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PERSONALITY SELF-PORTRAIT (Summary of Presented Information”

Roger Asterilla 1/16/2009

Introduction

There is a reason why I presented the information on alchemy the way I did. Simply stated, I doubt very few will approach alchemy if a bunch of arcane symbolism is thrown at them. Therefore, I began with something you could relate to. However, “astrology” is not a useless subject for learning alchemy, instead, it is in fact a very important component. Also, it focuses your attention where it belongs . . . on your self! I can only assume that this is understood.

Now, the key to understanding alchemy is what is called the “Doctrine of the Anthropocosmic Man”. Although you may not have heard of this phrase, you may very well be familiar with it nonetheless. For example, how many of you have heard the biblical phrase

“man is made in the image of God”? Well, then, how about this: "Let Us make man in our image . . . So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. - Genesis 1:26:27, KJV.

Like I was saying, the “Doctrine of the Anthropocosmic Man” is the key to alchemy. It opens doors that are usually closed in religious belief systems. Now the key is this, man is not a partially created component of the universe, he is its final product. There is no way that I can prove this to you, but you can grow into this realization. What does this mean to you? I will leave you to ponder upon it.

Now, if this doctrine is true, man can know the universe and God, and how it was created, by learning “to know” himself. I think this is why the ancients always encouraged aspirants to knowledge to “Know Thyself”. Between you and me . . . much of this rest upon learning “Sacred Geometry”. If you want to take a brief peek, check out the following video clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujAlmq_v32c

This is why I began with astrology. However, there are other entry points into alchemy. For you folks that are ahead of me, you probably know where I am about to go, yes . . . that is right . . . back to the bible. Do yourself a favor and get your bibles, if you have them (if not you can use the online sites). Now look at Genesis 1:13-18 to see what God was doing on the 3rd day of creation. He created everything pertaining to astronomy/astrology . . . how cool is that! More importantly, if you look closely at 1:14, it states: “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years. It seems to me that the “Old Boy” intended to talk or communicate to us through his creation. What do you think?

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Now, before I get into the astrological information I shared with you, it is important that I say this. Believe it or not, alchemy is the foundation of all religions . . . you might say, it is the only religion, and what we call present day “World Religions” are cultural expressions of alchemy presented in specific cultures. Therefore, regardless of the religion you may practice, if you dig deep enough into its origins, you will uncover alchemy. This is why religions have such similar features! The difference, however, is that sometimes people have put their own spin on the interpretation, and attempt to force you to ‘believe’ them [sometimes the quickest way to learn is to make your own mistakes].

Astrology and Alchemy:

The Doctrine of the Anthropocosmic Man was the basis for astrological philosophy, if you looked at the video clip, I am sure you are beginning to see why. But again, take your time . . . it will not come over night. Moreover, in alchemy, astrology is the beginning of the search for the Philosopher’s Stone, or that part in which the whole may be found. Now think about this . . . I am not attempting to turn you into astrologers, but again consider the video you may have just seen. It is showing you the connection between geometry, alchemy, and astrology. After all, the planets are continually moving in their orbits and are always in relationship to each other via “angles”, or planetary aspects! See . . . that wasn’t so hard to understand was it?

Let try this thought on for size. Now the created universe is perceived as a nourishing “placenta” (you really should check out the Dogon creation myth) that this Divine “self-idea” is embodying itself . . . you know, like making the clothes it will wear. Well, matter is its clothes. It is doing this so that this “self-idea” can be seen and adored. Now, this is the opposite of how we “think” about things . . . thus, in this sense, the function of alchemy is “to reorient” your perception . . . too much adverse socialization, I guess. Therefore, mankind is not the child of Mother Earth, as most of us believe, or usually think. Instead, the Earth is an essential quality contained within the Cosmic Man (do not forget that the Cosmic Man is the universe and that man is created in the image of it).

With another brief blurb about alchemy, I promise you we will get to “Saturn” and your Enneagram personality. Now all ancient cultures knew of alchemy, and as I have said, it was “ONE THING”, a singular body of knowledge. After all, if there is only “one” existence, then, there can be only “One Knowledge”, or one thing essentially known. However, as time passed and the ancient priests and philosophers began forming into different cultural groups, they began to disagree about how to ‘present’ it to their specific cultures. A good little easy to read book on this is “The Secret of the Emerald Tablet”, by Dr. Gottlieb and Translated by Dennis Hauck . . . if you want to know more.

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Now when you consider astrology, one of the things you might immediately notice is that the earth is orbiting on its axis, the moon around the earth, the rest of the planets are also orbiting at different speeds, and that our solar system is orbiting around a central point in the galaxy (see ‘Nature’s Cycles” in post #5 to refresh your mind).

