Hexagram 19
Approach
臨 (Lín)
Earth over Lake
Hexagram 19 represents the powerful energy of approach and advancement, symbolizing a time when leadership and influence naturally expand. This hexagram embodies the image of spring approaching, when light and warmth gradually increase, bringing new growth and opportunity. It signifies a period of favorable conditions where one's presence and authority grow stronger, requiring wise and benevolent leadership. The hexagram teaches that true power comes through approaching others with sincerity, care, and proper timing, creating conditions where mutual benefit and progress flourish naturally through attentive engagement.
Key Concepts
The Judgment (卦辞)
Translation: "Approach has supreme success. Perseverance furthers. When the eighth month comes, there will be misfortune."
Hexagram 19 reveals a time of exceptional opportunity and growing influence, where conditions favor advancement and the expansion of one's sphere of authority. This is a period when your presence naturally commands respect and your leadership is welcomed by others. The hexagram emphasizes that success comes through approaching situations and people with genuine care, wisdom, and benevolent intentions. Like the approach of spring after winter, this is a time when warmth and light increase, bringing new possibilities for growth and achievement. However, the ancient wisdom reminds us that all seasons change, and what flourishes now must be tended with awareness of future transitions.
The warning about the eighth month serves as a profound reminder that favorable conditions are temporary and cyclical in nature. This teaches us to act decisively during times of opportunity while remaining mindful that circumstances will eventually shift. The superior person uses periods of approach to build strong foundations, establish beneficial relationships, and create lasting value. By combining active engagement with foresight, you can maximize current advantages while preparing for inevitable changes. Success requires both seizing the moment and maintaining perspective about the impermanent nature of all favorable conditions.
The Image (大象传)
君子以教思無窮，容保民無疆。
Translation: "The earth above the lake: the image of Approach. Thus the superior person is inexhaustible in his will to teach, and without limits in his tolerance and protection of the people."
The image of earth above the lake presents a powerful symbol of leadership and nurturing presence. Just as the earth contains and gives form to the waters below, the superior person approaches others with the capacity to guide, protect, and provide structure. The lake represents the people or those under one's care, while the earth symbolizes the leader's responsibility to create boundaries and offer support. This hexagram teaches that true leadership in times of approach means being inexhaustible in one's commitment to educating and elevating others. The wise leader recognizes that their growing influence carries the responsibility to teach, mentor, and share wisdom generously without reservation or fatigue.
The emphasis on limitless tolerance and protection reveals the heart of benevolent leadership. When your influence expands, the proper response is not to dominate but to shelter and nurture those who look to you for guidance. Like the earth that supports all things without discrimination, the superior person extends care and protection broadly, creating an environment where others can flourish. This approach builds genuine loyalty and lasting success, as people naturally respond to leadership that serves their growth and wellbeing rather than merely exercising power over them.
The Six Lines (六爻)
Nine at the Beginning (初九)
Bottom line - Yang
"Joint approach. Perseverance brings good fortune."
This line represents the beginning of approach through collaboration and mutual influence. Success comes when you join forces with like-minded individuals who share your values and goals. The emphasis on perseverance indicates that initial efforts in building alliances require sustained commitment and integrity. By approaching others with sincerity and maintaining consistent principles, you establish the foundation for beneficial partnerships. This is an excellent time to initiate cooperative ventures, as your genuine intentions attract positive responses and create momentum for shared advancement.
Nine in the Second Place (九二)
Second line - Yang
"Joint approach. Good fortune. Everything furthers."
The second line indicates a position of central strength and balanced approach, where your influence expands harmoniously in all directions. This is a highly favorable time when your actions naturally align with the needs of the situation, creating universal benefit. Your approach is welcomed because it serves the greater good while advancing your own position. Everything you undertake during this period has the potential for success, as you occupy the ideal position of strength tempered with flexibility. Embrace opportunities confidently, knowing that your balanced approach creates positive outcomes across all areas of engagement.
Six in the Third Place (六三)
Third line - Yin
"Comfortable approach. Nothing that would further. If one is induced to grieve over it, one becomes free of blame."
This line warns against approaching situations with excessive ease or complacency. When advancement comes too easily, there is danger of becoming careless or superficial in your engagement. The comfortable approach may feel pleasant but lacks the depth and seriousness required for lasting success. However, if you recognize this tendency and feel appropriate concern about maintaining high standards, you can correct course and avoid negative consequences. The key is to balance confidence with conscientiousness, ensuring that your approach remains substantive and responsible even when circumstances seem effortlessly favorable.
