the enneagram

We covered a lot of information in the Enneagram basics series. It is natural to feel overwhelmed or confused by the different avenues one could use to explore the Enneagram. Here's what I recommend: Find your type. Maybe just from reading the post about the nine types, you know your type because it stood out to you. You could find your type with a test -- there are many free ones online, and there are also extensive…

The Enneagram is a spiritual path of growth through the lens of personality. There are nine core types, and each type has what is called a wing. It's another way that our core type (1 through 9) manifests itself. Here's an example. Type 9 can have an 8 wing or a 1 wing. They're typically written out like 9w8 and 9w1. 9s with an 8 wing, or 9w8, is still primarily concerned with keeping the peace, avoiding…

Subtypes, also called instinctual variants, add another layer of complexity to the Enneagram. A subtype is our survival instinct or our default mode when moving through the day. It's going to be what we focus on the most as we make decisions, both big and small. Each of the nine types will have one of three subtypes. So, if your main type is 8, you can be a self-preservation 8, a social 8, or a sexual 8.…

First, read about the Enneagram and its nine core types here. The Enneagram has nine core types that can be further broken down into groups of three, or triads. People also call them centers of intelligence. What this means is each triad makes most of their decisions using one area: their body or instincts; their heart or emotions; or their head or thoughts. Gut/Instinctive Center: 8, 9, 1 Types 8, 9, and 1 most often use the…

If you know me, you know I love the Enneagram. My husband often says, "Oh, she's talking about the Enneagram again." A few years ago, I wrote about the Enneagram and how it helped me reframe and accept the parts of my personality that I didn't like, such as my weaknesses and my fears. Although there is a wealth of information about the Enneagram available online, in books, in schools, and in seminars, I wanted to write…