Jack Labanauskas
In the autumn of 1994, when the formation of the IEA was being discussed and we started planning and working on the first issue of the EM, a supporter, eager to help us “nobodies” in the enneagram world, recommended that we get a head start by numbering our first issue “#10” or thereabouts—to make us look like we’re well established, serious and not a puny clutch of fledgelings just cracking the shell of our egg. In compliance to my 7’ish side, I gave this “plan” a fair consideration for about 3 seconds, but could not come up with a good answer should anyone request back-issues...moreover, even if the EM had failed after a few issues, I would have “some splainin’ to do”...for years.
Well, years have passed, we dodged that bullet...and others, and to our amazement the times we thought to have covered all possible angles, a new set of doors would open up. Speaking of new doors opening, we learned to look before jumping and try as best we can to balance new theories by fundamentals of similar weight.
Those of us who have been around long enough are probably familiar with a number of spiritual, self-help “growth” techniques and/or have been practicing themselves. If that’s your case, you may have noticed a peculiar pattern that most “seekers” as well as “systems” tend to follow. Both start with what is essential, simple and works. Then, some time after we got used to the results, we start missing the initial excitement—the contrast we felt in the beginning, between our previous habitual state and the one achieved with our practice.
Like an ant on a flight of stairs in a hurry to get down, we get impatient while crossing the horizontal step and thrilled again at the progress when leaping down the vertical to the next step... onto the next horizontal test of patience. Compared to us, ants are pretty stoic and take the slow phases along the path with more equanimity than we do.
Unlike ants, humans are endowed with all sorts of creative and enterprising impulses and expectations. So we seek to “fix” our rate of progress when we feel it slowing down. But it takes a fine sense of discrimination to recognize the difference between stagnation due to laziness, distraction or ignorance (repairable traits requiring effort) and natural transformations that are slow but perfectly timely, like fruit on a tree needing maturation time (a natural condition that can be sabotaged but can’t be rushed).
According to our nature, education and opportunity, we have developed our own style of how we choose, practice and maintain the actions we’re willing to do to help us answer life’s big questions. I have known strong willed people who, without much explanation or encouragement were able to undertake and sustain a remarkable effort; and others who needed detailed explanations, assurances, constant encouragement and still could fizzle at the drop of a hat. Most of us are somewhere in between.
Individuals and systems share similar dynamics—after the initial honeymoon with a teaching and familiarity settled in, we begin to miss the initial rush and look how to improve on our practice to get it back. That’s natural and not a bad thing as long as we don’t lose track of the core of the essence of what initially attracted us. But quite often the quest for more knowledge takes us from the trunk to the branches and to getting lost among the twigs.... Systems often operate the same way. They start simple with essentials and as the practitioners get antsy, the gurus try to offer “additional supplements” to bring them back.
Traditional and well established systems with adequate checks and balances in place are better at resisting the urge to offer “new and improved” additions to “fix what ain’t broke.” New up-and coming systems not yet rooted in wisdom or tradition, are more prone to fall for the urge to provide whatever it takes to keep the enthusiasm of the practitioners at the elevated level they experienced at the start. More often than not this works only in the short term or at the expense of loosing touch with parts of the core teaching.
The enneagram in its present form as introduced to most of us, is obviously a new system and as such, was, is, and will remain prone to the same dynamics afflicting other systems. Even great religions have plenty of sects and spinoffs (and we are not even talking about countless cults that came and went). As long as the core tenets are preserved, the spinoffs allow for creative expression and individual pursuits without hurting the system.
It is up to the Enneagram Monthly and the International Enneagram Association along with schools, authors and teachers to be responsible custodians of our precious enneagram so that we encourage expansion but don’t get lost in the weeds... let’s remember to use the “reset” button and check back periodically to the fundamentals of human nature, science and perennial wisdom while pursuing innovations into “where no man has gone before” as Trekkies would say.
