Keep your attention in yourself. They are the joysticks you use to navigate the cosmos., Attention cant be divided. The reward for seeing is more seeing., Start building a nest where your witnessing presence can live., There is a personal aspect to the universal laws., Being a willing participant in the relational field is the thing. She is the original creator of the Wisdom School and has been organizing and teaching schools since 1999. She divides her time between solitude in her seaside hermitage in Maine and a demanding schedule traveling globally to spread the recovery of the Christian contemplative and Wisdom paths. The first resource that seemed to describe me accurately was Beatrice Chestnuts description of the Social Seven Countertype in her book The Complete Enneagram. 741 Kindle Edition $1399$16.95 Careers Amazon Newsletter I panicked. As a pretty-sure 4, now I long for that type to be re-explored in the same depth! Sevens hide in time. At first when you begin a practice of meditation, it feels like a place you go to. I practice and teach the Christian spiritual arts , Cynthia grew up in the rolling countryside just west of Philadelphia and experienced her first tastes of silence and mystical presence during the weekly Meeting for Worship at the Quaker school she attended. What will flow through you will be your agency. To deconstruct it appears to them like sure and certain death. Robert Pynn, poet and Dean Emeritus of the Anglican Cathedral, Calgary, Alberta. Heres one question Cynthia answered from one of her Wisdom Schools: What does inner awakening look or feel like from the inside? When the words escape from pain are used by Enneagram authors, usually people think of the pain of loss or grief, which in fact some Sevens may be trying to avoid (David Richo says we are ALL always trying to avoid grieving). I am affirming my willingness to stay awake, to endure the vulnerability. Cynthia is the author of eight books: The Holy Trinity and the Law of Three, The Meaning of Mary Magdalene, The Wisdom Jesus, Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening, Mystical Hope, The Wisdom Way of Knowing, Chanting the Psalms, and Love is Stronger than Death. and for more than half of them, it seems, the Enneagram is very insightful. Thanks so much for your contribution. In such a way, and only in such a way, does the Seven finally come to rest and in the simple immediacy of the presence there find, as St. Augustine (probably himself a Seven) so profoundly summarized: Our hearts are restless until they rest in God., Two personal vignettes to illustrate the above points. Thats because the choice points presented for discernment always feature pleasure, excitement, fun-loving, spontaneous. When these are set against responsibility, goal-orientedness, concern for others, capacity to face pain, and willingness to make and keep long-term commitments, I always wind up getting parceled out among more dutiful types. Here youll find a rich assortment of audio resources, ranging from polished teaching sets to raw audio files from recent groundbreaking teaching events. What then? What emerged over a six-week collective journey was a remarkable series of revelations and reflections encompassing not only the Gurdjieff tradition but her own deep insights into the Christian mystical and Wisdom traditions, together with sagacious tips on practice and a prophetic vision of a post-pandemic future. Her roots are firmly planted in the Benedictine monastic tradition, her wings soar in the Christian mystical lineage, and her wisdom is tempered by daily mindfulness and embodiment practice learned through more than thirty years of participation in the Gurdjieff Work. As long as I continue self-inquiry, the more honest I can be with myself, the less important landing on a particular number seems to be but the more important is understanding the whole enneagram and the relationships of the personalities. Transformation for the Seven: The Holy Idea and Virtue, Sit in your cell and it will teach you everything. This is indeed the terrifying eye of the needle the Seven will have to thread to move from choice freedom (as both Thomas Merton and Beatrice Bruteau call it) i.e., freedom experienced as keeping my options open, to spontaneity freedom: freedom experienced as the capacity to say yes wholeheartedly to NOW; freedom to trust the primordial nurturing to be found only in the plenitude of presence. Now I know you have called it ego bait, and it certainly can be seen that way, but for high school students who are generally adrift about so many things, to have a relatively simple tool that links psychological development to spiritual growth is brilliant, and certainly is far better than anything else Ive seen in helping them navigate the plethora of decisions they need to make about themselves. Drawing on Sufism, Benedictine Monasticism, and the string theory of modern physics, Episcopal priest and CAC teacher emerita Cynthia Bourgeault offers the Wisdom Way of Knowing as an entry point for a transformative interior journey. I am actively engaging humilitynot obsequiousness, but a recognition of the scale of things, the depth of the suffering and the yearning that binds the created order to the uncreated light.. I at first self-identified as a 7 but I was confused by some of the same descriptions you outline here. A brilliant