Hexagram 31 of 64
Influence 泽山咸
☱☶ Lake over Mountain
Mutual attraction and open hearts.
Hexagram 31 is about mutual influence and attraction. Its image is a lake resting on a mountain, where the two respond to each other without force. The reading favors open, sincere connection that grows from the heart rather than from pressure or pretense. It fits a moment when you feel drawn toward someone, a new partnership or a conversation that matters.
Judgment
亨，利贞。取女吉。
Success; it is favorable to persevere. Taking a wife brings good fortune.
Image
山上有泽，咸；君子以虚受人。
A lake above the mountain: influence. The noble person receives others with an open, empty heart.
The six lines
Read from the bottom line (the beginning) to the top line (the outcome). Each line gives the classical text, our English translation, and a plain-language reading.
初六：咸其拇。
Influence felt in the big toe.
The first stirrings of connection are small and close to home. Notice them, but do not expect them to carry you far yet.
六二：咸其腓，凶，居吉。
Influence felt in the calf. Misfortune. Remaining still brings good fortune.
Trying to move before the time is right brings trouble. Stay where you are for now and let the situation develop.
九三：咸其股，执其随，往吝。
Influence felt in the thigh. Holding on to what follows. Going on brings regret.
You are pulled by attachment or by what others want from you. Moving forward on that basis tends to bring regret, so examine your motives first.
九四：贞吉悔亡，憧憧往来，朋从尔思。
Steadfastness brings good fortune and regret fades. Your thoughts come and go restlessly, and your friends follow what you are thinking.
Holding steady brings good results and eases doubt. Restless thinking can draw others along, so choose carefully what you focus on.
九五：咸其脢，无悔。
Influence felt in the upper back. No regret.
Connection that is quiet and sincere, without pressure, is the kind you will not regret.
上六：咸其辅，颊，舌。
Influence felt in the jaw, the cheeks and the tongue.
Influence that stays in words alone can feel empty. Back up what you say with sincerity and action.
In practice
Love and relationships
Attraction and connection grow best when they are sincere and unforced. Let feelings show gradually, and listen as much as you speak.
Work and decisions
Good collaborations start with genuine interest in other people's ideas. Build trust through steady, honest contact rather than persuasion alone.
Money
Financial partnerships work best when both sides are open about terms and expectations. Hold off on a deal that depends mainly on charm.
How to use this reading
Use this reading when you sense a connection, personal or professional, and want to know how to approach it, and ask: what is the sincere, unforced step I can take?
New to the method? Start with the six-line basics.
For cultural reflection only. This is not a prediction guarantee or professional advice.