Free Enneagram Webinar

Tomorrow night is the last session of our Spirit of the Enneagram class. We will be checking out Tom Condon's take on types 6 and 7, and if there's time, we might even discuss spirituality and personal growth.
Also tomorrow, our Facebook friends David and Katherine Fauvre are hosting a free webinar. Here's the info:

Fee: The online webinar is free to you!
Date: Wednesday, February 18th, 2008 at 6:00-7:30 pm PST
Location:Your computer for an Online Webinar.
1. https://www2.gotomeeting.com/join/152251224
2. Use your microphone and speakers (VoIP) - a headset is recommended. Or, call in using your telephone.
Dial 646-558-2931Access Code: 152-251-224
Audio PIN: Shown after joining the meeting
Meeting Password: EnneagramMeeting ID: 152-251-224

This complimentary evening will function as an open forum to ask questions as well as work on personal issues.
As time permits, Katherine will demonstrate her In-depth Enneagram Inquiry Process work with exemplars.

This could be a good option for those of you who, inexplicably, do not live in middle Tennessee.

Tomorrow Night's Class May Be Canceled

Tomorrow night's session of the Spirit of the Enneagram class may be canceled due to bad weather. We will follow the lead of Davidson County public schools. If they cancel classes, so will we.

Recap of the January 7th Spirit of the Enneagram Class

For those of you who were there, or who wished you could be there, here is what happened at the January 7th Spirit of the Enneagram class:


First, we introduced ourselves and chatted a little about our previous experience (if any) with the Enneagram. While some folks were old hands, most were relatively new to the system. A lot of people did have experience with the MBTI, though, so we talked a bit about how the two systems differ. I issued my usual dire warnings about how you probably won't be able to determine your Enneagram type by taking a quiz.
Our historian, Mary Beth, went over the events leading to the e-gram as we know it. Click here for a history lesson. Then, I talked about the meaning of the e-gram symbol itself, quite apart from its application to personality. A version of that information (plus a little recap of Star Wars) can be found here.
Next, we did a little self-reflection exercise. Participants were asked to write on the following topic:


Describe a person you know or know of who is very different from you. This person could be a friend, family member, or coworker, or even a character you have read about in a book. Explain how this person is different from you and what you think led to those differences.


We self-reflected for as long as we could stand it, which turned out to be about 20 minutes.
Being unable to put off an actual discussion of personality psychology any longer, we briefly introduced the types by talking about their characteristic sins and virtues. Highlights included Mary Beth's discussion of Arnold Schwarzenegger as a type 3, and David's characterization of type 9 as a "chair warmer."
We assigned the following homework:


Make some attempt to determine your Enneagram type, or to at least narrow it down to a couple of possibilities. Mary Beth's advice on how to go about doing so can be found here.


This lesson corresponded primarily to pages 7 - 26 in The Wisdom of the Enneagram, and we do recommend that you get the book.

The Spirit of the Enneagram Class Syllabus

This is the plan:

1/7 Intros
History of the e-gram symbol
An exercise in self-reflection
Hw: take an e-gram test

1/14 Talk about test results
The e-gram of cute puppies
Overview of all types
The triadic model

1/21 Grounding meditation
The gut types – 8, 9, and 1

1/28 Open-heart meditation
The heart types – 2, 3, and 4
Mary Beth tells the gnip-gnop story

2/4 Guided meditation
The head types – 5, 6, and 7

2/11 Q & A
applying the lessons of the e-gram

2/18 Loaded e-gram questions

Yes, We are Teaching the Enneagram

It's true; Mary Beth and I are teaching a class on the Enneagram starting January 7th. Here are the answers to some Frequently Anticipated Questions:

• Is Mary Beth really still alive?

Yes; she is, black rose lapel pin and lack of blogging to the contrary. Come to the class and see for yourself.

• When, exactly, is the class?

It will meet Wednesday nights, January 7 - February 18th, from 7 pm to 8:30 pm.

• Where is it?

It's at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashville, at 1808 Woodmont Blvd.

• Can anyone come?

Yes; the more the merrier. We hope to have plenty for Enneagram beginners and a little something for old hands, too.

• Does it cost any money?

No. This is a free class.

• A free class, you say? What's it about?

According to the listing in the church newsletter, it's about exploring the nine different Enneagram life strategies on relationships, personal fulfillment, and spiritual growth. I also happen to know that it will be about the search for an effective holistic personality typing test, cute puppies, and gnip gnop. I will post a full syllabus soon.

• Is there a text?

We will probably make use of Riso and Hudson's The Wisdom of the Enneagram. It is not necessary that you buy the book, but if you want to, it might be helpful.

Any other questions? Leave them in the comments section.

Come Play with Us

If you live in the Nashville area and are an Enneagram fan, you should go to http://enneagram.meetup.com/cities/us/tn/nashville and join up. This is a meetup group Mary Beth and I are putting together.
I think what we'll do is gauge the level of interest for a while, then announce an organizational meeting where we, um, meet up and talk about what we'd like to do in the group. I suspect we'll read books, watch videos, play games, and have discussions, all about the Enneagram. Plus, Mary Beth and I would like to keep you in little cages and run experiments on you. It's all in good fun, but seriously, JOIN.

Fear and Anxiety in Nashvegas: Enneagram Autobiography Class 3 Recap

Before session 3 of the Enneagram Autobiography class, there was a Mexican dinner in the social area of FUUN. During the dinner, we were asked to say a few words about the topic of the class. I tried to win over prospective new students by saying we would be "exploring issues of fear and anxiety." Shockingly enough, a couple of new people came to the class anyway.

