Astrology

What is Human Design: Is it better than astrology?

Armenian mystic, Capricorn and first rate mustache ambassador “Without self knowledge, without understanding the working and functions of his machine, man cannot be free.”

Human Design, a system of awareness that wꦬeaves together ancient divination and new age wisdom, promises that freedom through mastery of the machine of the self.

A relatively new practice, Human Design provides practical insights into how we distribu🐭te and can best harness our energies, respond to others, approach conflict and make authentic choices.

The crux of Human Design suggests that our faiꦍlures, falterings, burnouts and backpedaling are a direct result of working against our essential energy and out of alignment with our coded natures. Can dig.

Whether you’re versed in, or resistant to, astrology, straining to hear your true calling or looking for another form of divination, Human Design might just be your ticket to ride. Read on to learn more and get right with your life path.

Guiding us through the fundamental of the practice is empathetic Pisces, babezilla, general conduitﷺ of greatness and Human Design ex🎉pert .

What is Human Design?

Alan Krakower aka Ra Uru Hu is the founder of Human Design. Jovian Archive/YouTube

Developed by Aries Canadian Alan Krakower, later known as Ra Ura Hu, Human Design integrates astrology, I’Ching, Myers-Briggs, Kabbalism, Hindu-Brahmin chakra system, and quantum physics.

Here’s where s**t gets crazy folks.

Ra Ura Hu claimed that he “downloaded” the framework for Human Design from “the Voice,” a superior and otherworldly intelligence that spoke to him during an eight day mystical bender in Ibiza in 1987. Thus, a prophet of purpose was born. After his encounter Ra Uru Hu wrote the a book described by disciples of the practice as, “the foundation upon which Human Design rests and the key to unlocking the code of our genetics,” according to the .

Is Human Design better than astrology?

Jasmine Kenna is a Pisces, life coach and Human Design expert. Madelyn Wigle

An individual’s Human Design is divined using a chart system. Similar to a birth chart in astrology, a Human Design chart or BodyGraph is determined by the exact time, date and place of birth. Unlike a birth chart, Human Design identifies dominant chakras, energy centers and gates. In this sense, Human Design incorporates and also supports the practice of astrology while differentiating itself as a more specific and arguably more dynamic system of belief. Kindred and complimentary you might say.

“Human Design is a science of differentiation, it’s about how your energy moves through the world,” Kenna explains. “I like to think of it as a blue print for how we experience ourselves and how we interact with others.”

This blue print꧂ is unique to the individual and reveals how our consciousness is configured and where our decision making is rooted. The Human Design chart ultimately serves as a guiꦿde to living, working, investing and expressing in a way that is aligned with our true natures and highest selves.

How to find your Human Design chart

A Human Design chart is a bit like a birth chart on steroids. Getty Images/iStockphoto

There are several websites that offer free Human Design tests and calculators including and . The resulting chart or diagram takes the form of the top half of a human body overlaid with chakra shapes, colors, lines, numbers and planetary symbols. The right side of the chart represents your conscious personality while the left indicates the unconscious. These charts also highlight your individual strategy type, how you express and exchange energy and your authority, how and from what place you make decisions. As Kenna explains, “Everyone thinks you should make decisions with your mind but in Human Design you always defer to your strategy and authority. It takes the guess work out of it.”

The chart and the information present within it can be complicated to approach. In addition to the aforementioned “ offers foundational knowledge to beginners while  offers certification courses. For those looking to explore their own charts, booking a reading with an expert can be a wonderful way to wade into these waters. To book a reading with Jasmine Kenna, visit her website .

Human Design types

Ever busy building and responding to the culture she has helped shape, Madonna is a generator. Getty Images for MTV/ViacomCBS

In Human Design there are four different energy types and one hybrid, each with their own respective set of gifts and challenges, blessings and banes. Each energy type has a specific strategy, or af𒈔firmative system that encourages them to work in accordance with, rather than against, their respective life force.

Generator

Generators make up the bulk of the population. Energy is a renewable resource to this ilk and they are in alignment when they find work and pursuits that light them up and feed them well. People pleasing is a common problem with generators and they often feel like they can, and should, ꦡdo and be all things to all people. The strategy of generators is to respond to outside forces, rather than initiate.

Kenna explains, “We live in a generator world, they’re the builders. Generators are not here to ‘just do it’ they need something to respond to and if they’re following what feels good, there’s plenty to respond to.”

Famous generators include Madonna, Albert Einstein, Oprah Winfrey and Elvis.

