How to Use Your Human Design Signature to Break Unhelpful Patterns – and Build a New Reality
The way you see the world is the way you experience it. This may be an overly simplistic way to put it, but your view and perspective play powerful roles in shaping decision-making and actions, which in turn, shape your reality.
Say, for example, you’ve been applying to jobs for a few weeks and haven’t gotten a single response back from your applications. If you view the lack of response as an outright rejection, there’s a good chance that you will stop putting so much effort and care into future applications, unwittingly making your candidacy less desirable and fulfilling the belief that lack of response means outright rejection. Instead, if you take a step back and think – just perhaps – the lack of response is due to 1. A very thorough hiring manager who is waiting for all applications to be in and reviewed in full before scheduling follow ups OR 2. Someone who is hiring because they are having a hard time completing an ever-growing stack of work and thusly is only able to review applications once a week, then your belief about the delay is no longer an absolute certainty of failure but an admin issue and your confidence/quality of application remains in tact … ultimately landing you a killer role! In this example, the relationship between perspective, belief, and action is quite clear and easy for us to spot and change.
In other cases, the belief/action pattern lives a bit deeper in the psyche. I love the way my brilliant friend Melissa Tipton digs into unconscious patterning to explain how sigils work. Using the visual of a geodesic dome, they walk through how different experiences trigger memory sequences that then activate different thoughts and feelings associated with that memory. Our brains love to anticipate outcomes and create shortcuts to get us to go from point A to point B. This is great if you’re using repetitive memory to make a coffee for the 1000th time BUT not so great if you’re dealing with dynamic situations and wondering why you keep repeating the same pattern again and again.
Image credit: RealMagic.School
As Melissa writes, “Depending on which memories are triggered (and this can happen on a deeply unconscious level), I will experience different thoughts and feelings, and therefore behave differently. For instance, if a memory associated with feeling small and insecure is activated while I’m writing, I might be less likely to share my work, or I might get all up in my head, trying to sound extra smart, only to end up with convoluted, highfalutin’ word salad.”
This really struck me as the sequence that leads to the memory/action chain is unconscious and therefore, beginning to unravel these patterns is likely a big challenge if you’re not actively engaged in seeking out these patterns. Here’s where I find Human Design can be quite illuminating. Learning your Human Design type allows you to bring more awareness to your one-of-a-kind perspective, the gifts of which might otherwise be taken for granted, while also helping you recognize unproductive patterns that crop up when you slip out of alignment with your energy.
Leveraging Your Signature to Spot Patterns
Using what’s known as your type’s “signature,” you can more easily identify moments that are prime for a reality shift by spotting roadblocks sooner and transforming them into opportunities. Each signature is associated with different feeling states – one indicating that you’re in alignment, another alerting you to the need for some course correction. This tool is designed to help you choose who you want to be and how you want to show up in the here and now. The goal is not to always only show up with ease according to your signature but rather to notice the tension of the discomfort that arises when your energy is giving you information that attention is needed.
Engaging this curiosity helps you investigate why certain patterns are playing out in your life (e.g., if you’re a Generator who is consistently frustrated) and enables you to take action from an empowered and embodied place. Tension can be an experience to celebrate because it offers us windows into different options and choices. Through the lens of your signature, consider experiences that align with both sides of the signature spectrum, and open a dialogue with the inner narrative that is causing you to engage with each.
Projector Signature: Success/Bitterness
As a type that is fine-tuned to see the potential for success in the world around them, Projectors are excellent at giving others advice. Success is the feeling that comes when Projectors use their absorbing and focused aura to see the thing no one else can see. They are called into situations to provide their unique perspective, and when that tidbit of knowledge is applied, it brings about so much more depth and harmony. Of course, this can result in material success, but it can equally denote success in relationships or a field of study. When they are recognized for their insights and wisdom, Projectors delight in the prosperity that follows, but if they are not using their discernment and offering guidance to unreceptive parties, they are likely to experience the off-track signature of bitterness. When the Projector’s view is turned toward all the ways things never seem to go their way or feel other people get things they “don’t deserve,” that’s a clear signal to pause and investigate the situation. Is there a hidden pattern playing out that is highlighting areas where their guidance has been ignored – or even where input was given without being asked. Spotting these junctures can help troubleshoot what to do next. More often than not, the answer for Projectors lays in taking a breather. Give yourself permission to stop pushing and look for invitations. Certainly easier said than done to take a time out and wait to see what happens next, but more often than not, that’s where the answer is hiding.
