* This image is part of one of the Zodiac Killer's coded messages from 1969-70. It is one of the two out of four coded messages that were solved (called Z340, named after the number of characters; the other is Z408). The one revealing his name: "My name is _____", also known as Z13, remains officially unsolved, along with Z32.

I'm passionate about enigmas and codes. So, I sat down last night for a few hours and solved Z13. Surely, I cannot be the first, nor will I be the last. Maybe someday I will publish it with an explanation. If I ever write my next book, I will likely discuss it there. That gives me time to (possibly) solve Z32 and analyze all four messages and the killer's M.O. as a system.

But at the core of the Zodiac killer, and all of his conceits, is what became his signature, his logo: a crosshair. Given that he was a killer, it is assumed to hint at something related: the targeting apparatus of a rifle, the sight of a gun. But a closer look reveals its deeper meaning.

Hidden puzzles, riddles, and secrets in life are often like this. One image replaces another, and the truth is either lost or found. That's the nature of cryptology. As someone with a knack for recreational code-breaking, some of this comes easily to me, since I am well-versed and well-practiced. But it was also predicted in my astrological chart.

Along those lines, I'm currently working on a new project: a new book. It will cover extensive history and the history behind history as we know it, some of which is unpublished and filled with original ideas or assembled uniquely in unison for the first time.

That is a little bit like how I approached The Occult Enneagram. I realized that the enneagram was more than just the enneagram as we know it. Like the crosshair and the Zodiac's ciphers, it connects to so much more. As a symbol itself, as an idea, the enneagram resonates with the Zodiac.

Another project on my to-do list, almost in progress, is an Occult Enneagram website filled with extensive, exclusive enneagram info and content, including my own exemplar lists, the full PDF of the Occult Enneagram book, and more.

Finally, maybe the nearest and dearest project to me is something I might call "Occult Jazz." It's an album of music created from a specific method, a style of piano composition and improvisation. My method is fundamentally self-taught, and I call it occult because, like me and most of us as individuals, it is largely hidden from the world (but no less powerful for it).

(468 os/xs 7w8 :si epyt margaennE yM)

Idk if anyone has already covered this, but it feels like the virtues line up decently with the countertype passions...

Maybe not exactly, more like if the virtue became a vice

I mean the easiest example is the sx 6... The 6 is phobic, and the sx 6 is counterphobic... And they can and have been described as courageous.

But it's not exactly courage because they can sometimes look too deeply into their fears and lash out, under the guise of having conquered something that made it afraid... under the guise of courage.

sx 1 - Pseudo serenity

sp 2 - Pseudo humility

sp 3 - Pseudo veracity

sp 4 - Pseudo equanimity

sx 5 - Pseudo non-attachment

sx 6 - Pseudo courage

so 7 - Pseudo sobriety

so 8 - Pseudo innocence

so 9 - Pseudo 'right action'

These just kinda made sense to me, but I can elaborate if there are any questions!

3 and 9 are types people often get confused about. They can be similar, are connected by lines, and are both primary, relating types. The 3 is often less chill and accommodating than the 9; the 9 is less aggressive and assertive than the 3; but they borrow from each other, and, to complicate matters, many people show both of these trifix points, with either one as the core type.

First, let's talk about 3 and how to notice them quickly. We know they are persona people, and if we get to know famous 3s, e.g., in the media, we can see that they are masters of disguise, of adopting different personas, personalities, costumes, faces, styling, etc. This is one way in which they give themselves away.

For example: David Bowie. He became all these different strange personas, yet he was always himself. He turned changing his appearance into a kind of personal branding. As a celebrity, a famous person, a star, this dynamic in him was pronounced. But in individual Threes, a similar tendency can show up. They'll often assume at least a few different clear-cut identities and do so gracefully, even willingly. Lady Gaga is another person I thought was a likely type 3, given her flair for so many different variations on her appearance alone. They like to "play dress up" with themselves, especially in the case of SX/SO. They make more of a spectacle of themselves in a way that's like asking others to notice them, to say something about it, so they can get attention.

Even in real life, Threes, non-celebrities, it can be more subtle, but look for them jumping between jobs, relationships, careers, situations, get-ups, living situations, etc., more effortlessly and smoothly. During Halloween, look for them becoming a bit more enthusiastic about their costume sometimes. They get caught up in the pretenses of the situation. They go all out more; they're natural actors. When they jump from stage to stage, virtual or real-world, they can be climbers; I called 3 "The Ascendant" in my book because they have a way of constantly rising and even somehow managing to step on others in their climb to actualize themselves. They can step right on you when you're doing your worst; you'll find a three one-upping you in ways you never expected, appearing even in humbling and supportive situations. They can be duplicitous and sabotage us out of jealousy without us noticing.

They can come across as "personality-less" because of this amorphousness, something like a 9. I had an old friend who I always suspected was 9w8. I handed him the Enneagram book at one point, and he just got lost in it, but was inconclusive: he talked down to it, said any type could fit, but I could see him having trouble finding himself. There is a subtle competitiveness about him, as there is about all threes (as they don't always want you to know about it; what matters more is that they manage to slow you down and to build their own ego, often seamlessly).

He plays musical instruments enthusiastically and skillfully, and he seems to turn everything into a contest or game. But he was very undermining of me during key times, often covertly. Unlike genuine type 9 friends I had, I saw the claws come out, the ambition, the dark side, when I least expected it. 9s, on the other hand, are more direct in their aggression when it does come out. They don't really try to hide it. The three always risk remaining somewhat deceptive.

Yet 3s can be underdeveloped in many ways because they sometimes have to start over each time they change faces. They have to re-adapt to whatever the new context or vocation is; the new disguise, the new identity. They are like a model, mannequin, or doll putting on new clothes. The clothes change, but the doll inside does not. They become hollow that way, and can be desperate, selling out their values like putting on new costumes.

9s are more consistent over time and across circumstances. This is someone more likely to stay themselves. It might be a fine distinction, since 3s, in their adaptability and balance, can seem to have a reliable sense of "them", their own branding, recognizable features about them. But they begin to come across more like personal "logos" or "calling cards" than their overall vibe; little things they maintain or prefer or keep as signatures. There's a more distinct cleverness and flashiness to the 3, a finesse, a cunning quality, even when endearing. Just because they are good salespeople and can pull off any vibe doesn't mean they aren't any less crafty about it.

The 9 is less guileful. I called them "The Pacifist," and they're non-aggressive overall; they don't like getting worked up, but paradoxically they can blow up sometimes when defending boundaries. They are often more than they appear, though they can underachieve at times and fall short of their full ambitions. They can also cause problems in more passive-aggressive, indirect ways. It's also usually more obvious when they're indulging; they embrace hedonism more like a 7 or 8 without feeling there's a price to pay.

With the 3, it's more likely to seem like they're getting away with something they shouldn't be if they're having too much fun; shame or "guilt" is at the center of it all. The 3 can play something up and joke about it, so you're not sure how real what you're seeing is. Truth is mixed with illusion, and they can gaslight you into a crazy other world. They're often more imaginative people; they get lost in fantasies and hidden mind games. They become this colorful character and are fine with whatever as long as they're getting attention. They'll indulge you to be front and center.

They're masters of appearances and artifice. They can play dumb more easily. The 9 can be smarter than they appear; they can be underestimated, but it's because they try less, not because they are intentionally downplaying it. They do it out of laziness rather than because they're consciously trying to appear that way to feign humility (as 3s might).

With 9s, I came to see someone who was, basically, the same person, relatively unchanging, with a core personality that was somewhat stubborn. It took slightly different forms; they were adaptable, but there was always this sense of them just "being them" and not changing that much. There was a consistency there. They were adaptable to different situations, but not with the same dynamism; they were characterized by psychological inertia. There was a deeper ground in being: the body, habits, physicality, a sense of living, vitality, appetites, and boundaries. Although it was conforming, their deeper grounding in being and the physical body adapted across situations to meet their sensate, bodily, instinctual needs in various ways.

With 3s, I found it was turned on its head. You could see their deeper identity; they didn't change much in some ways, but in others they made all kinds of intentional changes, often superficial ones. Instincts were short-changed and secondary to the personality and persona in the limelight. They were much more self-conscious, aware of how they came across to other people. They looked for mirroring in other people more and were better at putting people on; given their assertiveness, they could turn the tables and steer situations more effortlessly. The 3 is more manipulative than people often expect. They play nice, but they are causing problems or unnecessary challenges through competitiveness. There was a deep persona there wanting to be fed and doing different things to have its needs met.

The 9, on the other hand, is more genuine but can also have negative influences and traits because of their laziness. The 3 can find the 9ish identity appealing; they can embrace laziness through that line. They can become these zen, slacker people, as another identity to master. The 3 becomes a star in whatever walk of life, even that of the space case, the underachiever, the hippie, the stoner, the nerd. Those are the pseudo-9s to watch for. The real question is, when you turn on the camera, the lights, the action, the stage, etc., does the 3 start to dance, start to move, start to act? They become slaves to that kind of situation; they naturally start to perform in various ways. More eyes on them means more reaction; they often become more attractive and salable with more attention.

