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[Traditional Enneagram] An Introduction to the Dodecagram from the Perspective of the Enneagram

Sophia Perennis

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An Introduction to the Dodecagram
From the Perspective of the Enneagram

Introduction:
Classically speaking, the psychology and personality of a human being was
recognized and defined by a set of four distinct temperaments. The temperaments
themselves directly derived from the four classical elements, which were known to
compose everything in the changeable world; and the understanding that one element held a
predominate position over the others. This principle was understood to apply to everything
in the changeable world, ranging from material bodies like plants and animals to immaterial
bodies like the psyche and thought-forms.

The Enneagram of Personality was an, albeit incomplete, expansion upon the fundamentals
of personality understood in the ancient mystery schools of antiquity. My goal is to remedy
the information found within the Enneagram with classical wisdom. However, before I can
establish the comprehensive system I seek to replace the Enneagram with, it is paramount
that you, the reader, understand the specific constituents which form that system; it's
therefore necessary that I detail those constituents in a concise and accurate manner so that
you may be able to correctly understand what it is I'm trying to convey.

The Elements
: The Elements themselves are not literal, physical entities. They are
fundamental forces incapable of tangible sensation. It is through the mind that these
immutable forces are perceived. The physical entities used to represent them are purely
metaphorical, but are nevertheless accurate in their representation.

Human beings are profoundly affected by their elemental composition. The effects can be
seen in the process of their mental faculties, as distinguished by Jung when he formulated
his theory of cognitive functions, and they can be seen in the overall personality of an
individual. A individual's elemental composition is the quintessential defining force of his
or her individuality; it operates as the very foundation by which men and women alike
distinguish themselves from one-another.

A Description of the Elements:


Fire:
Fire is an active, masculine, force. It's fixed and unalterable. It most readily relates to
Will or Willpower. It forms, pushes, creates, moves, and acts upon something else. It
possesses a two-fold quality, being the spark of creation and simultaneously a force of
destruction. Jung attributed Fire to the Intuitive function.

Air:
Air, like fire, is an active, masculine force. Air is most readily related to intellect and
the realm of concepts and ideas. It facilitates knowledge and understanding, language and
communication. It acts as a mediator for Fire and Water, allowing for the harmonization of
these two complimentary, but opposite, forces. Jung attributed Air to the Thinking function.

Water:
Water is a passive, feminine, force. Antithetical to Fire, Water is a changeable,
malleable substance; it morphs and shapes to the form it's given. Water most readily relates
to emotions and feminine qualities. It's volatile, conforming, indecisive, gentle, and
sensitive. Water, like Fire, possesses a two-fold nature of creation and dissolution. Jung
attributed Water to the Feeling function.

Earth:
Earth, like water, is a passive, feminine force. Like Air, Earth facilitates the
harmonization of the Fire and Water elements. However, where Air is free forming and
expansive, Earth is rigid and absolute. Earth most readily relates to solidification and
material form. It's the crudest, and densest of the four Elements, with Fire being the least
dense. Everything relating to physical sensation originates from this element. Jung
attributed Earth to be the Sensing function.

A Metaphor:

Consider the scenario of a Blacksmith forging a sword:
In the Blacksmith's mind is an ideal form of the object he desires to create, in this case a
sword. He begins by heating metal to the point where it becomes malleable. When the
metal becomes malleable, he molds and shapes it in conformity to his desires(will). The
resulting sword is an inherently flawed physical manifestation of the conceptually perfect
form of a sword.

The conceptual, ideal, form of a sword is analogous to the principle of Air.
The physical metal and sword is analogous to the principle of Earth.
The malleable state of the metal is analogous to the principle of Water.
The shaping and conforming of the metal to the Blacksmith's will is analogous to the principle of Fire.

