I was first introduced to the Enneagram by a co-worker in 2002. I am not being dramatic when I say that it has changed my life and my relationships. Knowing my own enneagram type and the type of those I am in relationship with, has brought greater insight and deeper intimacy to my life. This Summer I have been re-reading Richard Rohr’s book, The Enneagram A Christian Perspective, as part of a book club. I’ve been reminded how powerful a tool the Enneagram is in causing us to look honestly at ourselves and our relationships. In counseling, understanding my client’s Enneagram type is usually more helpful than knowing their DSM diagnosis. I consider it to be one of the most valuable means for understanding the false self (Scripture would refer to this as the “flesh” and psychology often refers to it as the “ego”), and identifying those aspects that hinder us from experiencing and demonstrating Love. The Enneagram is effective for integrating and maturing a whole, true self that is rooted in love from/of God and others. Learning the Enneagram is a study of both identity and change.
For those not familiar with the Enneagram, it is a personality system comprised of 9 types. No one is 100% certain who developed the enneagram or where it originated, but it has been traced as far back as the Desert Fathers, a 4th century monastic movement, and later surfaced in early Sufi writings. It was communicated via oral tradition for centuries and only in the past 80 years have people been publicly conversing and writing about the Enneagram.
If you are interesting in discovering your Enneagram number, I suggest that you begin by reading descriptions of each type. Pay attention to the core motivations and needs of each type, and don’t be afraid to take your time discovering your number. I’ve been studying the Enneagram off and on for the last 13 years and often feel like I am just beginning to explore all that the Enneagram has to offer. The Enneagram has the ability to take you as deep as you want to journey into self-exploration. It allows for the complexities inherent in humanity. In addition to discovering your type, there are wings, sub-types, and arrows. Each type has a core sin and core virtue. Some authors have divided each enneagram type into 9 levels of health which provide a breadth and depth to each type unparalleled in any other personality profile I have studied. But don’t let the complexity of the Enneagram dissuade you from engaging with it. In spite of its complicated aspects (or maybe because of them,) it is well worth your attention. Go slowly, let it marinate. Watch how it first describes you like an old friend you have known your whole life, and then see how it changes you.
To get started with the Enneagram, I recommend these blog posts by Shauna Niequist and Leigh Kramer.
I also recommend this book as an introduction to the Enneagram.
And, of course, anything from The Enneagram Institute.