Human Design 101: Profile

It’s been a while since I’ve written a post about Human Design. In fact, it’s long overdue. So, here we go with another installment in my Human Design 101 series. In this post I’ll be covering Human Design Profiles. Excited? Me, too. Let’s go!

To begin with, your Profile can tell you quite a bit about the way you present yourself to the world. It’s made up of two numbers. Each number will be between 1 and 6. (They correspond to the lines of the hexagrams of the I Ching. These lines tell a story of the human developmental process starting at line 1 and evolving through line 6.) The first number in the Profile sequence tells you about the conscious ‘face’ you put forward. The second number tells you about the unconscious aspect of self that others see in you. 

There are 12 possible Profiles in the Human Design system. It doesn’t change, so the Profile you have at birth will remain the Profile you have throughout your life. Understanding your Profile can give you practical insight into the way you are meant to go about fulfilling your life’s mission. It’s often described as the costume you wear during the production of your life. (Remember: It’s how you present yourself and how others see you.) If you spend your time trying to wear someone else’ costume, you risk an ill fit, which means you won’t be able to complete your mission as effectively, comfortably, or stylishly as you are meant to. 

When you understand your Profile, you can relax in the comfort of a costume that fits you impeccably and supports your every move on stage. You won’t trip over your hems, or get your buttons caught in the scenery. You won’t rip your pants when you bend over. You’ll simply glide through the production executing your lines and actions with ease and grace. When you understand your Profile, you can nurture it and lean into it knowing you don’t need to be doing things the way your other ‘castmates’ are doing them. Your costume is specially tailored to you and your talents. Wear it proudly. 

As mentioned above, the two numbers of the Profile represent the binary between conscious experience and unconscious being. The first number of the Profile is taken from the hexagram line of the Sun/Earth placement on the conscious side of the bodygraph. (This side is usually represented with black coloring on the right of the bodygraph.) The second number is the same from the unconscious side. (This side is usually represented with red coloring on the left of the bodygraph.) The hexagram line is the number appearing after the decimal point on these placements. (See image.)

where the Profile numbers are located in the bodygraph

Each line corresponds to an archetype, which I’ll break down for you in a moment. The first number’s archetype will likely feel at least a little familiar for you. It’s more easily recognizable to you because it’s your conscious archetype. The second number’s archetype may be a little more elusive, though. This is your unconscious archetype. Over time, you may begin to recognize this archetype at play in your life, but you may not. However, other people will probably be able to spot it pretty easily. 

Here are the 12 Human Design Profiles:

1/3: Investigator/Martyr

1/4: Investigator/Opportunist

2/4: Hermit/Opportunist

2/5: Hermit/Heretic

3/5: Martyr/Heretic

3/6: Martyr/Role Model

4/6: Opportunist/Role Model

4/1: Opportunist/Investigator

5/1: Heretic/Investigator

5/2: Heretic/Hermit

6/2: Role Model/Hermit

6/3: Role Model/Martyr

Now let’s break down each of the archetypes (line numbers) so you can understand how each operates. As your reading through your own Profile archetypes, remember that the first one is the conscious one and the second is unconscious. The latter might not be as recognizable to you as the former. 

Please note that I’m using the traditional monikers for the archetypes. These were the names put forth by Ra Uru Hu (the ‘founder’ of Human Design). There’s been a lot of debate about the efficacy of this language, and you will see many modern practitioners of Human Design changing the language according to what feels more aligned for them. I’m personally not particularly beholden to the original language, but I feel it gets unnecessarily confusing when we start changing the names willy-nilly, so I’ll leave it to you to decide what language you would like to use. For educational purposes, I will continue to use the traditional language. 

Line 1: The Investigator

The Investigator is the most foundational of the archetypes. It’s primary concern is survival.  As such, it feels an impetus to investigate everything. It’s through thoroughly understanding a thing that The Investigator can know if it’s safe and supportive or not. Safety is huge for The Investigator. Simplicity is also important. Line 1 energy is more sequential—one thing at a time. The Investigator usually investigates one topic fully before moving on to another. And because The Investigator is so focused on understanding the world around them, they become the ones that others turn to for information [in order to feel safe and secure]. Knowledge is power. Or in this case, it might be more accurate to say that knowledge ensures survival. 

If you have The Investigator archetype in your profile, you probably have ‘researcher’ tendencies. When you’re curious about something, it’s probable that you dive in and try to understand that thing as fully as you can. You may reference internet posts, books, videos, lectures and papers from experts in the field, first-hand accounts from people you know and people you don’t, and any other data you can get your hands on. And while others may sometimes give you a hard time for your need to get the full scoop before you can accept something new, this is absolutely the right way for YOU to do things. So, go investigate your little heart out, friend! 

Line 2: The Hermit

The Hermit has evolved beyond just worrying about survival. It’s bumped up a notch on the developmental ladder. Since it’s not preoccupied with what’s safe, it can focus on what’s available and what’s enjoyable. The Hermit tends to have natural talents. And because these talents are so innate, and usually enjoyable, they spend a lot of time employing and refining those talents. In fact, they can get so involved in exploring these talents that they inadvertently isolate themselves. This makes them really good at whatever their talents are. It can also make them a little removed from reality at times. They can become unaware of the life that’s happening all around them at any given moment. 

If you have The Hermit in your Profile, you may find that you can easily entertain yourself without needing a constant barrage of social interaction. (Though, to be clear, this doesn’t mean you’re a loner or will never have community. You simply know how to enjoy your own company.) You may find that other people tend to be awed or inspired by something you do easily. You may get asked to share your talent with others, or to teach others how to do what you do. It may seem strange to you when this happens as you probably don’t feel that you’re doing anything extraordinary. And for you, it isn’t extraordinary. But for others, it is. Others can see you as quite magickal when you’re employing your talents. You have something special to share with the world. The key for you is to wait until others call it out of you. 

