Human Design - a fusion of astrology, chakras, quantum physics and personality typing – is one of the hottest spiritual wellness trends around right now.
By using just your time, date and place of birth, you can discover which of five energy types you are, and harness this to live a better life.
But, once you’ve generated your human design chart, that information can be complicated to interpret. Until now.
In her new book Human Design Unlocked, stylist-turned-spiritual writer Alexandra Fullerton breaks down the system into something that's not just accessible, but genuinely useful - so you can discover a deeply personalised framework for understanding how you’re wired.
“This is a handbook for adulting,” says Alexandra, who spent two decades working on glossy magazines and has since ghost-written a number of titles for household names.
“Understanding your energy type can help avoid burnout and improve how you communicate with others, and you can apply this to every day decisions in your career, relationships and life in general.”
The five energy types
There are five energy types: Generators, Manifestors, Manifesting Generators, Projectors and Reflectors.
Each comes with its own strategy for making decisions, communicating, and managing energy - and Alexandra believes learning yours can be genuinely life-changing.
“Each energy type has a different strategy,” she explains. “Some people are here to initiate. Some are here to respond to life. Others need to wait for an invitation. Once you understand that, you stop wasting energy pushing when you should be pausing.”
She points out that it’s not just about avoiding burnout - it’s also about improving your relationships.
“When you know your type, and the type of people around you, it changes how you communicate.
"Maybe you realise someone needs time to process before making a decision. Or that you need to share what you’re doing, so others don’t feel blindsided. It’s really helpful for work and family life.”
In fact, Human Design Unlocked includes mantras and affirmations tailored to each type, as well as advice on how to manage your energy, make aligned decisions, and communicate better.
“It’s for anyone who wants to be a better person — or just live better in the world.”
For example, for Alexandra, discovering she was a Projector gave her permission to do things differently.
“My family joke that I’m borderline narcoleptic. But now I can say, ‘I’m a Projector – I have no internal energy machinations of my own.’ I need naps! And that’s not laziness – that’s alignment.”
She laughs: “It’s not being selfish — it’s enlightened selfishness! You need to understand yourself first, before you can do anything for anyone else. And that alone could be a life’s work.”
The science
Though Human Design draws from spiritual traditions, it’s also grounded in science.
Alexandra explains that there are 64 gates in Human Design (how we give and receive energy), which intriguingly mirror the 64 strands in human DNA.
And the whole system is based on neutrinos – subatomic particles that pass through the body in the womb, supposedly leaving an energetic imprint that forms the basis of your type.
“That’s what I think gives it gravitas,” she says. “It’s the perfect blend of the metaphysical and scientific, which is based on genetics. The moon affects the tides. The sun gives us vitamin D. It makes sense that these energies would impact us too. We forget that we’re part of nature.”
And while Human Design may sound esoteric, its benefits are practical.
“Even if all it does is help you say no more, or listen to your gut a little more - that’s powerful,” Alexandra says. “It’s about making better choices, in tune with who you really are.”
Human Design Unlocked is out now, published by Pavilion