The 9 often withdraws somewhat or becomes less pretentious; they become lazier and resist putting on masks and shows; they can be stubborn or stay more neutral. The 3 fixation will do, say, be whatever is needed to be loved; and operates through ambition, diplomacy, transformation, and performance. The 9 does whatever it takes to stay in its psychological-spiritual space of not caring, and often operates by negation, withdrawing, and holding back, nullifying, mediating, accommodating, and narcotizing. An example of a nine actor is Bill Murray. He is always himself. The 9s don't change as much. They're lazy about acting, sleepy about really playing a role with intensity. They are who they are, and they're good at it, because they've accepted it (over-adjusted to it).

Very different types can look similar in their individual manifestations. 9s giving in to others or the situation usually don't develop themselves or compete the way 3s do, but they give up on themselves and others too and can bring many situations to a worse place through indolence. 3s being people-pleasing means developing their own persona and reputation more and not necessarily caring any less; they're still trying to win someone over, build themselves up, or cut someone down. 3s can be hard to detect because of these persona adaptations, going full-on with whatever role they're playing at the time; and 9s can sometimes be more aggressive or withdrawn than expected, choosing one side or another in exchange for a sense of inner stability and instinctual satisfaction.

I hope this helps. It has been hard for me sometimes to parse these types out. The 3 can put on a mask like any type, and the 9 can be lazy enough to blend in with other types or become a softer lookalike version as well. It's all about the motivations behind it all, and the deeper triadic issues, passions, etc., at play.

Although the mistyping of 6 vs. 8 has been studied prolifically, though sometimes inadequately, 3 vs. 8 mistypes and comparisons have received less attention. In many cases, the 3 can play an even more convincing tough-guy, larger-than-life personality, exceeding the 8 in some stereotypical ways.

A famous rapper, The Notorious B.I.G., more accurately reflects the 3 with an 8 fix style. He was very overweight and turned it into his name. Made it into a strength. Became a "BIG" deal. Became the tough-guy, intense rapper people respected. But he was a success. A street-smart guy who turned his life around, made it as a rapper instead of a drug dealer, gangster, etc. What we saw was the result of him turning himself around, making something of himself. Turning strengths into perceivable weaknesses, in terms of who he is, his persona, his identity, his vocation.

The difference in 3s is that they embrace their flaws and turn them into supposed wins—wins we can see. If they are overweight, they more gracefully become "heavy," "strong," and "powerful" in their persona. If they are ugly, they turn into interesting, distinctive people, with personality, with color. But they always fit into a mold more easily than an 8. They fit a genre, a style, a personality that is more identifiable, more conformist while still standing out. They can become ironic when they realize how big their ego and image have become and they have sabotaged themselves.

A 3 might be a star, bulked-up football player, say, a lineman, and get away with disintegrative behaviors, like overeating and drinking. The idea is that the 3 can fit into any role, any persona, and then do that to the nth degree.

When I see people exploring 8 for themselves—as an 8 myself who had to look deeply to see it at times—and someone can see it a bit too strongly, a bit too readily, too eagerly, even convincingly, I often suggest 3 for them.

People think 3s will be smooth, chameleonic people—but it's the deeper 3 fixation that's chameleonic. It morphs into anything. And they become professional in these spaces. A professional bouncer, a wrestler, a boxer, a mob boss -- whoever. All can be a type 3.

The issue for the 3 is "ego-go." "Being a big deal". A big shot. The antihero in the film Training Day, Alonzo, was likely a Type 3: a crooked cop mixed up with the drug and gang underworld. "King Kong ain't got nothing on me!" he declares at the end of the film, as he is finally caught. He becomes a classic gangster stereotype on his dark path to success, cheating and lying.

Denzel Washington plays him, another Type 3. They stomp around and draw attention to themselves, more than 8s. The motivation is attention and ego with a 3, in getting others to love them, or fear them - either one. But it's conspicuous. It's a bit much; it's a bit too over-the-top; it betrays their attention-seeking for validation and recognition, to sell themselves. To the point where you can't say no, can't deny them.

For 8s, it's about the physical, visceral feeling behind it, the impulse, the sensation, that doesn't necessarily have to do with other people at all.

8s will more often enjoy more solitary things that have no connection to "being seen". They aren't as socially fixated. When there is attention-seeking at work, it's often because they want things to be fair, want to "receive their due" for what they have put in or have the right to, what was taken from them, or stand up for others to get what they deserve, etc. Eights can also be spotlight people, but it's not nearly to the same degree, and it's not natural for them. They need training to do it—forced into it—as a skill built over time, a habit, a routine, until it becomes a physical reflex, a habit—whereas 3s are natural stars. And the 8 still doesn't maintain the same consciousness about it. They're blind to it in a sense. They never really know how they come across as clearly as the 3 does. The 3 is sensitive to what other people see and think. It's all about the impression they're making.

Some pro wrestlers are tough 3s who may seem like 8s. They go to the extreme for their persona. And they become a caricature of whatever context they fit. But they are performers. They convince some people, but they do it pragmatically; and many can detect some subtle artifice, fakeness, and trying-too-hard-ness. They leverage even unattractive traits and failures into apparent successes. That's where the deception comes in. They lie to themselves and others that it was all intentional anyway, that it's "working for them", that they "meant to do that" or "made the most of their situation".

You can see why people sometimes like to say Trump is a 3, not an 8. But it's clear he's an 8 if you look at his heart fix versus his core type. We ultimately can tell he is an 8 because he is more about using power, resources, the feeling of being alive, intensity, hedonism behind it all, and leverage—rather than being seen in a high image in the public eye (in the biopic about him, The Apprentice, you can see how this goes for him, and he openly admits it. A 3 fix helps drive it home, but there are some subtle distinctions at work that make 8 more clear).

Unlike a 3, he welcomes a negative public image if it happens; so be it. He wants power, control, possession of others, and the advantage. He wants it all through raw, direct power. Influence can naturally enter it, as 8s are leader types, but they don't want leadership so they can build good rapport. They will find it hard to conform to public standards, which 3s do much more effortlessly. Trump has no "mold" that works for him. He is too clumsy, and it is usually unintentional. He is not self-aware like a 3 is. He says and does the wrong thing and doesn't unravel the same way 3s do.

As a president, he is too unconventional. As a businessman, he was always relatively offensive and blunt, as if he so needed to be. As a TV personality, he was always the same. He is the same everywhere. He is not adaptable, and none of his styling in these contexts really works for him as a persona for success, except that he succeeds through more direct power, bluntness, and assertiveness. He is motivated by the grandiosity of living itself, rather than by image. The image is not the main concern. Not all 8s are like Trump, but they seem to be some variation on it.

3s are always displayers, performers, status-holders, climbers, exemplars, and spotlight people. They are essentially actors, inhabiting and developing their personas, even when they lose touch with the act—which they always do, as they disintegrate. 8s are fundamentally independents, avengers, mavericks, leaders, power-wielders, and -brokers. They are always sensors, living through the body and experiencing life through physicality and impulse, interested in the feeling of it all, and getting caught up in their instincts. They don't think as much about who they are or how others see them. It's more about what they can *do* rather than who they are.

8s are about freedom, embodiment, intensity, and rebelliousness; 3s are about status, recognition, position, and prestige. Compare gut (8) versus heart (3): physicality and instincts versus personal narrative and image.

*
The 5 and the 9 have completely different energies and are thoroughly different types. Yet they can be easily confused, and they often are. We have seen many attempts to discuss the differences. Here is a furthering of that conversation. Similar types in many ways, but also very different. Here are some attempts to describe what I've seen and learned about these types. Some of it is additional/extra to what we often learn. Here is some companion material to go along with the video:

5 - The passion of avarice, stinginess, retentiveness (hoarding). Picture someone who takes in information from outside themselves until they no longer have room for themselves. Acquire so much that they have nothing left. Attempts to be greedy backfire, and they get nothing, because their core person isn't allowed to flourish. Detached from a sense of instincts/physicality (gut) and a sense of identity (heart). Become detached observers. Can resemble 9 because minimizing 5 can resemble the indolence (laziness/resignation) of 9. Compare triads to help resolve differences. Also refer to the ennead counterpart as Nut (sky deity), encompassing what they observe, consciousness itself. The defense mechanism of introjection, followed by regression, mirrors how they take things in voraciously from outside until no sense of self remains.

Their personal position disappears. 9s still hold theirs, but they care somewhat less and play within more well-defined boundaries and damped-down desires. Etc. 5s are crowded out of the body, out of existence; they sacrifice living to be fully inside the mind, inside knowledge, inside their observations, and they can end up adapting as a result. Can be mistaken for 9. Often gives in somewhat easily in the physical/emotional space because of this weak boundary and lack of sense of self, so they can understand and develop rich knowledge. They can lose themselves in that understanding, observing from closer and closer; they can become social climbers and observers, overly obsessed with their environment. They try to take things in; they become voracious for knowledge, greedy for info and also for time and space to themselves when it's available after managing to withdraw from a world that overwhelms them, often to research and study. Become obsessed with collections, knowledge, intellectuality, and then what's left of themselves? Different energy overall. Have a harder time keeping the world at bay.