In this issue:
Arthur Kranz is “Unlocking the Enneagream” by pointing out how the secret paths of the Gurdjieff Enneagram have remained hidden in plain sigh for about a century, and how we need not look at the Enneagram only like a clock, with a 9 in the top position. It is not a static diagram, as Gurdjieff reminded his students repeatedly, but contains movement and change—provided we skip always depicting it with numbers (or arrows) in the same position. As a diagram of growth and transformation, the static diagram with the #9 on top is a depiction of the Enneagram’s configuration relevant to Type 9 only. Arthur makes a good case for how by rotating a moving Enneagram one “click” at a time, gives us nine different configurations, one for each personality type, each with its own unique growth path.
Carolyn Bartlett’s chapter from the “Ennegram Field Guide: Fives” brings this relatively inscrutable type into a better light. Fives are not exactly known for being effusive in sharing their feelings or opening their vulnerabilities in a daring way to public scrutiny. Fives seem to be rather picky about choosing which parts of their life and in which relationships they allow their passion to come to the surface. But when tapped about what they feel passionate about, they are willing to give of their time, knowledge and emotions. Fives are also known for favoring depth of knowledge in fewer subjects over shallow knowledge of many. That makes it often harder to relate to broad segments of the population and can lead to withdrawal, anxiety and trap them in loneliness, which in turn deepens a disconnect with the outer world unless it’s related to their work or specific interest.
Gifted with extraordinary ability to observe and gather information, they often resort to seeking safety and comfort by knowing more than others. The flip-side of which is that they rarely get credit for the deep insights they may have, which further alienates them — and like the fox unable to reach the grapes tells the crow “they’re sour anyway,” Fives may choose a more introverted life.
Jack Labanauskas had this “Conversation With Hart de Fouw” about 10 years ago. Nothing has changed, and the themes discussed are as relevant and worthy of repetition today. Hart is steeped in Vedic knowledge and you won’t find better or deeper than that. Period.
This conversation is in the category of hitting the “reset” button back to essence, the very roots of how the mind works. We speak of the mechanics of thought patterns that become habitual grooves in our consciousness, coloring the way we see the world and respond to it. Over time our responses along with our constitution and history (including previous lives’ karmas or ancestral DNA, take your pick) form our personality. This personality, its peculiar nature, M.O. and type, stick out like the tip of an iceberg with 90% submerged under the waters of history and out of sight. Understanding the magnitude of events and memories upon which our present day’s awareness is built gives us a better perspective of the forces accumulated in our background that pushed us to be as we are today.
Bernadette Schmitt and Frédéric Schmitt make a case for expanding our view on subtypes to consider the possibility of “Venus: Close Encounters of the Fourth Sub-Type.” This insight came about after observing and cataloging a large number of medical cases they were treating homeopathically. It appeared against earlier assumptions that the sexual Mars subtype did not necessarily have to be the Yang aspect of the sexual subtype—they found two contradictory aspects coexisting in the same person: a Mars subtype and an introverted/yin nature. That was a surprise like finding a “square circle!” The sexual Mars subtype could have a yin introverted or a yang extraverted variant. So instead of dealing with two aspects (yin and yang) of three subtypes, they were faced with a fourth subtype, each with its own Yin and Yang aspect. Venus — seemed the appropriate name, and since this type is generally considered “eye-candy,” see the pictures and judge for yourself.
Tim Vreeland speaks of a different visual beauty, the non-flesh architectural kind produced by the immensely prolific and creative “Frank Lloyd Wright (1867 - 1959): The Life and Work of a Self-preservation Seven.” Considered the Greatest American Architect of all Time Wright designed “with both hands” more than 1000 structures and completed more than half of them...which is a huge achievement and a testament to the energy of a Seven minus the flaw of putting too much on a plate. Wright’s plate included 20 books he wrote, countless lectures and the creation of multiple architectural styles and improving many existing ones. There seemed to be no limit to his creative stamina and he earned a place alongside historical greats like Leonardo da Vinci.
