Analysis of How the Enneagram Peacemaker Relates to The Strength Tarot Card

Summary of the Enneagram Peacemaker (Type 9)

The Enneagram Type 9, known as the Peacemaker, is a calm, easygoing, and supportive personality type. At their core, Peacemakers value inner peace, harmony, and connection with others. They often avoid conflict and seek to maintain a sense of equilibrium in their environments and relationships. Nines fear disruption, tension, and being separated from others, so they may suppress their own desires and feelings to maintain the peace. Their tendency to go along with others can lead to a lack of assertiveness, making it difficult for them to express their own needs or set boundaries. In interactions, Peacemakers are gentle, accepting, and adaptable, often mediating between conflicting parties. However, their desire for harmony can sometimes cause them to become disengaged from their inner passions and motivations, leading to inertia or complacency. When they are in a balanced state, Nines have the ability to bring people together and create a soothing, harmonious atmosphere. But when unbalanced, they may become passive, disengaged, or avoidant of necessary conflict.

Summary of The Strength Tarot Card

The Strength card in Tarot symbolizes inner fortitude, emotional resilience, and the ability to overcome challenges with patience, courage, and compassion. It is often associated with mastery over one’s emotions, demonstrating a soft but powerful form of strength. Strength represents emotional control, self-discipline, and the ability to confront fears and vulnerabilities with grace and composure. It speaks to the power of gentleness, suggesting that true strength lies not in brute force but in the ability to act with kindness, patience, and understanding. The figure in the card typically demonstrates control over a lion, representing the mastery of raw, untamed energies or impulses. Strength is not about dominance or aggression but about harnessing one’s own inner resources to face challenges with confidence and compassion.

Analysis of How The Strength Card Relates to the Enneagram Peacemaker

1. Emotional Resilience and Patience: The Strength card resonates with the Peacemaker’s ability to remain calm and composed in the face of conflict. While the Peacemaker often avoids confrontation, they have an underlying strength in their capacity to maintain peace and inner calm. However, the Peacemaker may struggle with asserting this strength, preferring to withdraw or avoid rather than confront challenges head-on. The Strength card, in its full potential, would encourage the Peacemaker to embrace a more active role in managing conflict, using their natural patience and emotional resilience to navigate difficult situations rather than avoiding them.
2. Mastery Over Inner Passivity: A key challenge for Peacemakers is their tendency toward passivity and disengagement. The Strength card represents the mastery over one’s own impulses and emotions, suggesting that true strength comes from being able to confront one’s inner reluctance to take action. For the Peacemaker, this might mean overcoming their tendency to “go along to get along” and learning to express their own needs and desires with confidence. The Strength card invites the Peacemaker to tap into their internal courage and find the strength to assert themselves, rather than passively allowing life to unfold around them.
3. Harnessing Compassion as Strength: One of the defining traits of the Strength card is the ability to wield compassion and empathy as a form of power. The Peacemaker naturally excels in this area, using their gentle nature to create harmony and support others. However, the Peacemaker may not always recognize this trait as a form of strength, often undervaluing their own ability to mediate and empathize. The Strength card encourages the Peacemaker to see their compassion not as a weakness but as an essential source of strength that can be used to confront challenges, both internally and in their relationships.
4. Overcoming Avoidance and Facing Difficulties: The Peacemaker’s primary coping mechanism is avoidance, especially when faced with uncomfortable emotions or situations. The Strength card, in its upright form, represents the ability to confront difficult emotions or challenges directly and with grace. For the Peacemaker, this can be a powerful reminder to face the uncomfortable aspects of life rather than retreating into complacency. By embracing the energy of Strength, the Peacemaker can learn to confront their fears and insecurities with more courage and less avoidance.

Summary of Points

In summary, the Strength card offers the Peacemaker valuable lessons about the power of emotional resilience, active engagement, and the mastery of their own impulses. While the Peacemaker is naturally adept at maintaining calm and harmony, they may struggle with assertiveness and confronting conflict head-on. The Strength card encourages them to embrace their inner strength, particularly by overcoming their tendency toward passivity and avoiding difficult emotions. It reminds the Peacemaker that their compassion and patience are powerful tools that can be used to confront challenges and navigate conflict with grace. By tapping into their internal courage, the Peacemaker can step into their full potential, balancing their desire for peace with the strength to actively shape their world and relationships.

Summary of The Strength Tarot Card (Reversed)

The Strength card in the Tarot typically symbolizes courage, emotional resilience, and mastery over one’s inner forces. It suggests strength that comes from patience, compassion, and emotional control rather than brute force. The Strength card in its reversed position, however, takes on a more negative connotation. It can indicate weakness, self-doubt, and a lack of confidence. In its reversed state, the card suggests an inability to face challenges with strength or to master one’s emotions. It can also indicate an inner struggle, where one might feel overwhelmed by fears, insecurities, or a lack of self-discipline. The reversed Strength card may point to difficulty in finding one’s inner power, leading to passivity, avoidance, or an external display of aggression rather than true emotional control.

Analysis of How the Reversed Strength Card Relates to the Enneagram Peacemaker

1. Avoidance of Conflict and Weakness: The Peacemaker’s tendency to avoid conflict aligns with the reversed Strength card, which can represent emotional avoidance or a lack of fortitude in the face of difficulties. Instead of confronting tough situations, the Peacemaker may withdraw or disengage, preferring to numb themselves to emotional challenges. This avoidance can prevent them from developing the inner strength needed to face fears or confront conflict directly, leaving them feeling weak or disempowered.
2. Lack of Self-Assertion: The reversed Strength card can also symbolize self-doubt and an inability to assert oneself. For the Peacemaker, who often struggles with asserting their own needs and desires, this resonates strongly. The Peacemaker may feel as though they lack the internal strength to stand up for themselves or set boundaries, often yielding to others to maintain peace. This can lead to feelings of frustration or being overlooked, as they suppress their own voice to keep things calm and smooth.
3. Overwhelm by Emotions: The reversed Strength card often indicates being overwhelmed by one’s emotions, rather than mastering them. The Peacemaker, while typically good at maintaining composure, may struggle with emotional overwhelm due to their habit of suppressing feelings. When overwhelmed, Nines may feel disconnected from their own emotions, which can lead to inertia or a lack of direction. The Peacemaker’s avoidance of difficult emotions, much like the reversed Strength card, may prevent them from dealing with their inner world effectively, leading to a lack of growth or emotional clarity.
4. Inner Insecurity and Fear of Disconnection: The reversed Strength card reflects a deep sense of inner insecurity or fear of one’s own strength. For the Peacemaker, this manifests as a fear of disconnection or rejection. They often lack confidence in their ability to manage or influence their environment, leading to a passivity that stems from a deep fear of not being good enough or being left behind. This insecurity can paralyze them, making it difficult for them to act with conviction or pursue their desires, further reinforcing the cycle of avoidance and disengagement.

Summary of Points

The reversed Strength card highlights several challenges for the Enneagram Peacemaker, particularly in their ability to assert themselves and face conflict. The Peacemaker’s tendency to avoid confrontation aligns with the weakness and passivity suggested by the reversed card, and their struggles with emotional overwhelm and insecurity are reflected in the card’s themes of self-doubt and emotional imbalances. When the Peacemaker fails to confront difficult emotions or assert their needs, they can feel weak, overwhelmed, or disconnected from their own power. This dynamic of avoiding emotional discomfort and suppressing one’s true feelings can prevent the Peacemaker from realizing their full potential. To embrace the lessons of Strength, the Peacemaker must learn to face challenges head-on, trust in their inner strength, and find the courage to assert themselves, both in their relationships and in the world.