Think of the galaxy as a revolving sphere that we are inside of, or go outside at night and look up at the stars . . . don’t forget to dress warmly, its cold this time of year. Does the idea of “time” come to mind? You know . . . even though you may not perceive it directly, you know that if you go back and look up at the sky in the summer, the position of the heavenly bodies will have changed. This movement is an indication of “time” passed. When did this movement begin? Who initiated it? What signs are indicated by the position of the planets? These are just some of the questions that have given rise to the continuance of astrology. Think about it when you have the time!

Saturn and the Personality:

Now if you remember what I shared with you concerning “Jacob’s Ladder” in the . . . you know that diagram I shared with you? Let me just share it again to be on the safe side.

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“Jacob’s Ladder” – It really a copy of Ptolemy’s depiction of the universal structure.

Now, remember that the earth is in the center and that “Saturn” is the uppermost planet? . . . that because it is the last planet we can see with the naked eye. Above Saturn is the “Firmament” we talked about earlier. I will leave the levels above the “Firmament” for you to think about if you want to . . . got to work for some of it you know!

I said that Saturn was important because it represented the ‘father’, that it was linked to karma, and that aspects to Saturn reveal the lessons we have to learn. Now, all of these lessons are not hard, but they are lessons still. Also, the hard lessons do not necessarily mean that you were a bad person and are being punished, not only could they mean just the opposite, but . . . and believe it or not, sort of indicate circumstances you prescribed to learn the lesson you needed to know. Remember Jesus? Don’t trip! I am not saying you are Brother “J”, all I am saying is think about his choices for the circumstances he chose to learn what he needed to know . . . that’s all! This is what Saturn will help you understand about you!

If you visited the site I shared with you to see where you’re the planets were in your astrological chart. It should look something like this (if you haven’t visit the following link: http://www.ifate.com/astrology_index.html?gclid=COKpyNLA85cCFQETGgo...)

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Natal Chart of Barack Obama

Now, if you look at the new President’s chart, you can see Saturn in his 12th house along with Jupiter. See all those red and blue lines in the center of the chart, they convey planetary aspects, squares, oppositions, trines, conjunctions, etc. Here is a listing of “planetary aspects” that is easy to understand and to help you.

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It might be a good idea to make this chart of planetary and asteroid symbols available as well:

Now look at all of the line, both red and blue, that extend to or from Saturn in the 12th house. How many do you count? _______________. How many are red? _________. How many are blue? __________. These relationships represent all the lessons our president has come to learn in this lifetime. Some are even from a previous lifetime (if we were perfect, none of us would be here, but we can become better). Your chart should look similar . . . providing you followed the correct prompts on:

http://www.ifate.com/astrology_index.html?gclid=COKpyNLA85cCFQETGgodQyDgCg

Also, if you wanted deeper info on your Saturn aspects, you could have gone to this site here (Astrology Weekly): http://www.astrologyweekly.com/. To get this information, you will have to use the “site tool” in the lower left hand corner, the upper search box. You would then type in your aspects to Saturn. Lets say you have Saturn square Moon, or Saturn conjunct the Sun, or Saturn opposition Mercury, etc., I think you get the picture. This will bring up additional information regarding Saturn. Let use the president for an example . . . that is what I put him in here.

He has Saturn in the 12th house opposition to Mercury in the 6th. Let see what it says:

The opposition from Mercury to Saturn shows that you are strongly opinionated and

defensive. You have considerable intellectual ability and can accomplish any goal you

set for yourself. You may be inclined to bend the truth in order to get your way with

people, but people are more discerning than you realize and often are aware of your

deceptions. In this way you will lose friends, which can make you depressed when you

are alone. An isolationist to begin with, you alienate your few associates with your

criticism and scheming. All this adds up to the fact that you must learn to mind your

own business and have respect for the privacy of others. Don't assume that other

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people think a certain way and then complain because they don't think that way . . .

This is just an example . . . mmmmmmmm . . . if he has to learn this lesson, it will be his wife that helps him learn it! Now it’s your turn.

MY PERSONALITY PROFILE

Answer the following question and fill in the following black spaces with the appropriate information.

1. The planet Saturn in my _________ house and the astrological sign of _____________.

2. The house that Saturn is in means: ______________________________________

3. The astrological sign means: __________________________________________

4. I have ___________________ planetary aspects to Saturn.

5. ________ are adverse aspects; and ________ are harmonious aspects.

6. The lessons I need to learn as indicated by Saturn are:

_______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

Pretty simple, huh! Now lets move on to the Enneagram (we will be moving pretty fast now).

