This is one of those topics that are so close to my heart, and gaining a deep awareness of the energetic interaction between these two types is very personal to me. I am a Projector, and my mom is a Generator. It is harrowing and used to trigger me to think about our relationships at a couple of levels. Only when I emerged into a deep investigation of the compatibility between our Human Design Types was I able to let go of that pain and find reasoning and peace with it.

I recently had to let go of a client, a Generator. Something in our relationships reminded me of the same friction that surfaced with my mom at times, and this set me on a mission to shine some light on this topic. So if you are a Projector working or living with a Generator, you can understand what they expect. And if you are a Generator in relationships of any kind with a Projector, you can actually learn what Projectors are, so it will be much easier for you to accept and not get frustrated with them being who they are.

Intrigued?

First of all, if you have been diving into Human Design, you will know that most sources say Generators and Projectors are the most compatible combination of Types. And it is true – but it is not guaranteed…

How the connection works

Generators are an opening and enveloping force – they created the world as we know it. A Projector sees what is going on and what is working. A Projector’s aura is focused. It is like a laser or an even better analogy is with an ice cream cone.

Projectors’ aura focuses on the other’s G-center – and this is the centre of direction in life, a centre where Magnetic Monopole – a force that pulls together our personality and subconscious parts in our design (the black and the red sides on your chart). According to Human Design, our body and mind are connected by this Magnetic Monopole. As we travel on our life path, it allows the Design and Personality Consciousness to have a unique perspective. Projector’s aura can see in,  sense and correct direction of the other.

So a Projector intuitively picking up on some inconsistencies may ask a question or point out something that the Generator has not even considered before, and this leads to wonderful insights and breakthroughs. Of course, it can only work when a Generator is “prepared” – they invite the Projector to guide them, and they ask them for advice. This is the only case where a Projector’s advice can profoundly affect a Generator’s life. Otherwise, a Projector’s insight can be too heavy and can meet a lot of resistance.

Different Energies

Let’s have a look at the specifics of the two types of energies.

Generators have access to the life force energy. They are pumping it out into the world through their abundant Sacral centres. They are here to Respond to life on the outside – this is their Strategy. And the main features of their energy are:

• operability energy
• diligence
• stubbornness
• activity
• creativity

While a Projector’s Strategy is to Wait for an Invitation.
What distinguishes them is:

• unhurriedness
• focus
• attentiveness
• insight
• concentration
• wisdom
• solidarity
• ability to give wise advice

So what Generators get out of this interaction is being energized by Projector’s competent leadership and guidance.
But what’s in it for a Projector? As a non-energy type, this access to Generator’s energy is very important and satisfying. But here is a caveat in this interaction. The Projector will always be less of a giver in terms of action. They are not here to do much, they guide, and they rest.

This is how Projectors are designed to operate. And the issue is that while enveloping a Projector, the Generator can feel that they are not enveloped back, and it feels like the Projector is taking more than it is giving. Yet, it is all a matter of understanding that the mechanics of the auras and energies is so difficult. The only way to have harmony for a Generator is to release any expectations of reciprocity and understand that they are dealing with a completely different “beast” here. I mean, this is the same as going out with someone with blue eyes but expecting a brown-hue gaze every time they look at each other. It is just not going to happen. It is in their DNA. Exactly the same way as the energy Type.

The Friction

In this connection between the two types, it is the Generator who creates the connections and establishes these standards in a sense as well. They are the active ones in these relationships. They set the tone. But they need to invite the Projector in order for the correct relationships to form – invite to guide, and not try to influence them.

And for a Projector, the key is to be asked. To be invited before sharing that guidance. And also understand that there is likely to be frustration.

Generators often do not feel rewarded in their relationships with Projectors. Despite being open, they feel taxed, paying the price without getting the rewards they expected. You see, attaching expectations is the worst curse of all Generator types, and it will always cause resistance and frustration – the sign of misalignment.

This brings me to the painful story of my mom. I grew up quite close to her, and we had zero friction until much later, perhaps in my 30s. When I was a child, I lived with 2 Generators and a Manifesting Generator, constantly amplifying their energies, literally bouncing off the walls with energy (mom took me to a neurologist when I was 3 to see if this was normal). But at 27, I found myself living with 2 more Projectors (my daughter and my husband), and maybe this allowed me to be more of a “Projector” in the way I operated – there was not much to amplify there in terms of energies. Add to it a 1/3 profile, the most introspective and self-absorbed personality there is, and you get yourself a ticking bomb. I remember mom, who lived with us in Ireland at the time, helping with my baby, got very angry and blurted out, “you only care about yourself. I was always there for you, listening to you talking about your life as a kid, but you never gave back anything. You are so selfish.”