Tria Prima:
Known as the law of 3, the Tria Prima is an Alchemical
understanding and formula which aids an Alchemist in his attainment of the Philosopher's
Stone. The elements which compose the Tria Prima are Sulfur, Mercury, and Salt. These elements
work in tandem with the Classical Elements, and like the Classical Elements, these
elements are not indicative of the literal substances they're named after, but the
metaphysical forces they describe.

According to Paracelsus, Sulphur represents the soul and the omnipresence of life. It's
considered to be the binding agent of the universe. Mercury represents the spirit and is
considered to act a mediator for the transformative process and facilitator of the higher self
and the lower self. Salt is the physical body and base matter. Paracelsus gives the analogy
of burning wood to describe these three elements. The fire itself and its flammability was
attributed to Sulfur. The smoke related to Mercury, in it's fusibility, and the resulting ash
was equated to Salt. In other words, Sulfur is an active, pro-generative force, Mercury is a
counter-active destructive force, and Salt is the begotten preservative force derived from
the intercourse of the Sulfuric and Mercurial principles; hence the esoteric analogy to the
Father, Mother and Child. For our purposes, however, we only need to understand the gross
meaning of the forces being described.

In the context of the Dodecagram: Sulfur represents the pure, volatile, and active types.
Mercury represents the refined, counteractive types. And Salt represents the mellowed,
balanced, solidified types.

Forging the Dodecagram:
Before unifying these three seemingly separate concepts into a
single system, it must be well understood and accepted that the Enneagram is a helplessly
incomplete system. As it stands now, the Enneagram does little more than inhibit students
from fully realizing the legitimate forces of personality. It leads them to speculate about
unimportant things like behaviors, motivations, and exaggerate over general terms like
“innocence”, “survival”, “envy”, “pride”, “apathy”, etc.

The Dodecagram:

rEzWlna.png


In answering the necessity for a system which incorporates and founds itself upon Perennial
wisdom, the Dodecagram is established. Unlike the Enneagram, the Dodecagram does not
limit or hinder Traditional beliefs. It allows for the full incorporation and synthesization of
ancient knowledge.

the four centers of intelligence necessarily become:
Will(Fire) - 8,9,1
Intellect(Air) - 7,6,5
Emotion(Water) - 4,3,2
Sensorium(Earth) - 11,12,10

With the Dodecagram established, opposition is present and the polarity of the elements is
clearly reflected.

Fire opposite to Water, Air opposite to Earth.
8 opposite to 2, 9 opposite to 3, 1 opposite to 4.
5 opposite to 11, 6 opposite to 12, 7 opposite to 10 .

Complimentary Types:

8 – 4, 9 – 3, 1 – 2
5 – 10, 6 – 12, 7 – 11

Tria Prima and the Centers of Intelligence:
With the Dodecagram and the Classical
Elements established within it, it becomes necessary to exhibit the subtle differences
between the fixations of any given center of intelligence, through the knowledge of the Tria
Prima.

The Sulfuric Types:
2,5,8,11. Embody the volatile essence underlying their respective
center of intelligence.

The Mercurial Types:
1,4,7,10. Embody the refined counteractive essence of their respective
center of intelligence.

The Crystalline Types:
3,6,9,12. Embody a mellowed, more solidified essence of their respective
center of intelligence.

Sulfur
– Masculine force / Father

Mercury
– Feminine force / Mother

Salt –
Androgynous force / Child

Note: The following are metaphors to accentuate the subtle nuances between each type.


Fire center of Intelligence:

8: A spontaneous explosive, like black powder.
1: An Enduring flame, like a furnace.
9: Smoldering ash.
Water Center of Intelligence:
2: A Tsunami, powerful and abrupt.
4: Turbulent waves, waxing and waning.
3: A stream, constantly in motion.
Air Center of Intelligence:
5: A Tornado, consuming everything in its path, bridging the heavens with the Earth.
7: A breeze, flowing wherever it leads.
6: Static air, discomforted by change.
Earth Center of Intelligence:
11: Granite, blunt. A devastating rock slide.
10: Wet mud or tar, calm; not easily disturbed.
12: Dirt or soil, protective.

