The 7 Human Design authority variations, including inner and outer authorities, and how to harness your authority to live in alignment with your aura type.
What is Human Design Authority?
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When it comes decision making, authority essentially determines how you make choices.
Authority in the Human Design system developed by Ra Uru Hu refers to the powerful tool each energy type is designed to utilise to make big decisions.
If you’re already aware of Human Design aura types, then you’ll know how important they are in the context of the complex system. If the first step is learning about your type, understanding your own authority is the next piece of the puzzle in navigating the outside world.
When it comes decision making, authority essentially determines how you make choices. It provides a framework to help you follow your true path to make correct decisions, by helping you tune into your own inner compass.
You’ll find yourself living your signature, which indicates that you’re living correctly.
Your body graph might recommend that you:
- Listen to your gut
- Follow your heart
- Trust your intuition
- Use some other method
According to Human Design when you follow your own strategy and personal authority, your life will naturally go in the right direction. You’ll experience less resistance and find yourself living your Human Design signature theme rather than your not-self theme, which indicates that you’re living correctly.
You may also like this post about the Martyr Heretic 3/5 profile in Human Design.
Order Your Human Design Report!
If you’re intrigued by what you’re reading and would like to delve further into your Design, why not order a thorough Human Design reading report for yourself or a loved one?
Hot tip: Use code HD963K2 for a 25% discount when you purchase two or more reports!
Child reports, unique to the market, are now also available to help strengthen your connection with your child, and support their wellbeing.
Unlike the free reports typically available online, the offering from Supernatural Coaching is a 120+ page comprehensive deep-dive into your unique Design and type, also covering profiles and themes and providing a quick reference guide and workbook.
What Are the 7 Authority Types in Human Design?
There are seven different types of authority. Some of them are unique to specific personality types, while others can belong to several different Human Design types. Let’s take a look at the seven types…
Inner Authority Variations
The different authorities are linked to the different Human Design energy centers within the body, and manifest in different ways, as briefly outlined below (keep reading for more detail).
- Emotional Authority
- Solar Plexus / Emotional center defined
- Feels things out through an emotional wave of information before making major decisions
- Approx. 47% of the world’s population
May apply to the following aura types:
- Pure Manifestor
- Pure Generator
- Manifesting Generator
- Projector
- Sacral Authority
- Defined Sacral center
- Sacral energy sounds like an ‘uh-huh’ (yes), or ‘nuh-uh’ (no) coming from an energetic gut response
- Approx. 35% of the population
May apply to the following aura types:
- Pure Generator
- Manifesting Generator
- Splenic Authority
- Splenic center defined
- Tied to primal, intuitive feelings when it comes to making important decisions
- Approx. 11% of the population
May apply to the following aura types:
- Pure Manifestor
- Pure Generator (as Splenic Generated Sacral authority, due to the hierarchy of authority meaning that technically, the Sacral outranks the Spleen)
- Projector
- Ego Authority
- Heart center defined
- Operates on willpower for making a right decision
- Approx. only 1% of human beings
May apply to the following aura types:
- Manifestor
- Projector
- Self-Projected / G Center Authority
- G center defined
- Manifests as an internal voice, which may spill out of the mouth
- Approx. 3% of the population
May apply to the following Human Design type:
- Projector
Outer Authority Variations (No Inner Authority)
- Environmental Authority, aka Mental Projectors
- No defined centers below the throat
- Bounces ideas off of others to gain emotional clarity
- Approx. 2% of the population
May apply to the following aura types:
- Projector
- Lunar Authority
- No defined centers, but able to rely on lunar cycles for guidance
- Requires time to be certain of a correct action
- Approx. 1% of the population
May apply to the following aura types:
- Reflector
Below is a breakdown by energy type:
Manifestor
Have a direct connection from a motor center to the Throat center. Undefined Sacral.
- Splenic
- Emotional
- Ego
Generator
Have a defined Sacral, no connection to the Throat center.
- Sacral Generator
- Splenic Generated Sacral authority
- Emotional
Manifesting Generator
Have a defined Sacral with direct connection to the Throat center.
- Sacral
- Emotional
Projector
Non-energy type. Have no direct connection from any motor centers to the Throat center. Open Sacral center. At least two other centers are defined.
- Emotional
- Splenic Projectors
- Self-projected / G center
- Ego / heart-projected
- Mental Projectors / environmental
Reflector
Non-energy type. No defined centers.
- None / lunar authority
Inner Authority Hierarchy – What’s My Inner Authority?
Having more than one center defined is common, and in this case inner authority is determined by hierarchy.
Following is the rank of energy centers so you can easily identify your own inner authority simply by looking at your Human Design bodygraph.
