Often times, I see people who know what they think they want to do or are already doing it—that they have found that one thing that they are good at. And yet it does not fulfill them. This purpose that they were chasing… it’s good, and yet something about it. It doesn’t feel as fun as they thought.
The Problem: There Are Two Things Here
- What you are here for
- And how you externalize it, i.e., bring it forth into the world
And that’s where the mismatch and the lack of fulfillment happens.
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How to Find Your Quarter Using the Rave Mandala
Within Human Design, there’s something called the “Quarter.” If you look at Human Design, you usually see your BodyGraph. But if you look deeper, you’ll notice the Rave Mandala—a circle with the BodyGraph at its center. This Mandala is divided into four quarters, each representing a unique path to fulfillment.
To determine your quarter, locate the gate of your Conscious Sun, which is at the top-right position of the BodyGraph. This gate is said to represent 70% of your personality—a significant part of who you are and what you’re here to give to the world. When you find that gate on the Rave Mandala, you’ll see which quarter it falls into. That’s the quarter you’re aligned with.
For me, my Conscious Sun is in Gate 24, which falls in the Quarter of Initiation. This intellectual quarter aligns perfectly with who I am and how I feel fulfilled. Understanding this concept truly blew my mind when I first encountered it, as it clarified so much about why certain roles felt fulfilling while others left me empty.
Deep Dive Into the Quarters
The quarters represent a cycle of life and purpose:
Quarter of Initiation
This is the start, the birth of something new. It’s about conscious thought and abstract ideas. If you’re in this quarter, fulfillment comes from initiating things—bringing new ideas or perspectives into existence. It’s deeply intellectual and thrives in the realm of concepts and innovation.
Quarter of Civilization
Once an idea is born, it needs a form. This quarter is about manifesting thoughts into something tangible—building, creating, or shaping the world. For those aligned with this quarter, fulfillment comes from giving structure to ideas, whether through physical creations, tools, or processes.
Quarter of Duality
Now that the form exists, it needs to connect with others. This quarter focuses on bonding and relationships. Fulfillment comes through connections—whether with family, clients, or communities. It’s not just about creating bonds but feeling a sense of purpose through those bonds.
Quarter of Mutation
The final stage is transformation. This quarter is about evolution—accepting change, letting go of what no longer serves, and embracing what’s next. For those in this quarter, fulfillment lies in driving transformation and creating something entirely new from what was.
Why You Don’t Feel Fulfilled
You could be following your BodyGraph and all the Human Design principles, but if you’re not aligning with the right quarter, you might still feel unfulfilled. For example, if you’re in the Quarter of Initiation but find yourself forced into tasks aligned with the Quarter of Civilization, you may feel disconnected from your true purpose.
Similarly, it’s easy to fall into the “wrong” quarter due to external pressures or societal expectations. For example, a Generator or Manifesting Generator might find it easier to focus on building or creating things (Quarter of Civilization) because they have the energy for it, even if their true fulfillment lies in a different quarter.
My Example and How I Use My Quarter in My Career
I work as a Project Manager, and interestingly enough, project management can fit into all four quarters. A project manager is supposed to help with the entire life cycle of a project, which starts with initiation—yes, we even use the word “initiation.” Then it moves into planning, execution, monitoring and control, and finally, project closeout.
When I got certified for my PMP, they provided a breakdown of my strengths at the end of the test, showing which areas I excel in. For me, initiation was my strongest area. I’m very good at taking something completely vague—a hodgepodge with no directions—and conceptualizing it into something tangible that someone else can run with.
However, I’ve also had situations where I’ve been asked to not only come up with these ideas and concepts but also build them out for the team. While I can do that, and it can be enjoyable, I wouldn’t say it fulfills me. My fulfillment comes when I pitch those ideas and concepts—when I take that hodgepodge, analyze it, and transmit my thought process. That’s where I feel most aligned.
Early in my career, I was often in roles that required me to do more manual work or build things based on someone else’s ideas. It didn’t feel good. I didn’t feel fulfilled. I realized that I wanted the ideas to be mine—I didn’t want to take someone else’s intellect and turn it into form. That’s just not my thing.
Over time, I’ve learned to look for roles that allow me to problem-solve, conceptualize, and work in those gray areas where I can analyze and initiate. I avoid roles that require me to build things or manage training events, which don’t align with my strengths or my Quarter of Initiation.
I’ve also noticed that when I’ve been in roles that don’t align with my quarter, I still find myself sharing my contemplations and ruminations outside of work. It’s something I can’t help but do because it’s such a deep part of who I am. That’s why it’s so important to align with your quarter—not just for professional success, but for personal fulfillment.
