"Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power." Lao Tzu

You know I always talk about the Zodiac in all my rants, I mention the stars, the heavens etc. etc. Well I have a confession… I’ve been holding back the best of all for myself and I have yet to share with the bulk of my readers my all time favorite tool for dissecting a person’s personality and ego. Perhaps it’s due to my feeling that it’s a near impossible to master (for me anyways) talent, or perhaps I just like to keep secrets. Pick on! So I’ve been a bit of whiner this week and it not only has been noticed but pointed out by several of my loved ones. Fine, instead of the whiner you get the educator, your really going to wish you had left well enough alone and let me whine…

My little pet project over the last few years has been the Enneagram. SOME of you I’ve graced with my limited knowledge of this beautiful system. Others I have not. I assure you it’s perhaps one of the most accurate and slightly painful systems in existence. There are several methodologies to the Enneagram, to provide a very brief history of its origin however there’s as many views on that as there are studies on the system itself, I’m going to give you what “feels right” to me, not necessarily what is advertised, you are entirely free to do your own research on your own. I was originally told that this was discovered in Sanskrit and a oral education passed down through the Sufis who are the inner metaphysical realm of the Islam. However modern studies are detracting from that history and relaying another message that Ichazo and Claudio Naranjo who currently educate the masses are the proprietors. Being a romantic at heart, I truly believe it was found in Sanskrit, and perhaps is an ancient knowledge that is being modernized and revamped. It is indeed a powerful tool for mastering yourself, and discovering the hows and whys of your inner ego. Which is a true power as Lao Tzu states above.

The Enneagram is a circular diagram on which personality types numbered one through nine are symbolically represented at nine equidistant points on the circumference. The numbers are then connected by arrows in significant patterns which point the way to health ("integration") or to neurosis ("disintegration"). Each human personality is said to fall into one of these nine types. This number is said to reveal the hidden motivation behind the ego for everything a person does. Intelligence is given three centers: thought, emotion, and instinct, which are always imbalanced. The result of this imbalance is that a person's "true self" is always hidden beneath a "false self". The Enneagram is supposed to enable a person to gain knowledge of his true self, exposing the true motivations for actions and illusions developed regarding himself and regarding how to deal with the world.

The bulk of organized religion believes that the Enneagram is nothing more than an occult and self centered way of thought, they are entirely entitled to their judgments however that’s not what I’m here to discuss, this page is all about me so you get MY judgments instead!

Now to the fun stuff. The types themselves, I cannot begin to tell you what a gross simplification these explanations will be, and perhaps it’s just me, but the more I learn the more difficult time I have systematically placing individuals in their prospective numbers. I will say however that when I read my first book on the Enneagram I did as I was told to read from start to finish, the numbers listed out of order and one transcends to the other…. And when I came to what I believed was my own number, I broke into tears. Waterworks more than likely will not occur with my simplifications, however if you contact me directly I’m more than happy to push on to your own self study and waterworks. However as you progress you are able to realize perhaps some of the things you were doing to others and build yourself and become more open minded. The best description I heard was “The Enneagram is meant to be a tool to grow, not to put you in a box” in my own words do not over identify with your ego type you are capable of SO much MORE!!!!

TYPE 1 THE REFORMER: The Reformer. Also called The Perfectionist and The Judge
The Rational, Idealistic Type; Principled, Orderly, can be Perfectionistic and Self Righteous.
Key Motivations: Want to be right, to have integrity and balance, to strive higher and improve others, to be consistent with their ideals, to justify themselves, to be beyond criticism so as not to be condemned by anyone.

TYPE 2 THE HELPER: The Helper. Also called The Giver and The Caretaker
The Caring, Nurturing Type; Concerned, Generous, can be Possessive and Manipulative
Key Motivations: Want to be loved, to express their feelings for others, to be needed and appreciated, to get others to respond to them, to vindicate their claims about themselves.

TYPE 3 THE ACHIEVER: Also called The Performer and The Achiever
The Success-Oriented, Pragmatic Type; Adaptable, Ambitious, can be Image-Conscious and Hostile.
Key Motivations: Want to feel valuable and worthwhile, to be affirmed, to distinguish themselves, to have attention, to be admired and to impress others.

TYPE FOR THE INDIVIDUALIST: Also called The Artist and The Romantic
The Sensitive, Withdrawn Type; Intuitive, Individualistic, can be Self-Absorbed and Depressive.
Key Motivations: Want to be themselves, to express themselves in something beautiful, to find the ideal partner, to withdraw to protect their feelings, to take care of emotional needs before attending to anything else.

TYPE 5 THE INVESTIGATOR: Also called The Thinker and The Observer
The Intense, Cerebral Type; Perceptive, Original, can be Provocative and Eccentric
Key Motivations: Want to be capable and competent, to master a body of knowledge and skill, to explore reality, to remain undisturbed by others, to reduce their needs.

TYPE 6 THE LOYALIST: Also called The Defender and The Guardian
The Committed, Security-Oriented Type; Engaging, Responsible, can be Defensive and Paranoid
Key Motivations: Want to have security, to feel supported, to have the approval of others, to test the attitudes of others toward them, to defend their beliefs.

TYPE 7 THE ENTHUSIAST: Also called The Adventurer and The Generalist
The Spontaneous, Busy Type; Enthusiastic, Accomplished, can be Excessive and Manic
Key Motivations: Want to be happy and satisfied, to have a wide variety of experiences, to keep their options open, to enjoy life and amuse themselves, to escape anxiety.

TYPE 8 THE CHALLENGER: Also called The Asserter and The Confronter
The Powerful, Dominating Type; Self-Confident, Decisive, can be Confrontational and Ruthless
Key Motivations: Want to be self-reliant, to resist their weakness, to have an impact on environment, to assert themselves, to stay in control, to prevail over others, to be invincible.

TYPE 9 THE PEACEMAKER: Also called The Preservationist and The Mediator
The Easygoing, Self-Effacing Type; Accepting, Reassuring, can be Passive and Repressed
Key Motivations: To have serenity and peace of mind, to create harmony in their environment, to preserve things as they are, to avoid conflicts and tension, to escape upsetting problems and demands on them.

Now that this rather long rant is drawing to a close and after revisiting all of the 9 types in a brief manner I realized that since the last time I’ve thought of this, I do believe I have evolved to what a very dear friend described me as years ago but did not believe. I hope you have enjoyed this, and this is what you get for calling me a whiner, a serious introspective research freak. Given my constant obsession with this can you all guess what I am? Until next time, much love and light and may you be filled with courage for your journey!