What is an Authority?

Our Authority in Human Design is our decision making centre and is like our inner GPS that guides us towards the things that are correct for us in life - whether it be opportunities, relationships, life choices or even our purpose and future direction. When we lean on our Authority, it opens up more self trust, decisiveness, clarity but most importantly - we stop outsourcing our power and begin to in-source it instead.

Everyone has a unique Authority, which can be found through our Human Design chart. There are nine different Authorities: Emotional, Sacral, Splenic, Ego, Self-Projected, Mental/Environment or Lunar. Let’s break them all down.

Solar Plexus Authority {Emotions} / Ride The Wave.

The mantra of the Emotional Authority? There is NO clarity in the now. What we need is spaaacceeee when it comes to make decisions, because we ride the waves our emotions before we land in clarity about how we *feel* about our decision.

Not all decisions will require a wave (eg if you want to go out tonight or where you want to go for brunch tomorrow). But definitely where there is an outlay of time, money or energy OR it will alter your path in some way.

Best practice is to ask: 'When is the latest I can let you know?' or 'I need to feel into this. I'll get back to you on Monday'. Observe when the waves turn into ripples and you land in an equilibrium of how you feel rather than act in the super high or low.

TRY: Ride that wave. Ask for TIME. Journal the process and observe when it feels like the waves turn into ripples. What does a yes or a no feel like in your body when it does?

Sacral Authority {Gut} / Trust Your Body.

The mantra of the Sacral Authority? There IS clarity in the now. You actually *DO* know in the moment what IS and ISN'T for you based on what your body is telling you.

Expansive? Excited? Leaning in? 'Mmmm!'. That's a YES.

Constrictive? Bleh? Leaning away? 'Ugh'. That's a NO.

When we are so conditioned to listening to the mind (which will often cut immediately in with a 'but...' or 'I should...') it can be challenging to trust your gut and trust the immediate clarity you have.

To rebuild trust with your Sacral - answer in sounds. 'Mmm!' for a yes. 'Ugh' for a no.

And remember, the Sacral only knows how to choose between YES or NO or two options. So give yourself this opportunity & ask those around you to do the same.

TRY: It's a gut yes or a gut no. What do those answers feel like in your body? Expansive or contracting? Give yourself two options to choose from or a yes/no option. Answer in sound. What is your body telling you?

Splenic Authority {Intuition} / Inner Knowing.

The Splenic Authority is connected to your intuition and instincts and is always guiding you towards what will support you to survive and thrive and away from what won't.

Think of it like a radar - it's constantly scanning the environment and whispering to you what to do next. So how do you know if it's your intuition speaking? How do you trust that over the mind?

Your Spleen just 'knows things'. It's not logical. You often probably won't be able to explain it and will hear yourself saying, 'I just know' or 'I just know that's not for me'.

Start to tune in where you feel your intuition in the body and start to open a dialogue with it. The more you act on your inner knowing and know what it feels like, the louder it will become.

TRY: What does the voice of your intuition sound like? For me, it's super clear. Calm. Matter of fact. Is there a difference between your inner knowing and the chatter of the mind? Notice the things you 'just know' - and start trusting it.

Ego Authority {Heart} / Led By Desire.

Can I just say I f*cking love the Ego Authority? You're here to be LED BY DESIRE. Just because you want it. Just because it benefits you.

I often think of the Ariana Grande song when I think of this Authority - 'I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it'.

There's only two energy types with this Authority: the Manifestor and Projector. The key for both is talking it out and HEARING the desire in your voice.

Manifestors: How you'll know what your heart is telling you is by talking out your desires, unfiltered. What are the things you just blurt out that you want? Trust it.

Projectors: This is about asking yourself ‘What do I want? What's in it for me?’ Do you have the WILL and the desire to do it or not?

TRY: What do you desire? Truly. Practice making choices based off pure desire > logic. Without apology.

Self Projected Authority {Identity} / Future Direction.

This Authority comes from the identity centre so it’s all about the self and future direction.

You'll gain clarity from hearing yourself talk out your decisions (either with someone in person, via voice notes or even making voice memos to hear yourself speaking the decision out).

Setting up the space for people to hear you out rather than offer advice will be helpful for you to gain clarity. 'Hey, I just need to talk out a decision. Can you just listen - I don't need advice at this time' (unless you do).

This is all about what will make you feel like YOU? What will make you happy? What will give you ultimate self expression? Am I heading in the right direction for me?

Talk it out. You'll get clarity as you do.

TRY: Consider - where do you want to go next? What feels like it's your dream future direction? Voice note or talk it out (even with yourself) and see what clarity sounds like as it is expressed into the world.

Sounding Board Authority {Mental/Environment} / CEO Of Your Decisions.

Don't let the name fool you - this is NOT about making decisions from the mind. The Sounding Board (or mental/environmental) authority is the CEO of their decisions - however they need a board of directors to bounce things around to gain clarity.

Which means that environment is KEY. Having the right board of directors, with your best intentions at heart to bounce around the best decision for YOU (not what they think is best) is what will support you to gain clarity.

This is not about taking the advice from others, but in the 'bouncing around' process you'll either gain new perspective that will offer you new clarity OR you'll see that you were on the right track after all.

Gather your team and let yourself talk out what options you have. But always remember - you're the CEO.

TRY: Who gets to be in your CEO Circle as the Board of Directors? Get your team in order and see how it feels when you bounce things around with them. What does clarity feel like as you gain new perspective?

Lunar Authority {Moon} / A Lunar Cycle.

This authority is EXCLUSIVELY for our Reflectors. You are a lunar type - where the rest of us are solar types. Your connection to the moon and it's cycles impacts your own internal clarity.

The analogy I like to use when sharing about this is if I asked you to come to my house and I said, 'Hey, see that Geode on the table? Can you help me move it?' and you saw the front - all sparkly and beautiful and said YES...

...you might get up close and see it's actually jagged, sharp and heavy and wish you hadn't lol. If you had of had the opportunity to walk allllll the way around, you would have maybe had a different truth.

There are 64 gates in the Human Design System - and waiting a lunar cycle allows the moon to filter through all of them. Giving you new clarity and perspective as it does. Take your time. Don't let the world rush you.

TRY: Practice asking for space and taking your time with decisions. How does it feel to have more time? If you don't have a full lunar cycle to wait, who do you have in your inner circle who can help you see new perspectives?

HUMAN DESIGN AUTHORITY: YOUR UNIQUE DECISION MAKING PROCESS