SOUL MAPPING 101
THE ENERGY + GUIDE TO YOUR PATH
Human Design
DARKNESS EXISTS TO REMIND YOU OF YOUR OWN LIGHT.
You are overflowing with wonder, awe and are filled to the brim with remarkable gifts… after all you are made of stardust and magic. In the gravity of humanity, you forget all of that magic. And it’s time to start remembering.
You are the Divine, in a body that goes by your name playing a game of hide and seek with yourself and Human Design is here to help you remember.
You incarnated here and now to explore the full spectrum that life has to offer you. Your life purpose is about being alive, with your exact body, mind, heart, shadows, and light… the full spectrum.
Design Types
Your type is determined by the combination of your definedand/or undefined centers. There are 5 types. Each type fulfills a unique role, like puzzle pieces that are part of a whole. There’s Generator, Manifestor, Manifesting Generator, Projector, and Reflector. And each type has a unique strategy for their aura (energy field).
The strategy supports understanding the nature of your aura and how you're designed to move through life. This is closely tied to your own authority. Strategy describes the bestway to move your energy with others with the least amount of resistance.
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You're the spark that lights the fire. As a Manifestor you have the energy to get things started. You move quick and have the capacity to transform your energy into action.
You're an innovator and trailblazer. You move quick and have the capacity to transform your energy into action.
Discerning is a crucial step in our designs which is where strategy and authority comes to play. Honouring your urges while following your strategy and authority is what you're here to do.
Strategy: To inform. Your aura is closed and repelling which means you push what's not aligned to you. By informing you'll pave a path for your energy to flow through, so that the people around you can either support you with resources or get out of your way (resistance).
Strategy Not-Self Theme: Anger
In Strategy State: Peace
As a Manifestor your authority may be one of the following:
Authority, our discernment tool, inner guidance on what, when or how to initiate: Emotional Solar Plexus Splenic, Ego
Statistic 9.76% of population
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As a Generator, you’re here to amplify energy.
You're the energy that sustains the fire. As a Generator you're here to respond to what life brings you. You’re here to be lit up by what you do and in turn your energy can light up those around you. You spread and amplify energy.
As a Generator you have the life-force energy to amplify and sustain life. You're what keeps the fire going. You're a builder and creator. It simply means you're here to be fulfilled. Notice what you want to say yes or no to.
When you're responding to what excites you, you're able to spread and amplify your life force energy—it just happens naturally. Discerning what's for you is a crucial step in our designs which is where strategy and authority comes to play.
Waiting to respond. It's the mechanic of how you can best 'activate' and sustain your energy. It's noticing what your sacral wants to and have energy to commit to. Your aura is naturally pulling people and opportunities to you. Almost like a wifi broadcast. Your job is to simply notice what comes into your orbit. From there, you choose what and when you want to respond to with your authority's guidance.
Strategy Not-Self Theme: Frustration
In Strategy State: Satisfaction
As a Manifestor your authority may be one of the following:
Authority: Your discernment tool, inner guidance on what or when to respond: Emotional Solar Plexus and Sacral
Statistic: 35.88% of population
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You're here to initiate + amplify energy. You're the energy that can start and sustain the fire. You’re here to initiate like a Manifestor and be lit up like a Generator.
You have the energy to do the things that excite you and inspire others to pursue what they enjoy. You collapse time and show us what's possible.
As a Manifesting Generator you have the energy to initiate right after you respond. You have sacral life-force energy. You're what starts and keeps the fire going. You're a builder and creator.
You move fast and might find yourself trying a lot of different projects at the same time and not necessarily finish them. And that's perfectly fine. That's just how your process works. You're here to be fulfilled. Let yourself follow your urges, notice what's pulling your attention, using your strategy and authority to discern.
Strategy: Waiting to respond and inform after you've made a decision. It's the mechanic of how you can best 'activate', sustain and move your energy. It's noticing what your sacral wants to commit to. Your aura is naturally pulling people and opportunities to you.
Almost like a wifi broadcast. Your job is to simply notice what comes into your orbit. From there, you choose what and when you want to respond to with your authority's guidance.