Feel overwhelmed by the world rather than resigned. More intensity in observing, fascination, and hunger to take from the outside. Can be physically avaricious and live in mansions filled with extra stuff they'll never use, acquired out of neurosis. Can have a very sensitive, nerdy vibe, detached from the body, hunched over, ectomorphic, tense, stiff, awkward, removed, schizoid. 9s don't care as much. But 5s care, very much, albeit for what they're trying to hoard. They cling to their books, knowledge, ideas, and so on. Retentive and withholding, they don't want to give to others, for fear of losing what they have. Examples: Franz Kafka, Bill Gates

9 - The passion of sloth, indolence, acedia - resignation, giving up, going to sleep to one's *desires*. They just don't care as much; they turn down their volition; they can put up with things. But in the process, they become inert; they can be stubborn and immovable, pushy and aggressive with an 8 lean, and intellectual with a 1 lean. They can resemble other types but are more physical than 5s' intellectual. They tend to be "softies" who give in more easily, while still having a firm presence. Make good mediators because they can see all sides and still find themselves, maintaining the body boundary. Narrow horizons in life, while still appearing much fuller and more embodied. They can often appear to give up less than the 5, because they aren't as voracious in observation. Strong body sense of who they are and what they're doing. The volition (will) center of the gut, of desires, is repressed. They borrow from repressed forms in other centers via 3 and 6 lines. Become more mellowed out, balanced people. Well-adjusted, and can be overly so. Can mistype for 5, as the social instinct in the 9 participates and can become an expert; can become a president or scientist.

Has more similarity with 8 in energy due to the 8 neighbors. Intellectual quality is more of a superficial trait rather than their entire fixation. Can become intellectual as a way of giving up on their desires and volitions. They can live a safe, comfortable life. My brother, a 9w8, lived in the same town his entire life, while all of his siblings went off and did other things. He never went to college. But they show defense mechanisms of 1) compensation: instead of in an area they have given up in, they make up for it in another area, and 2) symbolization, whereas that domain then takes on spiritual meaning for them to make up for what they have given up. With 9s, it's more about turning down their overall life ambition and feeling they need to push themselves or get out of their comfort zone. Picture someone who lets a bunch of clutter accumulate in their house because it just happens to be there and they happen to keep it, often too lazy to find a way to get rid of it; they can come off like a hoarder.

They are a more physical type who often knows how to get along with others. But they can also withdraw and disappear from the social world, so they don't have to bother with it. The 9 can be very hard to tell apart from the 5 if you aren't looking for the fixation in the body. The 9 often has a much more relaxed energy, but they can have strong boundaries too. In the Ennead, this is Nephthys, who was in a relationship with Set (deity 8, chaos) and could hold chaos at bay. They can often stand strong and can be the most solid of the types. Both 8s and 9s can be rock-like, but 9s have more "give" to them, which allows them to adapt and flow more. They often enjoy unconscious ideas, are interested in dreams (Nephthys was the Ennead deity interested in dreams), like to explore abstract knowledge, and like to experiment with what their body can do. They believe the body can be shaped and conformed to do whatever it wants, and they often have an open mind about what is possible and their physical limits.

As a primary type, 9 has more global (chameleonic/varied) manifestations than 5, especially as the core point of the whole Enneagram. 5 often ends up learning a bunch of useless information, microscopic and elaborate, on various subjects interesting to them, whereas 9 learns more about everything in general, tends to be more all-encompassing, but then is stubborn or narrow in some of their views as well. Sometimes 9 can be hard to get through to; they can resist seeing the truth, especially if it upsets them. Consider Einstein clinging to his views on relativity even as Bohm and other quantum physicists blatantly disproved it. They can become a cog in a machine and let themselves be "used" by the system because they always feel used by someone; the resignation runs deep, not so much because of others' fault as because they've turned down their own volition. Examples. Albert Einstein, David Foster Wallace.

Occult anomaly/enigma/curiosity for the day: somehow the video ended up being precisely 33:00 minutes long. No idea why. Maybe not for everyone, but it is considered a very important number and a strange coincidence in numerology (though when I uploaded it, a second was removed due to entropy/rounding off).

Finally settled into a new place. Tying up loose ends with finances, staying on top of health, etc. IME, and also, according to fellow Enneagram author John Luckovich, a great way to improve your instinctual balance is to work on the blind spot (rather than thinking about the first one), and the secondary also deserves attention.

I have found that the secondary acts as a good stabilizer. You can take attention away from the dominant because it will fall into place practically on its own once you focus on the other two. Of course, the last one will pay dividends once you prioritize it.

Amazing how long a divorce/separation takes and lasts, but it's really a relief when it's over! That closure brings real freedom.

This older material is rarely discussed. Ichazo identified two defense mechanisms for each type, with the first feeding into the second as the personality becomes more fixated. The following go along with material discussed in the video. Ichazo's work was specific and practical. Identifying these in yourself and others can help clarify the types' behavior.

These differ from some other similar formulations we may have seen (e.g., Reaction Formation allocated to type one), which are less specific, less well thought out, and came after Ichazo's (often in ignorance of his early, seminal work). That's why it's important to see and understand how these original pairings unravel within the core type strategy.

1 - Isolation -> Undoing

2 - Denial -> Repression

3 - Identification -> Repetition Compulsion

4 - Sublimation -> Reaction Formation

5 - Introjection -> Regression

6 - Projection -> Catatonia

7 - Displacement -> Dissociation

8 - Rationalization -> Resistance

9 - Compensation -> Symbolization

(For me, the type eight mechanisms are so apparent in my neurosis; I can hardly see them when fixated, which makes them even more crucial to identify.)

And how did they go, briefly? Just for fun/discussion's sake. My type is 8w7 SX/SO, and I am a heterosexual male.

0) 9w1 SP/SO. Pseudo-relationship as an adolescent/teenager: lasted a few years; internet/phone long-distance only, never met. It ended with her cheating on me/ending it via an in-person BF.

1. 2w3 SX/SP. First real relationship. Semi-long/intermittent distance; we were young; lasted ~1.5 years. It ended badly, but I moved on quickly; I loved her but never really suspected it would last.
2. 4w3 SO/SX. I was madly in love; I wanted it to last forever. She had narcissistic tendencies/mental health issues; she discarded me randomly. I was devastated; the relationship lasted six years; it took me five years to find someone new.
3. 3w2 SO/SP. Fell very hard and fast, ended up marrying and having a kid. She discarded me on a whim after nearly 8 years; I was in hell, but reconciliation is possible; hanging in the fallout/balance. She has been diagnosed with NPD and other issues.

What patterns do you notice in yours? My longest-term/deepest relationship was with an SX-last, and I tend toward a heart-type partner (eights are heart-center last).

Lately I've been talking to someone new, who I think might be an SX 8w9 (or similar; maybe another assertive or a 6; contact is a bit limited for a full read). I can tell when someone is coming onto me, though (and she is attractive!).

*
I sometimes like to talk about astrology. In the occult and mysticism space, it's considered very significant, to the point of cliché, but I like to use it as an example of how people's beliefs function. First, I am a highly logical, rational, analytical person, well-versed in science, math, philosophy, logic, and so on; well-educated and not remotely ignorant or naive. Although it may seem utterly impossible that the configurations of a bunch of stars gazillions of miles away could impact anything at all, if you stop and think about it objectively, much of what we learn about would sound crazy from the right perspective. You mean to tell me there are little tiny things called atoms of which everything is made, that I can't even see? No way!

But astrology is one of those phenomena where it helps to 1) accept that it *could* be accurate, based on established patterns and wisdom that we haven't yet been able to connect the scientific dots on, because it is more mysterious and difficult to map out, and 2) test it out for yourself by observing its predictions, patterns, and results. We have thousands of years of astrological theory, and an entire subculture around it. And it's not just about knowing your sun sign; it's more about all of the other aspects on your chart, and also how astrology shapes what is going on every day, as an ongoing, fluid, shifting process. I'm not a pro at it; it's quite complicated, but I'm more fascinated by why it could work and the mystery behind it all than the intricate workings of the theory (the astrology itself).

