The most transformative tools for self-discovery that I have encountered on my journey so far are revealed in this blog post. Each will help you gain greater self-awareness as you unpack your personality, strengths, ways of seeing the world, motivations, learning preferences, astrological chart and more. This provides a foundational basis of understanding that can springboard you into living a life that is in alignment with your highest self. You may weave connections between each to create an intricately supportive web of inner knowing. Your intuition will tell you what rings true.
- Co-Star
You might have been asked if you have this app by a friend – or special friend 😉 – who’s into astrology. Astrology puts our temporary bodies in context with the vastness of our universe. Celestial bodies, particularly the stars and planets, are believed to influence earthly and human events and so can be used as a method of divination and forecasting. By inputting the exact time you were born, Co-Star reveals your astrological chart. This includes in-depth information about the signs and their houses. It also generates daily insights and updates based on a powerful natural-language engine that combines NASA data with the methods of professional astrologers to algorithmically generate insights. If you have added friends on the app, it throws them in with your daily updates too. You can also check out your compatibility with friends or partners and better understand which areas you are in flow and which ones you might need to work on to be able to respect each other’s perspective. Popular for a reason, Co-Star it is a great gateway to understanding astrology, yourself and others. Download the app here.
2. The Pattern
This app is kind of like Co-Star’s mature older sister. Unlike Co-Star and other astrology apps, The Pattern doesn’t mention sun signs or aspects. It instead opts for user-friendly language based on “Personality Passages” that read more like a Myer-Briggs result (the next self discovery tool we will address). These passages are split up into three main sections: Foundation, development and relationships. Each has two subsections that provide a total of six aspects of your personality which are revealed to you in depth with eery accuracy. The next aspect of the app is “Your Timing”. This breaks down cycles in your life based on current astronomical positions in the solar system. Each cycle entry includes a series of slides that explain the ways your life may be impacted by a cycle. A question is posed alongside this for introspection. In addition to the exploration of your personal profile, you can add friends or significant others to evaluate your compatibility. You can even find out your compatibility with public figures (ahem, Harry Styles)! Since downloading it, I am constantly taking screenshots of the in-depth slides due to their astonishing accuracy!
3. Myer-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
An incredibly popular personality test used in workplaces and beyond, the MBTI is based on Carl Jung’s and Isabel Briggs Myers’ typological approach to personality. It is an introspective self-report questionnaire that indicates different psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. This generates a series of four letters corresponding with four categories: I or E, for introverted vs extroverted; N or S, for intuition versus sensing; F or T, for feeling versus thinking; and J or P, for judging versus perceiving. Your type, such as “INFJ” or “ESFP”, provides information about your personality, strengths, communication and learning style, career preferences, and the way you may show up in relationships. You can even explore famous personalities that share your personality type. When I first discovered this tool in high school, I was blown away by the way it seemed to understand me better than I knew myself! It has been such a valuable tool for self-discovery and has guided me to make decisions in alignment with my authentic self for a happier life. It is also a great tool for understanding how different people work. Take the test for free here.
4. Enneagram
The Enneagram is an archetypal framework that uncovers the patterns of behaviour that subconsciously drive and motivate us to act in certain ways. By becoming aware of these patterns and motivations, we can take responsibility for our behaviour and develop more supportive ways of being. The Enneagram consists of nine main Enneagram types (such as “the enthusiast” and “the reformer”), 18 wings, three subtypes and Triadic styles. Rather than putting you in a box, the Enneagram opens a door to self-discovery and awareness. It also offers insights into your strengths, what may be holding you back and how to step into your power to live in alignment with your higher self. Find out your Enneagram type here!
5. Human Design
The last self-discovery tool that I will recommend is the Human Design Chart, also called a BodyGraph. It guides you to live in synchronicity with the unique person that you are by understanding how your energy is designed to “mechanically” navigate the world. When you are aligned with your mechanics, you can use your unique gifts and strengths to live out your purpose. Human Design draws on quantum physics, human genetics, the Chinese I’Ching, Jewish Kabbalah, the Hindu Chakra system and astrology. The four main aura types that each have their own Strategy are manifestor (and manifesting-generator), generator, projector and reflector. By understanding your strategy, you are able to work with your natural energy instead of against it. The other main component of Human Design is your inner Authority. This is essentially your inner knowing or intuition. Human Design gets even more specific and maps exactly where in your body that authority lies. You could have an emotional authority, sacral authority, splenic authority, environment authority, self-projected authority, lunar cycle authority or ego authority. However, Human Design dives much deeper than this. It delves into your profile; energy centres, both open and closed; gates; channels; nodal definition and incarnation cross. Intrigued? Explore your unique BodyGraph here.
6. Numerology
Numerology is often a little less known. It is based on the understanding that the universe is a system; one that can be broken down into the basic elements of numbers. Numerologists can therefore break down elements of a person (such as a date of birth and full name) into meaningful numbers through various methods. The meaning of numbers can then be used to help us better understand the world and ourselves as individuals with regard to purpose and personality traits. By tapping into numerology, you can work out your life path number, expression number, heart’s desire number and much more. I resonated strongly with my lifepath number of 1. This denotes a number of inspiration, healing and creativity with trail-blazing energy. Click here to calculate your own lifepath number! Like the other tools discussed in this blog post, it is a wonderful tool for heightened awareness of self.
