Glossary I — Core Terms

Glossary I — Core Terms

Type

Type is the foundational classification in Human Design, determined by which of the nine Centers are defined as consistent energy sources in a person's BodyGraph. There are four Types—Manifestor, Generator, Manifesting Generator, and Projector—plus a fifth, the Reflector, who has no defined Centers. Each Type carries a distinct role in the world, a particular aura, and a corresponding way of correctly engaging with life. Knowing your Type is the first and most essential step in the system, as it reveals the Strategy, Signature, and Not-Self theme that will guide your experiment with your design.

Strategy

Strategy is the correct mechanical approach to engaging with the world according to one's Type, describing how energy should flow outward rather than how to force outcomes through the mind. It is not a list of goals or affirmations but a way of moving in harmony with the aura and one's design: Manifestors are here to inform, Generators and Manifesting Generators to respond, Projectors to wait for the invitation, and Reflectors to wait a lunar cycle before making major decisions. When followed, the Strategy produces the Signature; when ignored, it produces the Not-Self theme. Strategy and Authority together form the practical core of living the Human Design experiment.

Authority

Authority is the inner, body-based mechanism for making correct decisions, considered far more reliable than the conditioned mind in Human Design. Each person has one of several Authorities—Emotional (Solar Plexus), Sacral, Splenic, Ego/Heart Manifested, Self-Projected, Mental/Outer, or Lunar (for Reflectors)—determined by which inner authority Center is defined. The Authority operates through feeling, sound, taste, direction, or clarity, depending on the type, and is meant to override the "not-self" of the open and undefined Centers. It is essential that Strategy and Authority be applied together: Strategy governs how to engage life, while Authority governs the decisions made within that engagement.

Aura

The aura is the electromagnetic field that surrounds every being and serves as the energetic signature of a Type, fundamentally shaping how a person interacts with others and the world. Each of the four Types—and the Reflector—operates within a distinct aura: Manifestors have a closed, repelling aura that initiates impact from a distance; Generators and Manifesting Generators have an open, enveloping aura that draws life toward them; Projectors have a focused, absorbing aura that penetrates and reads others; and Reflectors have a resistant, sampling aura that mirrors and evaluates the environment. The aura is not metaphorical but treated as a literal field that determines the mechanics of relationships, recognition, and correct interaction. Misunderstanding one's aura leads to forcing life rather than allowing it to meet you in the way your design was built to receive it.

Signature

The Signature is the positive, recognizable feeling that arises when a person is living in alignment with their Type and Strategy, serving as the body's confirmation that energy is flowing correctly. Each Type has its own Signature: Generators feel satisfaction, Manifesting Generators feel peace, Manifestors feel peace, Projectors feel success, and Reflectors feel surprise. It is felt in the moment, through the body, and is the opposite pole to the Not-Self theme. The Signature is not a goal to be achieved but a by-product of correct mechanics—when Strategy and Authority are honored, the Signature emerges naturally as a kind of inner compass.

Not-Self

Not-Self refers to the negative, recurring feeling or theme that signals a person is living against their design, typically arising from the conditioning of the open and undefined Centers. Each Type carries a characteristic Not-Self theme: Generators feel frustration, Manifesting Generators experience a mix of frustration and anger, Manifestors feel anger, Projectors feel bitterness, and Reflectors feel disappointment. It is not a moral failure but a mechanical indicator that Strategy and Authority are not being followed, or that the mind is overriding the body's wisdom. Recognizing the Not-Self is considered one of the most important steps in the experiment, as it allows the individual to pause, reflect, and return to the correct way of engaging life.

Definition

Definition describes how a person's defined Centers are connected through complete Channels, creating the consistent, fixed, and reliable structure of their energy. It is the part of the BodyGraph that does not waver, representing the mechanical truth of who a person is independent of conditioning. Definition falls into several patterns: Single Definition (one connected grouping), Split Definition (two groupings not directly connected), Triple Split, Four-Way Split, and No Definition (the Reflector's open sampling field). The pattern of Definition reveals how a person processes experience, where they experience themes of inconsistency, and how they form and sustain connections with others. Understanding one's Definition is key to seeing the difference between what is truly "you" and what is taken in from the conditioning of the open Centers.

The Experiment

The Experiment is the practical, lived hypothesis of Human Design itself—the invitation to apply one's Type, Strategy, and Authority as a true experiment and observe the results over time, rather than as a system of belief to be accepted intellectually. Originally formulated by Ra Uru Hu as a structured period of commitment (often cited as a full transit of the Nodes, roughly seven years) during which a person rigorously follows their Strategy and Authority in daily life, the Experiment is designed to strip away the conditioning of the not-self mind. The premise is simple: live according to your design for the prescribed period, notice how the body responds, and compare the results to your previous experience of forcing life. The Experiment is not a doctrine but a personal inquiry, and its only requirement is honesty in observing the Signature and Not-Self as they arise.