Hexagram 31 changing to 39: Influence to Obstruction

Where it starts: 31 Influence

Mutual attraction: influence that works because it is felt, not forced, and the courtship that follows. Mountain below, lake above: the still mountain with the lake resting on its summit, the strong below the gentle, the two drawn together. Influence is the hexagram of attraction between people, and its structure is the whole argument: the strong yields its place, the gentle is above, and the two are joined by feeling that neither commands. The tradition's judgement is that success comes with persistence and that to take a wife brings good fortune. The reading says an attraction is real and mutual, and its lines trace the difference between influence that arises in the heart and influence that is merely restless movement in the toes, the calves, the tongue.

Where it goes: 39 Obstruction

Water on the mountain, a dangerous ravine ahead: the obstacle is real, and the way is to turn and seek help. Mountain below, water above: a steep mountain with a treacherous stream at its top, an obstacle that cannot be walked through. Obstruction differs from Difficulty at the Beginning: this obstacle is outside you, in the terrain, and it is not passable by persistence alone. The tradition's judgement gives directions: the southwest furthers, the northeast does not, it furthers to see the great person, and persistence brings good fortune. The southwest is the open plain; the reading says to turn toward the easy ground, to seek allies and advice, and above all to turn inward and examine oneself, which the image names as the response to obstruction.

The lines that move

1. Line 4

   Persistence brings good fortune; remorse disappears. If one is agitated and lets thoughts go to and fro, only those friends one deliberately thinks of will follow.

   The heart itself, and the line at the centre of the hexagram. Influence that comes from a quiet, steady heart reaches everyone; influence from an agitated one reaches only those it aims at. Stillness is the wider reach. Quiet the heart; a calm influence reaches further than an anxious one.

What is changing. The situation of Influence is moving toward Obstruction. Be receptive; let influence arise from real feeling rather than from pressure or talk. As the change completes: Turn toward the open ground, seek help, and use the block to examine yourself.

love and relationships

Now: The reading for love itself: genuine mutual attraction. Let it work at its own pace. The lines warn against pushing with the body before the heart has spoken, and against influencing by talk. Receptivity is what draws the other person. Then: An obstacle between you that cannot be bulldozed. Stop pushing, look at your own part in it, and bring in help or perspective from outside. The lines repeatedly favour turning back to gather allies over going forward alone.

career

Now: Influence that comes from openness rather than pressure. People approach a person who is receptive. Persuade by listening. The reading favours partnerships and alliances that form naturally. Then: A real block. Do not attack it head-on. Turn to easier ground, seek advice from someone experienced, and use the pause to work on yourself. The reading treats the obstruction as an occasion for growth rather than a failure.

money

Now: Attraction of the right people and opportunities through openness and good faith. Not the time to push a deal; the time to be approachable and let it come. Beware of influence exercised through mere talk. Then: Blocked. Move toward the easier, more open option rather than the difficult one, take advice, and do not throw resources at the obstacle. Persistence is favoured, force is not.

decisions

Now: Decide by what you feel drawn to, once you have distinguished the deep pull from the restless one. The reading supports commitment where the attraction is mutual and calm. Then: Choose the option that goes around, not through: the open plain, not the ravine. Bring in help. If a decision can wait until you have examined your own role in the block, let it.