Not Self Theme: Frustration & Anger
In Strategy State: Satisfaction & Peace
Authority, your discernment tool, inner guidance on what or when to respond/initiate: Emotional Solar Plexus and Sacral
Statistic: 30.3% of population
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Waiting for the invitation. Your aura is deep and penetrating which allows you to take in the energy and see others deeply. But in order to guide properly it's important that you're recognized and given permission to do so first. Recognition is an important part of your energetic mechanic, it's like pre-screening to see if your energy will be received. And then the invitation 'activates' it. When you're recognized and invited there is no resistance to your energy guiding the other.
As a Projector you're here to guide energy. You have an openness to life and an innate wisdom of what others need. You're able to see the bigger picture, recognize talents and gifts in others. Even though you're capable of seeing so much, you must be recognized and invited in for your energy to be well received. The invitation is like giving consent to be guided. Otherwise you'll overextend yourself with nothing in return exhausting yourself and leading to bitterness.
Not Self Theme: Bitterness (Rejection)
In Strategy State: Waiting for the invitation
Your discernment tool, inner guidance on what invitations to accept: Authority: Emotional Solar Plexus Splenic Ego Environmental / Outer authority: Self-Projected, Mental Projector
Statistic: 30.3% of population
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You're here to reflect & magnify energy. You see and reflect back the fire's health. What is the quality of the glow? As a Reflector you take in, magnify and reflect energy wherever you are. You have an openness to life and can see things other miss. You're highly adaptable, designed to sample and move through different energies.
As a Reflector you take in, magnify and reflect energy wherever you are. You have an openness to life and can see things other miss. You're highly adaptable and designed to sample and move through different energies. Even though this openness can feel overwhelming, it's also your superpower. Your aura has a resistant quality where you're able to release energy compared to any other type. Allow yourself to be fluid in your expression, doing and being.
Strategy: Waiting a Lunar cycle. Because of your openness you are designed to sample and reflect what's around you. Waiting a Lunar cycle will give you time, clarity to discern what's yours and where you're being pulled next. The Moon moves through the 64 gates in the span of 28 days. As you sample different energies you gain insights and different perspectives. You're not meant to be fixed in your way of being. That being said notice what feels good to you. What places/people bring our parts of you that you enjoy?
Authority: Your discernment tool, inner guidance on what or where you're feeling pulled.
Lunar: Time helps you process, gain insights from the energies you've taken in.
Strategy Not-Self Theme: Disappointment
In Strategy State: Surprise
Authority, our discernment tool, inner guidance on what, when or how to initiate: Lunar
Statistic 1.45% of population
Authority
Your authority in Human Design is your decision making process. It’s your inner compass, connection to your intuition. Your strategy and authority work together to support you and make decisions and move in a way that’s most aligned to your energetics.
That means encountering less resistance as you honour your energetic flow. It’s about moving away from the mind to make decisions and instead connect to your inner compass. Which can be an inner or outer authority.
Our soul speaks through our body. In Human Design terms, the soul, called the Magnetic Monopole, resides in the G center. And it is communicating the choices that align with your higher purpose through your authority.
And while there are more nuanced details about each of the authorities, the truth is that some part of you already knows how your soul is speaking to you.
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So what is your gut saying?
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. Its full body wisdom, a primal response. Sacral authority speaks through guttural sounds of uh-huh, uh-uh, and hmmm.
The Sacral Center communicates when we're about to RESPOND (only Generators or Manifesting Generators will have Sacral Authority in their charts): it's the HOLY MOMENT between being potentially initiated and the committing of the energy.
A quick reminder about RESPONDING, because this has been a trend in my readings with clients lately: don't get it twisted! WAITING TO RESPOND and WAITING FOR AN INVITATION are TWO DIFFERENT THINGS!
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 (no). 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. It’s a hell yes. So then of course your alignment must be as well or you will waste all that beautiful energy and get frustrated and over time burntout.
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.
As a Generator or a Manifesting Generator, EVERY BREATH WE TAKE IS A RESPONSE. #nevernotresponding
It's totally reductive and hella limiting to think that we can only respond to direct questions or to tasks given to us by the people around us. Our Sacral Center can respond to ideas, to energies, to invitations, to art, to music, to books, to actions, to topics in discussions...the list just goes on and on.
As Generators, there are three really good questions you can ask yourself to make sure you're RESPONDING and not INITIATING. Ask these questions…
1. by acting, am I addressing a need?
