GETTING READY FOR WHAT’S NEXT
Fiona chats through some of the shadow aspects of the Energy Types and how it is we can use their guidance to prepare us for what’s next.
Audio episode!
by Fiona Bicknell, August 2024.
TRANSCRIPT
00:00:00
Hello. Hello. Hello.
I am going to talk a little bit today about how it is we can use some of the shadow aspects of our Human Design chart - in particular the Energy Type - to help us get ready for what it is that we are calling in. So whatever goals you might have for yourself, the shadow parts of our Human Design chart can help us to look at, or help us to identify, how we might be holding ourselves back, how we might be self sabotaging when it comes to some of the things that we would like to create for ourselves in life.
And there's been a bit of a theme over the last week or so that I've noticed in client sessions and just in conversations in general - and you may have heard me talk about this already in the recording I put out on Monday - but there is has been a bit of a theme of people…I get the sense that a lot of people are feeling like they're being pushed towards something new. Like they're being prepared or being challenged to step into something new, but that, that something new isn't quite clear yet. So this idea of getting ready as well is also how we can… is a way…is a bit of a strategy of how it is that we can begin to, or we can set ourselves up to have more clarity, or receive more clarity around what's next.
When we show that we're ready for something new and we take action in a way that shows that we are prepared and we can handle whatever is next, then that next thing sometimes kind of comes forward and becomes clear for us.
But what I'm about to share this is going to be relevant whether you know what the next thing is or not.
00:01:39
So my suggestion is to hold something in mind that you would like to create for yourself, or if you're not clear on what a specific goal is, then hold in mind an area of life where you perhaps feel you're ready for some change, or you're ready for something new and just keep that in the forefront of your mind as I run through these insights.
I’m going to just share based on each Energy Type and, yeah, some actions that you could potentially take to move towards or prepare yourself for these goals or move towards clarity in this area of life.
But before I jump into that, I just want to talk about this idea of this shadow in general. You have likely heard of Carl Jung’s theories around the shadow parts itself and these behaviors or beliefs that perhaps hide in the subconscious mind that we are in some ways ashamed of, or we don't want to identify as, but they are part of who we are.
In Human Design, every single part of the chart has a shadow. Every single aspect that you learn about in your design is an expression of energy essentially because, at the end of the day, our entire body is just made-up of trillions of minuscule vibrating particles.
And so we are an expression of energy and your Human Design chart essentially is the makeup of all of these different types of energies that create what it is to be you. But every single part of the chart is energy that is going to operate on a frequency. We can either be vibrating at a high frequency or a low frequency, or somewhere in the middle. And whatever frequency is that we are operating at is going to inform our expression of self, which is going to inform the behaviors that we exhibit and the actions that we take. So when I talk about the shadow in the context of Human Design, I want you to just think of it as being a low frequency expression of a part of myself.
So as I go through this, if these shadow behaviors resonate with you, please know that you are doing nothing wrong. There is nothing wrong with you that needs to be fixed. There are no issues to be resolved. You are human. We are all just human and we all slip into these low frequency spaces. It is part of being human.
When we are tired, when we are stressed, when we are faced with challenge, when our self-confidence is low, we, we, there is a tendency that we will fall into these kind of behaviors or these actions taken from low self worth beliefs.
And there's nothing wrong with it. It's going to happen at times. It's it's the more you are aware of it, the more that you can manage it and the quicker that you can pull yourself out of it. But there is nothing to be ashamed of if you find yourself in these spaces. And yeah, there is definitely nothing wrong with you if the these shadows that I'm going to share resonate.
It is all part of this experiment of Human Design, is all part of the experiment of being a human in this world.
And, and the beautiful thing about Human Design is that for every shadow we like, we can look at these shadows, these shadow tendencies in a way that we have a bit of a map towards how it is we can transmute them because every aspect of our design has a low frequency expression on a high frequency expression. So if I find myself being in the shadow of something, I know what it is I need to do to pull myself out of it. Or I know what is on the flip side, I know what the high frequency expression is.
So it helps. Yeah, it gives us this almost like operating manual, I guess of how to pull ourselves out of these spaces.
OK, so holding in mind, either a goal that you have for yourself or an area of life that you feel ready for change and you're ready, you you are in a space that it feels relevant to be preparing yourself for what is next. Now holding that in mind, I'm going to go through each Energy Type and just I'm going to touch on the one strongest shadow to each Energy Type, but please know this is just one part of the chart, and yeah, you can get very specific by going into all of the other aspects of the chart.
Like I said, every single part of your Human Design has a shadow frequency, so we can get a huge amount of insight into the ways that we might hold ourselves back or self sabotage. But I'm just going to focus on the Energy Type today and the the one biggest shadow per Energy Type.
00:06:37 - MANIFESTORS
So starting with the Manifestors - the biggest shadow tendency for Manifestors is to play small, and this is done through biting the tongue and like shrinking yourself. And Manifestors are designed to be people who are here to use their voice and to use their voice in a pretty big way.
