Also known as Influence, Wooing, Attraction, Mutual Feeling.
The character 咸 means "all" or "together", and with a heart beneath it becomes the word for feeling. Hexagram 31 opens the second half of the book with attraction: two people, or two forces, moved by each other. It is the classic hexagram of courtship.
The figure
Lake over Mountain. A lake sits in the hollow at the top of a mountain, and the mountain holds it up. The firm, still mountain is below, and the joyful lake is above. The strong yields to the gentle, and that draws them together.
The judgment
It goes through, and it pays to hold. Marrying goes well.
Attraction that is mutual and sincere leads somewhere good. Steadiness turns the first pull into something lasting.
The image
A marsh sitting in the top of the mountain. Stay hollow, and people come in.
The mountain can hold the lake because it is open at the top. Stay receptive and people can reach you.
The six lines
Counted from the bottom, the way the figure is built when you cast it.
The lines climb the body from foot to face.
- Line 1, at the bottom. Moved in the big toe. The feeling is there, but nothing has happened yet.
- Line 2. Moved in the calves. It goes badly if you act on it now. Waiting goes well.
- Line 3. Moved in the thighs, clinging to whatever you follow. Going on brings regret. Don't let every impulse lead you.
- Line 4. Holding steady goes well, and regret goes. If your mind darts back and forth, only those you consciously think of will follow. Influence works best when it's unforced.
- Line 5. Moved at the back of the neck. No regret, though it touches little. A firm, deep will is hard to move.
- Line 6, at the top. The feeling stays in the mouth: lips, jaw and tongue. All talk. Influence through words alone doesn't reach far.
Reading it for a question
Hexagram 31 is a good sign for relationships and for persuading people. Be open, be sincere, and let the attraction be mutual. Don't chase it, and don't mistake talk for real connection.