I Ching · King Wen 31 of 64
Hexagram 31 — Influence (Xián)
- attraction
- courtship
- openness
Lake (joy and openness) over Mountain (keeping still)
Meaning
Mutual attraction stirs like lake resting on mountain. Keep the heart open and unforced; genuine influence flows both ways.
The lake on the mountaintop: the still peak holds the water by being lower at its summit than the water's surface — influence through making room. All six lines track sensation moving up the body, and the lesson is consistent: the less you force the response, the truer it is.
Love & Relationships
Courtship is highly favored; woo gently and let feeling answer feeling. This is among the most favorable hexagrams for courtship in the entire book. Show your interest and then genuinely leave space — attraction completes itself in the room you don't fill.
Career & Work
Influence through receptivity, not pressure; openness draws the right partners. Persuade by being persuadable; the negotiator who visibly listens gains influence the pusher never touches. Openness is a stance, not a concession.
Advice
Remain inwardly free while moved; empty the heart to receive. Hold this counsel lightly but seriously: the I Ching describes the shape of the moment, and Influence rewards those who move with that shape rather than against it.
Changing Lines
Changing lines in Influence trace attraction rising through the body — big toe, calves, thighs, heart, neck, and finally mere jaws and tongue. A moving line shows at what depth the influence currently operates: involuntary twitch, restless following, the heart's true consent, or empty talk.
Cast your own reading
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Frequently asked questions
- What does Hexagram 31 mean?
- Hexagram 31, Influence (Xián), is the hexagram of attraction, courtship, openness: Mutual attraction stirs like lake resting on mountain.
- What does Hexagram 31 mean for love?
- In love readings, Influence counsels: Courtship is highly favored; woo gently and let feeling answer feeling. This is among the most favorable hexagrams for courtship in the entire book. Show your interest and then genuinely leave space — attraction completes itself in the room you don't fill.
- Is Hexagram 31 a good hexagram?
- In the I Ching no hexagram is simply good or bad — each describes a moment in time and how to meet it well. Influence centers on attraction and courtship, and its outcome depends on following its counsel: Remain inwardly free while moved; empty the heart to receive. Read as guidance rather than a verdict, it points the way to the best available outcome.