Healing after cancer - a walk through my Human Design and Gene Keys
Using the insights to find purpose again
At 39, being diagnosed with bowel cancer was not part of the script I envisioned for my life. The news was devastating, but as I’ve come to realise (2.5 years later), life’s greatest challenges are often the gateways to profound growth and transformation. Though for me, that required facing the darkness within and walking through times of feeling really quite depressed and questioning everything (still on that journey).
As a 6/2 Manifesting Generator in Human Design, I’m inherently wired to experiment, reflect, and guide others through my lived experience.
Coupled with the insights from my Gene Keys, this post-cancer journey has become more than ‘getting back to normal’ —it has become a calling to express my purpose, inspire others, and redefine how we perceive cancer and healing.
My Human Design Chart:
I am looking at these key points in my own Human Design chart - the top 4 gates (22, 47, 11, 12) form my incarnation cross. Plus I also looked at my Unconscious Mars (41) which I often do with clients as being a key energy we work with. (Grab your chart for free here) I then used extra insights from Gene Keys which is a system that developed from Human Design.
Grace in the Storm: My Life’s Work and Gene Key 22
The Gene Key 22, (my Conscious Sun) in the position known my Life’s Work (also similar to my Pisces sun), teaches us about Grace—the ability to meet life’s challenges with openness and serenity. Grace doesn’t mean denying pain or fear; it means allowing space for both while holding space for a wider perspective.
Cancer brought me face-to-face with my vulnerability and mortality, but it also gifted me with an opportunity to embody grace. Through the ups and downs, I’ve learned that grace is the bridge between suffering and transformation. I can chose not to suffer by gifting myself compassion as well as listening to the pain for what it has to tell me - whether physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. We are all so conditioned to immediately suppress and deny pain- take a painkiller. Sometimes just actually feeling it and listening to it can help too.
By sharing my story, I hope to help others find their own grace in adversity, showing them that even in life’s darkest moments, beauty and strength can emerge. Not in a toxic positivity bypassing way, but in the fullness of time, giving space to the fear and dark feelings that arise.
A Voice of Truth: My Purpose and Gene Key 12
Gene Key 12 is in the ‘Purpose’ placement (Unconscious Earth) - this is about the power of Purity of Heart and using my voice for transformative purposes. Cancer stripped away many of the illusions I carried about life, forcing me to confront my truth. In this raw space, I’ve discovered my purpose: to use my experience to speak authentically, inspire change, and challenge the way society views illness and women’s health as a whole.
Through writing and storytelling, I want to help raise awareness to help get earlier diagnoses and also to redefine cancer—not as a death sentence but as a profound teacher. Part of my purpose is to show others that healing involves more than medical treatment; it requires us to engage emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. By embracing Gene Key 12’s gift of articulation, I hope to encourage others to approach their own healing journeys with courage and authenticity.
Rejuvenating Through Creativity: My Radiance and Gene Key 11
Gene Key 11, which is my Radiance (Unconscious Sun), or how I get energy, highlights the importance of Peace and Imagination in my process of rejuvenation. For me, healing has required moments of retreat into the quiet sanctuaries of creativity. Writing, reflecting, and envisioning a life beyond cancer have become tools for not just recovery, but renewal. At times of feeling quite depressed, writing was the only thing I felt I could do.
Cancer has taught me the value of peace—not just the absence of conflict, but a deep inner stillness that nourishes the soul. By leaning into the gifts of Gene Key 11, I’ve learned how to create beauty and meaning even amidst chaos. Sharing these practices with others, I hope to inspire people to seek their own sources of peace and renewal, reminding them that healing is an act of creation.
Breaking Patterns: My Evolution and Gene Key 47
Gene Key 47 (my Conscious Earth) is about moving from Oppression to Transmutation. The challenges of cancer felt oppressive at first, but they also forced me to address limiting patterns and beliefs. This key has been a reminder that evolution comes through surrender—allowing old fears and narratives to dissolve so that something new can emerge.
Through my journey, I’ve realised that healing isn’t linear—it’s an unraveling of the old self to make way for transformation. Gene Key 47 teaches us that breakthroughs often come disguised as breakdowns. By sharing this perspective, I aim to show others that their pain is not a punishment but a portal to profound growth and freedom.
If you’ve been through cancer too, check out my Podcast episode called ‘Is getting Cancer My Fault’?
A New Vision of Healing
Cancer is often viewed with fear and dread, but I want to change that narrative. I want to show that healing isn’ about ‘fighting’ a disease; it’s about tending to the whole self—body, mind, and spirit. Going into Fight or Flight mode isn’t conducive to healing.
True healing requires us to examine our relationships, beliefs, and emotional patterns. It asks us to embrace vulnerability, seek meaning, and rediscover joy in the small moments. Healing from cancer especially is about bringing out body back into balance. The cancerous cells were created by my own body, they were not foreign germs or viruses.
A Book I recommend for Cancer Survivors
In Cancer as a Turning Point, Lawrence LeShan explores the psychological and emotional dimensions of cancer, emphasising how patients can use their diagnosis as a catalyst for personal transformation and growth. The book integrates mind-body approaches, encouraging readers to reconnect with their purpose, passions, and authentic selves as part of the healing journey.
Inspiring Others Through My Voice
As a 6/2 Manifesting Generator, my role is to share what I’ve learned in a way that resonates deeply with others. My Human design shows me that my journey isn’t just about me; it’s about helping others find their own strength and grace.
By writing and sharing my experience, I hope to demystify cancer, and healing from it, making it less scary and more approachable as a catalyst for transformation, as well as other challenges we face in life.
Closing Thoughts: From Healing to Purpose
This journey has been one of rediscovery—of my purpose, my resilience, and my ability to inspire. Gene Key 22 teaches us that grace is the thread that weaves through all aspects of life, and I now see my cancer journey as a reflection of this.
Through my writing, workshops, and mentoring, I aim to hold space for others, reminding them that healing is possible on all levels and that even in the darkest times, there is light (I am also writing these words for myself).
If my journey resonates with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts or stories. Let’s create a space where healing, grace, and courage can thrive. Share this post with anyone who might find comfort in these words, and let’s inspire a new vision of hope together.
A few Quotes from Celebrities who’ve been through cancer:
I do recommend everyone gets a FIT test done- you can buy the one I used here with code LAUREN25 for 25% off the normal price.
Or if you have any symptoms, ask your doctor for a FIT test.