31. Influence

The judgment

Legge

亨，利貞，取女吉。

Upon fulfillment of the conditions implied in Initiative, there will be free course and success. Advantage depends upon firm correctness, as in marrying a young lady. Good fortune.

The six lines

line 1 is at the bottom

1. Line 1Yin

   咸其拇。

   There's an underlying energy in the atmosphere, possibly signaling the start of an enticing attraction or a new idea. Regardless, it holds little weight until substantial efforts are made to bring it to fruition.

2. Line 2Yin

   咸其腓，凶，居吉。

   You may feel an urge to act without fully understanding your purpose, akin to sleepwalking. It's wise to refrain from action until you gain clarity; otherwise, you risk getting into trouble.

3. Line 3Yang

   咸其股，執其隨，往吝。

   You need to exercise self-control. Avoid acting impulsively to sway others or indulge your whims, as this could lead to embarrassment. Set personal boundaries while you work on developing self-discipline.

4. Line 4Yang

   貞吉悔亡，憧憧往來，朋從爾思。

   Your desire to influence someone or something is heightened. Avoid being scheming or manipulative. Instead, express your beliefs openly and consistently, as this will help you achieve your objectives.

5. Line 5Yang

   咸其脢，无悔。

   Reflect on how deeply your influence extends to the outside world. Those with strong inner conviction can effect significant change, while those with superficial roots struggle to make an impact.

6. Line 6Yin

   咸其輔、頰、舌。

   Words alone carry little weight. Ideas without action are meaningless. What steps are you taking?

When this hexagram changes

These are the moves that have come up most often in readings. Each page keeps the book text.

• 31.5,6 to 56
• 31.1,3,5 to 51
• 31.4,6 to 53
• 31.4,5 to 15
• 31.1,2 to 43
• 31.2,3,4,5 to 7
• 31.1,2,3,4,5 to 19
• 31.1,3,4,6 to 42

Sharing a trigram

• ䷃4. Inexperience蒙
• ䷎15. Temperance謙
• ䷐17. Following隨
• ䷙26. Controlled Power大畜
• ䷛28. Critical Mass大過
• ䷠33. Retreat遯