Last year, I thought it would be a great idea to introduce Human Design to my partner who wasn’t into “this stuff.” I know that talking about circuits, centers, and auras would put him to sleep (which would’ve been bad because he was driving at that moment) so I decided to speak to him in our mutual love language:

Nerd. Full nerd.

If you’re completely new to Human Design but you’re also a nerd like us, let me give you the quick and dirty of your type, as told by the Lord of the Rings Cinematic Universe.

Jump into my little alternative universe machine (it’s in The Shire) and let’s check it out.

Generate your Human Design Chart

Ah, one more thing. Did you generate your Human Design chart?

If not, be sure to drop your birth info into The Wild Pixel’s chart generator and look for where it says “type.”

How Lord of the Rings Helps with Misconceptions about Human Design

When we approach things like personality tests, we expect to be told that we’re good at something or we’re terrible at something else. That we’d have an affinity for a specific role in life or some form of fixed destiny.

I’d like to ask you to take a moment and consider the journey you’ve already taken already. All of the different identities and labels you’ve embodied and shed. How you live in cycles that echo something you’ve already done in the past or how when you rewatch your favorite movie, you see things you’ve missed before.

You’re not a one-dimensional character walking a predictable path. You’re complex and filled with multiple possibilities, at any given moment.

Now, look at the characters in Lord of the Rings. Are any of them truly best suited for the task of destroying the ring? No, not alone. Every single member of the Fellowship needed one another, because each member played a specific, yet dynamic role throughout their quest.

So as you read this post, I don’t want you to think that you’re better suited to be a follower than a leader or that you’re very aggressive, based on what you read about your type.

Instead, I invite you to embody the perspective of that type and ask the question, “Knowing this about my Human Design type, how would I uniquely approach a specific role?”

To make it fun, let’s pretend that you, too, are on a quest to destroy something terrible that has controlled your community. Perhaps you’re an entrepreneur that’s passionate about disrupting shame-based marketing in your industry. Maybe you’re a nutritionist that believes 1200 calories is not enough. Or you’re a parent who refuses to be shamed into serving gluten-free-vegan-sugar-free only snacks to your children.

Your name is __________ and you’re on a quest to stop __________ from destroying __________. 🙏🏼

Simultaneously, our friends in Middle Earth are trying to stop one of the rings of power from destroying the world. Their quest is to cast the ring into the fires of Mordor and get rid of it.

Here’s their story.

Generators + Manifesting Generators: Hobbits

Note: Since Generators make up 70% of the population, we generally separate Generators into Classic Generators and Manifesting Generators. They’re still under the “Generator” type, so this space will be held for both variations.

Hobbits are happy-go-luck hairy creatures who just want to toke it up and drink tea.

Really, they’re just enjoying their day-to-day lives until one day, a problem arises and they’re confronted with whether they’d like to respond to this problem.

In this case, the problem was that one of the Hobbits, Bilbo, was seduced by the ring of power and responded through his decision to keep it. This foreshadowed the years that would come where the burden of destroying the ring would be asked of Frodo, Bilbo’s much younger cousin.

Frodo was asked to courier the ring because others feared that they would be too tempted by its power. When he finally got to his destination, a meeting of the races was called, to determine what should happen to the ring. A fight broke out because whoever brought this ring to Mordor would surely die in the process. The last time someone tried this, the person tasked with destroying the ring claimed the ring for himself.

So as Frodo watched everyone fight among himself, he raised his little hobbit hand and responded by saying, “I’ll do it. I’ll take the ring to Mordor.”

The thing about Hobbits is that despite their stature and how little anyone could expect from them, they have an uncanny ability to endure. They have a stubborn willingness to put in the work, even if they do not seem outwardly threatening.

Frodo’s other Hobbit friends, all equally small, also volunteer their lives to protect Frodo and join him on the journey, despite not looking like traditional adventurers.

When a Hobbit, or Generator, feels that yes response in their body, they enter a state of flow that allows them to push through. This mechanism is unique to Generator types. Their energies are self-sustaining, knowing when they’ll need rest and when they can forge on.

“All wizards should have a hobbit or two in their care—to teach them the meaning of the world, and to correct [the wizard].”

- Gandalf the Wizard to Merry the Hobbit, The Two Towers

⭐️Recall a time when you were minding your own business, going about your day, and a problem came up. You felt in your body that this was something you are called to respond to and take care of. How did the flow feel in your body? What role did you play in the situation? Did anyone assist you?

Projectors: Wizards

Mm, wizards… mystical, magical, mischievous. I mean, you have to enjoy a little bit of trouble if you’re going to devote your life to the arcane, right?

Let’s look at the most memorable wizard from Lord of the Rings: Gandalf. The endless plight of the wise wizard parallels the Projector experience:

“Hey! There’s a better way to- oh, you’re already doing- yep… you got hurt. Yep, that definitely didn’t work out. Would you just LISTEN - no? Okay, then. I’ll just… sit here and wait, I guess…”

Gandalf has been around long enough to see how the rings of power have impacted Middle Earth. He reminds everyone not to touch it, wear it, or mess with it but hey, who’s listening to the old man?