As is our way, we went around the room sharing our thoughts. The two most popular homework questions turned out to be "How do I know that I am loved?" and "What does focusing on your differences with other people cost you?", so most people spoke to those.

We talked about differences and the creation of drama in relationship to type 4. The 4s in the room denied being dramatic. That is not the way they perceive it at all and they explained their behavior, rather, in terms of being sensitive.

I recommended the book Emotions and the Enneagram, by Margaret Fringes Keyes, as an insightful take on the Enneagram as a whole and type 4 in particular. It explains how 4s romanticize loss and use melancholy to stave off real depression. Mary Beth talked about connections between personality type and brain chemistry and recommended Riso and Hudson's book Personality Types, which correlates Ennegram Types with the DSM, and a website called something like "The Enneagram: A Clinical Pharmacist's View." It seems that this site has been taken down, but I was able to find the pahramcist's description of type 4 here.

Next, we segued over to the head triad -- the triad associated with fear, anxiety, and worry. I was reminded of this church sign I photographed recently:

We meditated a bit, and having acheived full Presence, were able to fully notice things like how funny-shaped the room was and that it had closets. If you would like to have such revelations at home, follow the instructions on page 217 of The Wisdom of the Enneagram.

We spoke of type 5 and their love of skulls and dead chickens. I found myself talking at length about the "effective" combination of the type 5 propensity for ignoring one's emotions combined with the type 4 habit of making a really big deal of them. It sound like a paradox, but it has played out in my life, and there were a few knowing nods in the room.

For homework, we suggested the consideration of the following questions from The Wisdom of the Enneagram:

"Record your observations about isolation. What kinds of situations cause you to detach emotionally? What are your attitudes about people at such times? About social life? About yourself? Can you recall any incidences from your childhood that you feel reinforced this tendency in you? Did you feel engulfed by others' needs or intruded upon? What would it take to be in relationship with others and not lose your own sense of purpose?"

"Record any examples of times in your life when you let significant opportunities for growth and challenge pass you by. Why did you decide to let them go? Would belief in your own abilities have changed the outcome?

Recall some times when you did fly against common sense and took a chance. What was the outcome? How did you feel at the time?Are there areas in your life now where you know that you are resisting your true desires out of fears or doubts about yourself? What can you do differently?"

Up next: More fear and anxiety, as Mary Beth leads the discussion on types 6 and 7.

To Prepare: Look over pages 235 - 286 in The Wisdom of the Enneagram.

We Now Take a Break from Our Regularly Sceduled Programming to Recap Enneagram Autobiography Class 2

If you have been reading this blog, you have probably noticed that we have more or less abandoned our purported topic, the Enneagram, in favor of a new obsession -- Presidential politics. This is an example of what Mary Beth and I like to call "following the car." (For further explanation, see our first ever blog post.) If this is not your cup of tea, be patient; we will almost certainly turn our attentions back to Buffy the Vampire Slayer or some such real soon.
Nonetheless, we have our responsibilities, so here's what happened in session 2 of the Enneagram Autobiography class:


1. Mary Beth and I both had diseases. In her case, it was pink eye. In mine, it was yakky-mouth-itis. As such, I proposed the following division of labor: I would hand out handouts and she would do the talking. Alas, there is no known cure for yakky-mouth-itis.
2. We went around the room sharing selected details from our autobiographies, which I will not post here. If you want to hear the juicy stuff, you have to attend the class. (Next session: Wednesday, January 30th, 7:00pm, First Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashville.)
3. I attempted to answer all Enneagram-related "huh?" and "what?"-type questions with this handout.
4. We talked about why meditation is an important tool for observing one's own ego at work, recommended chapter 4, "Cultivating Awareness," of The Wisdom of the Enneagram, and did a lovingkindness meditation.
5. Mary Beth talked about the emotional issues of types 2 ("I can only give help; I can't accept help") and 3 ("I really am a doctor, but it's still like I'm playing one on tv.")
6. We suggested some journaling topics. Here are a few (all are from The Wisdom of the Enneagram):

"Explore the question, 'How do I know that I am loved?' What counts for love in your life? Whose love are you looking for? What are the signs that this person is giving you love? How do you know, or how would you know that you are loved?"

"What does success mean to you? What did it mean to your parents? What does it mean to your peers? Any connections?"

"Notice your tendency to automatically focus on your differences with people. What does this cost you in terms of your connectedness with others? Does it prevent you from taking up activities that might be beneficial to you?"

Next time:

We'll talk about the emotional issues of types 4, 5, and 6 and learn how to really look at things. To prepare, you might want to look over pages 178 - 259 of The Wisdom of the Enneagram. Also, please bring your journal to class.

Chasing Hillary

Hillary Clinton will be speaking in Nashville tonight. Here are the details, from Tennessee for Hillary:

"Please join Hillary Clinton in Nashville for a Town Hall Event, Saturday, January 26th. The event will be at the Tennessee State University, Kean Hall Gymnasium (3500 John A. Merritt Blvd). Doors will open at 8:00pm. Click here to RSVP for the Nashville Town Hall with Hillary!The Tennessee Primary is only days away on February 5th. Join us for this exciting event and watch the momentum grow that will win Tennessee for Hillary.
Hillary Clinton Town Hall in Nashville
Tennessee State University, Kean Hall Gymnasium3500 John A. Merritt BlvdSaturday, January 26th Doors open at 8:00pm
With questions about the town hall or to RSVP, please email TennesseeforHillary@gmail.com or call our Nashville Headquarters at 615-254-2200."