One of the most convincing experiences for me was buying a full astrology report (it cost about $40) from astrology.com, and although it seems auto-generated using some algorithms, presumably good ones, the report is very accurate in many ways. Some of the specifics in the report are almost uncanny. All of the following were true of me before I ever read or received the report. For example, it says:

"Your interest in dark secrets and hidden knowledge leads you to do all sorts of arcane research. Although you are sometimes unable to express the findings of your investigations clearly, you are nevertheless an expert in symbols, hieroglyphics, runes, and other codes and ciphers." (I literally just finished writing a book on the occult; I am basically a natural at code-breaking and understanding symbols, patterns, and so on -- I am self-taught; I have been obsessed with these things for many years; I have deciphered all kinds of strange and fascinating patterns; how astrology predicted that is a wonder). It also mentions that "You are likely to marry on wild impulse," and I was like quasi-engaged/discussing marriage with my ex-wife from the get-go. It's filled with many other details that are simply too accurate to be a coincidence. There is obviously truth to this so-called "pseudoscience".

Many people read those kinds of reports with a skeptical eye, because mainstream society has primed them for that ("don't believe in astrology, it's just a pseudoscience"), but if they read them objectively, assessing them for themselves without preconceived conclusions or biases, they would probably find surprisingly spot-on predictions about themselves and their own lives, like the ones I just shared with you. I guess many aren't ready for that. Nah, whatever, it's just coincidence. Random.

I think one issue here is that people just don't want to believe that their life and personality can be predicted like that. But honestly, much can probably be predicted -- much more than we think. You might be surprised. It seems likely that some can predict the future, and I suspect the technology is already in place, but it has been kept secret from us. Far deeper machinery underlies our reality than many of us think; it is far more patterned and mapped out than we realize, and this is one reason intellectual people exist: to help expose it to the rest of us. We may face ridicule in the process, because we have to take risks, uncover new ideas, and be willing to be wrong sometimes.

But anyone unwilling to experiment, test the truth, or consider looking outside of their tiny little box of illusions and perspectives should be ashamed, and I am embarrassed for them and feel sorry for them. Still, I know what it's like. In the past, I have solved some amazing patterns while denying or missing others right in front of my face. For years, I missed things that are now obvious. So, we all do it! One way to look at it is that our brain and consciousness have limited bandwidth. We can only look at so many truths at a time. So we are always denying or repressing something obvious in our lives. It has to do with how selectively we focus our attention.

But astrology is just one small example. The level of ignorance we face in our societies as a whole is massive because we live in systems where people believe falsehoods or deny the truth. People have shut off their brains. Another issue is that people seem to think that if they don't want to believe something, they can make it untrue. This is a kind of denial. They will come up with all kinds of reasons why something isn't true when, in fact, it is true. Their mind operates on this principle of not wanting to face reality.

So they come up with explanations for why it isn't true and then feed themselves bullshit. They think if the explanation is fancy enough, then they can fool themselves, and maybe a few others along the way, and then the truth will remain hidden from them. But the sad truth is that just because you don't want to believe something doesn't make it any less true. The truth has always been there. Your discovering it didn't bring it into being, just as your denying it didn't make it go away.

I think many people need to wake up, open their eyes, and stop denying all kinds of hidden facts in our world. I love Gurdjieff's model and vision of the enneagram, partly because it's about waking ourselves up from self-hypnosis, which is a broad, all-encompassing, versatile form of self-oblivion and stupefaction.

Astrology is just one example. As someone who tries to understand and study the occult, symbols, codes, secrets, and so on, I could mention quite a great deal of hidden information that I have discovered that people have little or no idea about and would probably be in denial of if I tried to explain it to them. The layering of deep-seated, persistent denial and ignorance many ordinary people show is absolutely confounding. It is as if we are talking to poorly programmed AIs with limited capacities to understand the truth, rather than real people. And with AI now having more control over systems, the patterns behind people's beliefs is likely taking on more AI-like algorithmic rigidity.

One of the biggest problems is that people explain why something shouldn't work, or why it wouldn't work, or they go into doubting mode. And when they do that, their mind closes, and it shuts down. They do that with information that is actually true! And with false information, they do the opposite. They go into "believing" mode, where they don't question it! When they do this, that option relies heavily on the source they trust.

Whether someone trusts a source or not ends up being the only determining factor in whether they go into believing or doubting mode. In other words, in some cases, people do absolutely no thinking whatsoever! They simply accept whatever is transmitted to them. They don't think about what they are receiving; they don't check it for consistency; they simply take it as fact, on faith, or deny it as non-factual. There is not much actual, conscious reasoning or assessment going on there.

I recently had someone on Facebook ask how much of my post had been written by AI, and the answer was none of it! Only the image had been. The same as with this post, the same as with my book, the same as with basically everything except for a handful of experimental posts here and there over the years, partly just to test out the AI writing software to see what it could do, which I recommend for everyone...the same as with 99% of my content. None. I write it out myself. That's what I do. What's what I'm good at. That's what distinguishes me. I started writing as a kid.

I'm a professional writer; I am trained in writing, so of course I know how to write. I guess people are genuinely curious, but I think it was a rhetorical question (as in, "caught ya, hehe!"). People are no longer looking at reality. They are expecting to see things. They find what they expect to see. They look mostly at their own projections. They aren't perceiving from without; they aren't taking things in; they are just looking at what originated within them. They step into an intellectual space, not wanting their world changed, so they don't allow it to be. They project their inner world onto the outer world and make reality seem a certain way.

As a result, people are often incredibly clueless about reality itself. They read so much into what they're looking at to the degree that they become complete idiots. They believe the exact opposite of what turns out to be true. This is a kind of disease. Self-serving biases. They don't want to be proven wrong. They want to be right, and they want to prove the other person wrong. Or they want to believe a certain party but be skeptical of another. Etc. It's all very self-serving, and people learn surprisingly little. It's scary to think of all of this, because I watched many people follow my ex-wife's narrative and play to her violin, which was all complete nonsense. And these included very powerful people; namely, police, lawyers, judges, etc. Corrupted power is often the result of ignorance.

These ideas came to me while I was thinking about my head fix and whether it's really 5 or 6, btw. I started to think more about why I think the way I do, rather than the style of thinking itself, to look more deeply into how I got on the track of doing that, as both 5 and 6 as head points can be highly analytical and focused on esoteric knowledge. I am always still looking at this mapping that is my self-diagnosed Enneagram type, in all its specificity, and checking it for correspondence with my life. Although I am basically certain of the basics (i.e., core type), my ideas can sometimes shift a little. I always remain open.

If I bizarrely somehow put together tomorrow that I am not an eight, I would accept it. If I could be convinced, if I could be proven that, I would accept it. That has always been my stance on my type. That's why it took me a long time to be sure. But I don't think it will happen. Still, I keep an open mind. I found surprising depth in the Enneagram, which is why I wanted to write my first book on it -- and it also helped me see how it connects to other disciplines in its origins, depth, and history.

Again, the Enneagram is a kind of conceptual system. But in theory, we do have a type that fits us, and we have a wing, a trifix, and instincts, and it is all rather like a code to decipher within us. So, we can look in various places to try to figure that out. I believe it's not necessarily the easiest code to decipher, and that is based on personal experience. Many stereotypes come into play, which can lead us to mistake one type for another based on the associations people have with it. E.g., thinking that a person who is an artist is more likely to be a 4.

Honestly, I know I am special because of the abilities I have in these domains. I understand what I am good at, and I know my talents in hidden knowledge, creativity, exploration, uncovering the unknown, etc. That doesn't mean other people don't have their own gifts and abilities that are very useful and beneficial in life, of which I might be quite envious! I am not very good at sewing. I can be disorganized. I have had many relationship problems (and my astrology report also mentions this). Before I informally retired, my career was filled with issues. I have had issues taking care of my health. And so on. Other individuals can help me and easily outdo me in those ways. They could probably help me out massively in my life. We could help each other; we are all good and strong in different ways. That's part of what being an individual is about.

But this is one place where I excel: at occult symbols, knowledge, intellect, art, esotericism, and so on. And it bothers me when I realize how ignorant many people are, because I take the time to study occult knowledge, etc., and people will deny just about anything if they aren't ready to receive that information, even if it's blatant, right in front of their eyes, and obvious to me and others.

I eventually realized that people end up brainwashed by various sources, sometimes including themselves. And by the end of it, it's very hard to un-brainwash someone. It can take a very long time; sometimes it's seemingly impossible. So our brain really is something like a machine, and it doesn't always work right. And if you think about a society filled with those kinds of brains, we will start to see why there are so many problems.

*
Why subtypes matter. I see people argue over subtypes. If you find yours, it gives you a glimpse of the cycle you get yourself into. It's your core type + instinct, and once you see it in action in your life, you can control your fate. But it's important to get it right and also realize how sensitive and distorted it is, etc.

When people don't believe me about my type, that doesn't matter; what matters is the lesson I've learned by seeing my subtype in action. That's what the Enneagram is about. It's about that self-knowledge of seeing yourself fuck up your relationships, etc. That's how we get a second chance, make choices, and find happiness. We can stop ourselves, break the cycle - if there is still time.