And Manifestors are bold in their energy, when they are in alignment, their energy is, it like pushes up against people in a way. Their energy is quite dense, it feels, for lack of a better word, it feels big to other people. Your energy will feel big and and the shadow tendency here is to shrink ourselves and to play small for fear of creating discomfort in others.
This often begins in our younger years of learning that your energy is, or believing that your energy is too much for someone, believing that your energy is too big. Believing that it's uncomfortable for people to be in the fullness of your energy, and therefore you shrink. And what this often leads to is a biting the tongue and not saying what it is that you truly want to say, not expressing what truly wants to be expressed and what wants to come through you.
Manifestors are our initiators, here to initiate us into new ways of thinking and being and doing, and it is through communication that they do that largely.
And so whatever it is that you are preparing for, or you feel like you want to show that you are ready for, my suggestion is to look at, in that area of life or in the context of that goal, can you look at where you are playing small? Can you look at where you are shrinking yourself, where you are biting your tongue, where you are not saying what you really want to say for fear of rejection, or for fear of being seen as too much? Or for fear of making another person uncomfortable?
And and then the action to take is to speak up. As simple as that.
And it might be a little bit at a time. It might be something that you need to warm up to. It might be something that you need to just take piece by piece to show yourself that it's safe. And there might even be a bit of rejection. But that is part of being a Manifestor, is that not everyone is going to be ready for what you have to share. Ready for your energy. And it's something to learn to get comfortable with. And that is a way of showing that you are ready for the next thing, is that I understand that that's part of my role here. I understand that, so I'm going to push up against peoples edges sometimes and yeah, I'm good with it. I'm ready for it.
So whatever it is that you are looking to create for yourself next, take a look at where you might be playing small in the face of that goal or that area of life, and how can you challenge yourself to speak up more?
OK, so that's our Manifestors. Next is Projectors.
00:09:43 - PROJECTORS
Projectors carry a shadow of hiding. Projectors have a strategy of ‘to be invited', and this is because Projectors are incredibly receptive in their energy. The most aligned opportunities for you as a, as a Projector are going to come through invitation and those invitations come through recognition. Someone has to really see you and understand the value you bring to the table in order to reach out and offer an invitation to invite you into a space or a role or an opportunity.
And therefore Projectors are incredibly reliant upon recognition and being understood and there is also a huge fear for Projectors to be seen to be recognized. You must be seen right, but it will feel, for a lot of Projectors, it feels really unnatural to put themselves into those positions.
And so if you are a Projector and you are preparing yourself for what's next for, you're getting ready for. A step up in whatever area of life it may be that feels relevant for you - take a look at where it is you might be hiding. And this often presents as behaviors like deflecting compliments or giving praise to other people, or allowing other people to take praise, letting your work go unacknowledged.
Or perhaps you're a business owner and you have a fear around putting yourself out there, or putting your face to your business, putting your name on certain things. Take a look at all the ways in which you might be hiding, and this is in any area of life that this can pop up for you.
So the action to take is to take steps towards allowing yourself to be seen in a bigger way. And for Projectors, because your energy is so receptive, the path towards this or the the approach that is likely most aligned is just a little bit at a time.
You might have already heard me talk about this. I refer to it as ‘drip feeding’. That Projectors aren't really designed to come at you with a Big Bang. And like, “here's who I am. And look at me and here's everything I have to offer”. But it's more like taking every single opportunity that is in front of you to be a little bit more seen, to put a little bit more on show and a little bit more on show and a little bit more on show.
So take a look at where the opportunities are already there and available to you to show a little bit more of yourself to get a little bit more vulnerable because whatever it is that is coming next for you, the ideal scenario is that it comes through an invitation, which means it will come through recognition.
So you need to 1st set yourself up for that recognition. How can people invite you if they don't see what it is that you have to offer?
So the reflection there is to look at, “where am I hiding?” and the action to take is, “what opportunities are already available to me to to show a little bit more of myself and a little bit more of myself?”
00:12:59 - GENERATORS AND MANIFESTING GENERATORS
OK. Moving on, I'm going to bring together our Generators and Manifesting Generators here because they both share the same greatest shadow and this is the shadow of “I should”. Doing things because the mind believes they should, even though it doesn't feel good in the body.
Generators and Manifesting Generators are really designed to follow their joy to follow the things that really light them up from the inside, the things that give them a rush of excitement through the body.
And there is a tendency, a shadow tendency, to take on tasks and to take on roles that feel really heavy in the system because they want to be seen in the world as being good people or ‘doing the right thing’. It can be very wrapped up in identity and values.
And therefore it can be something that has been operating since a very young age, that we believe in order to be a good person in the world “I should”, if I am a good friend then “I should”, if I am a good daughter, son, sibling, partner, parent, then “I should”.
