Right Angle Cross of the Sphinx 2

Gate 17 is Following — the Ajna gate of opinions, the logical mind's capacity to form views about what it observes. As the Conscious Sun of the Right Angle Cross of the Sphinx (Quarter 2 variant), Gate 17 is paired with Gate 18 (Correction) on the Earth axis, while the Design axis holds Gates 7 (Role of the Self) and 13 (The Listener). This Quarter 2 Sphinx variant reveals the intellectual dimension of the Sphinx's eternal question: it is the mind's opinions (Gate 17) and corrective impulse (Gate 18) that drive the search for direction, while the deeper design gifts of leadership (Gate 7) and listening (Gate 13) provide the actual navigational wisdom. Gate 17 teaches that opinions are only valuable when they are followed by those who resonate with them — not forced upon others.