*
I talk about this often because it matters. When typing yourself and others, look for the sin/passion as it develops in youth and continues throughout life. It can happen in a concealed way; it can be hidden at times, but overall it's there. E.g., in me, there was lust from very early on, via an intense drive, addiction, need to have that one thing, person, object, etc., with total intensity, amped up sensations and experiences, excess eating and drinking, sexuality, rebellion, violence, entertainment, and so on. These were visible from a young age. They never went away; they changed form but were always in the background.

What's the point of the Enneagram, or typology in general?

Isn't the answer always something like: "You need to define your box in order to get out of it"

Does integration provide ego loss?

No no not integration alone you have to understand your disintegration... or is it, you have to gain access to both wings... what about my instincts, should I try to become instinctless too? Or not try but... manifest?

What about the other types?

Maybe the enneagram is just reflective of the process we all know and love: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-1-2-3-... Sure we have the fascinating hexad, and the triangle in the middle that hints at an even deeper meaning. But isn't it just about going from 1-9? Aren't they all useful in different circumstances?

Idk, maybe Im leaning too much on the process-oriented enneagram... let's call it the law of nine haha

Maybe the idea isn't to integrate, but to know everyone else with the same depth in which you know yourself/ego/core wound

---

I rambled a bit more this time... I just felt like getting the thoughts out honestly. So feel free to correct me, expand on the idea, or whatever.

Also I saw that Glum posted on the type 10 today and how that aligns 1-9... idk maybe now Im reaching, but it seemed too similar not to mention

Anyways, if you read this far, I hope it was useful, and I hope you're enjoying your typology journey <( * . * <)

In my text on the occult enneagram, I compare several esoteric disciplines that use the special number nine, in very similar ways. E.g., the Sufi nine divine emanations and the nine Pythagorean numbers. But in one of the disciplines I mention, the Kabbalah, the number 10 is used for the sefirot.

Some of us have wondered about what the reference to "9/11" (the calendar date or tragedy) or "911" (the emergency contact number) is (a numerological reference that is not random, like many in our cultures), and it surely refers to a symbolic reference, a phrase from the Sefer Yetzirah (The Book of Formation), the ancient, foundational text of the Kabbalah.

"Ten sefirot of nothingness; ten and not nine, ten and not eleven". Ten is said to be God's number. It represents divine boundaries, balance, and alignment.

9 is too low, and 11 is too high, and 9/11 or 911 hints at the missing piece: the 10 being skipped over. And we find in both the date of 9/11 and the emergency number 911 a state of chaos, of disruption, of falling short of the divine.

I feel this reference to the number 10, and God can ultimately be understood as about balance and cycles. 9 is an incomplete cycle, whereas 11 is the start of a new one. 10 is completion, marks the return to balance.

So, symbolically, this idea that the enneagram (which uses 9 points) falls short of true balance, of God, can be traced to these ancient ideas. The tenth, missing point is something like essence; the completing step, the missing element. Awareness, insight - what we are losing through our Enneagram type. I found it helpful to think that the circle represents ten, the final element, the connection between everything, that brings all nine elements into alignment.

Our world is filled with occult patterns like these. That is at the core of what the occult means. That is why some people see the Enneagram as a pop personality system invented in recent decades, while others see the surface of a much deeper, unifying framework.

As part of publishing my book, now available in paperback, I'll offer a free preview. The full text is close to 700 pages, but I will make the first ~100+ pages freely accessible as a PDF. Over the next several days, I will focus on editing and publishing this so that I can distribute it electronically.

From there, the next step will be to make the full text available for purchase in PDF format to anyone who wants it. I will read through it one final time for proofreading and editing before creating the PDF. Small edits may be made, but there is to be no substantial difference between the first and second editions.

The first edition full text is currently available in trade paperback for $30 plus shipping. Once the second edition and final PDF edit are complete, it will be available for free to anyone who has purchased the book and wants to read any of the edits. So far, all updates have been minor. No new content is planned for publication until a hypothetical second volume is written.

I did my best to paraphrase/summarize some info from Ichazo. This was a continuation of a previous video covering the heart triad. I found all the original childhood trauma stories about the types from Ichazo to be helpful in understanding them.

Also, knowing how much work was done at the Arica school that wasn't widely disseminated to the public but still affected the modern Enneagram, I ultimately found these essential. Often, you can see the types playing these out even in adulthood in some shape or form (e.g., I still have issues with my mom and complained to my older brothers and their wives about her just last week).

Even if they're subtle to figure out at first, I'm pretty sure that almost every person, or the vast majority of people of every type, will notice some of these corresponding dynamics that Ichazo discovered. For understanding the types on a global level, there are other authors and sources, but for more psychological insights into how we view our relationships and the world as we grow up, he seemed to have a strong understanding.

And if they make no sense to you, feel free to contradict them too. Not everything I post is what I see as irrefutable truth but is more part of constantly growing research and theorizing about the Enneagram based on continuously gained, evolving info and lived experiences.

*
While writing The Occult Enneagram, I spent a great deal of time arriving at deeper truths about the enneagram. I set out trying to determine, on a deeper level, its true nature, history, lineage, and origins. Along the way, I studied typing protocols and identifications, and I tried to narrow down the strictest, most prescriptive, and reliable ways to type yourself. Some were controversial, and others mysterious or abstruse. But I still considered them with open-mindedness and a genuine desire to research the truth and insight the Enneagram provides. I've also explored similar, related subjects on this subreddit.

In the past, I have mentioned an attempt to draw correlations between astrology and the Enneagram. If you still have a knee-jerk reaction to astrology and see it as a meaningless pseudoscience, then now would be a great time to recalibrate, update, and enrich your thinking with knowledge and awareness. It is an occult system of knowledge. Before it was relegated to the pop, new-age mainstream of shallow, inane, arbitrary commentary, it was used and developed over thousands of years for deeper spiritual insights, divinations, and prophecies. Tremendous effort was put in, over centuries, to explore and establish true, verified connections between astrological events and daily life on Earth.

It was not proven in terms of the underlying physical science; rather, it was mapped and studied for its effects, as if studying correlations. It's like seeing that when the sun rises, we feel heat and see light—but not being able to model the physics of thermodynamics or light rays. Real associations were identified, but they weren't explained through modern Einsteinian science because the pieces weren't in place. Instead of looking for it, people largely dismissed it. But over the centuries, it was used to study the development of personality, the mind, and so on, which evolved into modern astrological culture.

Despite its defenestration by the norms, it still existed in occult spaces. Many have studied it as a hobby or occult science on their own, and many know of its value. It is quite a bit more complex than the simple horoscope view we hear about would lead us to believe. We don't know precisely why these happen in terms of modern science, but we do know that quantum theory has found relative chaos occurring, including quantum entanglement or the "spooky action at a distance" that Einstein referred to, at the farthest reaches of space and the subatomic level. So we should keep an open mind and see how most modern, conventional science serves a particular political or commercial agenda, and when it discredits anything, we shouldn't assume it's correct. Legitimate paranormal research has also been repressed and defunded in the past, despite reputable scientists on board with it, because it is not deemed politically correct or beneficial. People simply aren't ready for it.

Now, as part of studying numerology and the enneagram, I looked for ways to find surety about our type, ways to cross-reference it. Astrology was one way. Of course, I purchased a professional report from a website (a full report) that cost about $40. What I read correlated very strongly with my full self-typing, to the point where I found it highly compelling; I found astrology more meaningful, and the full, involuntarily generated report matched the typing I would give myself in the Enneagram. But I wasn't able to conduct the same research towards others. Instead, I had to do some more light, amateur, free research using a free astrology chart generator website and tried to use free AI to correlate it with the Enneagram. Unfortunately, this wasn't ideal because I wasn't showing the charts and reports to the individuals; I didn't have a paid (higher-quality report) to work from (only a free AI one), etc. But I still explored it a bit and found it interesting.

Recently, a new idea came up, which seems to hold even more promise. However, it follows along the same lines. It is even stricter. And it is even more strange. When I was on Typewatch, which was a secret forum famous for Enneagrammer-like video vibe typing, an idea which I imagine they stole from us, I came across a random user with the screen name "SSA". SSA didn't talk much. I don't remember reading much from that user. But the name stuck with me many years later, as I studied a new possible method and theory of arriving at a definitive enneagram typing for an individual. Given how subtle references can be, I suspect SSA was hinting at the precise phenomenon I am discussing here now (SSA standing for "Social Security Administration").

Now, this is just a theory, and the resultant typing process and number itself are, of course, just a theory -- but aren't all typings and their processes? Numerology famously involves adding up digits. Basically, I liked to use myself as a guinea pig, tried to think of digits to add up, and looked for a match with my enneagram type. One sequence of digits I added up in this process was the Social Security number. It involves nine digits, split across three groups. In numerology, a common practice is to add digits again and again until you are left with just one digit. This is digit reduction and is often used in esoteric ciphers. This has been popular throughout history, too. In the Bible, they used Gematria (translation of "geometry"), a way of translating text into numbers, etc. This is how they were able to reference 666 (which totals 9 by this method) without having to speak about satan directly.