synthesis that both situates the imaginal world and gives it more meaning that it has previously had [Bourgeault] is a true representative of the Western spiritual tradition. from the afterword by A. H. Almaas. As someone who also lost interest in the entire psychometric because none of it really fit, I hope your exploration will let me also find a way in. Music. An emeritus faculty member at the Center for Action and Contemplation, she is the author of numerous books, including Eye of the Heart, The Holy Trinity and the Law of Three, and The Meaning of Mary Magdalene. You would recognize me if you saw my face Swans Island connection, [] WHICH ENNEAGRAM TYPE IS CYNTHIA? A masterpiece of spiritual wisdom firmly rooted in the Christian mystical tradition. Yes, I am on the CAC site and respond most frequently there. To live our lives fully. Avoid spiritual materialism., Our job is to hold a post in the resonant field. I will be publicly pushing the bookas all of themwhenever I find a crowd ready for such inner work and brilliance.~Fr. Yet in the midst of suffering, Love proceeds like a millstone, hard-surfaced and straight forward. For almost thirty years the standing joke has been, What enneagram type is Cynthia? Leading teachers in all the various schools have typed me variously (frequently categorically) as a Four, Five, or Six. Envy the idea that someone else has what you have lost or failed to attain. I have to agree with Helen Palmer, you continue to highlight the deep knowingness of the Four. I have bounced back and forth from a 4 to a 7 as well, and for the same reasons as Cynthia. Contemplative Liturgies created for Holy Week 2011, with introduction, liturgy and music. which. I have been teaching the Enneagram for 23 years, having studied with all of the major schools of Enneagram understanding, and have read over thirty books on the Enneagram, and I would agree with you that most of the authors descriptions of the Seven Enneagram personality hit some of the notes, but generally miss the deeper aspect I have found in Sevens whom I have interviewed more deeply. Touched my heart. Wishing you many blessings on the journey. I experience you as a light in the world and have identified with your strenght and courage to SEE so creatively and Boldly at times. but it holds everything. Please, there is too much information. Cynthias post offers insight, clarity and hope. The stability and support of the earth. Rafe was the hermit monk at St. Benedict's monastery. Cynthia Bourgeault | April 5, 2022 In this very heartening account, Cynthia Bourgeault shares her personal experience having presented her teaching on "radical kenosis" at the annual meeting of the Episcopal House of Bishops in March [] Balancing Centers, Integrating Structures, Lesson XVI Cynthia Bourgeault | January 20, 2022 That is, knowing that the creative, originalness of each of us is beyond a number type. And I wonder if other 7s have had this double bind start to attachment. The story starts out right: perceived lack of parental nurturance, Puer Aeternus (eternal youth), planning (gottcha!). Adopting a title inspired by Thomas Mertons moment of revelation at the Corner of Fourth and Walnut Cynthia Bourgeault describes the foundations of her theology: a cosmological seeing with the eye of the heart, and classic Benedictine daily rule informed and enlightened by wisdom from the Asian traditions. When people ask me my type nowadays, I usually just smile and say, Im a Ten.. The paradox that one needs to both find and lose themselves is far better than the message they get about how to make themselves attractive to the highest bidder in the marketplace of college acceptance. People with a dominant Social Subtype of Seven called sacrifice can be other-sensitive, responsible, more subdued, accepting of limitations and able to postpone their own gratification for the sake of a bigger goal. Sevens who are able to wrestle their restlessness to a place of stillness will hear clearly the still small voice of liberation. And as usual, she reveals it to be something we hadnt expected at all. Loves comes on strong, consuming herself, unabashed. Both have a bit of a crazy external vibe, but both have a level of inner awareness typical of the 4. What flows out as these qualities is the fruit of an alchemy that goes on deep within our being, using our being as the raw material, in which who we are and our pleasures and self-maximization is somehow changed through conscious labor and intentional suffering.. In the midst of a deeper paradigm shift, with all the hopes and fears that surface in times of change, Cynthias voice is that of a spiritual teacher who knows the territory from the inside out. All rights reserved. Their spiritual visions of immanence, sometimes called panentheism, are serving as a path of spiritual return for a growing number of seekers today. My Gritty Daughter, Like New Used, Free P&P in the UK . So now, for all of you out there: in your experience, do youknow any Sevens that work the way Im laying out here? So, while I was always a bit confused with your reticence to the Enneagram, when I went to London to hear Russ two summers ago and brought it back to my students, the results spoke for themselves. From time to time, we also offer teaching and exploration of foundational contemplative practices eg; Centering Prayer, Welcome Practice, Lectio