Joan Didion’s Human Design Reading

Joan Didion is an award winning author and icon, publishing over 18 books and plays. Her writing style is known primarily as new journalism weaving narrative story and cultural critique. She is renown for her essay collection, novels, and memoirs. Let’s take a look at her Human Design chart to understand how this writer became of sought of author.

As a 3/5 projector, Joan Didion was set up perfectly in her genre of investigative journalism. The martyr in her line three makes her endlessly learning through a cycle of trial and error, creating a fountain of wisdom through lived experience. The line five makes her the heretic, and is actually considered a creative rebel, perfect for someone wanting to break the rules for a story.

She has the channel of enterprise 2644 in her design making her an excellent communicator, investigator, and messenger. This channel connects the heart to the spleen for perfect blend of strong willpower to gut-punch instinct. She can ask tough questions and write on subjects that hit straight at the heart. Which makes a lot of sense much of her work began in featured news, essays, and journalism.

She also has the gate of patterns in gate 44 which allows her to sense emerging trends and what is going to be most influential, hello journalism!

Now to mention, she has the gate of influence as well, which means people will listen to what she has to say. If she is writing from her emotional authority and following her gut with what she is meant to share, then readers will respond. Obviously, she is literary icon, so this gate is apparent to say the least.

Her incarnation cross is all about recognizing patterns and sharing them with the world. She has learned to do this brilliantly in her contributions in her work of cultural critique and the wave of new journalism that she excels in.

Every writer has a writing routine that works for them and are human design chart can illuminate what works best. For Joan’s design, we see a need for more flexibility and freedom rather than structure. Her variables are mostly facing right, which means she does not need a rigid structure or outline, but actually does well with flexibility. Even her writing environment does not need to be stationary, but she can pretty much write from anywhere, which sounds like must have learned when she was younger as her father was in the Army causing them to relocate in her earlier years.

Also, Joan has gate 3, the gate of beginnings. This is wonderful for a writer starting new projects. They finish one and must begin a new, with fresh eyes and vigor. Every book and project can feel brand new for the person with gate 3. With someone that has written over 18 works, I would say she has no problem with beginning and finishing her books.

As writers, it’s really important for us understand how we can get clear about what we are meant to write and also what resistance tends to block us based on our design. We can get a sense of of where Joan’s inspiration came from when we look at some of her channels and gates.

Joan has the 1949 channel of sensitivity connecting her root center to the seat of her emotions (her inner authority). Not surprising, this can make her a very sensitive and feeling person, making critique and rejection a hard pill to swallow. But this emotional attunement is also most likely what many of her readers connect to as she she shares intimate stories like Where I Am From, The Year of Magical Thinking, and In Bed, all powerful memories with riveting emotional text.

She has gate 41, the gate of imagination. How perfect for a writer! This gate makes the writer hyper connected to what’s happening visually around them, making scenes and descriptions come alive. If ever feeling blocked or disconnected, the person with this gate would do well to get to the mountains or somewhere with a view to awaken that blocked inspiration.

She also has the gate of retreat in 33, which means she needs to rest and slow down. This is difficult because the memory and sheer creative endurance Joan has is hard to keep up with, but this gate says slow down or your body will ask you to. Perhaps this was what was illuminated when she wrote about her nervous breakdown in The White Album. Our bodies are brilliant storytellers. Will we listen to them?

She has has a defined gate 63 and 64, which can cause confusion and overwhelm, so in terms of releasing resistance and stepping into creative clarity, it is best for her to narrow options and ideas, and encourage self with past achievements.

Joan has had a prolific writing career. Her design sets her up for this as she is able to connect network with strangers easily, to get her story. And is often in the public eye as she is projected on and projecting out. Perfect for someone that is interested in literary journalism and essay-work.

She also has the gate of duration, which is not surprising given she was first published in Vogue in 1956 her senior year of college with award winning works all the way up to 2021. To say her writing career has been one of longevity and endurance is an understatement.

Lastly, She has gate 40, which means she will never have a problem delivering work, if anything she will have to know when to say no. This is a very strong-willful person that knows what they want and how they want it to happen. No one puts Joan Didion in a corner. ;)

Here are a few writing tips based on Joan’s unique design:

Flexility for writing projects, no rigid outlines

Can change up scenery for writing space

Networking for marketing

Take breaks often, not sustainable energy

Time block, but for shorter periods.

Use the word no, so to not take on too many projects.

Sensitivity is a super power. Write from there and people will respond.

Joan was incredibly successful in her career as a writer. She really leaned into her gifts as a projector working with the energy and opportunities presented to her, and then presenting her own back in the form of brilliant reporting. She wrote many prolific works over many decades and continues to be a brilliant example to writers everywhere for her genius storytelling and longevity of career.

Our human design is an incredible tool to understand our writing personality. Want to understand yours as well? I have readings open for Human Design for Writers. Book your intensive with me and let’s uncover your blueprint.

Megan Febuary is an author, trauma-informed book coach and creative mentor. Helping women write their books, heal their stories, and understand their unique human design. You can learn more about working with Megan at yourbookyear.com