Tim takes us through the family origins, personal life and the crucial factors that seem to have shaped Wright’s career: his continual confrontations with obstacles and his certainty, about his predestined greatness. His eccentricities of dress—the long hair, the flowing neckties, English jackets, riding pants and high-laced boots—were central to and mirrors of that sense of freedom which has come into the architecture of today which we call “organic architecture.” •
Well, years have passed, we dodged that bullet...and others, and to our amazement the times we thought to have covered all possible angles, a new set of doors would open up. Speaking of new doors opening, we learned to look before jumping and try as best we can to balance new theories by fundamentals of similar weight.
Those of us who have been around long enough are probably familiar with a number of spiritual, self-help “growth” techniques and/or have been practicing themselves. If that’s your case, you may have noticed a peculiar pattern that most “seekers” as well as “systems” tend to follow. Both start with what is essential, simple and works. Then, some time after we got used to the results, we start missing the initial excitement—the contrast we felt in the beginning, between our previous habitual state and the one achieved with our practice.
Like an ant on a flight of stairs in a hurry to get down, we get impatient while crossing the horizontal step and thrilled again at the progress when leaping down the vertical to the next step... onto the next horizontal test of patience. Compared to us, ants are pretty stoic and take the slow phases along the path with more equanimity than we do.
Unlike ants, humans are endowed with all sorts of creative and enterprising impulses and expectations. So we seek to “fix” our rate of progress when we feel it slowing down. But it takes a fine sense of discrimination to recognize the difference between stagnation due to laziness, distraction or ignorance (repairable traits requiring effort) and natural transformations that are slow but perfectly timely, like fruit on a tree needing maturation time (a natural condition that can be sabotaged but can’t be rushed).
According to our nature, education and opportunity, we have developed our own style of how we choose, practice and maintain the actions we’re willing to do to help us answer life’s big questions. I have known strong willed people who, without much explanation or encouragement were able to undertake and sustain a remarkable effort; and others who needed detailed explanations, assurances, constant encouragement and still could fizzle at the drop of a hat. Most of us are somewhere in between.
Individuals and systems share similar dynamics—after the initial honeymoon with a teaching and familiarity settled in, we begin to miss the initial rush and look how to improve on our practice to get it back. That’s natural and not a bad thing as long as we don’t lose track of the core of the essence of what initially attracted us. But quite often the quest for more knowledge takes us from the trunk to the branches and to getting lost among the twigs.... Systems often operate the same way. They start simple with essentials and as the practitioners get antsy, the gurus try to offer “additional supplements” to bring them back.
Traditional and well established systems with adequate checks and balances in place are better at resisting the urge to offer “new and improved” additions to “fix what ain’t broke.” New up-and coming systems not yet rooted in wisdom or tradition, are more prone to fall for the urge to provide whatever it takes to keep the enthusiasm of the practitioners at the elevated level they experienced at the start. More often than not this works only in the short term or at the expense of loosing touch with parts of the core teaching.
The enneagram in its present form as introduced to most of us, is obviously a new system and as such, was, is, and will remain prone to the same dynamics afflicting other systems. Even great religions have plenty of sects and spinoffs (and we are not even talking about countless cults that came and went). As long as the core tenets are preserved, the spinoffs allow for creative expression and individual pursuits without hurting the system.
It is up to the Enneagram Monthly and the International Enneagram Association along with schools, authors and teachers to be responsible custodians of our precious enneagram so that we encourage expansion but don’t get lost in the weeds... let’s remember to use the “reset” button and check back periodically to the fundamentals of human nature, science and perennial wisdom while pursuing innovations into “where no man has gone before” as Trekkies would say.
In this issue:
Arthur Kranz is “Unlocking the Enneagream” by pointing out how the secret paths of the Gurdjieff Enneagram have remained hidden in plain sigh for about a century, and how we need not look at the Enneagram only like a clock, with a 9 in the top position. It is not a static diagram, as Gurdjieff reminded his students repeatedly, but contains movement and change—provided we skip always depicting it with numbers (or arrows) in the same position. As a diagram of growth and transformation, the static diagram with the #9 on top is a depiction of the Enneagram’s configuration relevant to Type 9 only. Arthur makes a good case for how by rotating a moving Enneagram one “click” at a time, gives us nine different configurations, one for each personality type, each with its own unique growth path.
