Hexagram 31: Attraction
By Wendy Zhang, Founder of Solacely · Updated
咸 · Xián
Success. Persistence is favorable. Taking a wife brings good fortune.
The judgment
亨。利貞。取女吉。
Success. Persistence is favorable. Taking a wife brings good fortune.
The image
山上有澤，咸；君子以虛受人。
A lake on the mountain: attraction. The noble person receives others with an open, empty mind.
Lake rests atop Mountain: still height below and joyful openness above, the youngest son and youngest daughter meeting. It pictures mutual attraction, the steady holding the joyful, each moved by the other.
What Attraction means
Xian opens the second part of the Zhouyi, which concerns human relationships. It is mutual influence: the natural pull between two parties, especially between people who are drawn to each other. The judgment is favorable: success, steadiness, and good fortune in marriage. The trigrams show the young man below the young woman, courtship in which the stronger party defers. The Image shows how to be truly influenced and influential: receive others with an open, uncluttered mind, without preconceptions. The line texts move up the body from toe to mouth, showing different levels of being moved, from superficial impulses to empty words. For you, this hexagram suggests attraction, connection or a growing influence between you and someone else. Let it develop through openness and sincerity. Avoid impulsive reactions, manipulation or influence that stays at the level of talk.
In love and relationships
A strongly favorable sign for romance. Attraction is real and mutual. If single, someone may enter your life and spark genuine interest. If partnered, renew connection through openness, curiosity and courtship. Let feelings grow naturally rather than rushing them. Courtesy and patience suit this time.
At work
Influence and rapport are your strengths. People respond to genuine interest and openness, so listen deeply and take others’ needs into account. Collaborations or partnerships may form through natural affinity. Avoid trying to win people over with flattery or empty promises.
The six lines
Read a line when it is a changing line in your cast (a 6 or a 9).
咸其拇。
Influence in the big toe.
At the very beginning, a faint stirring of interest or attraction shows itself. It is not yet strong enough to lead to action. Notice the impulse without acting on it. Early sensations of desire or interest are worth observing, but they are not yet a basis for any decision.
咸其腓，凶，居吉。
Influence in the calves. Misfortune. Staying put brings good fortune.
This yielding line is central and correct, but the calves move before the will has decided. You may feel pushed to act on attraction or excitement too soon. That impulsiveness causes trouble. Wait. Let feelings settle and understanding develop before you run ahead. Stillness protects you here.
咸其股，執其隨，往吝。
Influence in the thighs. Holding onto what it follows. Going on brings humiliation.
The thighs follow the feet without judgment. At the top of the inner trigram, you may be letting yourself be pulled along by someone else’s desires or by your own impulses, without thinking it through. Acting this way brings regret. Pause and consult your own judgment before following.
貞吉悔亡，憧憧往來，朋從爾思。
Persistence brings good fortune, and regret disappears. Restlessly coming and going, only friends follow your thoughts.
This is the place of the heart, the center of the hexagram. Sincere, steady feeling naturally influences others. But if you anxiously try to manage outcomes, your influence shrinks to a small circle. Trust that genuine intention reaches others without constant effort. Calm sincerity is enough.
咸其脢，无悔。
Influence in the back of the neck. No regret.
The back of the neck is firm and does not move easily. As the strong ruler, you are steady and not easily swayed. That firmness keeps you free of regret, but you may also miss chances to connect. Hold your ground, while remaining open enough to be moved by what is good.
咸其輔，頰，舌。
Influence in the jaws, cheeks and tongue.
At the top, influence becomes mere talk. Words may flow, but without deeper feeling or action behind them. Be wary of persuasion that stays at the level of speech, whether yours or someone else’s. Let your actions and sincerity carry more weight than eloquence. Words alone persuade no one for long.
Advice
Open yourself to others and let influence flow both ways. Be sincere and let connection grow at its natural pace.
A question to reflect on
Who am I drawn to, and how open am I to being genuinely changed by them?