Enneagram Guide to the Hero’s Journey

 

Enneagram of the Hero’s Journey

The Enneagram can serve as a map for the the Hero’s Journey as described by Joseph Campbell.  In my book I describe the way the Buddha went through these phases in his Heroic Journey to Enlightenment. You can use the questions below to guide your journey of awakening to your full potential or to help others.  The compulsions of personality type are the tendency to get stuck in one phase of the journey. 

For a more comprehensive description please refer to my book Essential Wholeness. 

 

 

Transformational Questions for Guiding a Heroic Journey

 

NINE — The Ordinary World — How to maintain stability?

  1. Who and what help you feel stable, safe and comfortable?
  2. What do you appreciate?
  3. What don’t you want to change yet? Why?

ONE — The Call to Adventure — What is not right? What is the ideal?

  1. What are signs (calls to adventure) that tell you something needs to change?
  2. What would you like to improve, enhance or change?
  3. If a miracle could happen, what would you ideally hope for?
  4. What problems or mistakes are most difficult for you to admit to yourself?

TWO — Refusal of the Call — What is needed?

  1. What would help you to deal with your frustrations and begin moving towards your ideals?
  2. What self-limiting patterns are you reluctant to change?
  3. Who is it easy to ask for help? Who is it hardest?
  4. How has pride or fear of embarrassment stopped you from admitting you need help?

THREE — Meeting with the Mentor and Crossing the First Threshold — How to begin?

  1. What is the first step(s) you will take (or have taken) to in order move toward your goal?
  2. What life experiences remind you that you have the inner strength to make the most of any opportunities or challenges?
  3. How would you like to be living in five years time? What is that future self doing? How does he feel about himself? If that future self could talk to you now what advice or encouragement would he have for you now?
  4. Who would you like to emulate? In what way?

FOUR — Tests, Allies and Enemies — What gets in the way? What do I really want?

  1. What difficulties, flaws, inadequacies or insecurities have, or could, tempt you to give up on your aspirations?
  2. Who or what helps you to remain true to your deeper calling (values)?
  3. What deeper longings or desires do you become aware of in difficult times?
  4. How are you unique? How does that inspire you to make the most of your life?

FIVE — Approach to the Inmost Cave — Why am I going through this? What do I need to learn?

  1. What mistakes have you made? What are they teaching you?
  2. How would a scientist viewing you from a detached perspective describe this transition you’re going through?
  3. What is most essential and what is expendable in your life?
  4. What do you need to know more about that would help you face your fears?

SIX — Ordeal — What do I remain faithful to and what do I need to let go of?

  1. What is difficult for you to accept about yourself and the world we live?
  2. What have been your greatest fears and doubts?
  3. Which of your loyalties support your being true to yourself and which seemed to hold you back?
  4. What beliefs are you questioning or feel confused about?

SEVEN — Reward (Seizing the Sword) — What is next? How do I enjoy what I have realized?

  1. What new possibilities are you becoming aware of and how can you begin exploring them?
  2. How might keeping your options open assist you at this time?
  3. What sorts of plans or fantasies boost your optimism?
  4. What responsibilities could take a break from in order to make space to explore options and experiment with new possibilities?

EIGHT — The Road Back and Resurrection — What do I want to master or manifest?

  1. Of all the new things you have been exploring what are you ready to commit yourself to in order to make the most of your life?
  2. What new rules are you making for yourself in order to reach your objectives?
  3. How might you need to guard your time and space in order to get to where you want to go?
  4. How might your willpower and determination help you override some personal needs or weaknesses in order to rise to the challenge?

NINE — Return with the Elixir — How do I consolidate my efforts and maintain the changes in my life?

  1. Who supports you in this new way of life, and what adjustments could they make to support you?
  2. What new habits or routines are you establishing in order to consolidate your efforts?
  3. What adjustments are you making in order to fit in with people who are important to you?
  4. What conflicts of interest do you need to mediate in order to maintain stability?

Ways of accessing qualities of being

  • Radical Acceptance
  • Radical Compassion
  • Embodying wished for future
  • Relaxing into deficient emptiness
  • Tracking longings to their source
  • Listening to body as a truth meter
  • Tracking hopes or intentions to Nth degree
  • Giving up hope of escape from painful emotions

Click for info about The Enlightening Enneagram Workshop Oct 4

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