Line 3: The Martyr

The Martyr is the third line archetype. The Martyr is an experimenter. They like to take whatever they have been given and combine it in different ways to see what happens. They mix things up! They are the mad scientists of the Profile archetypes. And because they are so experimental, they have a built-in resilience that allows them to fail often and gracefully. (Sometimes even gleefully.) The whole point of The Martyr’s experiments is to learn about the world. They ask: What happens if …? And then they set about finding out for themselves. 

If you have The Martyr archetype in your Profile, you are probably one of those people who don’t like to take someone else’s word about what’s possible and what isn’t. You want to get in there and decide for yourself through first-hand experience. There’s a good chance you often learn things ‘the hard way’. You’re naturally curious and at least a little rebellious. If you’ve not been overly conditioned against it, you have an innate understanding that failing is a beautiful and necessary part of the process of succeeding. Therefore, when something doesn’t work the way you hoped, you don’t get too discouraged. You pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and try a different approach until you figure it out. 

Line 4: The Opportunist

The Opportunist is a connector, a conduit. They bring people and resources together. The Opportunist is that person at a party who, when you mention you’re looking for investors in your new business venture, tells you they know the perfect people looking to invest in a project just like yours! They connect you with these people and suddenly you’re in business. You’re happy. Your investors are happy. Everyone is getting what they want and need. Or perhaps, you’ve lost your job unexpectedly. When The Opportunist hears this, they connect you with a friend who is looking to fill a position for which you are perfectly qualified. You interview, get the job, and everyone wins from the transaction. You get a new job you enjoy. Your boss gets a great new employee. Everyone benefits. This is the magick of The Opportunist. 

If you have The Opportunist in your Profile, there’s a good chance you’re a people person. You may not be super extroverted, mind you, but you will have a knack for reading people and for connecting them with the resources that will serve their needs. You have an uncanny ability to know who needs what and where to find it. Sometimes it may feel like you are the glue holding your community together, for you are often the one who is able to help your friends and neighbors succeed.

Line 5: The Heretic

The Heretic has one of the most debated monikers of the Profiles. And, to be quite honest, I’m not a big fan of this title, myself. A heretic is someone who holds unorthodox beliefs. But this is such a limited description of the fifth line archetype. The Heretic (in HD terms) is someone who tends to be solution-oriented. They are ‘fixers’. The Heretic is able to see the big picture through the eyes of those on the ground. They then deduce what is most relevant for the most people involved. This gives them a unique insight into how to solve a problem in a way that works for the majority of the people being affected by it. 

If you have The Heretic in your Profile, it’s likely that you are the one your friends/family/colleagues come running to when they have a hiccup they can’t manage on their own. It’s also likely that you enjoy a good puzzle and have a knack for solving them with ease. However, you may find that you can be a bit “in and out” when you’re offering your help. You get in, take in the situation, see what’s likely to work, then share your findings and bounce. Once you’ve offered your fix, you don’t typically sit around managing the execution of the solution. You are more likely to share the solution with those who have the power to implement it, and then step back so they can do so. 

Line 6: The Role Model

The Role Model is the last, and most developed, of the Profile archetypes. The Role Model has a unique 3-part feature that none of the other Profile archetypes have. For those with a Line 6 in their Profile, the first ~30 years of life (from birth to the Saturn Return) will be experienced as a Line 3 Profile. This is a period of experimentation and trial and error. Then there’s a phase called ‘going on the roof’ which occurs from the Saturn Return to the Chiron Return (at roughly 50 years of age). This is a period of processing and integrating all that was learned from the experimentation phase. Then, at the Chiron Return, there’s a re-entry to the world (coming down from the roof) as the fully embodied Role Model archetype. At this point, they’ve had the chance to experience life in all its messy glory, and to really integrate all those life lessons. They then emerge with a very practical and hard-earned wisdom that allows them to be a living example of what embodied authenticity can look like. 

If you have The Role Model in your Profile, how you experience it will depend on where you are in your chronological development. If you’re 30 or younger, you’ll experience it as The Martyr (see above). If you’re between ~30 and ~50 years old, you might feel a little removed from the active hustle and bustle of life, or at least a little more philosophical about your life experiences. If you’re 50 or older, you’ll probably feel like you’ve ‘been around the block’ a few times and have a pretty solid understanding of what feels true for you and what doesn’t. You are more equipped than most people to live a life of true authenticity and trust in yourself and in life to support you. The transitional moments between each phase can be a little jarring for some, but if you’re aware of what’s happening it can be a really enlightening experience. By the time you’re fully entrenched in the Role Model archetype, you are living your life from your own personal view of what is true for you. And that can be a beautiful thing to behold. 

If you’re feeling curious about your own Human Design, or would like to go deeper into what this system reveals about your own nature, I have a couple options for you. First, I encourage you to consider booking a Human Design reading for yourself. It can be really helpful to have someone familiar with the system break down your bodygraph for you in ways that are practical and accessible for you. Secondly, you can take my online Human Design courses that go through different aspects of the bodygraph in more detail in visually engaging downloadable workbooks that you can reference as often as you need to while you are experimenting with your own design mechanics. Click HERE to book a reading. Click HERE to peruse the online course options available.

You can also read the previous posts in my Human Design 101 series: The Types, Strategy + Authority, and The Themes.