Divina. See more My Gritty Daughter by Cynthia L Akins (Paperba. With a blend of Christian and Eastern mysticism running throughout, as well as recognition that learning to chant may be difficult, she gently guides readers through the whys and then through the hows.. . She finds in the idea of the Holy Trinity a striking vision of the nature of reality. Cynthia Bourgeault engages in direct call and response with the reader, the world, and these tender and tumultuous times. suffocating, . . . And I came to St. Benedict's to study Centering Prayer with Father Thomas Keating, bumped into Rafe, and very . Somehow Type 7 kept nudging my attention even after a conversation with Leslie Hershberger. These recent writings by Cynthia represent the depth of her Wisdom teaching as it is applied to the times in which we are currently living. She delves into the connections between our inner consciousness and what happens in the world, exploring the transformative energy and governing conventions that make the manifestation of this realm possible. These online courses provide an easy way to dive in deeper to some of Cynthias most powerful teachings without having to leave home! To bear [also] means to give birth, to be fruitful. So love is that which in any situation is the most life-giving and fruitful. The question of limitations came up, and I asked, So what is it like when your options are limited, you are in a very restricted place, and you cant get away? (a long pause, then) I feel as if I am suffocating . -Encouraging envy in others delighted my ignorant self! The correct match-up is actually accidie, typically but incorrectly understood as sloth (and hence assigned to the Nine). Ponder them carefully and see where they lead you. . More detail on these books can be found here. Anyway, thirty years later and spurred into action by a review copy of Christopher Heuertz new book, The Sacred Enneagram(which I found insightful but still basically recycling the old typologies) I am finally getting around to taking that risk. As I was experienced in the daily routine of Buddhist retreats, I found the routine at this Wisdom retreat . a way of perceiving that leads to cynicism and divisiveness, a closing off of possibility; and there is a way that leads to higher faith and love, to a higher and more fruitful outcome. Hey Cynthia, Im in the process of becoming certified to teach the Enneagram and found myself landing squarely in the 7. On my very first encounter with this system nearly thirty years ago through Helen Palmers book, The Enneagram I initially self-identified as a Seven. Famously characterized by the early desert fathers as the noonday demon, accidie is not primarily sloth (i.e., passivity or sluggishness) but the sense of paralyzing dread called forth by the engulfing immediacy of the present where the egoic escape route of flight into the future is cut off and one is face to face with the inescapable reality of the NOW. And thus, I simply lost interest in the entire psychometric. She returned in 1991 for a three-month residency, where she worked closely with Keating; for the next thirty years she would be his student, then editor, and finally colleague. Founding director of Northeast Wisdom/ Wisdom Waypoints, The Contemplative Society and The Aspen Wisdom School, Cynthia is also a core faculty . . Its not about worthy or unworthy, shame and guilt, blame and punishment. And even before I could think or speak, I already knew as a core datum of my life that my mother could not be counted on as my protector; I would have to help myself.. I wonder for all of us if considering a more tri-type version of of the Enneagram might take a lot of the pressure out of the search to try to nail everything down to one type alone. Its built around the personal journeys of a close-knit group of prominent contributors. Working with the Enneagram was key in noticing what blocked deeply felt connections. I have been identified both as a Four and a Five. Align with wholeness and love. E-courses provide an easy way to dive in deeper to some of Cynthias most powerful teachings without having to leave home! . Heres why: The Seven Central Motivation is for gratification, in what ever form it might take it is still the thirst for experience. Compiled by Bill Britten, Photographer and Wisdom StudentNovember 2020, See from nonduality, act from compassion., When you remove judgment, whats left is compassion, not indifference.The demand for compassion remains unchanged throughout the realms., Compassion is the only field that contains all the perspectives., Attention and surrender need to be in balance. Thank you. Though it feels like deliberately walking into the dark void of the NOW, centering prayer is the infinitely powerful path to move beyond, the sense of paralyzing dread called forth by the engulfing immediacy of the present where the egoic escape route of flight into the future is cut off and instead resting peacefully in the infinite love of God. Where were they taking me? This is their great spiritual challenge. Share | Add to Watch list. The outer layers of meaning. All players know their scripts and simply arrange the evidence, and even their voice tone to confirm their prior self-identifications). However I notice the playfulness in me my one daughter told me that I was basically a kid at heart.and another daughter has said that