from Jakub Stritezsky's work at HumanDesign.net.
I was having trouble figuring out the difference between what makes a Manifestor vs. a Projector, since a Projector can have a defined throat and it was appearing to me how similar they are...so here's a quick run down.
The Manifestor
In the bodygraph a Manifestor's throat center will be connected by a channel(s) to at least one of the body's 'motor' centers (except the Sacral), i.e. connection must be directly or indirectly to the root, the heart or the solar plexus. The fourth motor, the sacral, has to be open otherwise the person is a generator.
Manifestors are pure energy beings.
A surprisingly small fraction of the world population (only 8%) are Manifestors.
They are specifically designed not to be controlled by anyone. They are the only true initiators. They simply act or put things directly into action. But they need to inform those who will be affected by their actions what they are about to do before they act. When they act without informing, they meet resistance because the people involved in the consequences of their actions can feel ignored, or feel like they have been run over by a truck! As a result Manifestors can end up feeling very cut off from people.
In spite of the fact that most of us think we would love to be Manifestors (because we are conditioned to think we are Manifestors), being a Manifestor can have its own challenges. Many Manifestors have had to struggle to learn how to use their power appropriately and may be conditioned to hide their power or suppress it. Manifestors must learn how to channel their energy properly or they will face tremendous resistance in life. Properly channeled, Manifestor energy often gives the other four Types something to respond to.
So many of our habits and accepted generalizations are created by and fit for Manifestors. You are the ones - the only ones - who really can go out and make things happen. As children this happens as soon as they can reach the doorknob. You are designed to be an unstoppable force that will not allow anyone to control you. If there is something you want, go and get it, as it will not come to you (be it a job, partner etc.) - just listen to your authority. You have the potential to shape the world the way you want it to be. On an energy level you have a very deep impact on others, but your aura doesn't communicate as much as the auras of other types. That's why people often don't know what to think about you. It creates un unconscious fear in them and they try to control you from the moment you were born. This leads you to your predominant negative feeling – anger. The secret of success for you lies in communication. The way to operate correctly for you as a Manifestor is to inform. Inform those that are going to be impacted by your actions about what you're going to do. In this way, others will not be so intimidated by you. They may actually help you and put their energy into whatever it is that you have initiated. Then you can find what you are looking for - PEACE.
Predominant negative feeling: Anger
Primary positive feeling: Peace (when living according to correct strategy)
Strategy: Inform Before Acting
The Generator
Generators are simple to identify, if you see the Sacral Center defined in red, then you see a Generator.
The majority of the population (about 70%) are generators. All generators have a defined sacral center. They are designed to respond to life. Unlike Manifestors they have no idea of where they are going until they respond. Therefore they have to wait until life initiates them first. Generators are potentially the most powerful of all the types, but unless they understand how they work, they are the most frustrated people alive. They only know what is right for them to do or say by their response to something. Their response comes from deep in their abdomen and is most often in non-verbal sounds: "unun", "ahunh", "mmmmm", “ahhhhhh" etc. If they initiate, they often get involved in the wrong things, meet resistance, get frustrated and quit.
Sacral is a tremendous energy generator (hence the name) that gives you all the energy you need to do things, anything you enter into correctly. For Generators, life is all about RESPONSE. Instead of chasing after life, let the life come to you. Your aura, like a powerful magnet, brings to you everything you need to fulfill your purpose. Sacral can not initiate, it can only respond. The only truth is that which comes to you through your response. Without responding, you will end up deeply frustrated.
SATISFACTION is the key word for Generators. You need to be selfish; it's all about self satisfying work. Do only what brings you satisfaction. Your life is all about doing what you love and only that shows you who you are and brings you happiness. In words of a renowned anthropologist Joseph Campbell: "Follow your bliss and the Universe will open doors for you where there were only walls."
If you initiate, if you don't respond and enter into things incorrectly, you get the theme of frustration and want to get out, quit. Your energy is cut off and you end up feeling depleted, tired or frustrated.
Predominant negative feeling: Frustration
Primary positive feeling: Satisfaction
Strategy: Wait To Respond
Manifesting Generator
Manifesting Generators are Manifestors with a Generator strategy. They have an endless resource of energy as they have at least one motor connected directly to the throat. Generally they love to be in the thick of life. Their greatest dilemma is to learn that their true power lies in waiting for opportunities to come to them. If they actively try to pursue their goals and dreams they will encounter only resistance and pain. When they relax, then their lives can be poetry in motion.
