learning. Midlife: reflection and leadership.

• Evolves into a credible guide over time.

• Ideal for roles requiring long-term growth, mentoring, and innovation.

 

4/6 – Opportunist / Role Model

• Network-focused with a role-model trajectory.

• Early life: relationships and learning. Later life: leadership and mentoring.

• Excels in strategic influence, people management, and consultancy.

 

4/1 – Opportunist / Investigator

• Network-builder who relies on deep knowledge.

• Combines connection with expertise.

• Strong in advisory, team leadership, and thought leadership roles.

 

5/1 – Heretic / Investigator

• Problem-solver with practical solutions others seek.

• Can be projected as a savior or solution-giver.

• Thrives in consulting, innovation, crisis management, or expert roles.

 

5/2 – Heretic / Hermit

• Naturally talented and solution-oriented.

• Needs private space but is sought after for guidance.

• Suited for consultancy, advisory, or project-based roles.

 

6/2 – Role Model / Hermit

• Life evolves in three phases: experimentation, retreat, then role-model leadership.

• Quietly talented, gains credibility over time.

• Ideal for advisory, mentorship, or leadership in strategic positions.

 

6/3 – Role Model / Martyr

• Early experimentation, midlife reflection, later leadership.

• Learns by doing and observing, becomes a credible mentor.

• Excels in transformational leadership, innovation, or teaching roles.

 

Life Purpose (Incarnation Cross)

 

Your incarnation cross is another crucial element as it essentially reflects your life theme or purpose frequency. It matters as it shows the “why” behind your design and forms the overarching narrative you are here to live out. 

 

It is defined by the positions of your conscious sun and earth (personality) and your unconscious sun and earth (design). These four gates make up about 70% of your chart’s characteristics, having a massive influence. 

 

1. Conscious sun (personality): brand spotlight; energy you naturally project outward; strengths that others most visibly recognize in you

2. Conscious earth (personality): stabilizing foundation that you lean on to stay balanced and effective in how you show up

3. Unconscious sun (design): underlying energy you transmit without effort; shapes how others experience you

4. Unconscious earth (design): deeper resources that support your stamina, resilience and long-term sustainability 

 

Further, it can be categorized as either Right Angle or Left Angle or Juxtaposition.

 

Right Angle Cross (e.g. 1/3)

• Focused on personal destiny and individual experience.

• Life is primarily about self-directed growth and learning.

• Challenges and opportunities tend to be self-contained, with lessons centered on personal development rather than impacting others directly.

• Individuals with a Right Angle Cross often feel a sense of purpose through mastering their own path and experiences.

 

Left Angle Cross (e.g. 5/1)

• Focused on transpersonal or collective purpose.

• Life is oriented toward impacting others, serving communities, or fulfilling a broader societal role.

• Opportunities and challenges are relational; lessons often come through interactions, collaborations, and contributions to others.

• Individuals with a Left Angle Cross thrive when aligned with collective needs or larger systems beyond themselves.

 

Juxtaposition (4/1 profile)

• Refers to a middle alignment between conscious and unconscious lines that are different but complementary.

• Creates flexibility and integrative potential, allowing the individual to navigate both personal and collective themes.

• Encourages adaptability and relational awareness, blending lessons from self-directed experiences with insights gained from interactions with others.