Human Design for Dummies 🌚

HD is quite complicated but it promises a better understanding of self. In this post, I cover the basics of the Generator type.

Back in the heat of the pandemic, when Clubhouse was the hottest thing on social media, I got introduced to Human Design (HD) as a tool for holistic self awareness. I was a member of a “house” that held regular discussions on the topic, listened to enthusiasts and the occasional experts dissect different types. As with most things scientific, esoteric or mystical, it was a total mind-bender, I wasn’t getting anywhere with it and I couldn’t find my country people talking about it. So I left it.

Before the pandemic, I was a yoga sceptic. Stay with me..

Mainstream practitioners seemed like wannabes who wanted to feel better than everyone else and why were they all oyinbo and skinny?? But then, we got stuck at home, and suddenly yoga seemed like a great way to work on my mind and body. And guess what? I liked it! Now, I'm a budding-yoga enthusiast. But that's not why we're here today. Today, we're talking about something related: Human Design.

So, think of this post as if we’re catching up, and you asked me, “Tobi, what’s new in your life?” Well, Human Design is definitely new, and I’m excited to share it with you.

2024, the Year of “Allys”

This has been a remarkable year for me—spiritually, mentally, emotionally, all the “allys.” I’ve been through it. And while I’d love to be in the space where I have everything I want without the accompanying pains, I know that’s not how growth works. So here I am, sitting with my pain, embracing the learning process, figuring out what my next move is. Which led me back to exploring Human Design, from the beginning.

What is Human Design?

Human Design is essentially a user manual for your life. It was founded by Ra Uru Hu, who encountered a “voice”—an intelligence beyond anything he had experienced—which transmitted this information to him over eight days. Fascinating, right?

Nothing too strange there. Growing up Christian, I read about prophets and apostles who also encountered divine voices or visions. From Moses and the burning bush to Cornelius the Centurion, this idea of receiving knowledge from a higher power didn’t throw me off like it might for others.

Human Design is like a cosmic cheat code for your life. A personalised map called a “Life Chart” reveals your hidden talents, emotions and your potential. All you need is your birth date, time, and place, and it'll unlock the secrets of who you were born to be. Unlike astrology, which only requires your birth date, Human Design is more precise—if you know your exact time and place of birth.

Which made me suspicious.

Asking for my exact birth time was a little off putting. After all, not everyone has access to that kind of information for various reasons. But luckily for me, my parents are still around, so I grilled my mom about it, and after journeying through the events of June and July 1986, we finally got it,😮‍💨. I’m grateful she indulged me. I went to the calculator and discovered I’m a Generator.

Generator is one of four types of Human Design: generators/manifesting generators, projectors, manifestors and reflectors whose traits are all highlighted in a Life Chart.

Generator and Manifesting Generator Life Chart. Image source: jovianarchive.com

My Type, Generator

Human Design tells us that our natural state is exactly how we are meant to show up in the world. But often, well-meaning parents, guardians, teachers and societal influences pull us away from our true selves. They encourage us to “use our head,” act “properly,” or emulate others, moving us farther from who we’re meant to be.

The HD Life Chart has nine centres: the Head, Mind (Ajna), Throat, Identity (G), Heart, Spleen, Solar Plexus, Sacral and Root. These centres are either activated (colored), or not activated (blank) their combination determines your type.

A sample Life Chart showing the 9 centres. Image source: jovianarchive.com

According to my life chart, being a Generator, means that my “ Sacral Center” is activated/defined. My defined Sacral Center is literally the generator of Life Force Energy that propels me to energise all aspects of living. Simply put, I’m an energizer bunny who gets shit done and should always follow my gut response. This hit me emotionally because it confirmed what I always suspected but never fully trusted. When I follow my gut, things flow smoothly. When I don’t, I get frustrated or things fall apart. It is that simple.

This gut response comes from the lower belly and can manifest as a sound or a rise and fall in energy, depending on what life presents. It’s that instinctive "Uh-huh!" (Yes!) or "Un-un!" (No!) response.

As a Generator, I’m full of energy, always ready for action. If you know me in real life, you know this is true. But with all this energy, I’ve been conditioned to commit to things that don’t always bring me fulfillment. I get carried away and end up doing things I don't actually want to do, often left feeling frustrated and unfulfilled. The biggest challenge for Generators is knowing where to direct our energy. I'm learning to trust my instincts and only pursue things that genuinely interest me. It's been a game-changer. Whenever I ignore my gut, like going to job interviews or social events that don't align with my values, I end up feeling drained and unhappy.

Generators are all about gut reactions. When life throws opportunities at us, we should listen to our gut and decide whether to say 'yes' or 'no.' Sometimes, the answer might be 'wait,' or it might be that the opportunity isn't right for us.

“I don’t feel like it” is an actual response that should be taken as it is. I should be alert for people who ignore my gut response and try to make me do stuff for them, just because they know I can.

From my Human Design report.

Reflecting on Past Decisions

I've found that my career opportunities have always come to me naturally, through referrals or recommendations, giving me the chance to assess them based on my gut feeling. I’ve never gotten a job through cold applications. Outside of my professional life, this pattern shows up, too. For instance, I’ve worn my hair natural since 2014 and tried getting dreadlocks twice. Both times, it was frustrating, and I ended up taking them out. But in August 2023, I was inspired to try again and this time, it felt perfect. My hair is flourishing because I listened to my gut, and did it at the right moment.

My locs in 2021 and my locs now

As a Generator, yours is a responsive energy but no, you cannot unleash it towards anything and everything and automatically expect to find fulfillment. You are almost guaranteed to find frustration and exhaustion if you don’t use it wisely.

I've always struggled with being proactive and waiting for opportunities to come my way. While society often encourages us to take the initiative, that approach doesn't always work for everyone. When I commit to something, I give it my all, but I've been in situations where I'm unfulfilled or regretful. Additionally, I'm often left to handle tasks alone, as others assume I'm capable, even when I'm no longer invested in the project.

I lost interest in my first job leading me to quit in 2014- a risky move at the time. But it paid off. It led me to a new job, which led me to a client, who led me to Google- you can read that story here.

Final Thoughts

This year has been a rollercoaster of emotions, but I've learned a lot about myself along the way. I've been coping with the ups and downs by turning to music (which, according to my type, is exactly what I'm supposed to do). Human Design has helped me make sense of the uncertainty I've been feeling.

Human Design by Chetan Parykn, highlights mine.

Human Design can be a valuable tool for self-discovery, but it's important to navigate the noise and find reliable resources. Start with the basics for free, and consider consulting a professional only if you need more in-depth guidance. Below are some starting points to help you along the way.

All the best!

You read this far, yay! Are you into Human Design? What is your type?

Resources (in order of reading)

• History of Human Design- start here to understand the origins.

• Watch this video of the founder, Ra Uru Hu speaking about HD.

• Human Design: Discover the person you were born to be by Chetan Parkyn. This book presents the topic in easy to read language.

• The Book of Destinies: by the same author above. A follow up to the first book. It talks about life themes and goes deeper into your Life Chart.