Manifestor

Visionary painter Frida Kahlo was a manifestor. Bettmann Archive

Disruptors and visionaries, manifestors are an impulsive lot who bear the mark of the divine and the divisive. Their energy is polarizing and can strongly attract or deeply repel in equal measure, 🎶they need to learn to trust that what is drawn to them is good for them and resist the urge to convince, cajole, or seek the approval of others. Autonomy is essential and solitude restorative for them. The strategy of manifestors is to inform and be transparent, through not necessarily flexible, about their plans and intentions.

Kenna explains, “Manifestors are not here to ask for permission, they are change makers. They tend towards sneakiness because they don’t want to be encroached upon and are also prone to rage black outs. The life of the manifestor is a lonely one because they know they are a force but they can’t always see themselves. They need a lot of love and minimal boundaries or expectations. They have to own their power and not resort to conforming or conceding, it is poisonous to their person.”

Famoඣus manifestors include Frida Kahlo, Tom Cruise, Gloria Steinem and Maya Angelou.

Manifesting Generator

Multidisciplinary, Beyoncé is a manifesting generator. Getty Images for The Recording A

Combining the drive of a manifestor with the gumption of a generator, manifesti🍃ng generators are here to experiment without commitment. Their energy is prodigious. curious and non linear. In order to feel fulfilled they must feel free to explore, fail, flourish and abandon. Discord develops when manifesting generators put all of their energy towards a single pursuit or person. The strategy for manifesting generators is to respond and then inform.

Kenna explains, “The difference between a generator and a manifesting generator is speed, manifesting generators move so quickly that it almost feels like they’re initiating but they’re still here to respond. They don’t like to be impeded, questioned or forced to finish.”

Famous manifesting generators include Bruce Lee, Ben Affleck, ��Miley 🔯Cyrus, Beyoncé  and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Projector

Former president Barack Obama is a big picture projector. AP

Projectors are here to serve as guides; to share knowledge and support others through their powers of perception. A common challenge of projectors is self-defeat and unwelcome interjection, they must learn to be patient with their🐻 inconsistent energy and trust that when wanted and needed, their wisdom will be sought. The strategy for p🦹rojectors is to wait for recognition and invitation.

Kenna explains, “Projectors have so much to offer but their auras are penetrating and penetration should always be consensual, that is why it’s crucial for them to wait to be asked before guiding and directing others”

Famous projectors include Princess Diana, Mick Jagger, Ari▨ana Grande, B⭕arack Obama and Queen Elizabeth II.

Reflector

Dystopian writer and environmental activist Margaret Atwood is a reflector, the rarest of Human Design types. Leonardo Cendamo

The rarest strategy type, reflectors make up just 1 percent of the population, and operate as a mirror to others. Fluid in nature and sensitive to cycles of lunation, their energy similarly waxes and wanes. Because they are the star spangled unicorns of the world෴, they must find peace in, and through, their otherness. The strategy for reflectors is to wait for a lunar cycle to complete itself before they make decisions or otherwise embark.

Kenna explains, “If you think of the canary in the coal mine analogy, that’s what reflectors are. They are here to show the rest of us what the environment is doing and determine if that environment is healthy. They are here to be delighted, and when they are everything shines but when they are disappointed or disillusioned they can be absolutely nihilistic.”

Kenna maintains that types are equal and valuable contributors, “All of the types should work together and help one another and energize each other and it’ wonderful to have a reflector in the community to operate as a mirror and inform whether the whole is healthy.”

Self-actualization, which Human Design supports, sits atop Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Getty Images/Westend61

Maslow identified self-actualization as the pyramid tip of his Hierarchy of Needs. For Kenna, meeting that need began with an accidental stumble, “I discovered Human Design while listening to a podcast. The host was describing what I now know to be a manifesting generator and as she spoke I knew she was talking about me. I suddenly understood that I was not broken. I was a manifesting generator and I was here to move fast, I was here to try tons of things and It was okay for me to quit or pivot.  I was okay. There was nothing wrong with me.

In that moment I felt the most me that I had ever felt. I started studying HD and reading charts so that I could show people that  they are also not broken, that we all operate differently but we’re all okay.” I’ll be repeating that last nugget of conciliatory gold to myself ever after. If you’re into feeling free, understanding the glorious, individual workings of your own machine, and learning more about Human Design, follow and download the .


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Astrologer  researches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture and personal experience. She is also an accomplished writer who has profiled a variety of artists and performers, as well as extensively chronicled her experiences while traveling. Among the many intriguing topics she has tackled are cemetery etiquette, her love for dive bars, Cuban Airbnbs, a “girls guide” to strip clubs and the “weirdest” foods available abroad.