Conclusion:
The Enneagram is an adequate introductory tool to facilitate self knowledge,
but it falls short at piercing past the egotistic facade innate to mankind. Proper
understanding and inevitable mastery of the elements is the most essential task for those
who truly desire to "know thyself".
 

Pionart

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Why are 1 and 10 in the opposite places than you would expect?
 

Sophia Perennis

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Why are 1 and 10 in the opposite places than you would expect?

Due to the incompatibility of the Enneagram of personality with the fundamental forces accounted for by the Dodecagram, it was required to label the sensory based types in the manner they are seen in the diagram. Had the Enneagram of personality not delegated the body triad as 8-9-1, the issue you noted would not have occurred; thus the ordering of the numbers is done purely for the sake of familiarity with the explicit intent of acting as a foundation from which one may begin to raise oneself from murky and deluded depths of the Enneagram of personality by realizing the authentic forces driving individuality.
 

chubber

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So how would one figure out one's type using this? Or is there more to continue later?
 

chubber

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I guess I am Ophiuchus then
 

Pionart

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If I'm dominant sensing in JCF, does this automatically make me sensorium in this system? And so on for the other functions.
 

Sophia Perennis

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If I'm dominant sensing in JCF, does this automatically make me sensorium in this system? And so on for the other functions.

No. There is close to no correlation between Jung's cognitive function theory and Astrology. He used the elements as a framework but like all neo-occultists and neo-alchemists did so in a destructive syncretic fashion.
 

1AuroraAngel1

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Can you post descriptions of types 10, 11, and 12?
 

Pionart

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Bumping this thread.

Honestly, things on the forum are absolutely ridiculous at this point.
 

Pionart

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It's a cool theory. As I said a few times, my interpretation is that to control another is to be controlled by that other, and also that all forms of existence - whether physical matter or imagination - are essentially the one substance.

Then, we have soul (self), base material (representation of outer) and the spirit, which is the communicator between the two worlds.

So, it means that though happiness we make others happy, and so on.

Which means...

The number 2.

It means 2.
 

Typh0n

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Interesting system, it has potential, I think. Its too bad the author is no longer active. :(
 

Such Irony

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I suppose I'd be a 5, 6, or 7 in this system. One of the air types, but I'm not quite sure which.
 

small.wonder

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This has no basis of logic at all. Not only are many of the systems of the Enneagram disrupted/broken in this, but there is no worthwhile reason given for that.

No offense, but haphazard value-less attempts at innovation (simply for its own sake) are stupid and sad. One should not seek to simply create something (anything!) new, one should seek to understand first what already works-- understanding is what gives way to true, purposeful innovation. I'll never understand this feverish desire that humans sometimes have to fix what is very much not broken.
 

Zeego

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No offense, but haphazard value-less attempts at innovation (simply for its own sake) are stupid and sad. One should not seek to simply create something (anything!) new, one should seek to understand first what already works-- understanding is what gives way to true, purposeful innovation. I'll never understand this feverish desire that humans sometimes have to fix what is very much not broken.

I get what you're saying, but I'd argue on the contrary that "to simply create something" is a powerful act that should be encouraged. It's so easy to destroy, to overanalyze and nitpick until there's nothing left, but to create takes true bravery. To create is to risk being accused of making "haphazard value-less attempts at innovation" by others. Personally, I support anyone who attempts to make a system like this, but that's just me.
 

small.wonder

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I get what you're saying, but I'd argue on the contrary that "to simply create something" is a powerful act that should be encouraged. It's so easy to destroy, to overanalyze and nitpick until there's nothing left, but to create takes true bravery. To create is to risk being accused of making "haphazard value-less attempts at innovation" by others. Personally, I support anyone who attempts to make a system like this, but that's just me.

