Spiritual Direction and the Enneagram – an article

INTRO: 30,000-foot view of the Enneagram

The Enneagram can be seen as a psychological personality assessment tool; and/or for its value as a business, leadership, or team development tool. The Enneagram Spectrum taught by Dr. Jerome Wagner, and the Enneagram Harmony Triad taught by Rev. Clare Loughrige have formed my Enneagram foundation and is where I have been certified. This rich Enneagram material has become a tool for spiritual transformation, especially when integrated with spiritual direction.

While there are many personality tests that describe who we are, the Enneagram is unique in that it invites us back to our “true self” — our “inherent greatness” — the persons God intends us to become. The Enneagram does this by providing insight into our core motivations which lie beneath our thought patterns, beliefs, and behaviors. With this knowledge we can identify our “false self” reoccurring actions and patterns, and consciously chose a different response that leads us to our “true self.”

In Ephesians 4.20-24, Paul uses the words “old self” and “new self” to talk about the false self and true self. Our false self is the compulsive, ego-driven, old nature persona, or more explicitly it is our sinful nature. Our true self is our authentic self who reflects the Holy Trinity. It is who we are when we walk-in-the-Spirit: it is Christ-living-in-me.

The Enneagram Spectrum model describes the Enneagram styles as lenses through which we see the world; nine virtues and nine vices. The Harmony Triad model describes the styles as the nine faces of God described as good, loving, effective, creative, wise, faithful, joyful, powerful, and peaceful: our virtues demonstrated in our authentic, true self. (See footnotes for scriptures that correspond with the nine faces of God.) These same nine styles can also be described as the specific ways we sin – anger, pride, deceit, envious, greed, fear, gluttony, lust, and sloth: our vices demonstrated in our compulsive, false self.

The nine styles are divided into 3 Centers of Intelligence. Beginning with the Body/Gut Center are styles 8, 9 and 1; the Heart/Feeling Center are styles 2, 3 and 4; the Head/Thinking Center are styles 5, 6 and 7.

The following graphic represents the 30,000-foot view of the 3 Centers of Intelligence and their corresponding Enneagram styles.

3 Centers of Intelligence – Body/Heart/Head
Virtue – true self – authentic	Vice – false self – compulsive
Body/Gut Center 8 – Powerful, sacred strength 9 – Peaceful, peacemaker, holy harmony 1 – Good, reformerHeart/Feeling Center 2 – Appropriate loving/giving, strong care 3 – Effective, achiever, humble competence, servant leadership 4 – Creative, self-aware, emotionally honest Head/Thinking Center 5 – Wise, objective, insightful, curious 6 – Faithful, loyal, devoted, team focused, trustworthy, responsible 7 – Joyful, versatile, optimistic, playful, practical	Body/Gut Center 8 – Lustful, bully, pushy 9 – Slothful, checked out 1 – Angry, perfectionist, judging Heart/Feeling Center 2 – Prideful, quid pro quo, manipulative 3 – Deceitful, image management, they are what they do 4 – Envious, longing, something is missingHead/Thinking Center 5 – Greedy/stingy – time, info, energy, cynical, intellectually arrogant 6 – Fearful, controlling, defensive, self-doubt 7 – Gluttonous, FOMO, over extended, can be superficial, self-centered

The Harmony Triad model connects the strengths of the body, heart and head for growth and transformation, by focusing on the inherent greatness within every human. The inherent greatness comes to us since we are created in the image of God and reflect the Holy’s image in the 9 Enneagram styles.

Each triad has a dominate Enneagram style and two corresponding styles that create a Head/Heart/Gut triangle with a style from each of the Centers of Intelligence. In addition, each Harmony Triad has energy that “moves towards, against, and away” (Karen Horney) and each Harmony Triad has “competency, intensity and optimistic” energy (Ginger Lapid-Bogda). Often in the Harmony Triad one of the three Enneagram styles is less developed and becomes a focus of attention.
For example, the powerful 8 (Body/Gut), has access to their loving 2 (Heart) and wise 5 (Head) the peaceful 9 (Body/Gut), has access to their effective 3 (Heart) and loyal 6 (Head), and the good 1 (Body/Gut), has access to their original 4 (Heart) and joyful 7 (Head).

 

The Enneagram in Spiritual Direction

John Calvin says, “There is no deep knowing of God, without a deep knowing of self and there is no deep knowing of self without a deep knowing of God.”

Spiritual direction and the Enneagram help identify and name “what is”; they help directees notice and learn to not judge their thought patterns and feelings. Spiritual direction and the Enneagram invite directees to live in the mystery of “what is not yet.” Together they give insight and increase personal awareness into their true self – the person that Holy God created and desired them to be.

Many directees seek out spiritual directors Enneagram training and it naturally becomes foundational in their sessions. The Enneagram Spectrum’s WEPSS assessment is affordable and provides statistical information beyond the highest score, which is very useful. But note, the assessment results are merely the starting point, something to build upon.

One way to discern where directees are coming from is to ask what word or phrase resonates most with them – I think, I feel or I know. Their response prompts a certain pattern of questioning.

For example, directees who frequently use the phrase “I think”, may be asked what their heart is feeling or what they sense in their body. This is a challenging question, since many Enneagram head styles (5,6,7) stay in their head and often have not developed their awareness of their hearts (emotions/feelings) or their bodies (reactions/sensing). Asking if what they are experiencing is leading them to greater faith, hope and love, or if they are experiencing openness or resistance, invites the directees to explore beneath their typical head response.  The spiritual director is inviting directees to engage God from their entire being – heart, soul and mind – not merely a cognitive stance.

Matthew 22.36-40 NIV says ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” ³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’^[c] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[d] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Closing

The Enneagram informs the way I am present in spiritual direction. Even if directees are not emersed in the Enneagram, I still use its wisdom. Used in a spiritual direction setting, this knowledge coupled with directees self-awareness, presence to God and the work of the Spirit unfolds numerous opportunities for personal transformation.

Together the ancient wisdom of spiritual direction and the Enneagram have and continue to inform and transform my understanding of and relationship with God. Drawing me deeper into faith, hope, and love. Drawing me closer to the Holy Trinity.

Footnote: I trained with Rev. Clare Loughrige and Dr. Jerome Wagner

 

Scriptures for the nine Enneagram styles. (The Enneagram Personality Styles by Clare Loughrige)

8 – The Powerful Person
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families; he leads forth the prisoners with singing, but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. Psalm 68.5-6

9 – The Peaceful Person
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in You.
Isaiah 26.3 NKJV

1 – The Good Person
God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. Genesis 1.31

2 – The Loving Person
For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. Matthew 25.35

3 – The Effective Person
God said, “Let there be light” and there was light. Genesis 1.3

4 – The Original Person
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of humankind; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
Ecclesiastes 3.11-12

5 – The Wise Person
For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2.16

6 – The Loyal Person
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3.22-23

7 – The Joyful Person
Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
Nehemiah 8.10