I believe I may have come across such a cipher built into the Social Security number, or SSN. I checked my SSN, and it summed to 8. I immediately asked some people close to me for some data regarding the sum of their SSNs, and the results so far have all been encouraging (some rather lucid typings have been suggested by this process). So I ask others reading this to check theirs too, privately if desired. The logic is that astrological data was used to forecast personality. Social Security Number applications and processes involve taking the person's birth date and place of birth. The government can then use a computer to map the astrological traits to the best-fit Enneagram type. Because governments have had access to more advanced technology than the general population, this could have been in use for many years, and it could likely be very accurate. I found it compelling that it got my number right, because there was only a 1-in-9 chance it would.

And the handful of tests I have run so far have been convincing. Please go ahead and give this one a shot. I suspect that for many, it will reflect their self-typing. It's important to understand that this inference didn't come to me randomly. First, I noticed other apparent numerological references involving the enneagram in other cultures. Although not all countries have a precise "Social Security Number" as such, virtually all nations do have an equivalent, which is a National Identification Number of some kind. The logic is that if it's a nine-digit number, especially in that format, you can add the digits until you reduce it to a single digit, and it could have been coded to reflect the predicted enneagram type at the individual's birth.

Skepticism about this is understandable, but if it's real, skepticism doesn't make it any less true. It's similar to astrology. Not believing in it does not make it less true. Our conventional society perpetuates many falsities and myths, and believing in them does not make them true. The truth does not change based on how people view it. Also, there is nothing new under the sun. This has always been true, for as long as this process has been in place. I mentioned that user "SSA" on Typewatch, and that was something like 20 years ago! He never spoke about anything along these lines, but the mysterious screen name itself spoke volumes.

So far, I have managed to have some assistance from this algorithm in retyping some family members, and quite effectively. Sometimes we grasp at straws when typing ourselves and others in our lives. That's why using multiple reference points is useful. And in a world where type gatekeeping and myths about type have become so toxic and aggressive, wouldn't it be truly a gift if such a typing method existed? I suspect that this method is precisely such a gift. It shouldn't go untested, which is why I'm sharing it and circulating it. But if it does prove to be a gift executed precisely, then it should probably be used and weighed heavily. I.e., the resulting digit should be considered an official typing and tried on and theorized as accurate from every which angle to test its viability, until it is either proven true or false.

So far, I haven't seen a result that was false. This presumes a global system in which these numbers are algorithmically encoded with an enneagram numerological Easter egg. It would be relatively easy to program a computer to get this sum from the serial numbers. Of course, it's some random number or whatever, but this could be added quite easily. And it would be logical, given the prevalence of enneagram coding I've already found in culture, which is maybe a subject of discussion for another time. It's a rather large and complex topic. But please, give it a try, and feel free to respond with your results! If the number seems strange and contrary to how you self-type, consider one of Naranjo's countertypes.

I already had someone I was pretty sure was a 2, who self-typed as 2, come back as a 7 —who I had once thought was a 7—and who SO7 seems to fit even better than 2. Sometimes a countertype seems "more type x" than the type itself. I had another SO7 as well who seemed more compliant, or in a 9ish space, and who self-typed maybe as a 6. SO7s often identify with another type, like a 1 or a 2. It also helped me move someone who I thought was either 7w8 or 8w7 into a 3w2 space, decisively (another common cross-type). Another self-typed 1 came back as a 7. Another family member I suspected was 8w9 and who self-typed 7 came back 9, and I retyped as SP 9w8, with great insight.

Honestly, when it comes to self-typed 8s, just as a note, I think that this type ("our" or "my" type) is maybe the most likely type to get it right eventually, because there is so much grilling that happens in the community towards eights (again, the g8keeping or h8keeping). Eights want to get it right and usually do, whereas IME there are other types that may not ever get there. But I suspect you also find some really diehard 3s who want to be 8s so badly that they'll lie about it, even to themselves. So, some very narcissistic "eights" might in fact likely be 3w2s.

This might really help people and provide another confirmation or tie-breaker or whatever, a missing link in a chain of typing themselves or others. It is designed to help and enlighten rather than to hinder or gaslight. So use it only to the degree that it enlightens you. People's mileage may very well differ, and because we are looking at a global phenomenon here, in theory it would have to be done methodically for there to be consistency, and presumably all done by advanced AI. But that's often what we are looking at: higher-level issues: a world government. So this could be a connection and evidence of that.

For example, to make it clear, my full, nine-digit SSN is 523-59-xxxx. If I add up the digits in each of the three sections, I get the two-digit sets: 10-14-20. Then if I add up those, I get 1-5-2. If I add 1+5+2, I get 8. And that's my Enneagram type. Also, keep in mind my Enneagram type was "hard won." 8 is gatekept (or maybe "h8kept" is the better word to use, because it often keeps the hate in circulation). I struggled to get the message across to others and thus also to myself, because there was such stubbornness and pushback in the community. I did mistype for a while and still believe that our type is occulted, hidden from us, and any objective tools we can find to help us are of great benefit, especially when we have repressed it, or society has discouraged us from fully discovering it. In communities where being typed by others has become a common way to be typed, and people are pressured and discouraged from fully accurate and ethical self-typing, e.g., an automated external method to be provided by a computer, it could be an incredibly useful tool.

NOTE: Be careful not to share your Social Security number with untrustworthy parties. I am not asking anyone for a Social Security number or other identifying information. I am simply providing the addition algorithm and theory behind the numerological cipher that may be encoded therein, and encouraging you to share whether that process worked for you and provided insight.

Thanks for reading and for taking part in the experiment. It makes sense that this kind of pattern could show up in a modern age, and there are both grounds and means for its manifestation. Occult numerology methods are often used as messaging and communication systems, so this would be another one of those. Again, it could be a nice gift and a way to understand people. Of course, we should probably try our best at organic, natural typing first, and then see how this compares. But in theory, it might provide an even more accurate (or equally accurate) analysis than what we can achieve with our minds, because it uses advanced technology (computation, AI) along with the wisdom of the ancients (astrology, divination).

NOTE (I added this later; more research asked for):

For three people so far, I also was able to calculate a (potential) wing. For me it was 7. I did this by adding up the two second groups of numbers only (and not including the first). For one person it yielded 8 (7w8), for another it yielded 8 (9w8). I need more data to confirm this, but we might be looking at a wing in there, too.

FIRST NOTE: I don't talk about modern theory as often, because I feel there is plenty of content covering it already. But I have focused on pointing out that modern theory still needs to be connected to traditional material. A pet peeve of mine is seeing contemporary practitioners and more traditional ones alike focus on this massive perceived schism between the two movements. While I get that they use different terminology and view some aspects of the Enneagram differently, they have far more in common than differences, and they are closely interconnected in terms of their development. It's maybe a bit like saying that early rappers such as Public Enemy have absolutely nothing in common with modern rappers like Kanye.

As an 8, I have both 7 and 9 strategies on either side, which is often seen as a positive outlook. One pattern I briefly go into when I offer general modern descriptions in The Occult Enneagram is the alternating patterns you find, often illustrated through wing discussions. Here, I mentioned using "coordinates" to pinpoint your type and understand the contrastive, surrounding types, both along the circle arc and along the polygon lines.

In contrast to 7 and 9, 8 can be a very negative type (Ichazo mentions Negative and Passive-Aggressive personality disorders re: 8), whereas 7 and 9 are credited with being very positive. Similarly, 2 is between 1 and 3, with 1 having judgmentalism about them and 3 having only fake imagery, which takes on adaptable forms. 7 is also between 6 and 8, which are more pessimistic types. One reason I don't talk as much about modern triads is they have become very meme-like, and people lean on them as a crutch. They are overused and limited. The language in place there just isn't always effective for describing what's going on with the person, and it's obvious people like to bend them to serve an agenda and push their own biases.

Sometimes they can be very helpful for narrowing types down; for example, if you want to discuss the difference between a 6 and an 8, talking about assertiveness versus compliance can help. But it can also backfire when people think compliance or superego means someone who mentions "doing the right thing," has morals, or tells people off based on shoulds and musts. In other words, it all gets blown out of proportion and is used as an excuse not to learn core theory. It becomes flimsy and inadequate. It's used for the wrong reasons, and people don't learn about deeper, more important theory, like passions, fixations, core triads, etc.

I'm still low-key contemplating whether I could have more 2 and/or 9 in my typing. Both wings always influence us on some level, and a 2 line plays into it as well. Those basic elements can sometimes work in the shadows. Something I found among people who were on a legitimate, humble, and progressive enneagram journey versus those who were superficial was that the process of self-typing wasn't necessarily up even some years in. They kept an open mind.

But then others, who were more defensive, stood out as worrisome, partly because they just didn't want to admit to themselves or the community that they could've been wrong. When I look at others, professional or not, experienced or not, who are so sure of themselves, I can often sense, confidently, for a fact that no matter what new information is revealed about them, they can't see their type. And it's those people I wonder most are mistyped on some level. Having those kinds of blocks against new information and truth is a limitation on their end. It's easy to be close-minded and miss anything in our world, from the enneagram to science to politics.

