I Ching · Hexagram 31 Influence
Hexagram 31 line 1: Influence, yin in the first place

I Ching 31.1
The influence shows itself in the big toe.
The first faint stirring of attraction or intention, in the part of the body that moves first. Nothing has happened yet and nothing should. The line notices the impulse and does not act on it.
Advice. Notice the first stirring; it is not yet a reason to move.
What changes when line 1 moves
Line 1 of Hexagram 31 is yin, a broken line. When it is cast as old yin (a 6) it flips, and the hexagram becomes Hexagram 49, Revolution: The moulting of a skin: a necessary, well-timed change that is believed only once it is done.
Read together, the reading moves from Influence toward Revolution. Mutual attraction: influence that works because it is felt, not forced, and the courtship that follows. Fire below, lake above: fire and water in conflict, each trying to destroy the other, like two daughters who cannot share a house. Revolution describes fundamental change, the kind that cannot be reformed into existence and must be made. The primary hexagram describes the situation; the changing line is the point of movement in it; the resulting hexagram is where that movement leads. Both hexagrams belong to the reading, and the changing line is the hinge between them.
Line 1 in context
- Love & relationships
- Notice the first stirring; it is not yet a reason to move. In love and relationships, Hexagram 31 reads: 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.
- Career
- Notice the first stirring; it is not yet a reason to move. In career, Hexagram 31 reads: 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.
- Money
- Notice the first stirring; it is not yet a reason to move. In money, Hexagram 31 reads: 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.
- A decision
- Notice the first stirring; it is not yet a reason to move. In decisions, Hexagram 31 reads: 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.
Cast your own reading
The topic is pre-selected. The hexagram is not: the coins decide it.
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