Projector vs Reflector: what is the difference?

The mechanical difference

A Projector has no defined Sacral, but does have at least one other defined Centre. That Definition gives you a stable quality: something in which you are consistent and by which others recognise you.

A Reflector has no defined Centres at all. Everything is open. This means a Reflector is not a fixed identity but a mirror: you reflect the health of the people and the environment around you.

• Projector: no Sacral, but at least one defined Centre.
• Reflector: no defined Centres at all, everything open.
• Reflectors make up about one per cent of the population, Projectors about twenty per cent.

Strategy: invitation versus the lunar cycle

The Projector's Strategy is to wait for an invitation for the big things: work, relationships, a place in a group. Without an invitation, your insight does not land, however good it is. With an invitation, the same insight is welcomed with open arms.

The Reflector's Strategy is to wait through a lunar cycle, about 28 days. During that period, the Moon moves through the entire bodygraph and you experience a decision from every angle. What still feels right after a month really is right.

Energy and rest

Both Types absorb Sacral energy from their surroundings and can temporarily feel inexhaustible as a result. Both pay for that afterwards. For many Projectors and Reflectors, an eight-hour working day is consistently too long.

The difference lies in what recovery requires. A Projector needs rest and time alone to disconnect from other people's energy. A Reflector also needs the right place and the right people, because they literally become what surrounds them.

• Projector: shorter working days, go to bed alone before you are tired.
• Reflector: environment is decisive; the wrong place literally makes you ill.
• Both: exhaustion signals that you have spent too long following someone else's rhythm.

Not-Self: bitterness versus disappointment

The Projector's Not-Self theme is bitterness. It arises when you offer yourself without being asked, when you work hard and go unseen, or when you keep proving your worth to people who did not ask for it.

The Reflector's Not-Self theme is disappointment. It arises when you decide too quickly, when you are in an environment that is not right, or when you expect people to be as consistent as you are on your good days.

What both are good at

A Projector sees others. You understand how someone's energy works, what a team needs and where the difficulties lie. That is a highly sought-after gift, provided it comes by invitation.

A Reflector senses communities. You notice whether an organisation, family or village is healthy because you start to feel it yourself. Reflectors are the most reliable indicators there are of the state of a group.

How do you know which Type you are?

Calculate your chart. If all nine Centres are white, you are a Reflector. If you see a white Sacral but at least one coloured Centre, you are a Projector.

The difference is also noticeable in your experience. A Projector has a recognisable quality of their own that remains over the years. A Reflector notices that they change almost completely with their company and location, to the point where the question of who you are is difficult to answer.