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The Enneagram

The Enneagram has a long history, but simply stated, it has been around since ancient Egypt. It is really no need to say much more. However, what should be said is that essentially it is based upon metaphysical principles of the ancient Egyptians. Let me give a brief example.

Remember how the ancient Egyptian creation myth speaks about how Amon arises out of the Nun? Well, Amon, Ra and Ptah compose Egypt’s metaphysical trinity. If you are paying attention, you will notice that number “three” again. This number is extremely important to alchemy, and if you are really interested in it, you will come to understand it in time. That reminds me, the number “three” is also important for understanding concepts of ‘time’ as well! Since this is not a group on metaphysics, we will not go there.

Notice the Enneagram symbol around the central circle. Also, note the astrological symbols in the concentric circles, and the planetary signs associated with the numbers.

Now it has already been explained that the personality types composing the Enneagram are related to a triad, which is comprised of ‘thinking’, emotions, and instincts; or the three centers of intelligence (see below). Associated with the “thinking” center, you will find the personality types numbered: “5, 6, 7”. The types “2, 3, 4” are associated with the seat of the emotions, and types “8, 9, 1” are associated with the seat of instincts.

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The Three Primary Centers of Intelligence:

There are also imbalances related to each personality type, which can be seen in the post #11 Therapeutic Strategies, and the means of overcoming them. The imbalances are related to the functioning of the “triune brain” (see diagram below) structures and regions that control various aspects of mind/body functioning.

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The reptilian brain corresponds to the ‘instinctual center’ of intelligence, or the first brain; the ‘emotional center’ of intelligence corresponds to the ‘emotional brain’, or the 2nd brain numbered in the diagram; and frontal cortex corresponds to the seat of the intellect, or the ‘thinking center’.

Our preference for these centers occurred as we lost the experience of “trust”. Trust towards existence exists when our needs are continually satisfied, and we experience connectivity with our environment. For example, take African Americans for example. During the beginning of the slave trade, most Africans forced into slavery came from cultures based on what we now term “animism”. Simply speaking, animism refers to soul, which on a cosmic level is associated with the energetic aspects of the planets, and in man with qualities of self-perception. The primary use of the term “animism” is in association with African societies, and most often, it has garnered a negative connotation. Yet, when one realizes that animism is associated with reactive energy, it is easy to recognize its association with the atomic foundations of life itself. Now, animism, or the experience that every thing has “soul” was the essence of African cultural belief, or what is now known as African Traditional Religion (ATR). More importantly, this view was intrinsic to ancient Egyptian thought, who believed that “the soul was the only reality, and all else symbol”. Further still, it is linked to the belief of the Pygmies, who the Egyptians say are their ancestors. Thus, the transformation of the African to the American slave, it required the elimination of this innate perceptual structure. This was brought about a process of socialization to the Western perception of reality. The transformation from the African to Western personality in tantamount to what today, we call the state of addiction.1

1 In Webster’s New World Dictionary, the word ‘addict’ is from the Latin word ‘addicere’, and means “to

give assent”, or to agree. In its original usage, it referred to a person who was “formally made over, bound to another by restraint or obligation”. This is an interesting definition, since it reveals a very obvious fact. The original definition has nothing to do with drugs. Now hold your horses. Before you start equating an addict to a slave, as in ‘a slave to a drug’, look closely at this definition. In it you will see the cause, effect, and what sustains the condition of being an addict. More importantly, these three aspects can be applied to an addict today. In examining the

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Why is this important? It is important because for African Americans, and other Americans as well, the personality has been altered. It has been sustained through cultural habit and tradition, so what is in reality a distortion, we take as the norm.2 Although a history of forced socialization is an important reason for engaging in a personality self-evaluation, there an even more important one. This reason is that aspirants who seek the heights of spiritual attainment, not only must overcome their lower self (personality), but to doing so must engage what is called the “astral” plane, or what the Egyptians spiritually equated with Set. Therefore, it is important in spiritual pursuits to uncover the deepest motivations for your behavior. This is the reason for the Enneagram.

PERSONALITY EVALUATION

What the Enneagram does is to help you identify unconscious motivations. This is done in two ways. First it facilitates an intellectual understanding of your motivations. However, it should be understood that an “intellectual” understanding isn’t “knowing”. At best, intellectually understanding aspects of your personality is a familiarization. You knowledge of your personality comes with encountering experiences when you recognize clearly your impulses to act in an given situation. This recognition then presents you with a “choice”, and your decision will either maintain a “peace-of-mind” or cause you additional conflict. Believe it or not, you know what I mean. For example, remember how something occurred in your life, and after it was over, you felt or thought you should have conducted yourself in a different manner? Yea, that is what I am talking about. You can only make right decisions if you are mindful of the impulses that motivate your behavior. So, let’s recap right quickly.

