Sep 23, 2021
Your authority in Human Design is your decision making process. It’s your inner compass, your intuition per se. Your strategy and authority work together to help you make decisions and move around in a way that’s most aligned to your energetics.
That means encountering less resistance as you honour your energetic mechanics and those around you.
It’s about moving away from the mind to make decisions and instead connect to your inner compass. Which can be an inner authority or outer authority.
An inner authority is your body’s knowing and wisdom. The Emotional Solar Plexus, Sacral, Spleen, Ego and Self-Projected falls under this umbrella.
An outer authority means you gain clarity from your environment and having others as soundings boards. Lunar authority also falls under this category since they’re influenced by the transits and cycles of the moon. Fascinating right?!
With an Emotional authority your Solar Plexus is defined. It’s the center for emotions, feelings and sensitivity.
You’re designed to experience the full spectrum of emotions, you’re always riding an emotional wave.
Clarity comes with time. Waiting is key here. You’re not meant to make big decisions in the moment—specially when you’re in an emotional high or low. Giving yourself the space to feel through the emotional wave will lead you to clarity. You know the saying “sleep on it”? Yeap that actually works for you!
Clarity is when you don’t have a strong emotional charge. You’re never not feeling any emotion. The emotional wave is not something you can control or influence. It’ll last as long as it lasts. You don’t have to find meaning or make sense of it while you’re in the middle of your wave.
You’re simply meant to hold space for your feelings without questioning or demanding answers.
Trust that clarity will come.
If you have a Sacral authority you have consistent access to life force energy. This center is the energy hub for pleasure, creativity, reproduction, sustainability and sexuality.
Your Sacral is designed to respond to life. It’s full body wisdom, a primal response. Some have described it as a gut feeling that expands throughout your body when you’re excited about something (yes) and contracts when you’re not (n0). Because this is not an awareness center, your responses are not meant to be rationalized. It’s simply here to signal you on what you do or don’t have energy for. Because once it’s committed it’ll want to go all the way.
When you’re committing to something your sacral gets activated and generates the energy to engage. But it’s important you’re responding to what excites you otherwise you won’t be able to keep that energy up in the long run. After all you can’t make energy out of thin air, in a way excitement is your cue for what you have energy for and the fuel that ignites and sustains it.
Your Sacral authority is pretty direct, yes or no. A good exercise to tune into how the sacral response feels specifically in your body is by asking yourself (or having somebody ask you) close ended questions. The more specific the better. The sacral likes to respond to options. How does the yes feel? How does no feel?
The Spleen is our oldest awareness center. It’s about survival, instinct, intuition and fear. The Splenic authority is about body consciousness and the only authority designed to make decisions in the moment.
With a defined spleen you have an instinctive voice that’s constantly guiding you and keeping you safe. You know exactly what’s right or wrong for you moment by moment. It can feel like a quiet voice, an inner knowing that can’t be explained to others. You are designed to be deeply present in the now. Notice whenever your mind tries to override your splenic hit.
The Splenic voice has often been described as a quiet one where it doesn’t repeat itself. So if you’re not paying attention (or too caught up in your mind) you might “miss” what the spleen said. But that’s not true. Just because the moment passed, it does not mean your spleen stopped talking to you. It just means it’s focused on whatever else is present at the moment.
Since the spleen is about present moment awareness, it doesn’t have the ability to predict the future. What’s good for you now might not be good for you anymore in the future. Be open to adapting and changing.
With an ego authority you have the heart center defined. This is the center for willpower, ego, drive, desire and worthiness.
The ego authority is about being connected to what you want and your truth. A lot of us have been conditioned to rationalize or even justify our desires. If you have this center defined there might’ve been some resistance or guilt as you pursued what felt right to you and unable to explain to others.
Ever heard of the saying “The heart wants what it wants”? Well that’s exactly how this energy works. Knowing what you value, what you want and don’t want is this center’s cue of signalling you what you have energy to commit to or not.
Since this is also the center for willpower you have the ability to do anything you commit to. But if you talked yourself into doing something you truly didn’t want to, aka letting your mind make the decision for you, then you won’t be able to sustain it. The energy is simply not there because it wasn’t part of your desire. In your case desire provides the energy exchange. That being said your energy comes in bursts. Just because you have the will and desire doesn’t mean you can be ‘on’ all the time. Letting yourself recharge is a crucial part of your process.