Instead, Gandalf must wait for people to be ready for what he has to share. He could have all the wisdom in the world but unless those around him are ready to hear what he has to say, no one will absorb his words.

Projectors are asked to wait for recognition and invitation. This is their Human Design strategy. However, it’s really the Projector waiting for others to be ready for their magic. People are usually not in a place where they are ready to receive what the Projector has to offer. The Projector must learn to exist while holding space for other people to catch up.

Do you think Gandalf waits around for invitations to make something happen? No way. He’s honing his craft, traveling the world, and deepening his magic until those who need him are ready for his energy.

Invitations can be tricky in the beginning because Projectors expect invitations to be explicit. We experience the silent invitation when Gandalf told Frodo that he’d be joining the Fellowship to Mordor. There was no protest because everyone welcomed Gandalf’s wisdom and arcane knowledge. Projectors who are newly awakened to their Human Design usually struggle with silent invitations, but over time, they’ll feel it.

Something to note about Projectors, in parallel to wizards: Projectors began incarnating in 1781, making them the newest Human Design type. Their incarnation marked the beginning of a world that began to move away from strategic, forceful leadership to a world preparing for guidance and emotional awareness. Projectors often express feeling like an alien, like they don’t belong in this world because they compare themselves to Generators and Manifestors. Their gift is truly in refining and holding their magic, until others are open and ready to invite that energy in. This is a form of care and leadership that had never been seen or celebrated before.

Frodo: Before you came along, we Bagginses were very well thought of. Never had any adventures or did anything unexpected.

Gandalf: If you're referring to the incident with the dragon, I was barely involved. All I did was give your uncle a little nudge out of the door.

Frodo: Whatever you did, you've been officially labeled a disturber of the peace.

⭐️What do you love to create? What do you love to learn? How have the interests throughout your life showed up again and again? How did it feel when you were asked to partake in a project or relationship where your passions served as a catalyst?

Manifestors: Humans

What is more human than a need to conquer, fight for what you believe in, or to pave the way for a better quality of life?

The Human race in Middle Earth is a classic example of both the power and failure of man, which parallels the experience of Manifestors. The true reason (aside from Bilbo accidentally finding the ring) that this ring of power is able to maintain its control is because when it was originally going to be destroyed, a human was corrupted by the ring’s promise of power.

He walked away, with the ring, choosing to initiate himself into its darkness.

And with monarchies that need to be torn down, it would be another human that paves the way to not repeat their ancestor’s failure.

Aragorn is a great personification of a Manifestor’s power and influence. He stayed in the shadows, watching and protecting the Hobbits, as they journeyed. He kept the Fellowship together as they grieved through loss and unrelenting weather. Whether he was using his sword, his compassion, or words, he would sooner die than fail.

Manifestors are capable of being the backbone of a cause, whisperer of the right words into the right ears, while aligning themselves with the armies that support their vision.

They are might be lone wolves who can stay in the shadows. They can also immerse themselves with the right motley crew. The caveat is that the people Manifestors surround themselves with don’t give up and don’t get in the way.

“My friends, you bow to no one.” - Aragorn to the Hobbits, Return of the King

⭐️What is something you are actively disrupting because its existence does not feel right? Who have you aligned with in the past? How do you know when to switch gears between leading from the front versus leading from the shadows? Do you inspire courage in yourself? Are you fearful of the beliefs you hold?

Reflectors: Elves

The rarest Human Design type and the only lunar type, the Reflectors reveal the true nature of any environment they step foot in.

Elves and Reflectors do not operate on the same timeline that the rest of us do. In Middle Earth, the Elves are hundreds of years old and have access to their ancestral magic, which they infuse into their weapons and medicine. Throughout the Lord of the Rings trilogy, you meet different elves, from Legolas who directly joined the Fellowship, to Arwen who brought Frodo to Rivendell, and Galadriel who wielded one of the rings of power herself.

Like Elves, Reflectors are a rare sight. I have never met a Reflector who doesn’t cultivate a little space for themselves filled with play and wonder.

Reflectors are on their own timeline because they are in a state of sampling and waiting for an answer to come forward, but unlike the solar types (Generator, Manifestor, Projector) they don’t come up with a single answer and then run off with it. Instead, they create space to coax the inspiration forward. Their bodies are instruments of health and they can physically feel the conditions of others around them. They know when someone requires love, guidance, firmness, or force.

It is said that Reflectors wait a lunar cycle, but it’s not as literal as watching the phases of the moon. This is a connection to their own bodies and the tides of their day to day experiences. When a Reflectors releases control of a solar lifestyle, they begin to experience a more natural cycle and flow of time.

Reflectors are so dynamic because they are the only Human Design type that can experience what it’s like to be all of the other types, through conditioning. While they are still a Reflector and that type does not change, the can use that wisdom to work their healing magic, if they choose to.

“Your friends are with you, Aragorn.” - Legolas to Aragorn.

⭐️How do you make space to be inspired in your life? Who in your life has the type of energy that you are more than happy to bask in? How do you create protective boundaries for your energy? Are you in a hurry?