And oftentimes what that's doing is creating a real heaviness in your system and actually pulling you further and further into this low frequency of energy. It's these roles that weigh on you. These are the roles that weigh you down that drain your energy and therefore make you more prone to low self belief and bring down your magnetism. Essentially Manifesting Generators and Generators are designed to lead lives of joy that creates this incredible magnetism that draws opportunities towards them. So when you're saying yes to all of these things that you would actually rather be saying no to, you’re really dimming that light, and you're potentially pushing opportunities away rather than drawing them in.
So whatever area of life it is that you are looking to prepare yourself or to get ready for what's next, my suggestion here is to do a bit of a stock take. To make a list of all of the things that I'm saying yes to that I would rather be saying no to.
And challenge yourself to see if you can begin moving through that list and saying no one thing at a time, and it is probably going to be uncomfortable, especially if these are roles that you've taken on for a long time or expectations that others have of you because you've been fulfilling that expectation over and over and over and over.
And but I also want to pose, offer the idea or offer the contemplation that what if saying no is actually the kindest thing that you can do for everyone that you're in connection with? It is the most honest thing that you can do. And whatever roles it is that you're taking on, or whatever tasks it is that you're saying yes to, whoever it is that you're saying yes for, they deserve to have someone taking on that role or taking on that task who truly wants to be a part of it, who truly wants to take it.
So can you kind of reframe things in your mind that when I say no, that is actually me operating at my highest, that is me actually operating from a space of yeah, greatest compassion for others. And then by saying no, you create the space for someone else to step in who is more aligned to take on that role or that task.
And so yeah, creating a list of all the all the ways in which you might be saying yes, when you really want to be saying no and then looking at where you can say no or how you can begin to move towards operating from a space of “I say yes, only to what my body tells me is a yes, not to the things that drain me”.
00:16:44 - REFLECTORS
And then finally, our Reflectors. Reflectors, because their energy is so, so open, they can have a tendency to fall into these shadow spaces of operating in line with someone else's identity - making decisions for themselves, taking action for themselves actually based on how another would versus what is true for themselves.
And Reflectors that are out of alignment, or Reflectors that are in a low, a lower frequency or might be experiencing some self doubt or a lack of clarity or a lack of direction, they can often cling to another person, they can attach to another's identity and kind of begin to lead their life or define their approach in life through another person's lens. Through the lens of another, through the identity of another. And this is most common in romantic relationships. But it can happen in any of your close connections, so it might even be that in your vocation or in your career you're looking to make a change for yourself, or you're looking to hit a new goal or move into a new phase, and your approach for getting there, you might be looking at someone else that you work with, or someone you closely collaborate with and you might be unconsciously just doing things in the way that they do without even realizing that that's actually not correct for you or not aligned, that it doesn't feel good for you and this will, this will happen largely unconsciously.
Because the identity of another is kind of absorbed, it's taken on board as your own, so it can take a little bit of effort or a little bit of, you know, a little bit of energy is going to be required to do some investigating here of like, OK, in this area of life that I'm looking to create something new, the ways that I'm currently working towards that something new, can I feel into what is mine and what feels aligned for me versus what have I picked up from others. And then posing the question, what is my way of doing this?
And for, as a Reflector, you're going to be quite unique in the way that you move through the world. Reflectors are only about 1% of the population, so your way is likely going to look to look largely different to the other people in your life.
And and that's OK. That's kind of how you're designed to operate. So if you're a Reflector looking to create, or to prepare yourself and get ready for something new, take a look at the ways that you might be unconsciously just taking on the behaviors and actions of the people that you are closest to and do a bit of an assessment of, "is this my approach? Is this how I want to do things or have I just taken it on because that identity feels good?”
And reminder here that, as a Reflector, your sense of identity is going to be forever fluid. It will never be fixed. So part of this process of being able to hold yourself in the gift and manage this tendency of slipping into the shadow side, part of that lesson is in getting comfortable with the idea that your identity will be forever evolving, that you will never arrive at this fixed place of “this is how I see myself in the world” and “this is the person I am in the world”. It is going to be forever changing and if there is fear around that idea, that is when the Reflector can get kind of pulled into taking on the identity of another, when there is this belief that I should have a fixed identity and therefore the mind searches for ways to create it. And so the more comfortable you can get with the idea of having a really fluid sense of self, the more of an opportunity you have to hold yourself in the gift side here and manage those tendencies to slip into the shadow.
00:20:59
OK, I'm going to leave it there and I hope this was useful in some capacity.
As always, please feel free to send me a DM or an e-mail with any questions, any feedback and and if there are any particular areas of Human Design that you would like to learn more about, feel free to send them my way and I can create an episode on specific topics.
My final note to let you know is that the calendar for September readings is open today for Human Design chart readings. If that is something that you have been interested in going deeper into within a reading, we can get more into the nitty gritty parts of the chart, we can get a little bit more nuanced and and I can share insights from your design that are going to be relevant for where it is that you find yourself in life at this current moment.
So if that feels of interest, the calendar for September is open to book sessions and that is it. I hope you have a really beautiful rest of your week. I hope this was helpful in some way and I am sending so much love.
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.
