What this change means
Four lines move, from the second through the fifth, and a lake settles on a mountain: the marching army turns into a meeting place. Only the bottom and top stay fixed, and they hold the advice. The first says your outlook is sound, yet backing and alliances haven't arrived; give them time. The top warns that trying to win people over with words alone, without matching actions, leaves your gains modest.
The resulting hexagram, 31 Attraction, says good results come to the extent that you stay open and receptive, letting people approach who will help you generously. So this movement turns discipline into receptiveness. Don't recruit by speeches; let your conduct draw people in, and give alliances time to form. Watch for promising more than you do. What you show through action tends to persuade far more than what you say.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 1 of 31 Attraction, which stays still
Your outlook and attitude are right, but you still need to wait for support and alliances to arrive.
Contact at the big toe.
- Line 6 of 31 Attraction, which stays still
If you try to influence others or win their support with words alone and not with matching actions, your achievements will be modest.
Contact at the jaws, the cheeks, the tongue.
- The judgment of 7 The Army
Whatever your question, the favorable answer comes from acting with discipline and organization: face the situation head-on and speak clearly, say what you want, without trying to impose it.
The constancy of a seasoned leader brings good fortune. No fault.
- Line 2 of 7 The Army
Keep up your activity and discipline to reach what you want, and you'll get it.
In the midst of the army: good fortune. No fault. Three times the king bestows his charge.
- Line 3 of 7 The Army
If you don't keep up the conditions needed for success and you slacken in your task, there will be misfortune.
Perhaps the army hauls corpses on its carts. Misfortune.
- Line 4 of 7 The Army
If you feel you don't have enough in place to succeed, it's better to pull back and wait for a better moment to act again.
The army withdraws and makes camp. No fault.
- Line 5 of 7 The Army
Choosing the situations you're able to face will keep you out of useless fights.
There is game in the field. It is favorable to seize it. No fault. The eldest son leads the army; the younger son hauls corpses. Even with constancy, misfortune.
- The judgment of 31 Attraction
You'll get good results to the extent that you stay open and receptive, which lets people come close who will support you and help you get there, generously and without self-interest.
Success. Constancy is favorable. Taking a wife brings good fortune.
The trigrams
The way back
31 Attraction → 7 The Armylines 2, 3, 4, and 5
Other transformations of The Army
- 55Abundancelines 1, 2, 3, and 4
- 63After the Endlines 1, 2, 3, and 5
- 17Adaptinglines 1, 2, 4, and 5
- 43Overflowinglines 1, 3, 4, and 5
- 22Good Mannerslines 1, 2, 3, and 6
- 21Bitinglines 1, 2, 4, and 6
- 14Wealthlines 1, 3, 4, and 6
- 56The Travelerlines 2, 3, 4, and 6
- 42Increaselines 1, 2, 5, and 6
- 9Small Thingslines 1, 3, 5, and 6
- 53Gradual Progresslines 2, 3, 5, and 6
- 10Treading Carefullylines 1, 4, 5, and 6
- 12Declinelines 2, 4, 5, and 6
- 44Lack of Firmnesslines 3, 4, 5, and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.