Hexagram 31 line 2: Influence, yin in the second place

What changes when line 2 moves

Line 2 of Hexagram 31 is yin, a broken line. When it is cast as old yin (a 6) it flips, and the hexagram becomes Hexagram 28, Great Excess: A ridgepole bending under too much weight: an extraordinary situation that demands extraordinary, careful action.

Read together, the reading moves from Influence toward Great Excess. Mutual attraction: influence that works because it is felt, not forced, and the courtship that follows. Wind below, lake above: the lake rising over the trees. Four strong lines in the middle, two weak at the ends: a beam too heavy for its supports. 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.

Hexagram 31 changing to 28 →

Line 2 in context

Love & relationships

You want to move; do not. Wait for the real pull. 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

You want to move; do not. Wait for the real pull. 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

You want to move; do not. Wait for the real pull. 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

You want to move; do not. Wait for the real pull. 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.