When we reflect on the number of people (more usually women1 ) who believe in Astrology, as well as those who believe in various other 'ologies' we can be reasonably confident that there's an underlying shared trait or need — the need to belong, and to categorise people.
Personality tests (e.g. DISC, or Myers-Briggs) are widely (if not almost universally) used to help decide who's suited to particular roles in businesses and organisations.
So when a friend started extolling the great relevance and benefit of understanding the Enneagram (a process of grouping people into one of nine types, or 'tribes'), I decided to look deeper into this particular habit.
That led me to reflect, and to refer to one of my sources of information concerning the deeper rhythms of life ... the Seth series of books, and in regards to this topic, The Unknown Reality: Vol. II, A Seth Book (by Jane Roberts).
What follows is an excerpt of material from that source. Interestingly, Seth groups people into nine tribes as well, but with some important differences (more on this later).
Now, as Seth emphasises, these groupings are 'likes', or preferences, and that most importantly, individuality comes first. As Seth explained "... these categories do not come first. Your individuality comes first. You have certain characteristics of your own. These place you in a certain position ... your individuality places you in a particular family or species of consciousness."
These following groupings are then analysed as to their efficacy and relevance using a holodynamic-systems perspective in the post "Astrology, the Enneagram and Seth".
These families (according to Seth) are:
- Gramada (preference/liking to found social systems - organisers, "The founders of giant businesses often belong to this family, as do some politicians and statesmen."2 "...your hospitals, schools, and religions, as organizations, are initiated by and frequently maintained by this group ... They usually set up fairly stable, fairly reasonable governments, schools, fraternities...")
- Sumafi (teachers, historians)
- Tumold (healers, who may be in various occupations, but primarily seek to heal)
- Vold (reformers, revolutionaries, dreamers. writers, activists: changing the status quo.3)
- Milumet (focused on mystical exploration and understanding: helping our overly-materialistic cultures to reconnect; to 'renourish' humanity's psyche, so to speak. Can appear 'simple' folk who often live in less technically developed cultures, with less emphasis upon speed, technical proficiency.)
- Zuli (excel physically, sports people: to serve as physical, athletic models for what is physically possible.)
- Borledim ('earth-stock'; a primary focus on parenthood -- with strong genetic/bloodlines: "biologically speaking, they possess certain qualities that nullify 'negative' codes in the genes. They are usually very healthy people, and marriage into this group can automatically end generations of so-called inherited weaknesses."4)
- Ilda (Spread and exchange ideas: journalists, sales people. "These are a lively, talkative, imaginative, usually likeable group of people ... They spread (ideas) from place to place...")
- Sumari (provide an artistic heritage. "In the arts, Picasso was a Sumari"5)
In more detail (note: at the time of writing this post, I have yet to find these groupings to be of significant value to me. However, perhaps others will find them of value and relevance).
1. Gramada
According to Seth:
The first group 'Gramada':
specializes in organization. Sometimes its members follow immediately after a revolutionary social change. Their organizational tendencies are expressed in any area of life, however. They are behind art schools, for instance, though they may not be artists themselves. They may set up colleges, although they may or may not be scholars.
The founders of giant businesses often belong to this family, as do some politicians and statesmen. They are active, vital, and creatively aggressive. They know how to put other people's ideas together. They often unite conflicting schools of thought into a more or less unifying structure. They are, then, often founders of social systems. In most cases, for instance, your hospitals, schools, and religions, as organizations, are initiated by and frequently maintained by this group.
These people have excellent abilities in putting together solitary concepts that might otherwise go by the wayside. They are organizers of energy, directed toward effective social structures. They usually set up fairly stable, fairly reasonable governments, schools, fraternities, although they do not initiate the ideas behind those structures.6
2. Sumafi
The Sumafi
deals primarily with teaching. Again, the relationship with other is good, generally speaking.7 They may be gifted in any field, but their primary interest will be in passing on their knowledge or that of others. They are usually traditionalists, therefore, although they may be brilliant. In a way they are equally related to the family just mentioned (Gramada), and to the Sumari, for they stand between the organized system and the creative artist. They transmit 'originality' without altering it, however, through social structures.
