THE AUTHORITY, AN INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS THE AUTHORITY?
For me, the Authority is the single most impactful teaching of the Human Design system. In today’s world full of noise and distractions, the guidance to learn how to tune in and listen to ourselves is invaluable. And this is exactly what the Authority of our chart offers.
by Fiona Bicknell, June 2024.
A BRIEF OVERVIEW
The Authority is our inner guidance system. It is the way in which we know, beyond the mind, that which is for us. The Authority is always available, always guiding us along our path - the key is in learning how yours speaks to you.
There are seven different Authorities in the Human Design system. Once again, it is the definition of our chart that determines which Authority we have.
To attune to our Authority, we must first acknowledge the body’s intelligence. This is about trusting that the energy of our body has an intelligence of its own that perhaps may just know something the mind doesn’t. In the practice of Human Design - as with most, if not all, practices rooted in ancient wisdom - we lead with the body. The mind is purely our tool of implementation. The mind is setup to be conditioned. And while the subconscious may always be doing its best to keep us safe, it can also keep us stuck. It is the body that has the greatest understanding of that which is for us - which direction to take, which people to connect with, which roles to take on.
The Authority is always available, always guiding us along our path. The key is in learning how yours speaks to you. Read on below to learn how it is we identify the Authority and a top line of how each of them operate.
“Build the trust to let the body guide your life and magic will unfold.”
1/ EMOTIONAL AUTHORITY
Those who move through cycles of emotional states until they arrive at a place of clarity in the body for any and all decisions in life. Emotional Authority requires time for their process and cannot be rushed.
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Those with Emotional Authority are guided by the energy of the Solar Plexus (the large triangle on the right of the chart identified below). No matter the Energy Type or whichever other defined centers there may be in the chart, if the Solar Plexus is defined, then the body is guided by an Emotional Authority.
Those with a defined Solar Plexus will experience what we refer to as ‘emotional waves’ - consistent, ever-changing emotional states in the system that are not driven by outside influence. This is a process the body is forever moving through. As such, those with Emotional Authority have a process to move through when being faced with any decision. To gain clarity, these individuals are designed to wait until the waves of emotions come to a lull, a neutral point that feels like an arrival at a decision. If you are someone with Emotional Authority be cautious of any tendency toward impulsiveness. You may find you are easily ‘caught up in the moment’, only to later come to your neutral state and feel entirely different about that which is in front of you. Learn to ask for the time you need to move through your waves and land at clarity.
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Those with Emotional Authority are approximately 53% of the population.
2/ SACRAL AUTHORITY
Those who are driven by the quick, powerful energy of the Sacral - a gut instinct that tells them ‘yes’ or ‘no’ in the moment.
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Sacral Authority belongs only to our Generators and Manifesting Generators. When looking at the chart, those with Sacral Authority will have an undefined Solar Plexus and a defined Sacral (see example below). Their most reliable source for guidance is the powerful surge of energy that arrives when the Sacral center is lit up. The opportunities, people and roles in life that are most aligned will be those that spark a gut response rushing up through the body. This Authority is quick, offering its guidance before all the information may even be gathered. Build trust in listening to it, even when the mind can’t explain the ‘why’.
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Those with Sacral Authority are approximately 33% of the population.
3/ SPLENIC AUTHORITY
Those who are led by a deep, intuitive knowing - a guidance that arrives quietly in the moment.
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Splenic Authority is found in our Manifestors and Projectors - those with a defined Spleen who have their Sacral and Solar Plexus undefined.
The guidance here comes from the Spleen Center, carrying the energy of our instincts and intuition. This is the kind of guidance that arrives from places unknown, and yet feel undeniably true. If you have Splenic Authority, you may often find yourself saying “I don’t know why I know, but…”. Learn to place trust in the things you ‘just know’. This is your body most reliable energy source for guidance. Know that the ‘why’ will only become clear after you act, so learn to take action when the guidance arrives.
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Those with Splenic Authority are approximately 9% of the population.
4, I / EGO [MANIFESTED] AUTHORITY
Those who are guided by a drive of willpower and internal motivation.