There are two subcategories of generators, pure Generators and Manifesting Generators, both comprising of about 35% of the world population. The main difference between them is that, after responding to something, manifesting generators can act more quickly than pure generators. Manifesting Generators do things very quickly and are even more tempted to initiate (not waiting for something to respond to). They are very efficient and skip that, which is not important. But in doing so, they also often skip something essential and then they need to go back to it.
Predominant negative feeling: Frustration (combined with anger)
Primary positive feeling: Satisfaction
Strategy: Wait To Respond
Projector
I've included two types of Projector charts here, one has an open Throat Center, and one has a defined Throat Center.
What I see is that a Projector can have defined motors (except for the Sacral, this would make a Generator) as long as they are not connected to the throat. For a Projector to have a defined Throat Center, it would have to come through and awareness center: Splenic Center or the Ajna Center. No Sacral definition and no Motor to Throat definition.
If you are a Projector, you are not here to work. You are here to know others, to recognize and guide them. But that can only happen if you yourself are 1) recognized and 2) invited to do so.
Projectors (about 21% of the population) are naturally able to work with and guide the energy of others, but only when they are recognized for their unique abilities and traits. Projectors know that they are recognized and appreciated when they receive an appropriate invitation. Without an invitation, the projector does not know if they will be able to put their talents and abilities to use in any way that is natural or healthy for them. They are people whose specific gift is to work with and guide the energy of others. They alone can understand both Manifestors and generators. They also have a design to wait, and the key that unlocks their power is recognition. Unless they are recognized, they are powerless. Once they are recognized, they can achieve almost anything. Projectors need more knowledge of their own inner design than Manifestors and generators in order to know what invitations are good for them. When they are recognized for who they really are according to their specific design, they come into their true power. If they attempt to act or to join in without an invitation, they meet resistance and are not recognized by others.
Projectors fear that they will not be invited. But if you follow your strategy of waiting for the invitation, what happens is that your aura's frequency starts to change and the more you live according to your design, the more invitations you get. This will bring you SUCCESS. Once invited, you don't need to wait for any more invitations regarding whatever you were invited to (project, job, relationship etc.). Just follow your authority in doing what you do and don't initiate. The invitation, correct entry into anything, is the key. The feeling of being recognized, appreciated, heard and seen. Is it there? Great. If not, you may stop talking in mid sentence and save yourself yet one more disappointment of not being understood.
Projectors are the eternal students of humanity and system masters. You need to have a system through which you can relate and understand life. Projectors often have the need to study Human Design deeply in order to gain the intellectual understanding of how they are to operate correctly. Projectors are the only type who can really know what's going on.
Predominant negative feeling: Bitterness
Primary positive feeling: Success
Strategy: Wait for all special invitations in life: marriage, career, family, love, etc. Do not pursue or initiate.
Reflectors
There is no definition and, therefore, no inner authority for the Reflector. Very easy to spot this type by looking at this open chart.
The rarest of the four types, Reflectors (less than 2% of the population) are open to the world in every way, since they have nothing fixed in their nature to rely upon (none of the 9 centers are colored in). If they do not understand how their design works they can feel deeply lost and overwhelmed by life. They take others in very deeply. Reflectors are often deeply disturbed due to lack of self-knowledge and adverse conditioning, but they can become very wise if they understand their openness and how to work with it. Reflectors that do not truly know themselves can be deeply disappointed in life. Before making major decisions, they need to wait out the cycle of the moon (approximately 28 days) because the movement of the moon through the wheel of the zodiac gives the Reflector access to his or her own inner wisdom over time. They have a fixed lunar pattern that repeats every month. Sometimes they are a Projector, a Manifestor and even a Generator. Reflectors need to understand more about their design and the Human Design System than anyone else to be able to successfully apply their strategy.
For you, the open G center rule - to be only in places that you like - is even more important. Then you will be with the right people and get the love you seek. Your total openness can make you at times almost invisible to others. Without knowing the mechanics of your design, you may feel deeply disappointed in life. But this very openness is a potential for a great wisdom, if you learn how to work with it correctly. You are here to sample life. To successfully apply this knowledge, Reflectors have the need to study and intellectually understand the Human Design System.
Any kind of pressure is detrimental to your health. Take your time to make important decisions and don't let anyone pressure you. You are a lunar being, tied to the lunar cycle, so the strategy for you is to wait 29 days before making any major decision . During these 29 days, talk with different people about your decision - and listen to what you yourself say about it. That's how you find something different and how you get to be SURPRISED.
Predominant negative feeling: Disappointment
Primary positive feeling: Surprise
Strategy: Wait out the moon cycle (28.5 days) before making major decisions.
(This is because as the Moon cycles around the earth it will define the centers in this type of chart in a rotation.)
For more information, and the resource for this information, you can go to: Basic Concepts
