Meeting the Nine Types

Let’s feel into the basic energies of the nine types.

First, it will be helpful to break up the nine types into 3 groups. There are the core points, or the mutable or adaptors – 3,6, and 9. Then we have the outward energy points – 2,7, and 8. And finally there are the inward energy points – 1,4, and 5. There are many ways to group the nine types, but I have chosen these configurations because it relates to energies most clearly.

I’ll be referring to this energetic movement as I introduce each class of Enneatypes: the gut, the heart, and the head.

The gut points

9 sits in the middle and is an adaptor (there is a more involved description of the adaptors which I will get into in another blog post). It avoids anger and all intensity. 9s manage intensity by trying to harmonize, or neutralize, everything and everyone. Their expression can feel dull, rooted, slow-moving, and easygoing. Their eyes don’t seem to focus well.

1 is the internal energetic. 1s feel anger and contain it by tightening their bodies. Their expression feels tight and controlled, and their bodies feel stiff.

8 is the outer movement of the energy. 8s feel the intensity of life. They easily feel the energy of anger and they express it freely. Their energy feels alive, intense, dynamic, and at times aggressive. Their bodies are expressive and energetically big – sometimes actually big.

The heart points

3  sits in the middle and is adaptive. 3s avoid sensitive emotions and change their presentation to please their audience.

4 is the inward-moving point. 4s can be a magnet for all sad emotions, theirs and everyone else’s.

2 moves outward, projecting their emotions onto others. Their emotional expression moves toward others.

The head points

6 sits in the middle as another adaptive point. They try to avoid fear by thinking about what might be dangerous and making plans for how to deal with the future.

5 is an inward-moving point. 5s find the world overwhelming and frightening, and they hide inside their minds.

7 moves outward, projecting their fear outward as excitement and enthusiasm, and trying to seduce others to join them in their adventures.

In the next post, we’ll dive deeper into that energetic movement – and start feeling it in our own bodies – to get a better sense of it.