What does it mean to be a Projector?
Today, we dive into the fascinating world of Human Design, specifically focusing on the Human Design Type known as Projectors or Advisors in the BG5 Business Language. We delve into the essence of being a Projector, their strengths, challenges, and how they can step into their true potential as guides and leaders. You will learn what the key characteristics of the Projector aura type is and I share my personal experiences with exercises done between the Generators and Projectors to feel the difference between the two energy types of the Human Design System.
Key Take Aways
- The Projectors types are about 22,58% of the world population.
- The are excellent at 1:1 interactions and are here to guide people and processes.
- The strategy is wait for the invitation and that is the road to acknowledging and succes.
- In the Business BG5 language a Projector is called the advisor.
- Projectors need more rest than 70% of the world population. Protecting your own energy is vital for your well being.
- There are energy projectors and non energy projectors
- Projectors can be divided into subtypes: Classic Projectors, Mental Projectors and Energy projectors
- Another way to look at the variations of a Projector is to look at their definitions. You may see terms like Splenic Projector, Emotional Projector, Self Projected Projector, Ego Projected Projector and Mental Projector.
- All the four types of the Human Design system has a relationship between them. The Projector has a relationship with the Manifesting Generators and the Generators.
Are you a Projector Type?
If you don’t know what your type is in the Human Design system. Well, let’s find out. If you fill in your birth day, birth time and your birth place in the below for you can Create your free Human Design Chart. Underneath the graphic of your bodygraph you will find what type you are. You
What is a Projector in Human Design?
Did you know that Projectors represent about 22,58% of the world’s population, according to the data from the Jovian Archive based on the Human Design charts database?
Projectors have a special role in the grand tapestry of humanity. They are here to think, see, lead, organize, and be rewarded for it. Their role is increasing as we move into a new era when we shift from the cross of Planning to the cross of the Sleeping Phoenix in 2027. But let’s start with the fundamentals. What is a Projector? And why are they so different then the Manifestors, the Reflectors and the Generators?
Projectors possess a natural inclination to advise, guide, and lead. The gift of guidance often becomes evident through one-on-one interactions, where their focused energy can be fully utilized. Their ability to see beyond the surface enables them to perceive the inner workings of individuals and systems. By embracing their role as a mentor, consultant, coach or teacher and sharing their wisdom with others, they contribute to their growth and transformation.
Of course they are not aware of it, and everybody is in their not self, acting to be a Generator, acting to be a Manifestor.
Why do Projectors need more rest and sleep?
Our society is actually build for the generators because that is about 70% of the worlds population.
Therefore, it’s crucial that Projectors learn how to handle their energy properly to avoid the risk of burnout. So It’s important to prioritize rest in their life as Projectors need more rest than the majority of the world’s population.
The mantra of their open or undefined sacral center is not for nothing “Never knowing when enough is enough!” So these projectors they try and try and try really hard, but actually they need a little bit more rest. Resting is an active state of being!
But society doesn’t really allow for rest when there is work to do. If you are in a normal 9-5 work situation, it is not like you can say “hey I am going to take a nap, because I need it”.
No, an unaware Projector is just going on and on and on and on. And also absorbing other’s people energies, like the generators. They mentally think that they are a Generator. Their mental side may have limiting beliefs like “I need to compete with everybody else, I have to prove something, “I need to be as good as everybody else here on the work floor”. Even though their energy works in a completely different way.
So, what is that different way? Well, let’s dive in.
What sets a Projector type apart compared to a Generator?
A projector’s aura is focused and penetrating, allowing them to see through people and processes with remarkable clarity. It is like they “zoom in” on another person, as if they can see right through them. They are always busy with other people because that is where their focus lies. That’s why one-on-one work is so fulfilling for Projectors.
I once participated in an aura experiment during a workshop where there where 7 generators lined up facing the windows of the room. And there where 7 projectors lined up behind us, facing our backs. I am a Generator myself and I was one of them. The Projectors had to choose 1 generator to focus on. The generators where ask to raise their hand if they thought that they where the one that was chosen in this exercise.