Carolyn Bartlett’s chapter from the “Ennegram Field Guide: Fives” brings this relatively inscrutable type into a better light. Fives are not exactly known for being effusive in sharing their feelings or opening their vulnerabilities in a daring way to public scrutiny. Fives seem to be rather picky about choosing which parts of their life and in which relationships they allow their passion to come to the surface. But when tapped about what they feel passionate about, they are willing to give of their time, knowledge and emotions. Fives are also known for favoring depth of knowledge in fewer subjects over shallow knowledge of many. That makes it often harder to relate to broad segments of the population and can lead to withdrawal, anxiety and trap them in loneliness, which in turn deepens a disconnect with the outer world unless it’s related to their work or specific interest.
Gifted with extraordinary ability to observe and gather information, they often resort to seeking safety and comfort by knowing more than others. The flip-side of which is that they rarely get credit for the deep insights they may have, which further alienates them — and like the fox unable to reach the grapes tells the crow “they’re sour anyway,” Fives may choose a more introverted life.
Jack Labanauskas had this “Conversation With Hart de Fouw” about 10 years ago. Nothing has changed, and the themes discussed are as relevant and worthy of repetition today. Hart is steeped in Vedic knowledge and you won’t find better or deeper than that. Period.
This conversation is in the category of hitting the “reset” button back to essence, the very roots of how the mind works. We speak of the mechanics of thought patterns that become habitual grooves in our consciousness, coloring the way we see the world and respond to it. Over time our responses along with our constitution and history (including previous lives’ karmas or ancestral DNA, take your pick) form our personality. This personality, its peculiar nature, M.O. and type, stick out like the tip of an iceberg with 90% submerged under the waters of history and out of sight. Understanding the magnitude of events and memories upon which our present day’s awareness is built gives us a better perspective of the forces accumulated in our background that pushed us to be as we are today.
Bernadette Schmitt and Frédéric Schmitt make a case for expanding our view on subtypes to consider the possibility of “Venus: Close Encounters of the Fourth Sub-Type.” This insight came about after observing and cataloging a large number of medical cases they were treating homeopathically. It appeared against earlier assumptions that the sexual Mars subtype did not necessarily have to be the Yang aspect of the sexual subtype—they found two contradictory aspects coexisting in the same person: a Mars subtype and an introverted/yin nature. That was a surprise like finding a “square circle!” The sexual Mars subtype could have a yin introverted or a yang extraverted variant. So instead of dealing with two aspects (yin and yang) of three subtypes, they were faced with a fourth subtype, each with its own Yin and Yang aspect. Venus — seemed the appropriate name, and since this type is generally considered “eye-candy,” see the pictures and judge for yourself.
Tim Vreeland speaks of a different visual beauty, the non-flesh architectural kind produced by the immensely prolific and creative “Frank Lloyd Wright (1867 - 1959): The Life and Work of a Self-preservation Seven.” Considered the Greatest American Architect of all Time Wright designed “with both hands” more than 1000 structures and completed more than half of them...which is a huge achievement and a testament to the energy of a Seven minus the flaw of putting too much on a plate. Wright’s plate included 20 books he wrote, countless lectures and the creation of multiple architectural styles and improving many existing ones. There seemed to be no limit to his creative stamina and he earned a place alongside historical greats like Leonardo da Vinci.
Tim takes us through the family origins, personal life and the crucial factors that seem to have shaped Wright’s career: his continual confrontations with obstacles and his certainty, about his predestined greatness. His eccentricities of dress—the long hair, the flowing neckties, English jackets, riding pants and high-laced boots—were central to and mirrors of that sense of freedom which has come into the architecture of today which we call “organic architecture.” •