It’s all in your Design… Part 5: Authority (How You’re Designed to Make Decisions)
| Type of Authority | Description | Who Can Have It |
|---|---|---|
| Emotional Authority (Solar Plexus) | Decisions are made based on emotional clarity, waiting through emotional waves to find calmness. | Manifestors, Generators, Manifesting Generators, Projectors |
| Sacral Authority | Decisions are based on gut responses and immediate energy (a "yes" or "no" feeling in the body). | Generators, Manifesting Generators |
| Splenic Authority | Intuition-driven, spontaneous decisions made in the moment based on instinct and survival responses. | Manifestors, Projectors |
| Ego Authority (Heart) | Decisions are made from the ego’s desires or willpower, focusing on what feels correct for the self. | Manifestors, Projectors |
| Self-Projected Authority | Decisions are made through verbal expression, allowing the person to talk through things and hear their truth. | Projectors |
| Environment/No Inner Authority (Mental Projected) | Decisions are made through interaction with the environment and trusted individuals. Requires outside feedback. | Projectors |
| Lunar Authority | Reflectors need to wait a full lunar cycle (28 days) to make important decisions, deeply influenced by the moon’s phases. | Reflectors |
In the world of Human Design, your authority is the way you are uniquely designed to make decisions. This is not about making choices with your mind but about tuning into your body and the way it naturally guides you.
Whether you're new to Human Design or already familiar with your chart, understanding your authority can be a game-changer. It helps you align with your true nature, making life flow with more ease and confidence.
Let’s dive into the seven different authority types in Human Design and explore how they work, what they feel like, and who has them.
1. Emotional Authority (Solar Plexus)
How it works: If you have Emotional Authority, your best decisions come when you take time to feel your way through them. Emotions in this authority move in waves, and clarity comes when you've ridden the highs and lows, eventually settling in a calm, neutral state. Reacting too quickly, especially in the heat of strong emotions, can lead to decisions that don’t feel good later on.
The feeling: Emotional clarity often feels like peace, contentment, or certainty, but it takes time to reach. The trick here is patience—waiting for the wave to pass.
Who has it: This is the most common authority in Human Design and can be found in Manifestors, Generators, Manifesting Generators, and Projectors.
Tip: When faced with a decision, give yourself permission to "sleep on it" before taking action. You’ll be amazed at how different things feel after the wave settles.
2. Sacral Authority
How it works: Sacral Authority is all about gut responses—your body gives you a clear "yes" or "no" through sounds, sensations, or just an inner knowing. This response is immediate and doesn’t require overthinking or analyzing.
The feeling: It’s like an inner pull or push—your body either opens up with excitement and energy or shuts down with resistance. The more you practice listening to this, the clearer it gets.
Who has it: Only Generators and Manifesting Generators have Sacral Authority.
Tip: Start noticing your gut reactions to simple questions. Do you feel drawn toward something, or does it make you want to pull back? Trust those signals.
3. Splenic Authority
How it works: Splenic Authority is intuitive and fast, providing instant, spontaneous insights. It’s often a quiet, fleeting voice or a physical sensation of something feeling "right" or "off." It’s linked to your primal instincts and keeps you safe.
The feeling: It’s a whisper that comes once and then disappears. You might feel a soft nudge, hear a gentle inner voice, or experience a sense of alertness or calm.
Who has it: Splenic Authority can be found in Manifestors and Projectors.
Tip: Trust your first instinct and don’t overthink it. Splenic Authority works in the moment, and its wisdom can easily be missed if you second-guess yourself.
4. Ego Authority (Heart)
How it works: With Ego Authority, your decisions are best made based on what you truly want—what your ego and willpower desire. It’s about acting from a place of knowing what serves you, without guilt or hesitation.
The feeling: There’s a directness to this authority. It feels like the sheer will to go after what you want. When it’s right, you feel empowered and clear about your desire.
Who has it: Ego Authority is rare and found in some Manifestors and Projectors.
Tip: Don’t be afraid to pursue what feels self-centered. Your heart knows what it needs, and following this guidance benefits not just you, but others as well.
5. Self-Projected Authority
How it works: Self-Projected Authority means your truth is found when you express your thoughts out loud. Talking things out with trusted people helps you hear your own clarity. It’s not about their advice; it’s about hearing your own voice reflect back to you.
The feeling: When the decision is right, your voice carries confidence and authenticity. You can hear your truth as you speak it.
Who has it: This authority is unique to Projectors.
Tip: Find people who can act as sounding boards, not to tell you what to do, but to hold space while you hear your truth emerge in conversation.
6. Environmental/No Inner Authority (Mental Projected)
How it works: This authority is all about your environment and the people around you. You’re designed to make decisions by getting into the right spaces and surrounding yourself with supportive, aligned individuals who help you see things clearly.
The feeling: Clarity comes when you feel comfortable and at ease in your environment. Being in the wrong place or with the wrong people makes decision-making difficult and draining.
Who has it: Mental Projectors have this authority.
Tip: If you’re unsure about something, change your environment and see how it affects your clarity. Choose environments and people who help you feel light, open, and reflective.
7. Lunar Authority
How it works: Reflectors are the only type with Lunar Authority, and their decision-making process is tied to the moon’s 28-day cycle. They need a full lunar cycle to gain clarity on big decisions, allowing them to see things from all angles as the moon moves through its phases.
The feeling: When the time is right, there’s a sense of deep clarity and alignment. You’ll feel sure about your decision, as if the pieces of the puzzle have clicked into place.
Who has it: Only Reflectors have Lunar Authority.
Tip: Honor the rhythm of the moon. Track its phases and give yourself time to feel through different possibilities before making significant decisions.
Aligning with Your Authority: Why It Matters
Understanding and following your authority is like learning to flow with the natural current of your life. When you make decisions from your mind alone, it can lead to frustration, bitterness, anger, or disappointment. But when you trust the wisdom of your body, you’re led to decisions that feel aligned and fulfilling.
Human Design is not about following a set of rules but about experimenting with your unique design and seeing what works for you. Try leaning into your authority, practice it in your everyday decisions, and see how life unfolds with greater ease and purpose.
By aligning with your authority, you honor your true self, and life becomes a more authentic, fulfilling journey.
Interested in diving deeper into your Human Design? Download Your Soul’s Unique Purpose report and see how tuning into your authority can transform the way you navigate life. You deserve to make decisions that feel good from the inside out.