1. Solar Plexus Center – Emotional Authority
If your Solar Plexus is defined (coloured instead of white), then you have emotional authority; regardless of whether any other centers are defined – this one outranks them all.
2. Sacral Center – Sacral Authority
If your Solar Plexus is open (white), but your Sacral center is defined, you have Sacral inner authority.
3. Splenic Center – Splenic Authority
If both your Solar Plexus and Sacral centers are open but you have a defined Spleen, then you’re a Splenic being.
4. Heart Center – Ego Authority
If your Solar Plexus, Sacral and Splenic center are all white but your Heart center is defined (coloured), you have Ego authority.
5. G Center – Self Projected Authority
When your Solar Plexus, Sacral, Splenic, and Heart are all undefined centers (white), but your G Center is defined, then you have Self Projected authority.
Environmental and Lunar authorities are not mentioned in this list since for either of those to apply, all centers must be open (white).
Now let’s take a look at each Human Design authority type in more detail.
Characteristics of Human Design Inner Authorities
Emotional / Solar Plexus Authority
Motor and awareness center. Center for emotional energy.
Allowing yourself the time to feel the nuances and full spectrum of your emotions helps you to make important decisions correctly.
Emotional authority is so powerful that no matter what other centers are defined, if you have Emotional Solar Plexus definition this supersedes all other defined centers giving you Emotional authority.
About half of the population have Emotional authority, and for all of them clarity comes with waiting. They must ride the highs and lows of the emotional wave they’re designed to experience, and once their feelings even out, then is the right time to make their decisions.
For small decisions, taking a few minutes can be sufficient; for big life decisions sleeping on it and waiting perhaps a week is sensible. Allowing yourself the time to feel the nuances and full spectrum of your emotions helps you to make the right decisions for your genetic design.
Having Emotional authority is special, since it’s both a motor center and an awareness center.
Order Your Human Design Report!
If you’re intrigued by what you’re reading and would like to delve further into your Design, why not order a thorough Human Design reading report for yourself or a loved one?
Hot tip: Use code HD963K2 for a 25% discount when you purchase two or more reports!
Child reports, unique to the market, are now also available to help strengthen your connection with your child, and support their wellbeing.
Unlike the free reports typically available online, the offering from Supernatural Coaching is a 120+ page comprehensive deep-dive into your unique Design and type, also covering profiles and themes and providing a quick reference guide and workbook.
Sacral Authority
Motor center. Powerful center for life force energy.
The Sacral center is the most powerful motor center in the body, the hub for life force energy, which Sacral authority gives you consistent access to.
Tap into your Sacral response to develop healthy boundaries.
A clear Sacral response is an instant gut reaction which often manifests as grunts and groans.
Sacral authority is said to be experienced as an expanding gut feeling when excited by an idea, or as a contraction of the gut when something doesn’t feel right.
It has been described as a push or pull from the body, combined with Sacral sounds emanating from the gut, and spilling out of the mouth. The Sacral voice sounds like:
‘Uh-huh’ (yes), or ‘nuh-uh’ (no).
If Sacral beings notice themselves hesitate before responding, then their true answer is no. Tap into your Sacral response to develop healthy boundaries and only say yes to those things which light you up.
Splenic Authority
Center for awareness, immune system, time consciousness, and center for intuition.
The Splenic center operates by speaking softly only once.
For those with their Splenic center definition giving them Splenic Authority, tuning into the body is important.
Splenic authority is about instinct, survival, and intuition and is designed to respond spontaneously, in the present moment.
The Splenic center is the oldest awareness center, and operates by speaking softly only once, so it’s vital to be always listening for it so as not to miss its inner source of truth and wisdom.
Ego Authority
Motor center. Center for ego, willpower, and values.
Listen carefully!
A defined ego center with the Solar Plexus, Sacral, and Splenic being open centers, manifests as words being blurted, unfiltered. The saying the heart wants what it wants is a perfect representation of this energy.
If you let go and trust your own voice, it will speak your inner truth, directly from your ego / heart center. Listen carefully!
Self Projected / G-Center Authority
Center for identity, love, and direction, and purpose.
You have a powerful voice.
If you have Self Projected authority this means you’re a Projector with Throat and G centers defined.
The G center is the hub of identity, often referred to as the Identity center, and the Throat center is the energy hub of expression and communication.
Those with Self-Projected authority need to vocalise and bounce their unfiltered thoughts (as with Ego authority) off others. You have a powerful voice, and hearing yourself speak brings you clarity and helps you to recognise and accept the right invitation.
Characteristics of Human Design Outer Authorities
Environmental Authority / Mental Projectors (None)
No definition below the throat.
A healthy environment is highly important for Mental Projectors.