That really hurt. It took over a decade and discovering my Human Design to release the pain and forgive her and myself for this “misunderstanding” of each other’s energies and, with them – expectations attached. And now, my mom is in her 80s, and I can so clearly see into her – where she is holding back, where she lacks self-love, where she has this whole filing cabinet of expectations of “how it should be” and a lot of them attached to people and especially reciprocity. How hurt and frustrated she feels because “they did not reciprocate”… Her frustration about being “wronged” by anyone close in her life – me included, of course. I still sense her deep-running sense of being rejected and not being heard…

Dear me, if only she knew HOW DEEPLY I see her if only she was open to my advice. But she is not. When I tell her to live for herself a little (instead of bending backwards to accommodate anyone else – often without being asked), she takes it as another kick in the backside. It is in the way she quivers her mouth, and I feel her contracting energetically. It is so obvious to me. And yet my Generator sister seems to miss a lot of these hidden things and gets frustrated with mom in her own way – again expecting certain shoulds and holding on to grudges…

And recently, I had the same experience with one of the clients who I had to let go of. I felt that there were a lot of expectations of reciprocity for their openness that I could not energetically fulfil. As a Projector, I feel exhausted by any expectations. I just want her to let me be. Plus, there was a real misunderstanding of friendliness (my natural trait) and friendship (which is a very special type of connection for me and never to be mixed with business). The moment a client starts calling me or treating me as their personal friend (without me actually feeling that connection to them) is when I start feeling trapped in these relationships by our business commitments. Their energy is just too overpowering, and it feels like there is no escaping all their excitement when all I need is some space to rest and recharge.

Finally, another recent painful experience with a lovely otherwise Generator whose excitement about meeting me escalated into what felt like a landslide of projected expectations and assumptions based on just the top level of Generator/Projector aura interaction, disregarding the very important factor: just because a Generator feels they SEE and RECOGNIZE a Projector does not mean their “invitation” is a correct one for that Projector. It does not also mean that they are entitled to be accepted as correct in entering these relationships.

It is up to the individual Projector to follow their Authority to decide if the invitation is correct for them, and the decision can also change over time, often quite quickly, as Generator’s aura and excitement can condition that Projector so much – it is hard even to hear your own Authority behind all that “sparkle”.

Again we have the mechanics issue here, where the Projector does not have clarity on where they end and the other starts. Projectors are open by their Design, and they are here to experience the conditioning. This gives them such a deep understanding of the other, but in these scenarios, it can often all go terribly wrong.

And a Generator may ask – if the compatibility by Design does not at least indicate a good connection, what good is Human Design at all?

Well, this would be such surface-level thinking… It does not matter what the compatibility by Design is. It does not take into consideration the conditioning of people involved, their cultural values, beliefs around relationships, personal space and communication, music tastes, for goodness sake.

The mechanics of our Design DO NOT MEAN that we are correct for each other. The correctness will be determined by the Authority of the individuals involved in making decisions on entering, nurturing or exiting the relationships. That is all.

 

Are Projectors – users?

Not at all. You see, when a Projector gives, they give from the bottom of their heart. They give it all, and they completely empty their energy reserves.

I am absolutely dead after a couple of Zoom calls with Generators. I have to clear everything and literally “veg” on the couch all evening on a day of client calls. Forget going out, meeting people, or even doing something for myself. I have zero energy to even move. That is the way I am designed.

In fact – here is an article that will open in a new tab, so you can still finish mine. It is called “Projector Slavery,” and it is something every Projector AND Generator needs to know and understand. What can be an innocent, mundane act for a Generator becomes a nearly abusive influence from the Projector’s point of view. It is just something that holds so deep and grows more and more bitter about… being completely misunderstood by Generators in these scenarios – because they see in others what they enjoy themselves- energetic, noisy, high vibes, often deciding FOR the Projector what to do.