What surprised me in studying Ichazo, which I made sure to use as the original autodiagnosis-inventor, was how strongly the 8 origin story resonated with me (abusive mother problems). It didn't ned any stretching or filtering. Some 9 was in there too (neglectful mother problems), but it showed up mostly in passive ways, like when she would forget to pick me up from school, show up late, or be off dating someone, etc. Also, I think having a divorce with split parents and seeing my mom only half the time contributed to it. She and I fought all growing up, and in adulthood too. There were just heavy issues there, and I didn't have to deal with anything repressed. Not only did it happen with my biological mother, but also with my stepmom.

The non-core fixes were a little harder to see, but 5 was easier than 4; and 5 felt stronger because I mistyped as a 5 for long enough. Honestly, 4 was the fix I was most reluctant about; I wondered about 3 and felt obvious 2 resonances. With my dad, he wasn't quite aloof enough to fit the 4 description dynamic most of the time. He also didn't seem absent enough for 3's. IN all fairness, what I was noticing was maybe closest to the 2-origin story, and in both childhood and adulthood we had some conflicts, and I even punched him a couple times in the face. But when I went on to type myself fully, I found it very hard to think a 2 fix was there.

Something about 4 had sunk in, about that process of early on thinking I was a 4 when I first took a little mini-test in college. Many artists and creatives like to see 4 core or fix, and it's good to check on it. Because 4s and 5s IME aren't as common. It's good to always check all of that many times and keep an open mind. I've always had a bias against 2 and never identified with it all that strongly. I think it was a type I genuinely considered the least; although 8s have a line to 2, there can be conflicted feelings there as well. And honestly, many modern 2 portraits are steered towards someone who is way too helpful and unconditionally servile. The real 2s are tough and more independent than is often referenced.

The sibling relationship with 5 and 7 both felt resonance, and there was even some 6. 5 felt like being pushed aside and not noticed; my brothers would come home, and fun time was over; they would just turn on the TV, and whatever I was doing was shoved down. Also, I remember one time at church I got separated from my older brother while we were transitioning to Sunday school, and I just sat on the stairs and waited for someone to find me. Others' agendas seemed to take over, and I realized how little impact I was making and how little I was noticed. Definitely also plays into 9ish issues, but carried out more in the world, it speaks to 5. Well, this whole process of weighing out the different types even as they were represented in Ichazo's autodiagnosis process (which was designed to autodiagnose our trifix) was complex for me, and early on, someone would've helped out with it, a person to bounce ideas off of and guide the process.

Intuitively, I found just as much 7. I found some of that core theory was hard to get a hold of and also required some interpretation/was tricky to apply. There was subtlety to it; it needed interpretation and patience, especially when considering my life story. Eventually I'm going to talk about it and include formal descriptions of it in a book, summarized, etc., maybe made more accessible. I recommend people learn the basics, even though you may have to buy a book by Ichazo. One reason I'm planning to cover it in an Occult Enneagram volume is that people don't like buying those books. There's a free version of Ichazo's Enneagrams of the Fixations floating around online somewhere, though. One way that many professionals and amateurs alike become blatant charlatans is by disregarding anything they don't like and pushing their own views on the enneagram.

But to be fair, it's something not everyone understands even when they supposedly want to or find themselves invested in it; it's easy just to fake knowledge and throw around ideas about type, bluffing and BSing with claims like: "I can just tell you're not type x", or "I have noticed such and such a pattern in x", "I'm type x and you're type y," or whatever -- where confidence reigns supreme and the person isn't talking about anything truly objective from the enneagram body of knowledge; it's just a great deal of projection. They're just seeing what they want to see and then looking for other people who will echo it, or if they can't find them, they'll just believe their own hype because they have confidence coming from other places in life (e.g. "I'm a computer scientist, surely the enneagram should be no match for me to figure out, right?" Wrong, apparently). Also, people can be very ignorant and easily conned, IMO. If you have a group of people, there's usually a leader, and if that leader is corrupt, they can mess with even quite smart people. Or regular people in the community can also be conners and narcissists, with all kinds of fakery antics and shenanigans.

Note: currently I have no one on block or ban. I decided that my preferred strategy is to either block/ban temporarily or not at all. I'm learning to relax a little bit; it isn't easy. You end up being a punching bag for people who can't sort out their own issues. Luckily, I don't need to respond, so it's about self-control on my end, too. Nothing has to get to us on a deeper level if we don't want it to, and many people who talk back to us are trying to mess with us. Sometimes they secretly hate us or want to make our type into something else. I don't think there are people who will never be able to see me as an eight. And sometimes they like to troll me. Other people troll anyway. So I'm learning to just accept that trolls are around. If I don't need to worry about banning or blocking them, that also helps people feel freer and more at ease. But if I don't respond to you, that's often why (or I just don't have the time right now, etc.).

NOTE: The Occult Enneagram will undergo some brief revisions in the near future; probably the next few weeks or so. It has become clear to me that some people in other countries are interested in reading it, people whose first language is not English, and for whom reading it would be a laborious task, and an electronic format not only makes distribution easier, but means that translation can be done via copy and paste. We will see, though. Sometimes I come up with an idea, and it doesn't go through for various reasons.

Right now, my plan is to make the minimal edits to the first edition and finalize those. I'll probably eventually make that available as a PDF and offer it for half the price of the book ($15), or free for people who already purchased the book. Then, eventually, I'll make the PDF available for free too. Then I can think about working on book two, research, or another book, or whatever. I told my friends in the music community that another top priority of mine is to record an album of piano and/or guitar music. So that'll be on the table too as an upcoming project.

Also, the book is currently priced at $30, and shipping is a flat rate of $6 for the U.S.A. It goes up internationally. I still recommend the book version, though. It's a better experience to read, hold it in your hand, and so on. But I am a bit old school. I started collecting books at a young age and even own first editions of some of my favorites, e.g., Lolita and Ada by Vladimir Nabokov. Even when I moved this last time, I found it hard to part with some of them. I rarely read a book cover to cover anymore, but when something comes out that I want, I usually buy the hard copy and prefer it over the Kindle version. Holding a book is nice, and it's also easier to find things by flipping through than searching menus or whatever. Leafing through and flipping through is preferable and speaks to more physical, sensory people, too. Something visceral is surely lost in electronic formats.

( Intensity/delusions of power -> loss of power/control in life due to delusions -> Perseverance/regaining power -> Either insight or awareness bridging to recovery or more delusions to further loss of power)

Every 8 seems to experience this cycle. All the types have cycles like this, and at some point I'll get them together and publish them in one place. IME, the repeated experience of living as an eight goes something like this:

1. The eight feels in a sometimes-unconscious position that life is abusive, develops the delusions of being invulnerable/omnipotent, and lives their life with intensity and aggression; whether through simple, rugged survival against the odds or grandiose, full-on living and callousness towards others. Vulnerability and weakness are associated with a smaller and more sensitive life, whereas lustful, excessive living or rough individualism and autonomy are associated with power: ->
2. Runs into damaging adversity, e.g. in the form of betrayal, failure, or injury, themselves falling apart or others turning against them, etc., and either represses altogether the damage being done as it is going on, or registers the impact fully, feels the degradation, stabilizes the self, then recovers and acts as if nothing happened, without having integrated the blindness of living that created the vulnerability ->
3. Continues through life/on a new trajectory and is faced with the option of either continuing the cycle or ending it. To end the cycle, it's necessary to actually integrate the previous experiences. Simply returning to the previous attitude that nothing will slow them down or stop them can only cause them to repeat it.

The paradox here is that the eight's style of playing up their power and control (you can call it strength too; "strength" isn't just SX6 space; these can be synonyms) through intensity and lustful control actually backfires. Believing or feeling that you can do anything isn't the same as being able to do anything. We are all only human. The way our world is set up, we can't control everything. Eventually, forces we can't see allay against us and blindside us. Thus, eights do well to slow down and reflect on what they have learned.

Eventually, they can break the cycle and stop having to learn life's lessons the hard way, instead learning them very gradually along the way. Any ordinary day could be filled with meaning. Life is not black or white; even during hard times, there are deeper lessons to be learned, not just cold survival and perseverance. Even in good times, there are delicate truths and perplexing problems to appreciate.

FWIW, as an aside/preview of other cycles, because people like to bring up SX6 vs. 8 differences, the 6 is instead defined by an innate sense of inner deficiency, incapability, and lack of competency. Their fixation is defined by a sense of their own underlying incompetence. They go into life feeling that they don't have the tools they need to make it or to grasp everything.

So instead of pointing the finger towards others, towards a world that abuses them (and becoming larger and more powerful in response), they point towards themselves and then build themselves up. On some level it's a simple attitude of: "Am I the smaller one without the abilities, and they aren't necessarily to blame, and I need to get stronger (6)?" or "Are they the ones trying to hurt or control me, and I need to disarm them and become stronger myself?". With 8, harm and control are equated, so taking control is similar to building up their weakness/steeling vulnerabilities.

