Influence and Traveling Hexagrams

[CHARBO]

Hello Iching Friends:
I asked a question about my future life, economically, since I am to go through a divorce. My income seems to be insufficient and so I am very worried! Also, I had a job interview at the machine company and am hoping to get it but I am not so sure I will be the one selected. I would love to move to another state but do not have the savings or really the skill level for professional work. I feel stuck, but am I? What do the two hexagrams, Influence and Travelling mean? OMG I have a lot of fear.

Hexagram 31, Influence



Key Questions

What influence is active – and what does it draw you towards?
What is its place in your life?

Oracle

'Influence, creating success.
Constancy bears fruit.
Taking a woman, good fortune.'

Influence is what moves people, and how people are open and available to be moved – by emotion or inspiration, physical responses or visiting spirits. All these things touch, stir and attract us, drawing us into relationship. The Chinese character for 'influence' shows a mouth and a weapon: the influence goes deep, and makes us vulnerable.

It is good to respond to the power of influence with constancy, steadying the motion it inspires and creating a place in your life to contain it. The man who 'takes a woman' in marriage brings her into his home and makes room for her there. Good fortune comes from this more feminine way of relating: being open and allowing space for new influences.

Image

'Above the mountain is a lake: Influence.
A noble one accepts people with emptiness.'

Sequence


The Yijing is divided into two canons: the Upper Canon ends with Hexagram 30, Clarity, and the Lower Canon begins here. Influence follows from all the hexagrams that precede it:

'There is heaven and earth, and so there are the ten thousand things.
There are the ten thousand things, and so there is man and woman.
There is man and woman, and so there is husband and wife.
There is husband and wife, and so there is father and son.
There is father and son, and so there is ruler and minister.
There is ruler and minister, and so there is higher and lower.
There is higher and lower, and so there is a place for rites and justice to operate.'

Pair

Influence forms a pair with Hexagram 32, Lasting:
'Influence calls, Lasting endures.'

Changing Lines

Line 5
'Influence in the neck and shoulders. No regrets.'

Line 6
'Influence in your jaws, cheeks and tongue.'


Hexagram 56, Travelling



Key Questions

What do you bring with you into each new situation?
What does this place ask of you?

Oracle

'Traveller, creating small success.
Travelling, constancy brings good fortune.'

The traveller is on a journey of his own, just passing through this place and staying for a while. To be the traveller means you are not at home here – you know you don't belong. Also, you have a strong personal direction: wherever you find yourself for now, you know it does not define you. As the traveller, you might be like King Hai, an early leader of the Shang. His people were nomads, who stopped to pasture their animals at a place called Yi ('Change'). They were welcomed by the local people – until Hai danced for their ruler and seduced his wife. Then the Yi ruler had Hai executed and took his herds, and his people fled.

Since you are only passing through, your creative involvement is limited. You can have the small success of being well received if you fit in responsively, rather than dancing your own dance regardless of where you are. You cannot expect to change your surroundings – and nor should your surroundings change you: it is good to be constant to your own way as you travel. As Hai discovered, this can be a difficult balance to keep: to be true to yourself, and still fit in to a place that is not your own.

Image

'Above the mountain is fire: Travelling.
A noble one is clear and thoughtful in administering punishments, and doesn't draw out legal proceedings.'

Sequence

Travelling follows from Hexagram 55, Abundance:
'Exhausting greatness naturally means letting your dwelling place go, and so Travelling follows.'

 

[radiofreewill]

Hi CHARBO,

Welcome to Clarity!

Sorry to hear about your difficulties, but your cast is pointing the way to better days.

"How will I survive economically?"
31.5.6 to 56 ~ Through actively networking.

~ Refresh your social media profile to show that you are 1) Trustworthy and 2) Reliable.
~ Put together a one-page resume that shows your skills and character.
~ Apply to three jobs per week, be willing to travel.

Your local labor department/jobs office will have earn-while-you-learn jobs training programs that will pay you to get certified on good-paying machinery, which could get you ahead of your bills, and lay the groundwork for moving to another state, too.

Influence says that anything you do to advance your cause will be rewarded ~ so, take the energy of your anxiety and convert it into Over-functioning to solve your problem.

In other words, you'll be helpless, only if you do nothing ~ but, if you make the effort ~ if you just show up *motivated* to work ~ then the Yi is saying that you will attract a good solution, and your situation will turn out for the best.

I hope this helps, and good luck!