You like to be in control of your resources. From where you work, what you do with your time to how you make and spend money. You are meant to let your core desires guide you, they are the breadcrumbs to your inner alignment.
If your authority is Self-projected, you’re a projector who has the Throat and Identity G centers defined. The identity G center is the energy hub for direction, love, self and purpose. The Throat is the center for expression, communication & action. Having this as your authority means you’re here to listen to what you have to say. Being able to hear your own voice as you express gives you clarity.
As a projector you’re here to wait for the invitations and when an invitation does arrive you make your decision best by talking it out loud. Either by yourself or to someone you trust. It’s like an energetic untangling that makes space for clarity. Allowing your truth to be expressed without filter is important.
If you have an outer authority it doesn’t mean you don’t have inner guidance, it simply means that guidance is influenced by where you’re at (environmental) or you gain clarity over time (lunar)
If your authority is environmental, also known as the sounding board technique you’re a Mental Projector. You have a defined mind (along with a defined head or throat or both). It means that you gain clarity by talking things out. This process allows you to release pressure and reflect the energies you’ve amplified back to yourself.
Your environment is important. Because of the openness of your undefined centers (below the throat) being in an environment or around people where you feel comfortable and at ease can make a huge difference.
It might be tempting to use your Mind to make decisions since you have that area defined but remember the Mind is not meant to make decisions. It’s here to support you.
It’s known as an outer authority because it requires you to filter what’s on your Mind outwards. Either having someone hold space for you, being in places and with people you feel seen, recognized and supported will help sort your energies in a more aligned way.
If you have a lunar authority then you’re a Reflector. You have no definition, all the centers in your chart are white. Which means you’re constantly taking in, sampling and amplifying energy around you.
You flow through the transiting energies, which takes 28 days to complete a cycle, like the Moon. Throughout this time you get to savour the different energetic definitions and authorities. And through each one of them you gain insight until you reach the end of the lunar cycle and repeat. It’s like wearing a different hat everyday and seeing what comes up.
It could be helpful to keep track of the transits and write down how you feel, what’s coming up for you etc. Giving yourself the time to make a decision will make space for insights and clarity. And of course this is mainly for big life decisions. You don’t have to wait a month to decide what to have for lunch or if you want to go to the movies.
And knowing that sometimes certain decisions require more immediate attention and are out of your control but whenever you can and have the ability to, follow your lunar authority. Being around people and places that feel good is specially important for you since you’re amplifying everything you come into contact with.
Remember Human Design is to be experimented with. Play around let yourself be in the process!
I’m a splenic projector 🙋🏻♀️ have always made decisions quick yet often felt frustrated to have to explain or justify to others. So much that I would override my intuition in the process 🙈 But the more I learn to trust in the energetic pull of my spleen the more aligned I’ve felt physically and energetically.
Do you resonate with your authority?
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Splenic Projector here! Feel what’s written here!!
Hi fellow splenic projector! So happy you resonated with this 🙂
I’m just started to explore HD and I would like to know how to follow what authorities or to better understand when I’m projector 4/1 with none inner authority and defined Ajna and throat…thanks…😊
Hi Ren! That would make you a mental projector. Which means your authority is environmental, the places and people who you feel comfortable talking to will help you access your inner wisdom. The technique to do so is also known as the “sounding board” technique. Having somebody you can talk things out loud will help you move your mental energy until you get some clarity. Further down in this post there is a section under Outer authorities labelled “Sounding Board/Environmental Authority”.
One of my mentors, Teo Montoya is a mental projector, he just shared this chat on outer authority right here.
Hope this helps!
[…] is influenced by the transits and cycles of the moon. Jessica Lock from Whole and Unleashed has a great breakdown of authority types over on her blog, if you’d like to learn […]
Splenic projector 5/1 here… I was tuning in and was real still and quiet. I heard my inner voice literally say “…..” (private info) and my stomach went ahhh… this is awesome news! However, after reading your post about how the intuition can change from situation to situation, how can that be in a big life decision? Bc that’s a pretty big deal to change at any point in time. Or am I misunderstanding? Just discovered Human Design a couple weeks ago after the special moment happened. Also what does a 5/1 splenic projector with Anja and thought defined?