I say that they (the Sumafi) do not alter the originality. Of course any interpretation of an event alters it, but generally they teach the disciplines while not creatively changing the content. As historians, for example, they pass down the dates of battles, and those dates are considered almost as immaculate facts, so that in the context of their training they see no point in questioning the validity of such information.
In the Middle Ages they faithfully copied manuscripts. They are custodians in a way. Again, there are infinite variations. Many music or art teachers belong in that category, where the arts are taught with a love of excellence, a stress upon technique -- into which the artist, who is often a Sumari (although not always, by any means) can put his or her creativity. Period.8
3.Tumold
The Tumold
are primarily devoted to healing. This does not mean that these people may not be creative, or organizers, or teachers, but the primary slant of their consciousness will be directed to healing. You might find them as doctors and nurses, while not usually as hospital administrators. However, they may be psychics, social workers, psychologists, artists, or in the religions. They may work in flower shops. They may work on assembly lines, for that matter, but if so they will be healers by intent or temperament.
I mention various professions or occupations to give clear examples, but a garageman may belong to this (Tumold) group, or to any group. In this case the garageman would have a healing effect on the customers, and he would be fixing more than cars.
The healers might also appear as politicians, however, psychically healing the wounds of a nation. An artist, of any kind whose work is primarily meant to help, also belongs in this category. You will find some heads of state, and -- particularly in the past -- some members of royal families who also belong to this group.9
4. Vold
The Vold
are primarily reformers. They have excellent precognitive abilities, which of course means that at least unconsciously they understand the motion of probabilities. They can work in any field. In your terms it is as if they perceive the future motion or direction of an idea, a concept, or a structure. They then work with all of their minds to bring that probability into physical reality.
In conventional terms they may appear to be great activists and revolutionaries, or they may seem to be impractical dreamers. They will be possessed by an idea of change and alteration, and will feel, at least driven or compelled to make that idea a reality. They perform a very creative service as a rule, for social and political organizations can often become stagnant, and no longer server the purposes of the large masses of people involved. Members of this (Vold) family may also initiate religious revolutions, of course. As a rule, however, they have one purpose in mind: to change the status quo in whatever the area of primary interest.
It is already easy to see how the purposes of these various families can intermesh, complement each other, and also conflict. Yet all in all, almost, they operate as systems of creative checks and balances.10
5. Milumet
The Milumet family
is composed of mystics. Almost all of their energy is directed in an inward fashion, with no regard as to whether or not inner experience is translated in usual terms. These persons. for instance, may be utterly unknown, and usually are, for as a rule they care not a bit about explaining their interior activities to others -- nor, for that matter, even to themselves. They are true innocents, and spiritual. They may be underdeveloped intellectually, by recognized standards, but this is simply because they do not direct their intellect to physical focus.
Those belonging to this (Milumet) family will not be in a positions of any authority, generally speaking, for they will not concentrate that long on specific physical data. However, they may be found in your country precisely where you might not expect them to be; on some assembly lines that require simple repetitive action -- in factories that do not require speed, however. They usually choose less industrialized countries, then, with a slower pace of life. They have simple, direct, childish mannerisms, and may appear to be stupid. They do not bother with the conventions.
Strangely enough, though, they may be excellent parents, particularly in less complicated societies than your own.11. In your terms they are primitives wherever they appear. Yet they are deeply involved in nature, and in that respect they are more highly attuned psychically than most other people are.
Their private experiences are often of a most venturesome kind, and at that level they help nourish the psyche of mankind.12
6. Zuli
The Zuli family
is involved mainly with the fulfilment of bodily activity. These are the athletes. In whatever field, they devote themselves to perfecting the capabilities of the body, which in others usually lie latent.
To some extent they serve as physical models. The vitality of creaturehood is demonstrated through the beauty, speed, elegance, and performance of the body itself. To some extent, these people are perfectionists, and in their activities there are always hints of "super" achievement, as if even physically the species tries to go beyond itself. The members of this family actually serve to point out the unrealized capacity of the flesh -- even as, for example, great Sumari artists might give clues as to the artistic abilities inherent, but not used, in the species as a whole. The members of this group deal, then, in performance. They are physical doers. They are also lovers of beauty as it is corporally expressed.
