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.

  • 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".

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