Lynn’s Enneagram Mandala

 Evagrius Enneagram Circle

Mandalas are traditionally circles of meaning, in some cases symbols of deeper connection with the self and the universe at large. My Enneagram book for therapists seeks to provide readers with a practical understanding of themselves as well as the important people in their lives using a mandala.

I first met the commonly used Evagrius Enneagram circle (above left) in 1995. There were three Triads reflecting our three brains: the 2,3,4 Emotional Triad (limbic brain), the 5,6,7 Mental Triad (neo-cortex), and the 8,9,1 Gut/Strength Triad (visceral brain). Some people are more emotional, others more cerebral and others more strength oriented or controlling, yet we each access all three brains at different times.  I knew that I was more emotional, heartfelt, and compassionate: it was easy to find myself in the Emotional Triad as a 2Giver.

The old Enneagram Circle connecting Triads across the Enneagram circle did not make sense to me. Developed by Evagrius in the 4th c AD, the old diagram gave me, a 2Giver, no connection to my intellect. Instead I had two connections to my heart/limbic brain (2 and 4) and one connection to the Gut/Strength Triad (8). I went on after my master in social work to acquire a PhD, to write and to present workshops. Only someone who craves new ideas would do that. Yet, the accepted Enneagram circle showed no connection for me with the mental triad. This also defied reason in that we, as humans, all have three brains (see Triads and Triune Brain in later Blog).

In 2011 Helen Palmer, noted Enneagram author, hired a historian to travel to Greece to verify the origins of the Enneagram. Surprisingly, the historian discovered that pre-historic cultures (those who first discovered the Enneagram) discerned three triangles across the Enneagram circle. These triangles connected each Enneagram style from one of the brain Triads to the two other brain Triads across the circle. Palmer, in her 2013 conference talking about the new Triangles discovery said,”We have to balance the excesses of our type.” They are “not balanced at 1-5-8-2-4, just moving around unbalanced. We have 3 centers, belly, heart and mind, they should be balanced. So, we’ll take away the lines and connect 2-8-5 and 7-4-1.”  

When these Triangles were in place, I could see that I was connected to the mental part of me at the intellectual 5 and to the empowered part of me at the 8, in the 2-5-8 yellow Triangle. See Lynn’s Enneagram Mandala above right. We are centered in one of the three brains in our Enneagram style. Then, we need movement toward our other two brains to be balanced, as Palmer said. My 2Giver movement to the 8Boss style balanced my never saying NO, taking me to leadership and strength. My movement to the 5Observer lead me out of obsessing over taking care of others, into a world of ideas.

  Using the newly discovered Enneagram Triangles, and the outside circle of brain Triads, I created a colorful Mandala to aid in seeing our various possibilities. This led me to the book title Loving and Living on the Ennea-Go-Round to Create Harmony: A Guide for Therapists and Their Clients. We are not just our original style; we are able to access energy and disposition across and around the enneagram circle. Understanding these possibilities and our childhood nurturing allows for transformation from emotionally unhealthy to emotionally healthy in our Enneagram style.

The Triune Brain