Members of this (Zuli) family can often serve as models for the artist or the writer, but generally speaking they themselves transmit their energy through physical 'arts' and performance. In your terms only, and historically speaking, they often appeared at the beginnings of civilizations, where direct physical bodily manipulations with the environment was of supreme importance. Then normal physical reactions were simply faster than they are now, even while normal body relaxation was deeper and more complete.13
7. Borledim
The Borledim family
deals primarily with parenthood. These people are natural "earth parents". That is, they have the capacity to produce children who from certain standpoint possess certain excellent characteristics. The children have brilliant minds, healthy bodies, and strong clear emotions.
While many people are working in specific areas, developing the intellect, for example, or the emotions or the body, these parents and their children produce offspring in which a fine balance is maintained. No one aspect of mind or body is developed at the expense of another aspect.
The personalities possess a keen resiliency of both body and mind, and serve as strong earth stock. It goes without saying that members of one family often marry into other families. Of course the same thing happens here. When this occurs new stability is inserted, for this particular family acts as a resource-stock, providing physical and mental strength. Physically speaking, these people often have many children, and usually the offspring do well in whatever area of life is chosen. Biologically speaking, they possess certain qualities that nullify "negative" codes in the genes. They are usually very healthy people, and marriage into this group can automatically end generations of so-called inherited weaknesses.
These people (the Borledim) believe, then, in the natural goodness of sex, the body, and the family unit -- however those attributes are understood in the physical society to which they belong. As a rule they possess an enchanting spontaneity, however, and all of their creative abilities go into the family group and the production of children. These are not rigid parents, though, blindly following conventions, but people who see family life as a fine living creative art, and children as masterpieces in flesh and blood. Far from devouring their offspring by excess of overprotective care, they joyfully send their children out into the world, knowing that in their terms the masterpieces must complete themselves, and that they have helped with the underpainting.
[The Borledim] are the stock that so far has always seen to it that your species continues despite catastrophes, and they are more or less equally distributed about the planet and in all nationalities...
... This family provides a well-balanced earth stock — a heritage in terms of individuals. These people are kind, humorous, playful, filled with a lively compassion, but too wise for the "perverted" kind of compassion that breeds on other individuals' weaknesses...
... These parents do not sacrifice themselves for the sake of their children. They understand too well the burden that is placed upon such offspring. Instead, they parents retain their own clear sense of identity and their individual characteristics, serving as clear examples to the children of loving, independent adults.14
8. Ilda
The Ilda family
is composed of the "exchangers." They deal primarily in the great play of exchange and interchange of ideas, products, social and political concepts. They are travellers, carrying with them the ideas of one country to another, mixing cultures, religions, attitudes, political structures. They are explorers, merchants, soldiers, missionaries, sailors,. They are often members of crusades.
Throughout the ages they have served as the spreaders of ideas, as assimilators. They (the Ilda) turn up everywhere. They were pirates and slaves as well, historically speaking. They are often primarily involved in social changes. In your time they may be diplomats, as they were also in the past. Their characteristics are usually those of the adventuresome. Very seldom do they live in one place for long, although they may if their occupation deals with products from another land. Individually they may seem highly diverse in nature, one form the other, but you will not find them as a rule in universities as teachers. You might find them as archaeologists in the field, however.
A good many salesmen belong in this (Ilda) category. In your terms they may be cosmopolitan, and often wealthy, so that frequent travel is possible. On the other hand, however, in certain frameworks, a humble merchant in a small country who travels throughout nearby provinces might also belong to this family. These are a lively, talkative, imaginative, usually likeable group of people. They are interested in the outsides of things, social mores, the spread of ideas from place to place. They are the seed-carriers, both literally and figuratively.
They can be "con men", selling products supposed to have miraculous values, blinding the local populace with their city airs. Yet even then they will be bringing with the the aura of other ideas, often inserting into closed areas concepts with which others are already familiar...
