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Hexagram 31: Influence

䷞ 咸 (Xián) · Influence. Mutual attraction; stay open and sincere.

attraction, openness, courtship, mutuality

Lower trigram: Mountain ☶ · Upper trigram: Lake ☱

The judgment

Two forces draw each other in and are moved by each other. Real influence works through openness and gentleness, not pressure. Stay sincere and receptive, and a bond formed this way is a good one, in love as elsewhere.

The image

A lake rests on top of a mountain: the mountain holds the water and the water nourishes the mountain. Keep a space open in yourself so others feel welcome to come near.

The six lines

Read only the lines that changed in your casting, counting from the bottom.

• Line 1 (bottom): The stirring is felt in your big toe; a wish is there but not yet visible to anyone. Notice it without acting on it yet.
• Line 2: The urge to move reaches your calves. Running ahead now would be a mistake; waiting brings good fortune.
• Line 3: The pull reaches your thighs, and you chase whatever moves you or whoever tugs you along. Acting on every impulse leads to regret.
• Line 4: Now the heart is moved. Steady sincerity wins out; if you scheme and fret, you reach only the few people you are deliberately trying to win.
• Line 5: The influence settles in the back of your neck, firm and unmoved. You won't be swayed and won't go wrong, though you won't move others much either.
• Line 6 (top): This time the stirring goes no further than the mouth. Talk alone, however clever, changes very little.

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