I Ching hexagram 31
I Ching hexagram 31: Attraction
咸 xián · a lake above a mountain
A lake resting on a mountain, each feeding the other: mutual attraction that works when it is quiet and sincere.
- The judgment
- Success. It pays to stay true. Taking a wife brings good fortune.
"Hsien indicates that, (on the fulfilment of the conditions implied in it), there will be free course and success. Its advantageousness will depend on the being firm and correct, (as) in marrying a young lady. There will be good fortune."
- What it says to you
- A lake sits on top of a mountain. The mountain holds the water up, and the water soaks down into the rock: each moves the other without trying. That is attraction at its best, influence that works by being receptive rather than by pushing. The judgment is one of the most cheerful in the book. Success, stay true, and marriage brings good fortune. The lines then move up the body: big toe, calf, thigh, back, jaw. Most are cautions against moving before you are moved. A twitch in the toe goes nowhere; chasing with the thighs brings regret; jaws and tongue are just talk. The fourth line, the heart, says it plainly: be steady, because restless scheming wins over only your friends. So stay open and still, and let the pull go both ways.
Matter by matter
- Love
- Excellent for romance and marriage. Sincere attraction on both sides; let it develop instead of chasing.
- Work
- Influence by listening. Draw allies in; pushy persuasion and empty talk backfire.
- Money
- Partnerships built on mutual benefit go well. Don't rush in on a twitch of excitement.
- A yes or no question
- Yes. The text favors union and promises good fortune, if the feeling runs both ways.
The six lines of Attraction
A hexagram is built from the bottom up, so the first line is the lowest. You read a line's text only when your cast made it a moving line.
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Bottom line, broken
Feeling in the big toe.
The first stir of interest. Something has moved you, but only slightly, and a toe cannot walk anywhere by itself. Notice the feeling without acting on it yet; let it grow or fade.
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Second line, broken
Feeling in the calves. Misfortune. Staying put brings good fortune.
You want to run after this before anything real has moved you. The calves only follow the feet. Moving now goes badly. Stay where you are and wait until you are truly drawn.
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Third line, solid
Feeling in the thighs. Holding fast to whomever you follow. Going on brings regret.
You are being carried along by someone else's impulse, grabbing on and following. Act this way and you will regret it. Pause and ask whether you actually want to go.
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Fourth line, solid
Staying true brings good fortune; regret vanishes. Restless, coming and going, only your friends follow your thoughts.
This is the heart line. If you scheme and fret, trying to sway people, only your closest circle will follow. Be steady and sincere instead, and your influence reaches much farther without effort.
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Fifth line, solid
Feeling in the flesh of the back. No regret.
You are moved in the back, where nothing can sweep you away. This steadiness may feel a little distant, but it keeps you free of regret. Firm, unshakable, slightly aloof, and that is fine.
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Top line, broken
Feeling in the jaws, the cheeks, the tongue.
All talk. You are trying to influence with words alone: charm, flattery, persuasion. Words that are not backed by feeling or action change nothing. Say less and show more.
About hexagram 31
What does I Ching hexagram 31 mean?
Hexagram 31, Attraction, puts a lake above a mountain. A lake resting on a mountain, each feeding the other: mutual attraction that works when it is quiet and sincere. Its judgment reads: Success. It pays to stay true. Taking a wife brings good fortune.
Is hexagram 31 a yes or a no?
Yes. The text favors union and promises good fortune, if the feeling runs both ways.
What does hexagram 31 mean for love?
Excellent for romance and marriage. Sincere attraction on both sides; let it develop instead of chasing.
What does hexagram 31 mean for work?
Influence by listening. Draw allies in; pushy persuasion and empty talk backfire.
Cast the coins for a new question , or for a straight yes or no, throw the moon blocks
The I Ching reads a moment. For the years of your own life, cast your birth chart; on your chart page you can ask three questions of your own, answered against it, for $2.99.
The judgment and lines are rendered from the Chinese text; the quoted judgment is Legge's 1882 translation, and every other English line is Jade Almanac's own. A cast is a prompt for reflection, not advice about health, money or the law.