Hexagram 31 of 64
Influence
咸 (Xián)
Influence (xián) — the field of mutual attraction and resonance
AttractionAs shown in classical I Ching texts
Composition
Upper Trigram
Joyful, open, expressive — the pleasure of exchange and communication
Outer situation / environment
Lower Trigram
Still, keeping, meditative — the power of not-moving
Inner situation / your state
Interaction
Lake above Mountain — marsh meeting peak. The outer energy of lake shapes the inner disposition of mountain.
Meaning
Mutual attraction and influence. The lake rests on the mountain — emptiness draws, receptivity attracts.
Classical Judgment
“Influence. Success. Perseverance furthers. To take a maiden to wife brings good fortune.”
The classical judgment is the original oracle text — the answer the I Ching gives when this hexagram appears.
The Image
A lake on the mountain. The superior one encourages people to approach by their readiness to receive them.
The Image is a nature scene associated with this hexagram — a symbolic picture that distils its essence. In classic texts, meditating on the Image was considered the proper way to absorb the hexagram's teaching.
Nuclear Hexagram
Lines 2–5 of this hexagram form an inner hexagram called the nuclear hexagram. It reveals the hidden seed or underlying dynamic within the situation — what lies at the core beneath the surface.
#44 — Hidden within
Coming to Meet
姤 (Gòu) · Unexpected Encounter
In a Reading
When hexagram 31 appears in your reading, the I Ching is drawing your attention to the quality of attraction. Sit with the Image — “A lake on the mountain” — and consider how this pattern is playing out in your current situation. The Judgment offers the oracle’s direct guidance on how to move with this energy rather than against it.
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