Those with Environmental authority have no inner guidance, however that doesn’t mean they’re aimless beings. Environmental authority means they get their guidance from external sources.
They need to vocalise their thoughts to others – not for advice, but simply in the capacity of a sounding board. Choosing the right environment in which to do this is key for you.
A healthy environment is highly important for Mental Projectors because they have so much openness below the throat. It’s necessary for them to be in the right place and around the right people since the openness in their design means they take in the energy of others.
Naturally, taking in the wrong energy is detrimental to a Mental Projector’s wellbeing.
Lunar Authority (None)
No definition.
The emotions of those with Lunar authority change with the different positions of the moon.
Lunar authority is unique to Reflectors. They are the only type with no defined centers in your Human Design chart – but that doesn’t mean you have no guidance in your life. Like Mental Projectors, your authority is external, but unlike them yours comes from being profoundly in tune with the cycles of the moon.
When it comes to making a decision, Reflectors should rely on their strategy to wait a lunar cycle. For other types, strategy and authority differ, but for Reflectors it’s essentially the same, coming back to their intense affinity with the moon.
The emotions of those with Lunar authority change with the different positions of the moon. By experiencing their undulating feelings throughout a full moon cycle which lasts around 28 days, they gain the clarity they need to make correct decisions.
Reflectors should act only once a cycle has completed.
Ready to learn more about the system? The next step I recommend researching is Human Design profiles.
Ready to Order Your Report?
Curious to find out more, or order a reading for yourself or a loved one?
A comprehensive report can be an excellent tool to help deepen your relationships. And, newly unique to the market, child reports are now also available to help strengthen your connection with your child, and support their wellbeing.
Hot tip: Use code HD963K2 for a 25% discount when you purchase two or more reports!
Unlike the free reports typically available online, the offering from Supernatural Coaching is a 120+ page comprehensive deep-dive into your unique Design and type, also covering profiles and themes and providing a quick reference guide and workbook.
What Does the Science Say?
Research suggests one method of decision making in particular carries weight.
Despite its growing popularity, there’s no evidence to support the philosophy of Human Design.
In terms of the various authority types, there are some interesting ideas about optimum ways to make decisions, with some being of legitimate value.
Of course it’s reasonable to assume that those methods may be equally valid for everyone, or dependent on circumstances, rather than precise birth time.
Research suggests that out of all of the decision making methods recommended for each different aura type, one in particular carries weight…
Making gut decisions can be powerful and effective – especially when you have low energy due to a lack of glucose1.
According to one 2016 study2, after people’s brains have been taxed by a morning of executive processing tasks – aka making decisions – their ability to make wise financial choices was impaired. This can be explained by the theory that the brain uses glucose for energy, including for the function of the decision-making process.
Two studies from 20103 and 20174 support this idea, the former showing that an uptick in blood glucose corresponds with savvier financial choices, and the latter that sipping a glucose rich drink led to people using more deliberative thinking processes compared to people who sipped a drink without glucose.
With all that in mind, while waiting to make a decision or talking things out can be beneficial – for anyone – the winning method is to allow your unconscious to take over during fatigue. Or to drink a soda.
Sources
- Bos, M. W., Dijksterhuis, A., & van Baaren, R. (2012). Food for thought? Trust your unconscious when energy is low. Journal of Neuroscience, Psychology, and Economics, 5(2), 124–130. doi: 10.1037/a0027388.
- Bastien Blain, Guillaume Hollard, Mathias Pessiglione (2016) Neural mechanisms underlying the impact of daylong cognitive work on economic decisions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113(25), 6967-6972. PMID – 27274075. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1520527113.
- Association for Psychological Science. (2010, January 29). Sweet future: Fluctuating blood glucose levels may affect decision making. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 13, 2022 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100125173444.htm
- Shih, E., Auh, S., Menguc, B. (2017). Glucose Depletion and Decision Making: An Examination of Choice in Context. In: Campbell, C.L. (eds) The Customer is NOT Always Right? Marketing Orientationsin a Dynamic Business World. Developments in Marketing Science: Proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science. Springer, Cham. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-50008-9_19
Your Projector graphic is wrong.
If you have the throat connected to the emotional solar plexus that creates a Manifestor, as the throat becomes motorized.
The only way a Projector can have emotional or ego authority while having a defined throat center is if a split disconnects the throat from the motor centers.
Any connection to the throat to a motor, however it gets there, with an undefined sacral is a Manifestor.
Hey Jason,
You’re right, thanks so much for pointing this out, I always appreciate opportunities to improve my content and ensure it’s correct.
A lot of the graphics I use are ones I’ve not created myself (I purchase them!), and this one slipped me by. I’ve now updated accordingly for anyone else who may be reading.
Thanks again,
Kate