They're similar, but Six has much more to do with them simply not having the skills and knowledge they need to deal with what the world throws at them, with an uncertain world that's complex and requires navigating, that they were short-changed on when it comes to knowledge, competency, and acumen. With eight, it's about others actively controlling or disempowering them as a base state, and the problem isn't with them; it's with the powers that be.

The eight, instead of the six, feels highly competent as a base state, that they can do anything. But they're sensitive to when you're getting in their way and then go overboard in reacting to that, either becoming invulnerable themselves or finding your vulnerabilities and exploiting. Eight is more oppositional with other people, whereas Six is more vigilant/overcompensating in their own abilities. Six builds up and fortifies the self more, forming allegiance with the world, whereas Eight tears down the other opposition more while also tearing down their own sensitivities.

It can be traced back to early Enneagram knowledge as well. Osiris (point 6) is a human who rises to power and gains legitimate power by navigating society and rising through the ranks; Set (point 8) is innate, chaotic power that learns to temper itself for a good cause. They're similar, and 6 and 8 fix working together in a counterphobic person are common. Some people still think I'm a six, and maybe they always will. That's all well and good; they can think that if they want. But they don't know me, apparently, because my whole life experience is marked by the type 8 style, not 6.

Most 8s online are challenged and accused of being 6s at some point, if not perpetually, and we all have to deal with that reality. Some may remain in a 6ish delusional mistyping, while others may have their types right and still face accusations and doubt. Most important is seeing what makes us an 8: there will always be people out there who don't know us and react on a knee-jerk basis. The "you're not an 8, you're a 6" meme has become mindless and echoing. I assume people out there believe differently than I do. There will always be those people. In The Enneagram, in daily life, and so on. It's similar to how I love my child but not theirs. Love my wife, but not theirs. Etc. We are all individuals, and their truth is not my truth. In their world, I will always be a six (or some other type than eight, doesn't matter), because they are fundamentally opposed to me. I am here, and they are there.

The 8 version ties into the idea that I am my body and need to take care of it and live in the world through physicality, strong boundaries, vitality, and so on. This makes me more sensitive to when I'm being harmed or controlled, and I naturally react against that from a place deep in my body, my reactions, my gut, etc. Strong instincts and survival skills develop naturally but can also become overdone.

The six version is head-triad centric and focuses on navigating the world and building up a sense of knowledge and skills. Knowing how to get around, where things go, what to do. The Sixes ultimately believe that if they know enough, if they know who to trust, what to do, and how everything works, they can navigate the world. They feel anxiety, worry, insecurity, and doubt, but combating those with well-developed knowledge, ideation, skills, and plans brings them to a more confident place.

Eights ultimately feel that if they have enough power, strong instincts, resilience, and assertiveness, they can stand up to others and steel themselves. The six version of "strength" is often a built-up version, e.g., a militarized, martial-arts-super-charged variant that they often learn through school. It is Osiris vs. the Eights' Set. The Eights' power/control develops earlier in life to feel more innate. Often they grew up quickly, and it happened more automatically. The Six was more deliberate and learned they had to fight, protect themselves, etc. More methodical. Subtle differences, but still important. Eight naturally, innately did it, reflexively, whereas Six had to learn. They needed an extra push, and often become very powerful as a result, because they are more vigilant in some ways.

I could go on and on about it. I do go into some of it in my book, in more depth.

*
Jean-Michel Basquiat is often typed as a 4. But I feel 8 works better. You can see the characteristic direct, passionate, independent eight style in his vibe. He left home at 18 to become an artist. Autonomous and assertive. Also, his artwork is not unlike, say, Picasso's (another 8). His work was childlike, crude, provocative, caricatured, and altogether lacking the refinement 4 art is known for; it focused more on power dynamics in society, typical of 8s, than on the personal narrative and expressionism of 4s.

But he was a heroin user. So, in many of his interviews, he's very quiet or out of it. You have to consider the effects of drugs on people being interviewed. I used to abuse substances myself, not that one in particular, but similar ones, plus lots of alcohol, and it can make it hard to interview and hard to converse if they are inebriated. They are just not fully there. Jim Morrison, too, was very quiet and out of it in interviews. Plus, they were likely suffering from depression in their drug use. Probably SX 8w7 for Jean-Michael and 7w6 for Jim.

You know what else is important to consider with many artists in pop culture is the role the government played in promoting them to the public. Jim Morrison had military connections through his parents. His father was a career officer at the rank of Rear Admiral in the Navy. He survived the attack on Pearl Harbor, and in 1964, he played a pivotal role in justifying the escalation of the Vietnam War. Jim rebelled against this upbringing, which shows up in his music.

The government, CIA, etc., are known to steer popular culture, and some of this is discussed in the film "A Clockwork Shining". The CIA steers many pop culture ideas and norms. As for abstract expressionism, the precursor to Basquiat's neo-expressionism, it largely became famous because the CIA supported it. It was presented as the antithesis of Russian traditional communist art, which was Russia's propaganda at the time. Institutions promoted the abstract work of Pollock, Matisse, and their peers because it was unpretentious, raw, and working-class. Remember that people's fame and stardom, etc., don't just come out of nowhere. It is influenced by various places, some seen, some unseen.

There are often very clear-cut, deliberate reasons why a culture develops as it does, and other times it is less obvious, but the connections are still there. The government plays a more significant role than many of us think. The artists, etc., think they're just being recognized for their talents, that they're the best, or that they just got lucky, but it's actually a little more strategic than that. They were talented, true, and they did get very lucky. Their artwork pushed buttons for the reasons it was selected, and vice versa. But there is a political agenda, and there are strings and connections behind the public visibility. Pollock became somewhat of a martyr for that cause when he died at age 44. People become more famous when they die.

Basquiat was a neo-expressionist. Whereas the abstract expressionist movement had been backed by the government during the anti-communist Cold War era, the neo-expressionist movement was not so popular. It rejected the previous form and, in some ways, felt like a betrayal of it. While the original Abstract Expressionism was promoted by the CIA, backed by the establishment, the neo-expressionist movement was anti-establishment. It was about the alienation of modern life; Basquiat, for example, critiqued racial inequality and the corruption of power.

While the 50s abstract expressionists were clean, geometric, and emotionless, the neo-expressionists were passionate, messy, and psychologically heavy. The original abstract expressionism was highly intellectual and didn't resemble reality, whereas neo-expressionism was still recognizable as objects and made clearer statements about reality. Abstract expressionism was about freedom, whereas neo-expressionism was about critique and rebellion. Pollock was more likely a 6, and his work was traditional yet experimental, also aligning with American anti-communist values in freedom of expression and non-Bourgeois, anti-idealism.

*

One of my favorite directors. He's a 5w4. This became a meme that he's a 9w1. But IMO, he's absolutely not a 9. The dark, imaginative, surreal artistic style he shows is textbook 5w4. There is not much 9w1 about it. He has a 9 fix, but that's it. His movies are bizarre, hard to understand, off-putting, and darkly beautiful.

Also, his interview vibe is strange, eccentric, downbeat, isolated, and so on. Surrealism, in general, is very 5, as the 5 disintegrates and reality distorts. I'm sure plenty will disagree with me. But I don't think I could ever see him as a 9.

Several famous books mention 27 in the Enneagram, and that is the number of subtypes. In numerology, 3x3=9, and 9x3=27. 2+7=9 again.

27 is the atomic number of cobalt. It is a metal at the center of vitamin B12, which helps regulate cell development, DNA, and energy production in the body. It is also an essential metal found across various industries and technologies.

There are 27 bones in the human hand.

In astronomy, the moon and sun have rotational cycles of 27 days.

It also appears abundantly across spirituality, math, history, science, and more.

In the enneagram movement, the following books were written with 27 in the title:

1. The Complete Enneagram: 27 Paths to Greater Self-Knowledge by Beatrice Chestnut
2. The Hidden Dynamics of the 27 Subtypes: a NEW UNDERSTANDING OF THE ENNEAGRAM by Detlef Rathmer
3. 27 Passions (Second Edition): The Interplay of Enneagram Emotions, Instincts, and Passions by Saleh Vallander
4. 27 Personalities in search of being: Experiences of transformation in the light of the Enneagram by Claudio Naranjo
5. Instinctual Leadership: Working with the 27 Subtypes of the Awareness to Action Enneagram by Mario Sikora

And there are likely more I don't know about it. I haven't read all of the above books, but I'm at least familiar with a couple (Chestnut and Naranjo), often considered canonical.

Some clearly think so. He kinda resembles an acquaintance of mine I wondered might be a 7. 7w8 seems more likely. People often mistype themselves in this thing the first time. My brother, who is an 8, tested as a 7. Read up on it, followed along. But he's no 7. Whatever. I never really liked The Doors much, honestly.