Human Design Reflectors – the Mirror Energy Type

Learn about the traits of Human Design Reflectors, and how this energy type can embrace their attributes to live in alignment with their strategy and authority, and experience their signature.

What Are Reflectors in Human Design?

We may earn a small commission from the affiliate links in this post, at no extra cost to you.

When each type is living correctly, they exist in perfect symbiosis.

Reflector’s Life Purpose

When each type is living correctly, they exist in perfect symbiosis, creating a healthy community. To this end, all Human Design personality types have their own role within society to serve the health of the community as a whole.

Let’s take a closer look at the chart of a Reflector, and their Human Design qualities and characteristics…

Traits of Human Design Reflectors

Reflectors are lunar types.

In contrast to all other types, a Reflector’s Human Design chart has no defined energy centers, and no sustainable energy source.

Manifestors, Generators, MG’s, and Projectors are all solar types – just like the sun, they produce their own energy via their defined centers. 

It’s vital for Reflectors to develop self-awareness.

Reflectors are lunar types, and just like the moon is not able to generate its own light, Reflectors are non-energy beings; instead they reflect the energy of the other types around them (just as the moon reflects the light of the sun).

This can be both a blessing and a curse, presenting certain challenges, but also providing benefits.

Because of their reflective qualities and open nature, Reflectors mirror those around them: they try on the masks and roles of those they admire or respect – before ultimately realising none quite ‘fits’ them. This inevitable process can make it difficult for Reflectors to truly know their authentic self. 

To counter this inevitable situation, it’s vital for Reflectors to develop self-awareness when they are alone. Spending time actively examining their own thoughts, emotions, and desires when not in the company of others is the only way for Reflectors to find balance and be confident of their own true feelings.

On the other hand, Reflectors have an incredible capacity to blend in and adapt to their environment, and are often referred to as the ultimate chameleons of Human Design.

Reflectors are sensitive beings, who also have a unique gift of great wisdom, manifesting as an effortless ability to read others using their sampling aura.

Reflectors have also developed a special aura with a self-protective mechanism.

The Reflector Aura

All human beings are surrounded by their own invisible energy field, which extends around six feet in every direction and is a great tool in helping us to exchange information with those around us. 

Its frequency communicates core data about who we are, and impacts the way to relate to and connect with others. We use our auras to ‘taste’ those of the people around us, but our type determines how we respond.

A Reflector is a unique being in that they have only open centers. For most other types, this would result in constantly taking on the energy of others, a situation which would quickly become overwhelming.

However, Reflectors are able to avoid that unhealthy situation: similarly to the Manifestor’s repelling aura, Reflectors have also developed a special aura with a self-protective mechanism.

Reflectors are the only type to be deeply connected to the moon.

Instead of actively repelling the auras of other energy types, Reflectors have a unique ability to sample the energy of others. They resist, sample, and reflect the energy around them, making the Reflector’s aura type less vulnerable than a Projector’s.

Human Design Reflector Strategy

The Reflector’s unique strategy is to wait a full lunar cycle.

Reflectors are the only type to be deeply connected to the moon, feeling differently about things depending upon its position. 

Being lunar beings, Reflectors are profoundly affected by the cycle of the moon; it’s therefore important for them to wait a full cycle before making any major decision.

There are 64 gates in Human Design, and the moon enters a new gate two or three times across a day cycle of 24 hours, around every 8 – 12 hours. In order to gain the true clarity to help them make correct decisions, Reflectors need to experience their feelings throughout the different perspectives of completed cycles of the moon.

Reflector’s have lunar authority.

Waiting allows them the space and time to feel their way through all of their different emotions related to a specific situation before acting on them. This ensures a Reflector type isn’t too hasty when it comes to making important decisions.

Reflector Inner Authority

Reflectors are almost unique in that they have no inner authority due to having no defined centers; the only other energy type with no internal authority are Mental Projectors.

Instead of inner authority, Reflector’s instead have what’s known as lunar authority.

This external authority is essentially the same as the Reflector’s strategy: to wait one full cycle of the moon.