And the key word here is “energy reserve.” It is pretty shallow. If a Generator is an ocean connected to all water flow in the world (this is exactly true energetically as their Sacral has access to energy at any time) – then a Projector is a basin. And not a very sturdy one. It is easily cracked under the weight of the Sacral excitement and life force. This is as simple and as true as it gets.

 

How to make it work

If you are a Generator reading this, and you have been frustrated with a Projector in your life – re-read this last paragraph. If you are aware that what feels like a little bit of light action to you, maybe a full-on titanic ask for them (energetically speaking) – you may be able to let go of the expectations. When they are with you, they give you their all – at the end of the day, they feel so sweet with you with all the energy you give. But that energy is borrowed, and they start crashing inside (you may not even realize how fast). They will be nice and pretend they can keep going – they genuinely like you. But at this stage, they need space alone, so they can release the excess energy from your sacral that they consumed. It is like getting “Sacral drunk” and then immediately hanging over.

I am laughing typing this because I do not drink alcohol often, and this is exactly what happens to me. I take one glass, nearly fall asleep, and then start getting grumpy and tired. I used to call myself a “party pooper” because I just shut down. A Projector’s life, my friends!

The relationships between a Generator and a Projector can be amazing when the awareness of each other’s operating system is in place.

And there is also one more thing that I personally feel is crucial. Projectors need to be seen and recognized to feel their alignment signature of SUCCESS. But they have to be recognized for a specific thing that they feel so fulfilled in. It is different for every Projector. The difficulty is that there could be people who see and recognize Projectors but not for what feels so good to be recognized for. It is like they are missing the point. And that feels so bitter, no matter how friendly and nice those people may be.

So in terms of a Generator and Projector relationship, there could be this frustration about the lack of reciprocity of “openness” that we already discussed. But from the Projector’s side, there is this unbearable bitter burden of staying in a relationship in which she/he is not SEEN the way she/he would love to be.

If you are a Generator – treat the Projector in your life with respect for their need to be alone, NOT to be your go-to friend, allow them less participation, allow them to rest (from you), and allow them to be passive and not join in – this is not how their contribution should be measured.

And for goodness sake, let Projector decide if they actually want to be your friend/partner and accept their decision without pushing the Projector to explain themselves just because you felt so much excitement at the start. It is what it is.

If you are working with a Projector guide, do not mistake their ability to see into you with friendship. Think about what they said that you found life-changing or the clarity and breakthroughs that they helped you achieve. That is their contribution. Appreciate them for that.

Projectors generally are permanently exhausted (even when they do not look it) – keep that in mind and allow them to not be so open and giving as you are to them. What they give is so precious. Get yourself Generator type friends for more active and engaged interaction. Love your Projectors need to be alone, to be within themselves if they are a self-absorbed personality profile. This knowledge of Human Design mechanics will give you both a beautiful relationship.

Or if you feel there is a pullback from a Projector in your life, let them retreat. Do not try to “hold on to them.” Do not ask them not to close in.  Do not suffocate them with “being a friend when they need you”.  Stop offering yourself.

If a projector want to leave, just let them – this is not a breakup… unless you continue pushing – and then it may be too much…  Maybe you just do not make them feel SEEN the very specific way they need, and they find it so heartbreaking to continue relationships in which there is friendliness, but there is something missing for them.

If you are a Projector and you see a Generator getting frustrated with you, do not take it personally.

Ask if you could educate them about this energy exchange and that it has nothing to do with you not “liking” them or being selfish. You are giving it all, but the vessel is much smaller than they think. Yet, what you give is priceless. It can move them forward so far – it is just all about seeing the value of such reciprocity and knowing to measure it in different terms for each type.

So are they compatible after all that?

YES! But then, nobody is compatible by Type or Profile if we are truly honest about it. My second marriage was not that great on the Human Design compatibility scale – yet it was the closest, most wonderful, fulfilling experience I had for 19 years until death parted us. It is only when we enter specific connections following our Authority we can ensure they are correct for us. Not because we are a particular Type or Profile by Human Design.

So yes, Generators are most willing to follow the guidance of Projectors and will respond well to their guidance. It is not a problem to tell them what to do (in a constructive way, not a critical way). Through the Generator, the Projector is energized, and the Generator feels truly SEEN. This is beautiful chemistry, and with the awareness that I tried to bring with this article, these relationships have the potential to be truly perfect, provided both partners (clients, friends, family) follow their Strategy and Authority and operate correctly.