  Within the context of finding the initial conditions of the universe we
consider gravitational instantons falling into the Bianchi IX classification.
That is, a Euclidean four-manifold with a metric that satisfies Einstein's
equations with an induced metric on S^3 submanifolds that is homogeneous but
anisotropic. As well as finding regular solutions to the field equations with a
tunnelling scalar field, we also look at the case of singular instantons with a
view to applying the results to generic potentials. The study is in agreement
with the prejudice that instantons with higher symmetry have a lower Euclidean
action, even when we consider the singular class of solutions. It is also found
that the Euclidean action can diverge for simple potentials, showing that the
Hawking Turok instanton had finite action owing to its symmetry.