Generator and Manifesting Generator Signature: Satisfaction/Frustration
When a Generator type is on track and actively engaging with their strategy and authority, their signature is satisfaction. We all crave a deep feeling of satisfaction in life, and Generators are here to show us exactly how to get it. With a wide and inviting aura, Generators can pick up on whether others are happy or not. Using the sacral as a guide, Generators teach us the power of choice and encourage us to never settle for things that don’t light us up. Making space for what brings about the utmost joy and sense of fulfillment is the Generator’s strength. If, however, they are committing to things or people that are out of alignment with their response (e.g., saying yes when they want to say no or doing things they “should” above all else), there is a good chance that frustration will rear its head. Frustration and a feeling of stuckness indicates the Generator’s energy is not being honored and acts as a prompt to consult with how they are connecting to their inner authority. As a high energy type, it can be hard to stop and reassess, but it’s important for the Generator to slow down when they’re feeling frustrated and consider other options available to avoid burnout and reconnect with satisfaction. Feeling like you’re running into a wall, over and over can be a sign that an unhelpful pattern is playing out. While it can be challenging to stop and pivot, frustration has a way of putting Generators in a time out. Use that space to create distance between the problem and the approach you’ve been taking. Invite your sacral back into the conversation by engaging in activities that bring you joy or doing something unexpected just for the sake of it. Giving yourself options to play with will help you navigate away from the stuckness and into more alignment. Remember, it doesn’t always have to be THE right answer, sometimes just indulging yourself in an enjoyable activity helps you to remember what it feels like to be truly energized. This is especially important if your default has been drained for a period of time.
Manifestor Signature: Peace/Anger
The emotional signature for a Manifestor who is operating in alignment is peace. This is a state of placid contentment that creates space for new ideas and inspiration to emerge. Being aware of their closed and discerning aura is key, because the Manifestor’s approach will be somewhat different from the Generator who is taking in multiple inputs and options. When a Manifestor becomes aware of something, the most empowering thing they can do is to lean in and focus on this object. When the Manifestor ignores this call, perhaps because they’re distracted by other influences and responsibilities, they can experience the flip side of their signature: anger.
As a type that thrives when given creative freedom and autonomy, their anger could be highlighting spaces where they are playing it small or experiencing restrictions. It often means that they’ve ignored their strategy and neglected to inform the people around them who would be impacted by their actions. Thus they’re caught up in putting out fires and tending to other people’s needs rather than having a clear jetway for forward movement. Given the importance of the throat center in manifesting and taking action, Manifestors may also notice sore throats or difficulties articulating their vision when its time to reroute. Finding ways to quiet the noise and REST are key to start the process of creation.
Reflector Signature: Delight/Disappointment
The beauty of the Reflector’s energy is it’s ever changing. They interact with the world in a completely unique fashion and illuminate where the rest of us are getting tripped up. With a “sampling” aura, Reflectors can insert themselves into any relationship or situation and feel their way through what’s working and what’s not. They’re our energetic tuning forks and set the example of what it means to be extremely discerning, choosing only the things that make us feel our best. If harmony is something you’re looking for, Reflectors can help you out.
Being incredibly open, Reflectors are designed to relish in the myriad experiences and delights of this world. From exploring ideas, emotions, people, places, and tons of hobbies, Reflectors are natural chameleons who can ideally go wherever their whims take them. The most important task for Reflectors is to seek a feeling of surprise and delight.
The flip-side of this experience, for a highly adaptable and receptive Reflector, is feeling disappointment. The heaviness of being let down is a clear sign for Reflectors to get curious about what a situation is activating within their unconscious.
Using Awareness to Shift outcomes
These examples demonstrate how embracing your unique perspective and point of view can lead to life-changing outcomes. The first step to shifting a pattern is spotting it. Once you are aware that you have a choice, you can toggle your experience, and the resulting reality you create, accordingly. Now remember, there will be troubleshooting along the way and it is important not to hold yourself to being “perfect” in the execution here. The goal is to be true to yourself and to build the inner trust needed to operate from a place that feels whole and aligned for you. As a bonus, would also recommend checking out Melissa’s post on how sigils work and experimenting with some sigil magic to supercharge your exploration.