There are different kinds of strength….
A look at enneagram point eight and intuitive creative practice
Enneagram Point Eight: power, direction,
Polarities: power/innocence
Opening: Control to Holy truth
Archetypal resonances: Strength, The sun.
Tree: Oak
In this series of joining dots between enneagram archetypes and intuitive creativity I hope to offer you some glimpses and portals into what this kind of practice might have to offer you.
Eight is in the body/gut centre, and represents the part of our instinctual domain that represents force of will. With that can come a blunting of more tender more vulnerable parts of the self, which the eight character tends to deny in themself, although they can be fiercely protective of frailty in others. The virtue of point eight is innocence, and the holy idea of eight is holy truth, which trusts that the universe has a divine ordering, meaning that humans need not play God. Eight also has capacity to surrender to a power greater than itself, and herein lies the strength of a true leader.
Oak Tree in a field, Holt Pound Inclosure, Alice Holt Forest, Hampshire.
The eight personality survival strategy is to make sure that things are always under control – which often means stepping into that role of leadership themselves, since they need it to be filled. These personalities can use a lot of energy making sure that this power position is occupied, and that everyone around them is safe and sound. There is often a terrific sense of responsibility, especially for an 8 with a social instinct.
The Oak tree mirrors many aspects of the Oak, in the way that it generates safety and habitat for so many other species, and stands strong and solitary through extreme weather events.
For the eight human wrestling with the limits of this way of human-ing, the heart wound that Russ Hudson identified is ‘the dying heart.’ The eight space is associated with replacing the energy of the heart with a way of life that is busy attempting to be the life force in any given situation. This of course, is life-denying. Life itself isn’t given a chance to unfold.
An intuitive creative practice offers space to be with all of this. The capacity for creation and generating, as well as softening into an experience of allowing things to emerge and unfold in their own ways. An eight may be surprised by the life giving possibilities of what comes to light when they are not in the driving seat, and allowing a different part of self to tap into creativity.
Major arcana: Strength
Each survival strategy we adopt is a genius in its own way! Eights can be powerful leaders, protecting those around them and generating opportunities and experiences in their wake. They are unafraid of conflict, and of fighting for ground to stand on. They can make others feel very safe, supported and trusted to take responsibility for themselves too. They are capable of immense feats of strength, and unexpected displays of open-heartedness and vulnerability.
Is this strategy part of the way that you do human-ing, or do you have eights in your life?
This post was first published on my Substack as a part of a series of events at The Soul Shed.
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