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Salvation in the wings

The gifts and temptations of home base, and the gifts and temptations of its two wings, all emerge from similar combinations of head and heart and gut influences – the origin of the ‘wings’ phenomenon. Superficially they can be very different – but their shared origins mean that they can interact in powerful ways. The gifts in the wings can ‘come to the rescue’ – ‘salvation in the wings’ – while the temptations in the wings can all too easily lead to a fall.

For NINE, for example, the temptation toward idleness can be overcome by the idealism at ONE and by the world-challenging determination at EIGHT. The idealism and the challenging determination can also enhance NINE’s own natural gifts of peacemaking and reconciliation. But NINE needs to avoid having the temptation toward idleness enhanced by the temptations toward arrogance at EIGHT and anger at ONE.

In the same way, ONE’s descent into a perfectionist’s anger can be averted by the calmness of NINE and the compassion of TWO. The calmness and the compassion can also enhance ONE’s own natural gifts of patience and idealism. ONE just needs to avoid having anger enhanced by obstinacy at NINE or pride at TWO.

TWO’s descent into pride can be averted by the idealistic integrity of ONE and the broadly focused gentleness of THREE – both of which can also enhance TWO’s own gifts of a self-giving generosity. TWO just needs to avoid the potential judgmentalism of ONE and competitiveness of THREE, either of which could enhance TWO’s own temptation toward a self-important pride.

THREE’s temptation is a self-protective and competitive deceit. Waiting in the wings are the self-giving of TWO and the creative sensitivity of FOUR – both of which can help THREE to avoid that temptation, and instead develop THREE’s gifts of gentleness and hope and inspiration – although THREE needs to avoid letting the pride of TWO or the envy of FOUR add to the original temptation.

FOUR can be tempted to withdraw from the world – but waiting in the THREE wing are gifts for relating to and enriching the lives of others. FOUR can be tempted to look at the world with envy – but waiting in the FIVE wing is a more objective view of the lives that other people live. The gifts in the wings can even help develop FOUR’s own gift of creativity – potentially a gift to inspire others, and containing seeds of wisdom. FOUR only needs to avoid having its temptation toward envy compounded instead by THREE’s temptation for making a false self-presentation to the world, or FIVE’s temptation toward isolation and hoarding.

FIVE can find encouragement to engage with the world – sharing accumulated wisdom rather than withdrawing from the world – in FOUR’s heart-influenced creativity and empathy, and in the steady loyal group faithfulness of SIX – carefully avoiding the envy of FOUR and the cowardice of SIX, which might instead enhance the tendency to isolation.

The cowardice of SIX can be overcome, and the loyal faithfulness of SIX enhanced, by calling on the objective discerning wisdom of FIVE, and the brightness and joy of SEVEN – while taking care to avoid the isolation or stinginess of FIVE and the occasional recklessness of SEVEN, both of which may serve as covers for SIXish fear.

SEVEN’s excess can be avoided by the steadiness of SIX – and SEVEN’s assertion of joy in the face of pain can be enhanced by the assertiveness of EIGHT. SEVEN only needs to avoid the temptations in the wings: SIXish cowardice encouraging SEVEN to hide in a fog of excess, or EIGHTish arrogance and aggression encouraging SEVEN to challenge the world with offensive excess instead of SEVEN’s real challenge – which is defeating pain with assertive thanksgiving and positive choices.

And finally EIGHT’s temptation to arrogance can be deflated by finding the calmness of NINE and the good humor of SEVEN, opening up a way to work for justice and fairness – ideally without the stubbornness of NINE or the excess of SEVEN along the way.

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