Human Design · Spleen center

Gate 48: Depth

Depth of skill, and the fear of not having enough.

When it overshoots

Inadequacy as an identity.

At its best

Depth that shows up when needed.

Carried and open

In a chart that carries it

Carried in the chart, deep skill is available, and trusting it to appear when needed is the work.

In a chart where it is open

An open 48 meets the expert in the room and shrinks a little; curiosity is qualification enough to begin.

When it is in the sky

Depth of knowledge is valued, and so is the fear of not knowing enough.

The six lines

1. Line 1, The InvestigatorDepth needs footings, so learn the basics thoroughly before reaching for the subtle parts.
2. Line 2, The HermitDeep skill surfaces before it is announced, and others sense it before it is ever demonstrated.
3. Line 3, The MartyrThe fear of not knowing enough eases after a few attempts that reveal the depth was there all along.
4. Line 4, The OpportunistDepth is best shared among friends who value it and ask the questions that draw it out.
5. Line 5, The HereticExpertise demanded on the spot is a trap; offering only what is genuinely known keeps the depth honest.
6. Line 6, The Role ModelDepth, kept long enough, becomes a well that other people come to drink from.

Channels through this gate

• The Wavelength · 16-48Talent. Depth and enthusiasm together. Skill built on repetition, expressed with energy. With Gate 16, Skills.

The same figure in the Book of Changes

Gate 48 is hexagram 48, The Well, read by an older tradition.