After clearing a few basics of Vertegram’s approach to personal development, let’s dwell upon some details. The Vertegram has two major pillars. They represent the essence of this system. Around these two pillars this system is built. Both are giving you leads in understanding and realization. The more familiar you’ll become with them, the more easily you develop the basic skills needed for actual self transformation.

Let’s see these two major ingredients in more details.

Transforming yourself until you reach completeness is a creative process. You are recreating yourself, you are developing new visions, discovering unseen potentials. For this work to be productive, you will need both reliable tools and efficient skills.

1. Enneagram is the tool

The enneagram is a symbol. It is a graphical representation based on the properties of the number nine. This is stated in its name, in Greek ‘ennea’ means nine, ‘gramma’ means drawing.

Actually, there are two ways this symbol has been propagated and is known today:

• The enneagram of the 9 personality types
• The enneagram of process

The enneagram of the 9 types is very popular. There is so much quality information you can find on this that I will not write any introductory articles on it (although I am quite tempted – sic!). This system is a must learn for all who are really after understanding themselves. On this blog you will find many new approaches to this system of personality typology, as results of my personal experiences with it.

The enneagram of process is sort of a stepchild of the symbol. Although this was the first in time in terms of enneagram’s appearances, very few have heard of it at all, even less of those know how to use it. We’ll try to fill that gap on the Vertegram blog.

2. Vertical thinking is the skill

Vertical thinking is the most ancient approach to self transformation. The principle of analogies is its foundation, myths and symbols are its expressions.

The principle of analogy states that “by virtue of his microcosmic nature, man is son of the firmament or macrocosm”. The whole and its parts are mutually necessary and each implies the other.

Vertical thinking was rediscovered for us by Carl Gustav Jung. Jung’s analytical psychology is a scientific actualization of the vertical thinking.

Although I will try to avoid pseudoscientific pretensions, the holistic approach to personal development which I believe in, relies heavily on empirical symbolic systems such as astrology.

Play a little game with me

Vertical thinking it’s easier than it seems. Let’s see something simple.

One of the most obvious pattern for analogies if you look out on the window is the Sun. It is present on so many levels of our life. Think about it. Picture it in your body for example. Think of the Sun as present somewhere in your body. Where do you recognize it? Do you see some part of your body resembling the Sun? Take a look at your eye in the mirror. Your pupil is just like the Sun. Goethe said, that if our eye would not resemble the sun, we could not see the light. Poetic, but nonetheless a simple statement of the principle of analogies. The Sun is also located in your solar plexus, also called celiac plexus, in your abdomen. This is the place where hunger shows up, where you feel the inner heat and burning.

Continuing this exercise, can you give other examples of analogies for the Sun? Anywhere in the outer world, outside yourself, where do you recognize resemblances of the Sun?

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