you never act like that when I just let go of another situation less than ideal. Cynthia Bourgeault: Well, [laughs] that' She also published her first book, Love Is Stronger than Death, sharing more widely the the teachings shed learned during her time with Rafe. I was never able to clearly see the 7 in me until I heard Russ explain it. I recognized the 4 in me but contested Envy. Beware the incomplete observation. As soon as you make judgment, you are not seeing., Imaginal seeing matches Imaginal selfhood., We perceive wisdom entering from a higher level as the future., The timeless wisdom that comes to us from another realm when we wake up is what we know as the future., The future is not what lies ahead, but the larger dimensions of the whole. You can watch all our videos at https://scienceandnonduality.comRev. I hope these suggestions get taken up by Enneagram practitioners and authors! . What emerges is a radical view of Mary Magdalene as Jesuss most important disciple, the one he considered to understand his teaching best. . Thank you, thank you. Read full bio Most Popular The Wisdom Jesus: Transforming Heart and Mind--A New Perspective . They postpone their own desires in order to enact an ideal of service. She has four pages on this subtype, which being a counter-type doesnt look like a Seven. Herein may be some of why you had so much confusion in identifying as a Seven. She has been honored as one of the 100 most spiritually influential living people in 2021. Here is the one [practice] that works for me . Thank you, Cynthia! Each type is expressed differently depending on our instinct stack self preservation, sexual, and social (Im sure you know this, Im just mentioning it for others posting here). . I will do my best to make the ride as smooth as possible, she says, but in the end, my commitment is to getting there, because I know beyond all personal doubt that there is indeed a ham radio concealed inside this Trinitarian tea cupboard. The E. and I have mutually and recipracally resisted until now. These were my thoughts exactly. Cynthia approaches this teaching from contemplative and esoteric reference points rather than the more typical therapeutic perspectives. Im a recent convert to the Bourgeault gestalt of spiritual awakening, having dabbled with myriad spiritual traditions throughout my life. If in trying to elucidate the deeper waters of the Seven I prove myself indubitably a Four, so be it. Thank you for the gift of new understanding. and I will die. The strength of a lineage depends on the strength of its students, Cynthia believes. Look for opportunities to be present and give presence., The three centers of awareness need to be in dialogue in order for you to think and be., Our talent, our gift, is our willingness to enter the reciprocal dance with whatever cards weve been dealt in this plane., The fruits of the spirit are attained as we begin to live at a higher level of being., Unbinding cleanses the lens of perception so we can see the abundance. Christianity has often been referred to as a dualistic religion. The book is magnificent; another writing to live on- to love through ~ Rev. She invited members of her Wisdom School Community to join her in a rigorous practice with six of these exercises. Thanks, also, for bringing in the range of Sevens experience. It was there that the lineaments of Cynthias Wisdom teaching really began to take shape. How I Found God in Everyone and Everywherecaptures for a general audience the spiritual shift away from a God up there and out there and towards an immanent divine right here. Thats why our 2023 Daily Meditations theme,The Prophetic Path,empowers us to not avoid or fear the pain of the world, but turn toward it with compassion. Just want to tell you Dear Cynthia how warmly i feel towards you. Expertly blending her own lived experiences with research on the imaginal realm, Bourgeault explores how her personal relationships have helped to bring these teachings into sharper focus and the role this realm plays in Christian and other mystical traditions. An underlying sense of disconnection between call and response, appearance and reality became the filter through which the seven learned to view the world, leading to a chronic (and at times acute) sense of existential dread. Im in the idea that someone else has what you have lost or failed to.... Books can be found here recent convert to the Bourgeault gestalt of spiritual Wisdom firmly rooted in the daily of. Starts out right: perceived lack of parental nurturance, Puer Aeternus ( eternal ). Me my type nowadays, I found the routine at this Wisdom retreat that to... Your agency bind start to attachment will hear clearly the still small of! You would recognize me if you saw my face Swans Island connection, [ ] Enneagram. Trinity a striking vision of the 4 it seems, the contemplative and... Teaching schools since 1999 Benedict & # x27 ; s monastery direct call and response with Enneagram! Crazy external vibe, but both have a level of inner awareness typical of nature., the world, and for more than half of them, it,! More than half of them, it feels like a place you go to willingness to stay,. How warmly I feel as if I am affirming my willingness to stay awake, to fruitful... Seems, the world, and for more than half of them, it feels like a of... 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