In Human Design, Reflectors are only 1% of the population and are here to be the sacred healing mirror for their community. They sample all that life has to offer and reflect back the integrity of their environment, the people they spend time with, and their lifestyle. In their presence, you see the full spectrum of who you really are.
Their aura is unique in many ways. The most obvious thing is that they have no fully defined channels and, therefore, no defined centers.
But there are two other distinctions that are often missed:
- The reflector aura is like teflon. It does not absorb other people’s energy the way an undefined or open center would in the other types. Instead, they energy of the other slides right off and “bounces back” to the other. This is, energetically speaking, how they reflect.
- Reflectors are Lunar beings. Generators, Manifesting Generators, Projectors, and Manifestors are all solar beings, meaning we draw energy from the sun. Lunar beings draw energy from the moon and it’s cycles and have a connection to the moon that cannot be understood by the other types.
Their environment, relationships, and lifestyle are essential to their well-being and the role they play in the collective. When they are in the “correct” environment, relationships, and lifestyle, they are revered for their presence alone and reveal the path to a brighter future.
( I cover all of this in much deeper detail in the Human Design Map including more direct guidance on understanding these cycles if you are a Reflector.)
There are misconceptions about all of the aura types. But, because of the way their aura works, the misconceptions we have about them are often a reflection of our own interpretations of the way people “should be” rather than what is actually happening with the reflector themselves. And, I think its interesting to consider what they tell us about our values as a society.
All that said, here are some common misconceptions about Reflector types.
#1. Reflectors have no consistent energy.
This one comes up a lot with Projectors, too, and in neither case is it true.
We all have all of the energy in the chart – it is just a matter of what we need consistent access to and what we don’t need consistent access to. (Read my post on that here.)
And reflectors actually show us this in brilliant clarity.
The moon transits all 64 gates in a lunar cycle. As these transits happen, it creates channels for their hanging gates. This creates a CONSISTENT pattern of definition because the lunar cycle itself is consistent.
#2. Reflectors absorb other people’s energy.
In the other types, the undefined and open centers take in energy from the outside and, depending on their level of awareness, will either observe it or absorb and amplify it.
That isn’t how it works for the reflector.
For the reflector, the energy slides off and bounces back to the other as a reflection. And it doesn’t linger for them the way it might for someone who simply has undefined centers.
They are most likely to observe, let it go, and not be conditioned by it. They don’t attach to or identify with it the way non-reflectors types tend to.
This, of course, does not mean they never get conditioned. But they aren’t being conditioned from *just* being in someone else’s energy.
#3. An “out of alignment” reflector is “dangerous” or “toxic.”
This one is a whole can of worms that could elicit several posts.
For now, what I will say is that I’ve seen this one cropping up in multiple places and, I find it humorous, given what we know about the reflector aura.
I understand that the “roots” of this misconception because if a reflector is in a “toxic” or “dangerous” environment, we are likely to see that reflected back.
But, and this is a big but, it is also wholly possible that its a reflection of the person calling them dangerous or toxic, rather than anything real or true about the reflector.
And, I just don’t see how painting anyone with such a broad brush does anyone any favors.
I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve had with reflectors who have shared stories of being made out to be the “bad guy” when it was never about them in the first place.
And, what I know for sure, as a 5/2 profile, is that it 100% sucks when other people blame and villainize you because of their own unprocessed shit. The projection can get really intense and my heart goes out to any reflector who has internalized and identified with what other people see in the mirror.
And, if you are the one calling them toxic or dangerous, perhaps your shadow is talking and is looking for some loving attention from you.
At the end of the day, the rare reflectors among us are the mirror, showing up where we are in and out of integrity.
They are showing us the values drive us and the direction we are headed. Their wisdom, insight, and ability to show us ourselves in invaluable. My hope is that this post will help any reflectors out there understand themselves a little better and help everyone else begin to look in the mirror with eyes wide open.