What this change means
Light sinks into the earth when the first, fourth and fifth lines move: Fire below, Earth above, and the open lake disappears. Here both judgments matter equally. The first one rests everything on openness, on letting people who care for you draw near. The resulting hexagram, 36 Darkness, describes a hard time when circumstances force you to live alongside the wrong people. It asks you to keep yourself safe, stay true to your principles and keep a low profile, not putting your light on display. The tension is real: openness is your strength, yet now not everyone near you deserves it. Be receptive inside and discreet outside. Keep your values intact, share them only with those you trust, and don't expose your talents where they'd be misused. However long it feels, this kind of time tends to pass.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- 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 judgment of 36 Darkness
It's a dark time: circumstances force you to live alongside the wrong people. If you know how to protect yourself, hold on to your integrity, and go unnoticed, without openly showing your light and your talents, you'll stay safe until better times come. However hard they seem, hard times pass too.
Constancy in hardship is favorable.
- Line 1 of 31 Attraction
Your outlook and attitude are right, but you still need to wait for support and alliances to arrive.
Contact at the big toe.
- Line 4 of 31 Attraction
Centering yourself in your heart and your inner resources will let what is right for you find you naturally.
Constancy brings good fortune. Regret vanishes. Restless, coming and going; friends follow your thoughts.
- Line 5 of 31 Attraction
An attitude of stillness, without trying to influence people or events, will bring you achievement.
Contact at the back. No regret.
The trigrams
The way back
36 Darkness → 31 Attractionlines 1, 4, and 5
Other transformations of Attraction
- 58Inner Peacelines 1, 2, and 3
- 5Inactionlines 1, 2, and 4
- 3Initial Obstacleslines 1, 3, and 4
- 29Waterlines 2, 3, and 4
- 34Great Manifestationlines 1, 2, and 5
- 51Shocklines 1, 3, and 5
- 40Clearing Obstacleslines 2, 3, and 5
- 46Going Uplines 2, 4, and 5
- 2Passivitylines 3, 4, and 5
- 1Activitylines 1, 2, and 6
- 25Innocencelines 1, 3, and 6
- 6Conflictlines 2, 3, and 6
- 37The Tribelines 1, 4, and 6
- 57Gentlenesslines 2, 4, and 6
- 20Observinglines 3, 4, and 6
- 30The Flamelines 1, 5, and 6
- 50The Vessel of Nourishmentlines 2, 5, and 6
- 35Advancelines 3, 5, and 6
- 52Abidinglines 4, 5, and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.