First, everyone has a personality structure, or a habitual way of thinking, emoting, and acting. The personality is the “false self”, or a distortion of who we really are . . . in a spiritual sense. It has developed on a foundation of an absence of “trust” regarding people, places, and things, which has occurred most often early in life. As a result, as it pertains to our personality, it has given rise to (1) specific distortions; (2) specific difficulties; and (3) specific reactions. These specificities for each personality type are listed below.

meaning of the term, one will easily see that it is composed of three components. These components are: (1) formally made over ; (2) bound or attached to another; and (3) by restraint or obligation. Let’s go back to the dictionary. In the first component of the meaning “formally made over” implies that something has being done by someone to another to facilitate a change in status. A change or transformation has occurred. As used in this component, it refers to a particular mode of existence to which one has been socialized. Component two reveals the end result or effect of the socialization process – that of being ‘bound and attached.’ To be bound has varied descriptors, i.e., confined by or as by binding; closely connected or related; under compulsion. As a word, attached implies: fastening by sticking together, to make a person a part of. Any way you look at component two, a state of being dependent comes to mind. The final component states: ‘by restraint or obligation.’ Restraint means to hold back from action or check, suppress, curb, to keep under control, to deprive of physical liberty as by shackling or arrest, to limit. Obligation refers to a binding contract, promise, a moral responsibility, or a duty imposed legally or socially. I think you may get the picture.

2 This was the exact point psychiatrists William H. Grier, M.D., and Price M. Cobbs, M.D., were making in their classic book “Black Rage” when pointing out that the “cultural norm” for people of color was “cultural paranoia”, “depression”, “masochism”, and “antisocialism” towards the American society.

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Specific Distortion: The loss of contact with reality is essentially based on a loss of trust. This is what gives rise to nine personality “distortions”. These distortions are altered ways in which we view reality, i.e., our selves and the environment, and serve as the core of the self-image, or perceptual fixations. Thus, our self-image is not only a distortion of reality, but as long as it is erroneous it will continue the distortions. The nine distortions according to personality are as follows:

Specific Difficulties: Our distortions give rise to specific difficulties. These difficulties arise through the interaction with our parents or care givers. However, it is not that our caregivers are bad people, but they too have distorted personalities. As such, we may not have received what we needed from them. Thus, regarding our personality, nine difficulties are associated with the personality, and rest upon a central belief. This belief, feeling, or conviction is that we are “unlovable” or that we are inherently inferior, or that something is wrong with us. These difficulties are:

Now, the specific difficulties of the personality are the source of specific reactions, or strategies. These strategies are based on our distrust of reality, and are used to keep us asleep, or partially conscious. Therefore, our ‘automatic’ reactions support and perpetuate our continued disconnection with reality. To awaken, we must become aware of all our reactions, and learn to disengage from them. These reactions reveal themselves more readily when we are challenged by the circumstances of life, and are as follows:

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Constructing “A Brief Personality” Profile

In the following diagram indicate the body center your personality style is organized around.

1. What is your specific distortion? ________________________________________ 2. What is your specific difficulty? _________________________________________

3. What is your specific reaction? _________________________________________

4. How accurately does your personality style describe you?: very much _____;

somewhat ______; not at all _______.

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5. What is your imbalance (see post #11) ___________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

6. What therapeutic strategy do you need to engage in? ______________________ _______________________________________________________________________ Additional and more complete information can be had at: http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:

1. NUMEROLOGY: In the material posted a web link was given http://www.paulsadowski.com/Numbers.asp . This link is for the purpose of creating your own numerology chart in order to compare it to your personality. For those who may want to look deeper, I recommend “Numerology and the Divine Triangle” by Javane and Bunker, It is an excellent book and combine numerology, astrology and the tarot.

2. The JOHARI WINDOW. A good exercise with this tool is to use it with your Enneagram personality to clearly see your ‘hidden’ and ‘unconscious’ aspects of yourself.

3. MEDICAL ASTROLOGY: There are a couple of good books out on this topic for those moving in the direction of becoming ‘healers’, naturopaths, or who are into alternative healing. One book in particular is the “Essentials of Medical Astrology” by Harry F. Darling M.D.

4. DARK ROBES, DARK BROTHERS: see “Knowledge Tree” on my page. This is needed in reference to the ‘hint’ I gave regarding seeking spiritual attainment and the astral plane. For warned is for armed! If you pursue this journey, what “YOU” don’t know about you will be your primary obstacle.

FEEDBACK: Please take the time to offer feedback, i.e., criticisms, suggestions, ideas, or what ever to improve your experience here. Roger “PEACE” LEARN, GROW, BECOME BETTER and TAKE IT INTO THE COMMUNITY!