12 Human Design Profiles

When we combine the 6 lines we learned about in [PART ONE], we get 12 different profiles. Each line flavors the other so as to make its own archetype in and of itself. If you have a smaller number first (1, 2 or 3 lines), you have a personal karma in this lifetime, and a 4, 5 or 6 line first indicates that your life will be more focused on the collective— trans-personal karma. (The only exception to this is the 4/1 profile which is neither personal nor trans-personal). Let’s take a look at each of the 12 profiles.

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1-3 (Investigator/Experiential-Martyr). Both the 1 and the 3 lines are in the lower trigram, so there will be a strong focus on your own internal process throughout life. You are naturally very skeptical and always catch people who are trying to lie to you. You need to investigate and study, but don’t be too cautious— allow yourself to experiment. Sometimes the energy of the 1 takes control, and you are scared to experiment because you feel like you don’t know enough and aren’t ready. Let life be your teacher so that you can find out what truth really means for you.

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1-4 (Investigator/Opportunist). Your profile is rather rare. The 1 brings a depth of knowledge and a desire to deeply investigate the things you are passionate about. Alone time is important for curating your knowledge and being in a community with people who respect that knowledge will naturally create an environment in which you share your discoveries. You will become an authority on what you have mastered when you find the correct people to surround you in your network.

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2-4 (Hermit/Opportunist). There is a tension between the 2 and the 4— you’re never quite sure if you want to be alone or if you want to be out among your network of people. It’s important for you to create a safe and peaceful resting environment from which to go deep into your own internal processes and to get the rest you need, and equally important for you to develop a close community of people who will see your natural gifts. These gifts and talents are so inherent that you usually can’t see them yourself, which is why you’ll need people you trust to draw them out of you.

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2-5 (Hermit/Heretic). The 2 and 5 lines together mean that people will project onto you and expect your particular natural talents to come to their rescue in some way. Because of this it’s important for you to decide what you really want to spend your time and energy on, and subsequently decide what to say yes to and what to say no to. Use your strategy and your alone time to go inward and get to know what’s aligned with your authentic self.

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3-5 (Experiential-Martyr/Heretic). You are a catalyst for change and people like to live vicariously through you, for better or for worse. Many celebrities have a 3-5 profile. It can be difficult for you when you’ve experimented and “failed” after everyone has been projecting onto you and holding you their own expectations. Embracing the ups and downs and the messiness of life regardless of what people project onto you will draw the correct people to you in the end. When you get into this flow, you’ll have some of the most likable and magnetic energy of all the profiles.

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3-6 (Experiential-Martyr/Role Model). The first part of your life is all about experimenting; until the end of your Saturn return you operate as a 3-3. After the age of 30 you may find more contrast within yourself. Do you want to continue to experiment? Do you want to go inward and settle down to home in on your passions? You may be unsure. You may appear to have things under total control, but on the inside,  you may feel like you need a lot of space, and that’s okay to ask for. Learn to love and appreciate the chaos of life— it’s your greatest teacher. Learn to forgive yourself for mistakes and recognize the wisdom that comes from them. When you do, others won’t be able to ignore your wisdom in the later years of your life.

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4-1 (Opportunist/Investigator). You know who you are, and you have your own internal sense of right and wrong. Your life is all about sticking to your own truth and sharing the findings of your investigation about life with your close community. You may be known for externalizing everything you take in; don’t let anyone stop you!  Remember that it’s okay to make changes in your life slowly. When it feels like you’ve lost your passion or identity, always go back to the energy of your personality sun gate— it’s extra important for you.

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4-6 (Opportunist/Role Model). Your whole life is about your external world (two upper trigram lines), yet you still have a personal karma so it’s correct for you to be absorbed in your own process. For your first 30 years there will be a lot of experimenting, particularly with relationships and friends. You experience a push and pull between wanting to be among your community and wanting to be alone and this can be very confusing for you. There can be a real fear of rejection with this profile. It’s important not to seek external validation, but rather to settle into who you are with the people you love and respect.

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5-1 (Heretic/Investigator). You want to be a hero, to go to the depths of your knowledge base and offer it up to everyone. You love the process of learning, change, new projects and challenges and you aren’t afraid to go against the grain if you need to. You have a magnetic quality about you, seducing people into wanting to know what you have to offer.  Others will often project onto you and that can feel like a lot of pressure, especially if people have expressed disappointment with you in the past. However, following your strategy and learning to say no to things you can’t fulfill will help you avoid bitterness. Keep asking questions, becoming an authority on what you love, and owning who you are.

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5-2 (Heretic/Hermit). By nature, you are self motivated and you are here to share what you know with others. You must discover your own genius, the inherent gifts that you want to put out into the world. Others might not see your inner hero archetype right away as you often hide your gifts and knowledge. If the world hasn’t “discovered” you yet, work on honing your own abilities through experimentation and integration with others. If you simply wait for others to recognize you, you may become bitter, angry, frustrated or disappointed. Ask yourself where you are separating yourself from others and where your expectations of others may be too high. What is it that you are good at? How can you recognize yourself more? It’s okay to put yourself out there.

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6-2 (Role Model/Hermit). Before your Saturn return the 6 line operates as a 3, so everything will be about experimenting and letting life be your teacher. Trial and error is your process, even if your 2 line sometimes want to retreat when failure occurs. After 30 years old, there can be a time of deep retreat and aloofness. This is a time for deep healing from the pain of your experimenting years and a time for going inward to deepen your skills and self-understanding. When the time comes, others will recognize you for your wisdom and come to draw you out of the depths of your process. Don’t resist this, you were born to be a wise role model in this lifetime.

6-3 (Role Model/Martyr)

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6-3 (Role Model/Martyr). Like the 3/6, for the first 30 years of your life you’ll operate as a 3/3. This looks like a lot of experimentation, both internally and externally. The experimentation might slow down after your Saturn return, but never really ends for you. You may feel restless— like you are forever searching for the right thing, the perfect thing. It’s important to forgive yourself and life for not being perfect and to stay optimistic. Responsibility and wisdom come naturally to you. Learn to balance the structure of what you’ve learned with the natural ebbs and flows of being human.

In Conclusion

Understanding your profile alongside your energy type and its respective decision-making strategy can give you a bigger picture of the overarching story of your life.