2. by acting, am I filling a void?
3. by acting, am I answering a question?
If you're just learning to let yourself be led by your Sacral Center, practice first with responding to questions or ideas that are from a solid, external source.
Then, as you get better at discerning the way your authority or Sacral Center communicates YES or NO to you, start posing questions to yourself. Most of us have been conditioned since we were children away from listening to our gut, and told to use our heads when making decisions, so getting back into this old habit might take some practice.
For those with Sacral Authority, it is CRUCIAL you only commit your energy to things that light you up, turn you on, and are within your integrity. When we begrudgingly commit our energy to tasks and work that isn't meant for us and doesn't bring us joy or light us up, it can cause MAJOR health problems.
Those with Sacral Authority are meant to do work they love, so if your career isn't providing that, finding a hobby as a vehicle to commit some of that precious Sacral energy is the best thing you can do for your health
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?
Practice to dial it in. You can also use sway or muscle testing to understand how your intuition and body is communicating with you.
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What are your feelings telling you?
Emotional Solar Plexus, 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—specifically when you’re in an emotional high or low. Giving yourself the space to feel through the emotional wave so when you feel calm you then will find 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.
What does it look like to “FEEL SHIT OUT” before you can act on a decision?
Whether it's an invitation you received if you're a Projector, or a task for you to potentially respond to if you're a Generator/Manifesting Generator, etc.
You still might be receiving messages from your Spleen, but you really need to ride the entirety of your emotional wave, feel all the feels, and then when you feel calm, decide.
Those with Emotional/Solar Plexus Authority never feel 100% sure about their decisions...more like 75/80% AND THAT'S OK.
The reason you still might feel hesitant is because YOU DID THE RIGHT THING and allowed your body to feel all the potential emotional possibilities.
The remaining uncertainty is your body remembering when you were feeling through the low point in your emotional wave.
80% certainty around a decision is actually your body's version of 100% and is all you need to feel confident taking action.
To master listening to this authority, remember the first two rules of having a defined Emotional/Solar Plexus Center:
Don’t make decisions when you are in your feels and don’t suppress your feelings.
It’s vital you FEEL ALL THE FEELS first, wait for calm and clarity, and then act.
Feel the HIGHEST HIGHS and the LOWEST LOWS, wait for calm and 80%ish percent clarity around a YES or NO, and then go forth and take action.
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What are your instincts saying?
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. Splenic authority speaks through the body's instincts and NO.
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.
So about how the language of fear is involved in making decisions…
The trick is to decode what the fear messages mean:Are you feeling fear because the action you're about to take is outside of your integrity?
Or are you anxious because you're not sure what the future holds?
Or are those the butterflies of nervous excitement?
Another way the Splenic center communicates is through resonance. For example you might feel an instant deep recognition that a course of action is DEFINITELY meant for you, or instant unease, a knowing that this course of action isn't safe or right in this present moment.
SInce the Spleen sends the message in the moment and will not repeat itself it becomes a lesson learned through tuning in with what nervousness and anxiety feel like in the body. A game of knowing if it is a resonance of UNEASE or EXCITED.
If you're feeling excited-nervous, that's your YES, and you need to push through the "what might the future bring??" thoughts from the Mind Center that create anxiety. If you're feeling icky-uneasy-nervous, that's your NO and your body's way of saying THIS IS NOT MEANT FOR YOU.
A major key for Splenic Authority is to avoid using our Mind/Ajna to try to deconstruct or analyze these splenic sensations as they're happening. Don’t try to rationalize the decision in the moment. Save the reflection for after you act.
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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.
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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. Self-projected authority speaks through the tone of voice.
The Throat is the center for expression, communication and 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.
Inner Authority
An authority is your body’s knowing and wisdom. The Emotional Solar Plexus, Sacral, Spleen, Ego and Self-Projected falls under this umbrella of inner 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.
Outer Authority
An outer authority means you gain clarity from your environment and having others as soundings boards. Mental Authority uses others as sounding boards so it definitely falls under Outer Authority. And Lunar authority also falls under this category since they’re influenced by the transits and cycles of the moon.
Fascinating right?! Having an outer authority 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).
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Talking out loud orto someone to process thoughts
Mental Environmental authority speaks through the environment and bounces itself off of soundboards. You're a mental projector and you gain clarity by talking things out and through.