I would agree with you in many cases, but the attempt at "creation" here is, in actuality, breaking the beautifully working system that already exists-- with no fruitful result to show for it in the end. Really, it's just piggy backing on something that already works wonderfully (The Enneagram), by creating a non-working convoluted caveat to it. Where is the value in that? Just to say that it's been "improved on" or added to? It seems to me that our culture has a ridiculous fixation with needing to improve all things, broken or not.
 

Zarathustra

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This has no basis of logic at all. Not only are many of the systems of the Enneagram disrupted/broken in this, but there is no worthwhile reason given for that.

No offense, but haphazard value-less attempts at innovation (simply for its own sake) are stupid and sad. One should not seek to simply create something (anything!) new, one should seek to understand first what already works-- understanding is what gives way to true, purposeful innovation. I'll never understand this feverish desire that humans sometimes have to fix what is very much not broken.

I don't think it's really "breaking" anything at all...

It's just an entirely different system...

Most people don't know this yet, but the Enneagram is based on a 3x3 system.

And the first element has the same 3 options as the second element.

As I have explained here before, Armando Molina breaks these down according to the categories Robert S. Hartman created/discovered to ground ethics on an objective basis, which became the basis/foundation of his formal axiology, and subsequently the Hartman Value Profile.

Hartman called these three categories the Realms of Value.

They are:

Intrinsic
Extrinsic
Systemic

Or, in shorthand:

I
E
S

The first element of the 3x3 refers to the Center of Intelligence.

Thus:

The Gut is the Intrinsic (I) center
The Heart is the Extrinsic (E) center
The Head is the Systemic (S) center

Thus, we get:

8I
9I
1I

2E
3E
4E

5S
6S
7S

The second element of the 3x3 refers to each type's Manifestation within its Center.

Thus:

8IE
9II
1IS

2ES
3EE
4EI

5SI
6SS
7SE

Center (I or E or S) x Manifestation within Center (I or E or S) = 9 types

This is the fundamental underlying structure of the Enneagram.

Even Naranjo gives Molina enormous kudos for this realization.

By comparison, the system the OP enumerates is just entirely different.

It is basically the astrological zodiac, just taken out of order, and put into "Centers of Intelligence" based on on the four elements: air, water, earth, and fire.

He has then combined the four elements with the alchemical tria prima (sulphur, mercury, and salt), to create a 4x3 system, resulting in 12 types.

Interestingly enough, the tria prima categories actually map pretty perfectly onto Hartman's categories (the 3 Realms of Value).

Thus:

Intrinsic = Mercury
Extrinsic = Sulphur
Systemic = Salt

So half of his construction does actually relate back to the Enneagram.

The four classical elements vs the three Intelligence Centers is the fundamental difference.
 

Zeego

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Most people don't know this yet, but the Enneagram is based on a 3x3 system.

Yes! I have actually spoken about this before elsewhere, but maybe not on TypoC. Almost every personality type system is based around some prime number: 2, 3, 5, 7, etc. (A personality system based around 1 would be a holistic "we are all one consciousness" philosophy instead of a typology.) In the case of MBTI and Socionics, it's 2: 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 16. The only personality system I know of that's based around 5 is the Five Temperaments. I don't know of any based around 7 at the moment.
 

Zarathustra

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Yes! I have actually spoken about this before elsewhere, but maybe not on TypoC. Almost every personality type system is based around some prime number: 2, 3, 5, 7, etc. (A personality system based around 1 would be a holistic "we are all one consciousness" philosophy instead of a typology.) In the case of MBTI and Socionics, it's 2: 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 16. The only personality system I know of that's based around 5 is the Five Temperaments. I don't know of any based around 7 at the moment.

Well, the Enneagram is actually based on the Laws of 3 and 7.

It's also based on the Law of 0, making 3 laws that it's based on.

0 and 1 play a huge role in myths and legends around the world.

And it has to do with fixation (1), liberation (0), and the circle.

7 was also obviously the basis for the 7 deadly sins.

Which is essentially a medieval typology of sorts.

You are correct in seeing the 2x2x2x2, 3x3 etc

 
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