Get Out of Your Head !
Have you found yourself swimming in thoughts? Are there times when you wish your mind would just slow down and allow you a moment to . . . NOT think?
In the age of so much information, we can be completely consumed with what we know, what we feel we need to know, and what we don’t know. We are constantly checking in with the chatter in our heads reminding us of schedules, lists, how to respond, what someone might be thinking of us when we do respond and so on. Our minds are like a cafeteria of middle school students badgering us for attention.
When faced with a decision, we may have been conditioned to think that we should be strategic and think through all the angles, make the pros and cons chart, or rationalize it to make the most sense. We seek out advice from friends or professionals, read books or listen to podcasts. We have been taught that the more we know, the better we can have clarity on a decision. But is this really true?
There have been many times in my life that all this “knowing” has just muddied the water. I have so many pieces of information that I begin to over-think. In fact, I can remember family members often telling me, “Dyan, you think too much!” This thinking often then just caused anxiety. I would perseverate on which outcome might result from each angle I anticipated. And many times, this would just stagnate me from even moving forward at all.
This exemplifies how we find ourselves struggling to listen to our inner authority. In Human Design, the ability to listen to our Authority is the MOST transformative process in using our energy correctly. Even the excitement of “learning” all the things about your Human Design can sidetrack you from the purpose of “living” your design. When I came to learn about my design I wanted to know it all. But, when I really started understanding how to listen to my Authority, it completely transformed my decision making. It led me on a path of alignment with what was right for me in ways I could not ever begin to rationalize. It allowed me to take a deep breath, trust the synchronicities of life and watch things unfold in the most amazing ways.
So, let’s talk a bit about what your Authority in Human Design really is and how we might break the habit of being held hostage to the thinking mind and allow the soul to speak.
You may have heard the phrases, “listen to your heart,” “follow your instincts,” or “trust your gut.” But, these don’t apply to everyone. In fact, each person is designed with an authority that works for them, and the advice listed in these phrases can often add more confusion to an individual.
There are 7 Authorities in Human Design. Let’s break each one down a bit.
Emotional Authority
The Emotional Authority is found in the Solar Plexus and it is an incredibly strong authority. In fact, if your Solar Plexus is defined then it will supersede all other energy centers in your chart as your Authority. For someone with an Emotional Authority it is extremely important to be in a regulated state of emotion before making any decision. There are four different wave types for those with Emotional Authority, so it is important to know which kind of wave you have. When you are in the height of a wave of emotion you may be tempted to respond and jump to that “LET’S DO THIS” excitement, only to get in the lower wave emotion later and have regrets. What is important to note during the wave, is the information that it allows us to sift through. When we get to a place of calm and collected, we can take this information and truly respond to the decision we should make with clarity.
Sacral Authority
The Sacral Authority belongs to Generators and Manifesting Generators with an undefined solar plexus. The Sacral Authority is that “gut” response. So, for those with a sacral authority the idea of “listening to your gut” really does make sense. The sacral authority literally makes one feel that buzz of excitement in their belly that is telling them to go for it. Those with a sacral authority will feel a strong “yes” or a strong “no” to something, but often find more clarity in this by asking yes or no questions about a decision.
As someone with Sacral Authority myself, I also had to practice listening to my sacral response by eliminating the fears that I had been conditioned in from my defined spleen. As a recovering people pleaser, I had to practice listening to what was right for me with small decisions at first. For example, I would practice asking myself about what food I wanted to eat in a day by giving myself a couple choices. Or, I would ask myself what I wanted to do for exercise, or other simple tasks. This may seem silly, but the more I started doing this with small things and I could truly feel that little glimmer or a yes or no within my gut, I started to be able to do it with bigger decisions. It wasn’t long before opportunities for things in my career, travel and more came to me and I could truly FEEL what was meant for me.
Splenic Authority
Someone with a Splenic Authority does not have a defined Solar Plexus or Sacral, which would make them either a Projector or Manifestor. The spleen is known for speaking strongly once and then moving on. Unlike other authorities, the splenic response to decision making is quick and more impulsive in its nature. It is an inner knowing of truth that might be followed by a fear based question. This is because the spleen is known to house our energy of fear, our knowing and immunity or health. Taking care of oneself physically if you have splenic authority is very important, as it will help guide you to be more attuned to it’s voice. It can also be confusing at first for someone with this authority to move away from this inner voice as being in their mind. It takes practice to step away from that fear based question that comes after a spontaneous inner knowing and not get lost in it. Having awareness of when the mind is trying to take over is imperative to the use of this authority.
Ego Authority
The name of this authority may cause one to have the wrong interpretation of its beauty and power. It is important to understand this center and its types.
The Ego Manifested authority is one that has their Throat and Will/Heart Center connected. It is important for this authority to really listen to what comes out of their mouth when they speak. That impulse to say something is a direct line to moving you toward your truth. You may be conditioned to hold back and not share what you are feeling the urge to say, but this is your authority directing you to speak because it is guiding you with your decisions.
The Ego Projected authority is found in Projectors that have their Heart Center connected to their G Center. Since the Heart is a motor center, it is generating that energy to do something or not. The process of decision making for the Ego Projected Authority is to really wait for the invitation of another to step into their decision. This does not mean that you need to sit back and do nothing. It just means that you will really have the motivation and will to do something or you will not.
Self Projected Authority
This authority is found in Projectors that have their G Center connected to their throat. These authority types need to “talk it out” to make their decisions. They find that spending time sharing their thinking aloud guides them in their process. When using this authority, talking to other people can sometimes keep you from the clarity you need, especially if you are working against your conditioning to people please. If you have this authority you may find it helpful to talk aloud to yourself or journal or voice note to come to your decisions.
Mental Authority
It is so important to clarify here that Mental Authority does not mean getting stuck in your thinking mind. Often this authority can be called (Environ)mental Authority. The art of using this authority is to observe. Mental projectors have this authority and they can have a combination of their Ajna and Head defined or their Ajna, Head and Throat defined; but there's no other connection below the throat. The process of using this authority is to observe the environment and situation at hand and keep from falling into the trap of questioning everything. Use the environment around you to guide you to what is right. Observe, note and take the step.
Lunar Authority
Reflectors are the only energy type with a Lunar Authority. This is because they do not have any defined energy centers. The process of using their authority here is to wait for a lunar cycle to make decisions. During this 28 day transition, the Reflector can really feel into the energy of others around them to help them process and prepare for a decision to be made. Due to the fact that Reflectors are constantly reflecting the energy of others, they are beautifully equipped to see and feel what is transpiring around them and take this observation to help them with their next steps.
As you can see, the unique design of each person’s Authority can have an incredible impact on their decision making process if used correctly. When we can truly get out of our heads and the thinking mind, we can start to feel into the energy that we are designed to use. When each of us uses our own authority correctly we can then even offer others the opportunity to use theirs as well. It is a freedom to release the mind from so much unnecessary work and let our souls have some conversation instead!