I’m new to HD. I’m a 5/1 splenic projector. I have a question that’s got me a little concerned. I tuned in to my stillness about a big life question (marriage). I heard my inner voice literally speak. It was a positive message from a clear soft voice that came through my mind. I could hear. Then my stomach went ahhh… this is amazing! However, after reading the part where intuition changes from situation to situation, how does that work with marriage? Bc that’s a pretty big deal to just have change just like that? Or am I misunderstanding things? It was a direct message. Also was wondering if you could tell me what a 5/1 splenic projector with defined anja and throat means?
Hi there! Thank you for sharing.
First of all, human design is not prescriptive! Even though we use strategy and authority to ground into ourselves it’s not here to guarantee any outcomes. But it’s about following what’s right for us in the now. Being a splenic projector means you get intuitive hits in the present with the all the information you have. But remember, we’re not 1 dimensional beings, our authority is not a magic 8 ball that will predict the future.
We’re always growing, evolving, learning and challenges are a part of life. It doesn’t mean we won’t encounter any difficulties if we follow our strategy and authority, it means we will show up and deal with them in a way that’s more authentic and aligned to us.
Without knowing other parts of your chart such as definition, circuitry, incarnation cross and based on you sharing that you’re a 5/1 splenic projector with a defined ajna and throat the one thing that is standing out to me, is the possible tension of your defined ajna energy energy overriding your intuitive hits. Our minds love to take over and try to find logic into everything we do; yet our intuition is not something that can be broken down logically. Do you find that you “hear” your mental energy more than your intuition at times? What have you learned about your design so far that resonates and doesn’t?
The authority in my chart says “none”. What does this mean?
Hi Lera, that could mean you’re a Reflector, or a mental/self projected projector. They are considered “outer authorities”. What does your type say?
Hi there! Thanks for this useful summary of the Authorities. I’m a 4/6 ego projected Projector. Married 20 years to a 6/2 emotional authority MG. It’s been quite challenging for me to find my own path within the Rel, given his energy which feels at times overwhelming to me. I really relate to a YouTube I heard by Caroline Southwell on ego projectors/manifestors having a strong need to honor ourselves by listening to what the “Me,” the “I,” says, feels, needs. I felt very validated in my lifelong feeling that if I don’t feel good about something, it’s not working for me. Previously I have judged this as selfish, or felt judged by others. HD has helped me hugely in identifying how my energy works and in better understanding why, or why not, I feel good in my relationships. There had been a lot of feeling not seen, not wanted, in my past. It’s existed in me but is not about others not treating me well. I’d say they are generally neutral to loving. It’s been an ongoing invitation for me to learn to recognize and give to myself. One question I’ve got is this—what determines which Authority is ranked at the top when a person has multiples? It seems like the solar plexus/emotional has the most influence in the lower part of the chart. Tia. 💜
Hi Renge! Wow a ego projector! It’s such a rare combo. That means all the centers below your heart center are undefined. Thank you for your beautiful reflection and sharing your experience. Here’s to honouring more of what you truly desire Sacral > Spleen > Ego > Self Projected > Mental Projectors > Lunar authority.
The Solar Plexus is a motor and awareness center so when this center is defined it immediately becomes your “louddess” internal guidance. The next one is the Sacral because it’s the life force motor. After that we have the Spleen, our oldest most primal awareness center. Then comes Ego, motor center as well for our will, desires and motivation.
If all of the previous centers are undefined but Identity and throat are defined, that would make their authority Self projected Projector, here to hear themselves express their truth out loud. To share their direction and process with others.
If the Identity center and all the other centers is undefined and only Ajna and throat or head and ajna, that would make them a mental projector. Their authority is external because they’re here to share their process with their environment, to hear it reflected back to them when making decisions. And finally, we have Reflectors with no centers defined, their authority is ever changing as they move through different definitions throughout the month and gather insights.
Hope this clarifies this a bit!
Mental Projector 📽️
What about no authority?
Hi Dar,
I always found the phrasing ‘no authority’ a bizarre one. In this case it’s under the category of “outer authority” so mental projectors and reflectors.
Their authority in that case, their inner compass is informed/influenced by their environment and time. You can read more about that above. Hope this helps!