Hexagram 31 of 64
咸 xián
Influence · Attraction
兑 (duì, Lake) above · 艮 (gèn, Mountain) below
The Judgment 卦辞
Two forces draw together naturally — the quiet one below, the joyous one above. Take the lower place: influence works through receptivity, not pursuit.
The Image 大象
The lake above the mountain: influence. The wise person accepts people with an open heart and never shuts them out.
The six lines 爻辞
Each line of 咸 has its own classical text. If a line in your cast is changing, its text is the heart of your reading.
Line 1 · 初六
The tug reaches only the big toe. A first stirring — too slight to act on.
「咸其拇」
Line 2 · 六二
The calf twitches — the urge to move. Acting on it brings misfortune; staying put is good fortune.
「咸其腓，凶，居吉」
Line 3 · 九三
The thigh moves only as the body moves — following automatically. Lead with your own judgment, or regret.
「咸其股，执其随，往吝」
Line 4 · 九四
Steady: good fortune, regret gone. Ceaseless restless scheming wins only those who think like you.
「贞吉悔亡，憧憧往来，朋从尔思」
Line 5 · 九五
The influence reaches the back — below the neck, beyond words. No regret.
「咸其脢，无悔」
Line 6 · 上六
The pull is all in mouth and tongue. Words, words — influence that talks but does not move.
「咸其辅颊舌」
If you drew this in a reading
A favorable pattern. Among the sixty-four patterns, this one belongs to the favorable family: its core movement supports what you would do with it. Favorable does not mean automatic — the hexagram still asks you to hold up your end with steadiness and good faith.
In yes/no questions this hexagram leans yes — the pattern supports proceeding.
The trigrams give the flavor: 兑 (Lake) above — joyous openness — exchange, persuasion, pleasure shared — over 艮 (Mountain) below — keeping still — restraint, meditation, knowing when to stop. Where those two energies meet, 咸 is born.
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