UniTee, 2007
The inspiration for this recycled T-shirt comes from the history and interpretation of the 9-pointed star through Bahá'í faith, the Enneagram, and Shamanism. Each Uni-Tee is unique and comes with a personalized reading which explores some of these principles adapted to the wearer's own life (similar to a Tarot reading).
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Bahá'í faith
The 9 pointed star is a symbol used in the Bahá'í faith, a religion founded in the 19th century in Persia, as a symbol of unity and perfection because of the association with the number 9. Arabic uses a system of Abjad numerals, which attaches numerical values to letters and words. The numerical value of Bahá’ is 9. Three core principles of Bahá'í teachings relate the unity of god, the unity of religion, and the unity of mankind. This is an oversimplification, Bahá'ís believe in a single, imperishable God, the creator of all things, including all the creatures and forces in the universe. God is described as "a personal God, unknowable, inaccessible, the source of all Revelation, eternal, omniscient, omnipresent and almighty." The Bahá'í teachings state that there is but one religion which is progressively revealed by God, through prophets/messengers, to mankind as humanity matures and its capacity to understand also grows. The outward differences in the religions, the Bahá'í writings state, are due to the exigencies of the time and place the religion was revealed. The Bahá'í Faith emphasizes the unity of humanity transcending all divisions of race, nation, gender, caste, and social class, while celebrating its diversity. These understandings along with an outline of the 9 following core principles give a better understanding of the Bahá'í faith: Gender Equality, Elimination of all forms of prejudice, World peace, Harmony of religion and science, Independent investigation of truth, Universal compulsory education, Universal auxiliary language, Obedience to government and non-involvement in partisan politics, Elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty. Through these core principle understandings, one can get a sense of the depth of knowledge and truth through the revolutionary understanding and necessity to transcend social, racial, and engendered prejudices.
The Enneagram
According to Enneagram of Personality theory the points of the Enneagram figure indicate a number of ways in which nine principal ego-archetypal forms or types of human personality (also often called "Enneatypes") are psychologically connected. People of each Enneatype are usually referred to after the number of the point on the Enneagram figure (Eights, Fours, Sixes etc.) that indicates their particular psychological space and 'place' of connection to the other types. They are also often given names that suggest some of their more distinctive archetypal characteristics. Brief descriptions of the nine Enneatypes are as follows:
Ones: Reformers, Critics, Perfectionists
People of this personality type are focused on personal integrity. Ones can be wise, discerning and inspiring in their quest for the truth. They also tend to dissociate themselves from their flaws or what they believe are flaws (such as negative emotions) and can become hypocritical and hyper-critical of others, seeking the illusion of virtue to hide their own vices. The greatest fear of Ones is to be flawed and their ultimate goal is perfection.
Twos: Helpers, Givers, Caretakers
Twos, at their best, are compassionate, thoughtful and astonishingly generous but they can also be particularly prone to clinginess and manipulation. Twos want, above all, to be loved and needed and fear being unworthy of love.
Threes: Achievers, Performers, Succeeders
Highly adaptable and changeable. Some Threes walk the world with confidence and unstinting authenticity; others wear a series of public masks, acting the way they think will bring them approval and losing track of their true self. Threes are motivated by the need to succeed and to be seen as successful.
Fours: Romantics, Individualists, Artists
Fours are driven by the desire to understand themselves and find a place in the world. They often fear that they have no identity or personal significance. Fours embrace individualism and are often profoundly creative and intuitive. However, they have a habit of withdrawing to internalize, searching desperately inside themselves for something they never find and creating a spiral of depression.
Fives: Observers, Thinkers, Investigators
Fives are motivated by the desire to understand the world around them, specifically in terms of facts. Believing they are only worth what they contribute, Fives have learned to withdraw, to watch with keen eyes and speak only when they can shake the world with their observations. Sometimes they do just that. However, some Fives are known to withdraw from the world, becoming reclusive hermits and fending off social contact with abrasive cynicism. Fives fear incompetency or uselessness and want to be capable and knowledgeable above all else.
Sixes: Loyalists, Devil's Advocates, Defenders
Sixes long for stability above all else. They exhibit unwavering loyalty and responsibility, but once betrayed, they are slow to trust again. They are particularly prone to fearful thinking and emotional anxiety as well as reactionary and paranoid behavior. Sixes tend to react to their fears either in a phobic manner by avoiding fearful situations or by confronting them in a counter phobic manner.
Sevens: Enthusiasts, Adventurers, Sensationalists
Sevens are adventurous and busy with many activities with all the energy and enthusiasm of the Puer Aeternus. At their best they embrace life for its varied joys and wonders and truly live in the moment but, at their worst, they dash frantically from one new experience to another, too scared of disappointment to actually enjoy themselves. Sevens fear being unable to provide for themselves or to experience life in all of its richness.
Eights: Leaders, Protectors, Challengers
Eights value their own strength and desire to be powerful and in control. They concern themselves with self-preservation. They are natural leaders, who can be either friendly and charitable or dictatorially manipulative, ruthless and willing to destroy anything in their way. Eights seek control over their own lives and destinies and fear being harmed or controlled by others.
Nines: Mediators, Peacemakers, Preservationists
Nines are ruled by their empathy. At their best they are perceptive, receptive, gentle, calming and at peace with the world. They also, however, tend to dissociate from conflicts and to indifferently go along with others people's wishes. They may also simply withdraw and act via inaction. They fear the conflict caused by their ability to simultaneously understand opposing points of view and seek peace of mind above all else. Nines are especially prone to dissociation and passive-aggressive behavior.
Shamanism and Animal Totems
A shaman works to reconnect conscious human life with nature and spirit through animal totems. The image of the animal helps to transcend the normal waking consciousness so that one can more easily attune to the ethereal realms of being. Through the use of animal imagery, we can learn about ourselves and the invisible world. One does not have to believe that these images and totems are beings of great intelligence, but there are archetypal powers that reside behind and oversee all manifestations in Nature. These archetypes have their own qualities and characteristics which are reflected through the behaviors and activities of animals and other expressions in Nature. By discovering your animal totem, studying it and then learning to merge with it, you will be able to call its energy forth whenever needed. You will be able to connect with specific archetypal forces and patterns through the animal and understand the patterns of your own life more effectively. When you pay attention to and acknowledge a nature totem, you are honoring the totem and the essence that lies behind it.
The Design – A reading
The Shirt has several layers incorporating these ideas and expounding upon them to create another perspective. The 9 pointed star is comprised of 3 triangles, 3 x 3 = 9. The power of 3 in magic and occult is very strong, it is a sign of luck and power indivisible. Each triangle relates a different element of ones relations to oneself, the world, and others. Each person falls within different elements of each triangle relating to the different aspects and characteristics of each point in degrees. The first triangle relates with the core of your being through an understanding of the child, the parent, and the spirit (mind, body, soul). The child represents the ability to absorb information and growth. The parent represents the ability to nurture and teach. The spirit represents where we are going and a deeper sense of self. The second triangle relates to the second tier, the self relating to the world, where elements of power, surrender, and intimacy guide us. You cannot have power without surrender, and vice versa, each relating to a core understanding of intimacy and development in personal relationships, societal, business, ect.. The third triangle is just one variation of the possibilities of how we relate to others by exploring the dynamics of our own desires through sex, love, and creativity. Drawings of 9 animals by Carlo Quispe represent certain elements explored in this star configuration.