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Both Manifestors and Projectors can have Ego Authority, though it presents slightly differently in each. Ego [Manifested] Authority is specific to the Manifestors who have a defined Ego center connected to the Throat. The other determining factor here is that all energy centers below the Ego are undefined (see chart below for an example).
The Ego center carries the energy of our willpower. This is a kind of internal drive and determination to create and progress. With this energy as the guide, those with Ego [Manifested] Authority will find that which is for them by tuning into the feeling in the body that pushes them to want to take action. If you are someone with this Authority, pay particular attention to how it works hand-in-hand with your Strategy, to inform. What are you driven to inform on?
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Those with Ego [Manifested] Authority are approximately <1% of the population.
4, II / EGO [PROJECTED] AUTHORITY
Those who are guided by a drive of willpower and internal motivation.
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For the Projectors with Ego Authority, the power and reliability of their defined Ego energy connects with the G center, the energy of self-expression and love. Once again, all other energy centers below the Ego are undefined (see chart below for an example).
As mentioned above, the Ego center carries the energy of our willpower - an internal drive and determination to create and progress. With this energy as the guide, those with Ego [Projected] Authority will find that which is for them by tuning into the feeling in the body that pushes them to want to take action via self-expression. Seek out the invitations that offer you the ability to express any ‘truths’ that want to come through you. The opportunities, people and roles that allow you to access self-expression in a heightened way are forever guiding you.
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Those with Ego [Projected] Authority are approximately <1% of the population.
5 / ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORITY
Those who are guided by talking things out in the right environment.
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Environmental (sometimes referred to as Mental) Authority is available only to our Projectors. These are individuals with incredibly receptive, open charts, having all centers below the Throat undefined (reference chart below). The defined Ajna is the guide here.
As such, those with Environmental Authority are very sensitive to their surroundings. Their process of finding clarity and guidance is one in which they must first assess the space they are in to ensure no challenging outside influences are impacting their energy. The action to then land on a decision is to speak things out loud - attempting to speak from beyond the conscious mind. This is not a rational process. It is a process of identifying what wants to come through, and then using all the undefined centers to feel into the words that carry the correct vibration. Though the guidance originates from the defined Ajna, it is a strong felt sense in the body that will ultimately inform their decisions.
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Those with Environmental Authority are approximately 1.5% of the population.
6 / SELF PROJECTED AUTHORITY
Those who are guided by seeking the opportunities, people and roles that draw out their true self-expression.
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Self Projected Authority is, once again, available only to our Projectors. These are individual with all centers below the G undefined, and who are driven by a strong connection from the defined G center to the Throat (reference chart below).
If you are someone with Self Projected Authority, your voice is an incredibly reliable guide when you allow yourself to speak out in response to invitations from a place of pure self-expression. This is not a process of rationalizing, or speaking from the mind. This is about tuning into the energy of your identity and letting the body speak - take note of what feels most true to you when speaking through opportunities out loud.
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Those with Self Projected Authority are approximately 1.5% of the population.
7 / LUNAR AUTHORITY
Those who are deeply attuned to nature’s rhythms, guided by the moon and her cycles.
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With all Energy Centers undefined, Lunar Authority is the guidance system for our Reflectors. With no defined centers, there is a constant fluidity to the energy of the body. With no internal source of consistency, the strongest and most reliable guide becomes the Reflector’s deep attunement to the world around them - in particular to the energy of the moon.
In an ideal world, Reflectors are designed to move through their decisions slowly, to give things a full moon cycle (or sometimes more if required). Clarity will arrive over time through signs and patterns throughout a moon cycle that gently push them in a certain direction. If you are someone with Lunar Authority, practice slowing things down and take note of the patterns that may be trying to guide you.
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Those with Lunar Authority are approximately 1% of the population.
Dive Deeper.
To learn more about your unique chart, our FOUNDATIONS reports - written by Fiona Bicknell - offer more than 100 pages of insight into the foundational elements of your design. One-to-one private chart readings are also available to be booked at the link below.