The sounding board technique is the process that allows you to release pressure/build up of your mental energy and reflect the energies you’ve amplified from your environment back to yourself.
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You’re constantly taking in, sampling energy around you. Lunar authority speaks through the cycles of the moon. So the Moon is your most consistent guide (taking 28 days to complete a cycle).
Throughout that time you sample the different energetic definitions and authorities. Gaining insight from each which guides your decision making process.
The Centers
How your defined centers “talk” to each other, essentially how your energies connect.
Also known as how you process and take in information. Your defined centers are where you have consistent energy, this is what you “bring to the table” and influence others with. It’s kind of like your personal software of how you processand filter everything you take in.
Single: As a single definition your energy centers are all connected and flow consistently between each other. Which means you assimilate information quickly. Giving you a reliable sense of wholeness without the need for someone to help you connect the dots. You teach us the importance of being in our own space and honouring our own process
No definition: If you don't have any area defined that means you're a Reflector. You are designed to be sampling and moving through different energies, reflecting them back as you go. Your aura is often described as having a Teflon quality, you amplify and release energy easier than other types.
Split: As a single definition your energy centers are all connected and flow consistently between each other. Which means you assimilate information quickly. Giving you a reliable sense of wholeness without the need for someone to help you connect the dots. You teach us the importance of being in our own space and honouring our own process
Triple Split: As a triple split definition you have 3 areas defined that are not connected directly to each other. You process information best when you allow yourself to move through different energies. That includes people and places that might help different parts of you flow. Give yourself the time as you flow from one to another.
Quadruple Split: As a quadruple split definition you have a lot of consistent energy since you have 8 to 9 centers defined. Because they're not directly connected to each other, it's almost like a having 4 different voices within. So your process takes a bit longer compared to others. Think of group project where it takes some time to get everybody in alignment.
The majority of the population are Split definition (45%); while the rarest are Quadruple split (0.57%) and No Definition (1.45%).
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Theme: Pressure, big ideas,inspiration: Why,how, what questions
Defined: You have a fixed and reliable way of thinking. There is a consistent mental activity and pressure to ask, answer and understand.
Undefined: Easily inspired + amplify the ideas around. Wisdom of this center is knowing which questions, ideas are actually useful in the moment.
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Theme: Cognitive awareness center. Processing. From ideas to concepts,details, answers.
Defined: You're constantly processing and interpreting ideas. Capable of providing certainty & grounding to ideas whether abstract or logical.
Undefined: Open & receptive mind. Feel aconstant pressure to be certainand figure things out. Ability tochallenge others on their concepts.
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Theme: Expression,communication & action
Defined: You speak in a fixed way with the energies flowing from the centers your Throat is connected to.
Undefined: You amplify the voices around you and could feel a constant pressure to speak. Not designed to plan what to say rather to tune into your wisdom at the moment.
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Theme: Direction, love, self,purpose, give & receive.
Defined: You have a fixed and reliable sense of self. A consistent self-image and feeling of lovability.You know where you want to go.
Undefined: You're meant to be fluid, step in &out of many roles embodying different identities throughout your life. Can adapt easily.
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Theme: Willpower, ego, drive,determination,worthiness
Defined: You like to be in control of your life & resources. From where you work, how you make/spend money. Core desires are the breadcrumbs to your alignment.
Undefined: You're able to see what has value and what doesn't. You have an objective POV, able to guide others. You teach us how to be.
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Theme: Instinct, intuition,fear, immune system
Defined: You have a consistent connection to your instincts, fear & intuition.This energy is deeply tuned in & calibrating to the present moment
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Theme: Vital life force, pleasure,reproduction,sustainability, sexuality.
Defined: You have consistent creative lifeforce energy. Designed to respond to life in the present moment with what excites you or not.
Undefined: You amplify life force energy but not meant to hold on to it consistently. Which is why your energy comes in bursts. It's key to know when enough is enough.
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Theme: Emotional awareness,feelings, sensitivity
Defined: Your authority & have consistent emotional energy. Clarity is when you don't have a strong emotional charge. You're never not feeling any emotion.
Undefined: Easily inspired + amplify the ideas around. Wisdom of this center is knowing which questions, ideas are actually useful in the moment.