As the exercise startend I felt an enormous pain on my back, right where my bra strap was. Now, unfortunately, I am well familiar with back pain. But it really was a sharp pain. Nothing happened.
So after a minute or two the coach asked if on off the generators felt something. As the coach spoke the sharp pain of my back stopped suddenly. I felt a wave of energy behind me, going to the direction where the coach was standing.
So I raised my hand and said “Well, I did sense some movement behind me”.
It turned out that the Projectors choose me as their subject of focus. The focus of 7 Projectos that felt for me like a jolt of pain in my back.
What happened was that once the coach spoke again after the 2 minutes silence all the 7 Projectors turned towards the coach and then lifted their gaze off my back. And that is what I picked up. Like a light beam that moved behind me…A wave of energy.
I think that was the first time that I felt how Human Design can be a physical thing, something you can feel in your body. You can feel the energy in your body.
Human Design can be a fun mental concept. It is a lot of information and you can delve into this information and think your way through it, maybe with your not self. But it is in these real life Living Your Design workshops that you truly become aware of how the different vibes work and what the difference is between a generator, a manifestor, a projector and a reflector.
So Projectors are really powerful in their own way. Guiding people and processes is the strength of the Projector. Projectors don’t only have the ability to see through people really fast, they also are really good with processes.
But, for us Generators, I am a 5/1 Sacral Generator, who are at the receiving end of the focussed aura of the Projector, the feeling of being in the focus of the projector is not always a nice experience.
It can actually feel like they see right through us, as if you stand naked before them. And we feel that right in our G center, right in the middle of our breast or at our back between our ribs.
Practical exercises for a Projector
If you are Projector yourself, perhaps take this opportunity and have an open mind about experimenting with Human Design, and ask your environment for some feedback about how they are feeling seen by you.
Most projectors have striking eyes by the way!
You can also practice in a crowd to focus you gaze on a back of somebody and see if they turn around. It’s a fun game to do!
Human Design is about becoming aware of the energy, the vibe that we carry around with us all the time. It’s all about unconscious communication.
I mean there is so much happening when you step into a room. And you don’t even have to say any words. Just because you are in the room you are already affecting the vibe in the room.
If you are a little bit more familiar with Human Design and you start practicing it with exercises in an Human Design immersion event or a Living your Design workshop. And observer and practice in real life of course! That is where a piece of mental knowledge suddenly the penny drops. And then you are just like “Ahaa”.
You can have a lightbulb moment because it actually clicks then when you start feeling it in your body. Suddenly something mental can click because the penny drops.
Anyway, this is where strategy comes in.
What is the strategy of a Projector?
The strategy of the Projector is “Wait for the invitation”. You see people in a way that other types will not see. But that doesn’t mean that everybody is ready to hear what you see. So with all good intention you want to help the other. But not everybody is ready to hear advice.
Some will actually see it as criticism and feel it as criticism. And that leads to frustration on both ends, you feel not heard and recognized while you give your well intended advice. And the other person will feel frustrated that it is being criticized while not asking for it.
However waiting for the right opportunities and being acknowledged for your expertise are key to your growth and fulfillment. Trusting the process and understanding that not everyone will immediately recognize your gifts can be challenging. However, when the right people invite you and appreciate your perspective, your powerful insights will truly shine.
You can also ask for an invitation, or check if your advice is wanted. You can say something like “I think I can give you some advice here, but do you want to hear my advice? And that can be useful in interactions with others.
Especially in business and on the work floor. As a Projector when you are guiding generators, you can ask them closed Yes/No questions, and they will come to you for advice. However, they still need to go through their own process, so they may come back to you multiple times to check if they’re on the right track.
How do you recognize a Projector in a Human Design chart?
Well, if you look at a chart of a Projector you will see that the sacral center is open or undefined. We talked about the sacral center in the article about the Generator and the Manifesting Generator.
The sacral center is the key to being a generator. You can recognize a projector when you are looking at a Human Design chart when the sacral center is white or undefined and there is no connection between the throat to the heart center, root center or the Solar Plexus, otherwise they would be a Manifestor. They therefor are missing a consistent way of creating energy. They are missing the start motor!
