Hexagram 31 line 4: Influence, yang in the fourth place

What changes when line 4 moves

Line 4 of Hexagram 31 is yang, a solid line. When it is cast as old yang (a 9) it flips, and the hexagram becomes Hexagram 39, Obstruction: Water on the mountain, a dangerous ravine ahead: the obstacle is real, and the way is to turn and seek help.

Read together, the reading moves from Influence toward Obstruction. Mutual attraction: influence that works because it is felt, not forced, and the courtship that follows. 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 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 39 →

Line 4 in context

Love & relationships

Quiet the heart; a calm influence reaches further than an anxious one. 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

Quiet the heart; a calm influence reaches further than an anxious one. 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

Quiet the heart; a calm influence reaches further than an anxious one. 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

Quiet the heart; a calm influence reaches further than an anxious one. 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.