How the Same Profession Can Use Different Quarters
Let’s use project management as an example to understand how the same profession can play out differently depending on the quarter you’re aligned with. Project managers are expected to cover the entire life cycle of a project—initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closeout. But depending on your quarter, the part of that process that fulfills you will differ.
- Quarter of Initiation: If your conscious sun is in the Quarter of Initiation, your fulfillment comes from the early stages of the project—taking vague, unclear problems and conceptualizing them into actionable plans. You thrive on creating the foundation and transmitting those ideas to others.
- Quarter of Civilization: If you’re in the Quarter of Civilization, your fulfillment comes from building and creating something tangible. You would enjoy taking those initial concepts and turning them into a working solution, whether that means building a tool, creating a process, or establishing a system.
- Quarter of Duality: If you’re in the Quarter of Duality, your fulfillment comes from the bonds you create during the process. You’d feel most aligned when leading your team to success and seeing your team members achieve their goals. Your purpose is deeply tied to those connections and the people you work with.
- Quarter of Mutation: If you’re in the Quarter of Mutation, your fulfillment comes from transformation—evaluating how a project or process can be improved and evolving it into something better. After the project is done, you’d feel purposeful analyzing best practices and figuring out how to pivot or innovate for the next time.
For me, as someone in the Quarter of Initiation, I’ve noticed I feel fulfilled during the initiation phase—problem-solving, analyzing, and coming up with new concepts. However, if I had been in the Quarter of Civilization, I would have been more fulfilled by taking someone else’s ideas and turning them into a finished product. If I were in the Quarter of Duality, my focus would have been on guiding my team and seeing their success. And if I were in the Quarter of Mutation, I’d have felt fulfilled transforming processes, improving systems, and applying lessons learned to future projects.
Understanding your quarter allows you to see how your unique strengths and purpose align with specific aspects of your profession. You could be in the same job as someone else, but your fulfillment will come from entirely different parts of the process.
Real World Examples: Barack Obama and George R.R. Martin
Let’s look at some real-world examples to understand how quarters play out in people’s lives.
- Barack Obama: Barack Obama has his Conscious Sun in the Quarter of Civilization, which is all about creating form. During his presidential term, he worked on healthcare reform, an idea inspired by his personal experiences with his mother and the healthcare system. He took ideas from experts and put a form around them, culminating in the Affordable Care Act.This act is a legacy of his, fulfilling him through his Quarter of Civilization. However, as a Projector, he initiated the healthcare reform act instead of waiting for an invitation, which led to resistance and resentment from many. For Projectors, recognition and invitation are key, and in this case, the lack of an invitation likely prevented him from fully experiencing the success he sought. While the act brought him personal fulfillment through the creation of form, the bitterness he experienced from lack of external recognition impacted his overall sense of accomplishment.
- George R.R. Martin: George R.R. Martin, the author of Game of Thrones, is a Manifestor with his Conscious Sun in the Quarter of Duality, which means his purpose is fulfilled through bonding. Unlike someone in the Quarter of Civilization, whose fulfillment comes from completing a form (like finishing the Game of Thrones book series), Martin’s fulfillment is tied to his bonds.In this case, the bond was likely with the TV adaptation of Game of Thrones. If the show’s ending had been received positively, his purpose would have been fulfilled through the success of that collaboration. However, the negative reception of the show’s ending disrupted that bond, leaving him feeling unmotivated and perhaps even disheartened. That lack of fulfillment may explain why the final books in the series remain unwritten. For someone in the Quarter of Duality, purpose is intrinsically tied to the connections they make and the bonds they share with others.
Your Contemplations and Homework
Now I want you to take a minute and think about your quarter. Are you trying to do something that is easier or more practical, something that you think will get you to your end goal, but that’s rooted in the “not-self”?
For example, if you’re a Generator or Manifesting Generator with a quarter other than the Quarter of Civilization, it might feel easier to align with the Quarter of Civilization because you have the energy to build things. It’s tempting to fall into that because building might feel productive, profitable, or aligned with societal expectations. But doing so can pull you away from your true purpose.
If you’re not doing what aligns with your quarter, you’ll often find yourself doing it outside of work or bottling it up. For example, as someone in the Quarter of Initiation, I’ve had jobs that required me to build things, but I would find myself sharing my contemplations and ruminations outside of work because that’s what truly fulfills me.
Take time to reflect on what your Conscious Sun represents and whether you’re aligning with the correct quarter in your work and life. Pay attention to whether you need a complete overhaul or just a small pivot to find your fulfillment.
If you’re interested in diving deeper into this, I have a “Soul Gifts by Design Cheat Sheet.” If you’d like a copy, leave a comment saying “cheat sheet,” and I’ll send it to you.
And if this post helped you, please share it, and start a conversation about living your purpose authentically.