Human Design Reflectors and Sleep

Having open centers makes Reflectors vulnerable to taking on the energy of others. Sleep is an opportunity to discharge any external energies taken on through the day, so that they can rest fully.

When a Reflector is not living in alignment with their Design, the world will feel off kilter.

As non-Sacral types, Reflectors – like Manifestors and Projectors – do best sleeping alone, away from the Sacral energy of others. They should also retire to bed before they’re tired, making time to unwind before turning out the light.

Reflector False Self Theme

The Reflector has a not self theme of disappointment.

The resulting emotion is a sure sign they should be paying attention to their strategy and authority.

When a Reflector is not living in alignment with their Design, the world will feel off kilter to them and they’ll experience intense disappointment. 

A likely scenario which can cause this situation is surrounding themselves with the wrong people, or following the wrong passions. This can easily happen when they either spend too little time alone, and are therefore taking on the wishes of others, or are making big decisions without considering their strategy. 

The resulting sense of deep disappointment is a sure sign they should be paying better attention to their strategy and authority, and be more careful to keep the company of the right people.

Signature of the Reflector

The Reflector’s signature is experienced when living in alignment with their strategy and authority.

The most important thing Reflectors can do in order to experience their signature, is to live correctly and according to their Human Design. They should:

• Enjoy sufficient alone time so that they can get to know what truly lights them up without the influence of energy from those around them;
• Exist in the right place, and keep the right people in their circle;
• Make decisions after waiting a full lunar cycle.

The Reflector’s signature is surprise, a pleasant sense of awe at the beauty of the world – but it’s a feeling that can only be realised in the right environment, when living in alignment with their strategy and authority.

Famous Reflectors

Well-known Reflectors include:

• Sandra Bullock
• Richard Burton
• Dusty Springfield
• Rosalyn Carter
• Lenny Henry
• H G Wells
• Robert Urich
• Uri Geller

What Does the Science Say?

There is no evidence to support the philosophy of Human Design.

That said, there have long been questions about the possibility of links between the phases of the moon and human’s physiology and behaviour, which may be where the theory behind Reflectors comes from.

In particular, there has been much interest in how lunar cycles may synchronise with or influence the menstrual cycle. But what does the science say?

Incredibly, a 1986 study¹ claimed the link is real, and a further study in 1987² supported these findings.

There’s not enough research to categorically confirm or refute a link.

However more recent studies have disproved the results, with a study in 2013³ showing no evidence of synchronicity.

Fascinatingly, a 2021 study⁴ showed that human menstrual cycles may once have synchronised with the lunar cycle after all, however modern lifestyles, and specifically artificial light, may have disrupted the link.

Even where no true link exists, an apparent synchrony would randomly appear every so often for all women, as their cycles correspond with various moon phases. This occasional overlapping could appear to be syncing cycles, when in fact it’s nothing more than natural coincidence.

Ultimately, there’s not enough research to categorically confirm or refute a link, and that remaining question mark is sufficient to leave many people with a firm belief in the influence of the moon.

Sources

1. Law SP. The regulation of menstrual cycle and its relationship to the moon. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 1986;65(1):45-8. doi: 10.3109/00016348609158228. PMID: 3716780.
2. CUTLER, W. B., SCHLEIDT, W. M., FRIEDMANN, E., PRETI, G., & STINE, R. (1987). Lunar Influences on the Reproductive Cycle in Women. Human Biology, 59(6), 959–972. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41463960.
3. Ilias I, Spanoudi F, Koukkou E, Adamopoulos DA, Nikopoulou SC. Do lunar phases influence menstruation? A year-long retrospective study. Endocr Regul. 2013 Jul;47(3):121-2. doi: 10.4149/endo_2013_03_121. PMID: 23889481.
4. Helfrich-Förster C, Monecke S, Spiousas I, Hovestadt T, Mitesser O, Wehr TA. Women temporarily synchronize their menstrual cycles with the luminance and gravimetric cycles of the Moon. Sci Adv. 2021 Jan 27;7(5):eabe1358. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abe1358. PMID: 33571128; PMCID: PMC7840133.