... They may be scientists, or the strictest kind of conventional missionaries abroad in alien lands.
... They may be emotional rather than intellectual.
... You can often find them in the departments of governments, in those areas where travel is involved, or in finance. They frequently enjoy intrigue. All in all, they mix mores.15
9. Sumari
The Sumari are rambunctious, in certain terms anti-authority, full of energy. They are usually individualists, against systems of any kind. They are not "born reformers" however. They do not insist that everyone believe in their ideas, but they are stubborn in that they insist upon the right to believe in their own ideas, and will avoid all coercion.16
... The Sumari are extremely independent, for instance, and as a rule you will not find them born into countries with dictatorships. When they do appear, their work may set a spark that brings about changes, but they seldom take joint political action. Their creativity is very threatening to such a society.
However, the Sumari are practical in that they bring creative visions into physical reality, and try to live their lives accordingly. They are initiators, yet they make little attempt to preserve organizations, even ones they feel to be fairly beneficial. They are not lawbreakers by design or intent. They are not reformers in the strictest sense, yet their playful work does often end up reforming a society or culture. They are given to art, but in its broadest sense also trying to make an "art" of living, for example.
... They often come to full strength before great social changes.
...There is no correlation between the families of consciousness and bodily characteristics, however.
...They (Sumari) also have a liking for certain races, but again no specific rules apply. Many Irish, the Jews, the Spanish, and some lesser numbers of the French, for instance, are Sumari -- though they appear in all races.
Generally speaking, America has not been a Sumari nation, nor have the Scandinavian countries or England. Psychically they are a minority -- in a democracy, say, so that they can work at their art in a fairly stable political situation. They are not interested in government, yet they do rely upon it to that extent.
Sumari is a state of mind, a slant of being. They are not fighters, nor will they generally advocate a violent overthrow of government or mores. They believe in the creativity of change, naturally occurring.
... A Sumari is very uncomfortable as a member of any large commercial venture, particularly if the work involves habitual or boring routine. They are not happy on assembly lines. They like to play with details — or to use the for creative purposes. They often go from one job or profession to another for that reason.
... Sumari enjoy theoretical mathematics, for example, yet make miserable book-keepers. In the arts, Picasso was a Sumari.
Many entertainers are Sumari. You will seldom find them in politics. They are not usually historians. There are few with any position within organized religions. Because of their feelings of self-reliance, however, you can find them as farmers, working intuitively with the land. They are equally divided between the sexes.17
- 1. As I've covered more extensively elsewhere, men and male animals generally tend towards "separateness", the particle nature of life, while women and female animals tends towards the wave-nature. The wave-nature is characterised by a bias towards "togetherness", by way of forming groups, tribes, collectives, families, harems, herds etc. Astrology simply gives people — particularly women — a 'framework' to put people in categories (tribes). Even though flawed in principle, it is the process of "tribalising" that counts, not how correct or productive the end groupings. As a general rule women are far more comfortable with men who are in some relationship (e.g. married) or who are 'tribalised' — versus the "lone wolf".
- 2. Presumably Rupert Murdoch and Richard Branson belong to this group.
- 3. Wikileaks founder Julian Assange would presumably belong to this group
- 4. Jane Roberts, The "Unknown Reality": A Seth Book, Volume 2, Prentice Hall Press, Sydney, 1986, p. 600.
- 5. Roberts, p. 575
- 6. Roberts, p. 593 (Session 736)
- 7. The fact that Seth mentions this implies that other families may not do so (have good relationships with others). More soon
- 8. Roberts, pp. 593-594 (Session 736)
- 9. Roberts, pp. 594 (Session 736)
- 10. Roberts, pp. 594-595 (Session 736)
- 11. Referring here to U.S.A, the country of the author, Jane Roberts
- 12. Roberts, 595-596 (Session 736)
- 13. Roberts, pp. 596 (Session 736)
- 14. Roberts, pp. 599-601. (Session 736)
- 15. Roberts, pp. 601-602. (Session 736)
- 16. Roberts, pp. 561. (Session 732)
- 17. Roberts, pp. 574-575. (Session 734)
