Hexagram 49 changing to 31: Revolution to Influence

Where it starts: 49 Revolution

The moulting of a skin: a necessary, well-timed change that is believed only once it is done. 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 tradition's judgement is careful: on your own day you are believed; supreme success; persistence furthers; remorse disappears. Change of this order is not trusted in advance. It is justified by being the right change at the right time, made by the right person, and it is believed afterwards. The reading says the old form has to go, and it insists on timing, preparation and legitimacy.

Where it goes: 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.

The lines that move

1. Line 1

   Wrapped in the hide of a yellow cow.

   Restraint at the start of a time of change. The yellow cow is docility and the mean; wrapping oneself in it means not moving until the moment is right. The line warns against a premature move even when change is certainly coming. Hold still; the change is coming but its moment is not here.

What is changing. The situation of Revolution is moving toward Influence. Make the necessary change at the right time, with preparation and legitimacy, and expect to be believed afterwards. As the change completes: Be receptive; let influence arise from real feeling rather than from pressure or talk.

love and relationships

Now: Something between you has to change fundamentally, not be patched. Prepare it, time it, and do it for reasons the other person will recognise afterwards even if they do not in advance. Do not revolt in a temper. Then: 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

Now: Radical change: a restructuring, a departure, a new direction that cannot be reached by adjustment. The reading supports it on conditions: the time must be ripe, the case must be sound, and you must be the right person to make it. Then: 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

Now: A fundamental change of approach rather than a tweak. Make it once, deliberately, after preparation; a revolution made twice loses everyone's trust. Expect to be believed only when the results show. Then: 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.

decisions

Now: The decision is for real change, and the reading asks three questions before you make it: is it necessary, is it timely, and are you the one to do it? If all three are yes, decide and do not look back. Then: 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.