Most people know the Enneagram as a personality typing system describing nine "personality types," or patterns of thinking, feeling, and relating, arrayed around a circle, and connected through a curious collection of shapes and arrow lines. At this level, the Enneagram of Personality is used for self-knowledge, self-development, and for helping us understand differences among people. But there is more.

The Enneagram Symbol itself is a representation of universal laws governing the creation and evolution of life itself. From this perspective, the Enneagram is a map for accessing who we really are, beyond personality. King Arthur's Knights set out on their search for the Holy Grail-a symbol of the moral and spiritual evolution of the soul-at the place in the forest that was "darkest," or most shrouded, for each of them. The Enneagram of Personality helps us find just that entry point. But to make our way, we need a map. And wouldn't it be best if that map were one that has guided generations of heroes and seekers transformed by their efforts to advance healing and unity in themselves and in the world?

The Enneagram Symbol provides that guidance. It reveals a "way" to evolve ourselves, in accordance with universal law, into heroes who can help resolve polarity and restore unity in ourselves and in the world. This book will introduce you to the ancient wisdom handed down in the Enneagram Symbol; take you on a metaphorical hero's journey around the Symbol to experience its laws and their application to personal, social, and spiritual evolution; and offer signposts and sustenance along your own journeys of growth in service of community.