In a later blogpost we are going to dive deeper in the 9 centers of the Human Design system. There is so much in those centers and we are definitely in each of them!
If you are a projector yourself. When you are with other people you can “borrow” their energy, for example when you are working in a co-working space, a coffeeshop, library or office. But when you get back to your home or accommodation if you are traveling, you suddenly realize how tired you are. It’s not that you don’t have energy at all, especially if your are an Energy Projector, it just comes and goes, it’s not as consistent as other a Generator or a manifesting Generator.
How to manage your energy if you are a Projector
Another important element of the Projector is how they manage their energy.
Unlike Manifestors and Generators, Projectors don’t all have a consistent way of creating energy. Having said that, there are Projector and Projectors and to understand that we need to dive into the subtypes of the Projector.
We can look at the Projectors with different lenses when we talk about subtypes. Here is one way to look at it:
We have Energy Projectors, Classic Projector & Mental Projectors. And how they operate and manage their energy can be very different between these three groups.
By taking care of yourself and embracing rest in your daily life, you’ll experience less resistance in your journey. By using your energy distinctively and efficiently, you gain the experience and expertise necessary to advise and guide others.
So learning to manage your energy effectively becomes essential to prevent burnout and maintain a balanced lifestyle. Recognizing the importance of rest and prioritizing self-care allows you to access your energy in a sustainable way.
To determine what subgroup of Projector you are, you have to look at which centers of your Human Design chart are colored in. Which centers are defined.
What is an Energy Projector?
An Energy Projector have at least one motor center defined. There are four motor centers, but one of them is the Sacral center and if you would have that defined, then you would be a Generator or a Manifesting Generator.
So let look at the three other motor centers, the Solar Plexus, the Root center and the Heart Center.
If you have your Solar Plexus defined than this will also be your inner authority. This is the personal decision making tool from your body that is there to tell you something if your mind and your inner critic lets you listen to your wave. Your energy comes in waves, just like the ocean is always in movement, so is your emotional wave. You may not see yourself as an emotional being, and sometime emotions are suppressed. But there is energy brewing underneath the surface.
The key here is to buy as much time as possible when you need to make a decision. There may not be any truth in the now when you have an emotional decision making process. But time will give you the opportunity to look at the situation from different vantage points. And at one point you have enough intel gathered that you feel that you are ready for action. It’s not the crystal clear clarity that works for you, but giving yourself the permission to take your time with important decisions is the key to succes!
If you have your heart defined then you are also an Energy Projector. It may or may not be your decision making tool as that depends if you have your spleen defined as well. If your Solar Plexus and your Spleen are undefined but your heart center is defined, then you are an Ego Projected Projector. Follow the desires of your heart is the key to success. Energy comes in pulses, just like a heartbeat.
If you have only your root center defined, you are still an Energy projector. But the Root is a pressure center and therefor can never be an inner authority.
What is a Classic Projector?
You can spot a Classic projector if you have your Splenic center defined and don’t have any motor centers defined. This center is our survival mechanism and is home to your instinct and intuition. You have a Splenic Inner authority. This is about listening to that tiny voice that whispers something quietly, your intuition. It is always in the now so it will never repeats itself.
If you don’t have your spleen defined but have your G-center defined. Then you are also a Classic Projector. In that case you are also called a Self Projected Projector. Listening to what you have to say is your key to make decisions.
What is a Mental Projector?
And then we have the Ajna center. And this is the key to spot a Mental Projector. These projectors have no defined centers below the throat center. The Ajna can be connected by a Channel that connects to your Head center with your Ajna. Or there is a connection between your Ajna and your Throat center. In both cases you are a Mental Projector. You don’t have an inner authority. You are mostly in your mind. So your body is not your decision maker in this case. You have an outer authority. Sound boarding with different people in your environment is a great way to “talk yourself through your decision making process’. You don’t need the advice from others but hearing your own thought patters can be very useful. Time is also your friend when you need to make decisions.
Remember, you require more rest than the 88% of the population, and honoring this basic need empowers you to function at your best, especially with so many open centers in your chart.
How do work efficiently as a Projector?
