The Adult Types

The Adult Types

From ‘A Question of Presence’ by Sergio Antonio

The Saturn Type

Following the circulation of the enneagram, after 1-4-2 we cross to the left side of the symbol, to reach point 8. The planets considered so far, all on the right side of the enneagram and all internal in their orbit with respect to the earth (that is, orbiting between the earth and the sun) are “child” planets, still in the earlier phase of their development. The planets we will consider from now on, on the left side and external in their orbit around the sun, are “adult” planets. They are larger, with their own satellites; they are at a more advanced stage of life. Saturn was the oldest of the Greek gods, said to have reigned before Jupiter. The planet is amplified by its famous rings, which (if they are counted) make it the largest planet. It is a positive and active type. The Saturn type is among the easiest to recognize. It is usually taller than average, with a pronounced bone structure. The temples, the jaw, the bones of the hands, are large and quite noticeable. Since the planet is very large, the gland receptive to it is very small: the anterior pituitary. The pituitary is a tiny two-lobed gland located at the base of the brain; it has a governing function with respect to the other endocrine glands. For this reason the Saturn type tends to be a leader. Slow and pensive, thoughtful and attracted to large-scale concepts and long-term forecasts, Saturn is the father figure of the enneagram. Often we will see Saturns surrounded by their “satellites” (just like their parent planet), people who listen to them with respect. Not infrequently Saturns take the leading role within companies and organizations. It’s good to remember that, even if this sounds like the description of a successful person—and certainly not all Saturns are successful people—we are still speaking of mechanical characteristics. No one type is better or worse than another. Knowing one's type means knowing the shape of one's prison, from which one must escape. The weakness or feature of the Saturn is dominance, a form of indirect control over the surrounding environment. The Saturn does not do a thing directly: he or she states that something ought to be done . . . and usually, someone does it. A famous Saturn conscious man is Abraham Lincoln.

The Martial Type

Let's move down to point 5 of the enneagram and meet the Martial type. Mars, as we know, is the god of war. The endocrine glands that receive the influence of this planet are the adrenals, placed above the kidneys and responsible for the “fight or flight” reaction in perceived emergency situations. War, of course, but also competition, emergency, stress. The Martial type is in fact the prototype of the warrior. Strong, not very tall, with broad chest and thin legs, not infrequently with red hair and freckles, or with a hair color different from the prevailing color: dark in the Nordic countries, blond in the south. It’s an active and negative type. Its competitive energy leads the Martial to accept challenges and talk to others very directly, in no uncertain terms. The type can have great physical stamina, endurance, and determination, and succeed in feats that others have decreed impossible. Martials don’t complain; they just go forward. Those drawn to careers in the military, in sports, in business often have Martial components. Gurdjieff was partly a Martial type, and managed to survive through wars and revolutions, and bring his family and his students through them, too. One of the chief features or weaknesses for this type is power. Often Martials will do things that are the responsibility of others, taking over because, “Someone had to do it,” or, “If I didn't do it who knows what mess they would have made,” or, “It was taking them forever to do it.” The Anglo-Saxon nations—English and American—abound in Saturn Mars types. American action movies are full of straightforward Martial heroes (while the slippery bad guys are often Mercurial). The red planet has two moons, called Phobos and Deimos, meaning Fear and Panic. This leads us to the second feature or weakness of this type of essence: fear. The adrenal glands secrete adrenaline, which is responsible both for aggressive behavior and for panic-stricken flight, the lion and the gazelle. We can see this type in Ludwig Van Beethoven.

The Jovial Type

Together with the Saturn, the Jovial type is among the easiest to recognize. In this the two types resemble the corresponding planets. If you want to practice identifying types, start with these two. If we don’t consider Saturn’s rings, Jupiter is the largest planet. Massive, with a thick and colorful atmosphere, and loaded with satellites, Jupiter is in the full maturity of planetary development. The Jovial type is big and round, too; it tends to be rather large, to have a belly, round head, round nose—not infrequently topped by spectacles, also round. Jovial men often go bald early, as can be seen in the classical images of Medieval and Renaissance religious figures. Another aspect that makes Jovials clearly visible is their passion for brightly colored clothing. The gland that influences this type also links it to the Saturn type: it is the other lobe of the pituitary, the posterior. The Jovial type is positive and passive. It can radiate an intense human warmth, and has a great capacity for emotionally understanding others. Jovials can be an excellent counselors, psychologists, or ethical guides. They are an eclectic type, with many areas of expertise and knowledge, which they tend to be passionate about for a while and then let go. They are often quite talented in languages and music. Both Gurdjieff and Ouspensky were partly Jovial (Gurdjieff was Mars-Jovial, Ouspensky Jovial-Lunar; we’ll talk later about mixed types). You can see Jovials in all their glory if they invite you to dinner. They love playing host, providing the cuisine, the wine, and the learned and entertaining conversation. “Be my guest" is the phrase that best represents them. If the Saturn is the father of the enneagram, the Jovial is the mother. Although passive, this is a mature type, and takes care of others from the point of view of parent, counselor, protector. Like their corresponding planet, Jovials have many satellites, people whom they help and nourish and who in return surround them gratefully and are attentive to their advice. The chief features or weaknesses are two: vanity (to which no human being is immune), the erroneous tendency to believe oneself to be at the center of the world; and greed, or the compulsion to surround oneself with too many things: clothes, objects, food, wine, lovers (think of all the adulterous relationships the god Jupiter had with goddesses and humans). Often Jovials live well above their means, and are particularly greedy around food. The Jovial’s plate may have twice as much food on it as anyone else’s, but somehow one tends to accept this as the natural course of things. The popular prototypical representation of this type is Santa Claus. In many representations of the Buddha we glimpse a Jovial machine. Benjamin Franklin and Johann Sebastian Bach are conscious beings belonging to this type.

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Image: The Scheme of the Universe, from ‘The Theory of Celestial Influence’ by Rodney Collin