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Theme: Life fuel, momentum adrenaline, stress,pressure
Defined: You feel a steady pulse to move ahead in the world. A consistent way with dealing with stress and pressure.
Undefined: You amplify other's pressure and stress to do. The pressure is relieved by getting into action but could lead to burnout if you're not checking in with your body.
DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF DEFINED CENTERS
The 6 Profile Lines in Human Design
Each of the 12 possible profiles is made up of two of the six profile lines. These profile lines correlate with the I Ching hexagram, and denote your profile depending on how they are combined, which is taken from your BodyGraph.
The 12 profiles are made up of two lines, with each singular line having its own unique energy type, but also forms new energy when combined with another profile line.
Before we can move on to looking in more depth at the energetic theme of the 12 different profiles, it’s important to first understand how the fundamental characteristics of each of the six lines can influence our true nature and behavior patterns.
Below you’ll find the six profile lines, with a short description, followed by more detailed information about each one.
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Researches and scrutinises things closely; needs to have a deep understanding of the world in order to feel secure. Deeply curious, the Investigator has a thirst for information and often has a good foundational knowledge of many things thanks to the drive to explore and investigate everything. Learning and understanding gives Investigators the stability and security they crave. The Investigator needs to have a deep understanding of the world in order to feel secure. Investigators tend to be good teachers of the information they acquire through their extensive research.
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Intense need for space and a lot of alone time to cultivate and nurture unique talents which nourish the soul. Represents the window of the ground floor.
The Hermit is the Investigator’s opposite: where the Investigator is keen to research everything to acquire knowledge, the Hermit’s knowing is inherent and intuitive. 2nd line profile Hermits both need and desire time alone to become absorbed in and cultivate their natural talents.
Since the special gifts of the 2nd line Hermit are so intrinsic, they can sometimes have difficulty recognising them in themselves. It’s common for them to need these gifts pointed out to them by others in order to appreciate their own natural genius and brilliance.
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Amiable; likes to discover by testing theories and learning through experience, failure, trial and error. Represents the stairs in the house.
The Martyr thrives on novel experiences and the discovery they bring, content to try new things and learn through trial and error what does and doesn’t work. Embracing this attitude as their own process, Martyr’s may be prone to making blunders, however they don’t view it that way because to them, every mistake is an opportunity to learn.
Understanding that there is purpose behind every experience, Martyr’s are not afraid of failure and are quick to bounce back and evolve. If a situation or person isn’t facilitating their growth, they’ll break free in order to pursue new experiences. The Martyr is adventurous, resilient, and highly affable, charming even.
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Thrives on strong networks and connections; if the energy is not reciprocal will seek out a new community.
Represents the floor of the upstairs. The Opportunist flourishes when surrounded by strong, healthy networks. They are excellent at forging and reinforcing deep bonds with others, however when these connections are not reciprocal, the Opportunist will invest their valuable energy elsewhere.
Opportunists feel safest when they have a solid foundation, and for them that means deep relationships, which they seek, establish, and nurture. For an Opportunist, their quality of life is reflected in the quality of their connections with others.
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Mysterious and enigmatic; highly alluring to everyone around them with a strong projection field received from those who are drawn to them.
Represents the upstairs window.f the Opportunist, finding it comfortable and easy to network with strangers. Heretics tend to have very influential energy, and the seductive power of the 5th line is such that others cannot help but notice, leading to strong projections.
With their external and impactful process, Heretics must determine which projections are correct for them, and enforce strong boundaries to prevent incorrect 5th line projection.
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Visionary and perfectionist, developing wisdom from personal experience and utilising it to create harmony.
Represents the roof of the house. The Role Model experiences three important stages in their lifetime:
0 – 30 years
Primarily being focused on the trial and error of various experiences, this phase is essentially like being a Martyr.
31 – 50
The second phase is concerned with reflecting on the lessons taught by life experience gained during the first phase. In context of the house analogy, this phase is sometimes referred to as ‘being on the roof’, and is a time of introspection, processing, and gaining clarity.
50+
The perspective gained in the second phase leads to the Role Model’s respected insight, and the final phase is reserved for sharing their wisdom and guiding their close friends, families, and communities.
For the Role Model, this is the phase during which their incarnation cross manifests.