You are a star at being efficient so you can do work perhaps faster than other types. Also why it is such a weird concept that the majority of the work force is still following the Henry Ford Factory model of working at least 8 hours a day straight. In my opinion that concept is ready to be tossed in the garbage since no worker can focus and be productive 8 hour straight.
In an ideal world a Projector might only need 3 hours of work to finish a task and takes a nap in between work sessions and do another 3 hours of work.
Projectors often experience internal struggles and comparison as they navigate their role. It’s common to question, “Who am I to others?” and feel the discomfort of wanting to be recognized while also grappling with the spotlight. So seeing and being seen remains a struggle for Projectors. On one hand, they desire recognition for their unique perspective and expertise. But on the other hand being in the spotlight can bring discomfort as well.
Dillemma for Projectors: The need and fears of being seen
In another exercise I experienced, during my own Living your Design workshop, the Projectors of the group had to sit in a very nice chair on a stage, while all the other types sat in the audience.
We where in complete silence.
So the Projectors entered the room, they had no idea what was going on. They where just guided towards the stage. It was so weird, when they came in and we all felt the energy of the room changed. So this Human Design expert asked the Projectors what they where feeling.
But actually we all felt what they where feeling. We all felt this extreme feeling of discomfort. And that is what they said. “It is soooo uncomfortable to be in this position. Why are you putting us on stage? We don’t want to be here” is what they said.
And this is where strategy comes in. If you are a Projector, the key to the dilemma of seeing and being seen is to share what you see with people who invite you and appreciate your perspective. Not everyone is ready to hear what you have to say, and the right invitations will guide you to those who are ready for your powerful insights.
Waiting for the right invitation
With the right invitation a Projector will feel succes en op basis hierop herkenning and that is what Projectors thrive on. Recognition is essential for their health and wellbeing. It is their signature feeling of their true self.
If you are a Projector yourself, by embracing your authentic self and focusing on helping others, you pave the way for recognition and appreciation. When the right invitations align with your purpose, bitterness gives way to a sense of fulfillment.
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What is the role of the Projector?
For my coaching clients I use the metaphor of a lighthouse to describe the Projector’s role. If you think about a lighthouse, you are a beacon for all the ships that want to navigate into the harbor. Your powerful search light swings around for the ships to be seen. You can also zoom in on a ship with your powerful light beam.
Sometimes, the lighthouse worries whether it will be seen. The discomfort between of “being in the spotlight themselves” and being “seen” is an internal struggle. Accepting that they are always seen until they are seen by the right people can help you navigate this discomfort.
Because just like a lighthouse, they are here not for all ships. A lighthouse is only here for the ships that need to go into the harbor.
While their searchlight is focused on the other person, but they may find it difficult to see themselves because they are so engrossed in helping others.
That is why the “who am I to others? that’s kind of a life question that might be very important for a Projector.
They learn about themselves by supporting and guiding others, and then they can reflect on those experiences against their own inner world.
Not self theme of Bitterness
In today’s society, we are often conditioned to think and act in certain ways, neglecting our natural inclinations and feelings. This can lead to bitterness creeping in. However, by maintaining a balance between thinking and feeling and by following your Strategy and Authority as a Projector, you can find fulfillment and recognition for your knowledge and abilities.
This brings me to the not self theme of the Projectors and that is bitterness. Although, they also soak up a lot of frustration from the generators in their environment.
Most bitterness experienced by Projectors arises from situations where they try to act like another energy type, just like putting a train on water would cause it to sink, like an initiating Manifestor or working tirelessly like a Generator.
Projectors flourish when they embrace their unique design. If I can help you navigate the knowledge about your Human Design chart and hear the story that it tells me as a Human Design expert, then book a Human Design reading with me. Cut a check for speed! The faster you learn about the practical insights, the sooner you can start applying them in your daily life!
And that brings us to the end of this article on Human Design Projectors. I hope you’ve gained some valuable insights into this fascinating energy type and its role in your personal and professional life.
Remember, if you are a Projector yourself, you have a special gift to guide and advise people and processes. Just like a lighthouse illuminates the way for ships at sea, you guide and lead others through the vast ocean of life. How cool is that!
Well thank you for being here!I