Six in the Fourth Place (六四)
Fourth line - Yin
"Complete approach. No blame."
The fourth line represents approaching with complete commitment and wholehearted engagement. This position indicates that you are close to those in authority or to the heart of the matter, and your full dedication is both appropriate and effective. By giving yourself entirely to the situation without reservation or holding back, you fulfill your role perfectly and incur no criticism. This is a time to approach responsibilities with total presence and attention, investing yourself fully in the opportunities before you. Your complete engagement demonstrates the sincerity and seriousness that the situation requires and deserves.
Six in the Fifth Place (六五)
Fifth line - Yin
"Wise approach. This is right for a great prince. Good fortune."
This line represents the highest form of approach through wisdom and discernment. In the position of leadership, you approach situations not with force but with understanding and insight. The wise leader recognizes the needs of the time and the people, responding with appropriate measures that serve the greater good. This approach combines authority with benevolence, creating conditions where others willingly follow and support your direction. By leading with wisdom rather than mere power, you establish genuine authority that brings lasting benefit to all. This is the model of enlightened leadership that creates harmony and prosperity.
Six at the Top (上六)
Top line - Yin
"Greathearted approach. Good fortune. No blame."
The top line represents approaching with magnanimity and generous spirit. Having reached a position of influence or completion, you approach others with kindness, tolerance, and open-heartedness. This greathearted approach creates goodwill and positive responses from all quarters. Rather than using your elevated position to dominate or control, you extend yourself with generosity and compassion. This noble approach not only brings personal good fortune but also elevates everyone you encounter. By maintaining this expansive, benevolent attitude even at the height of your influence, you ensure continued success and avoid the pitfalls of arrogance or narrow self-interest.
Love & Relationships (爱情)
In matters of the heart, hexagram 19 signals a beautiful time of approaching or being approached with genuine warmth and growing affection. This is a period when romantic connections deepen naturally, and new relationships have excellent potential for development. If you are single, someone may be approaching you with sincere interest, or you may find yourself drawn to approach another with confidence and openness. The energy of this hexagram supports taking initiative in love, expressing your feelings clearly, and allowing relationships to unfold with natural warmth. Your presence is attractive and welcoming now, creating favorable conditions for romantic connection and deepening intimacy with existing partners.
For those in established relationships, this hexagram indicates a renewal of closeness and the opportunity to approach your partner with fresh appreciation and care. This is an ideal time to deepen your commitment, expand your shared life together, or take your relationship to a new level of intimacy and understanding. Approach your partner with the same attentiveness and benevolence that the hexagram recommends for leadership, creating an atmosphere of mutual support and growth. Small gestures of care and consistent presence strengthen your bond significantly during this favorable period.
However, remember the wisdom about changing seasons. While current conditions favor romance and connection, maintain awareness that relationships require ongoing nurturing and cannot rely solely on initial favorable circumstances. Use this time of natural warmth to build strong foundations of trust, communication, and shared values that will sustain your relationship through all seasons. Approach love with both enthusiasm for the present moment and commitment to long-term cultivation of genuine partnership and mutual care.
Career & Business (事业)
Professionally, hexagram 19 represents an exceptional period for career advancement and expanding your sphere of influence in the workplace. Your leadership qualities are recognized and valued, and opportunities arise to take on greater responsibilities or move into positions of authority. This is an ideal time to approach new projects with confidence, propose innovative ideas to superiors, or step forward to lead initiatives that showcase your capabilities. Your professional presence commands respect naturally, and colleagues and supervisors are receptive to your contributions. Use this favorable period to establish yourself as a valuable leader and trusted expert in your field through consistent demonstration of competence and care for collective success.
For entrepreneurs and business owners, this hexagram signals a time of market expansion and growing customer base. Your business approach resonates with clients and partners, creating opportunities for scaling operations and entering new markets. Focus on building strong relationships with stakeholders, approaching business development with both ambition and genuine service orientation. This is an excellent time to launch new products, expand your team, or establish strategic partnerships that position your business for long-term growth. The key is approaching expansion with wisdom, ensuring that growth is sustainable and that you maintain the quality and values that attracted initial success.
Remember that favorable business conditions are cyclical, and wise leaders use periods of approach to prepare for future challenges. Invest profits in building reserves, strengthen operational systems, and develop your team's capabilities. Approach employees and partners with the inexhaustible teaching spirit and limitless protection that the hexagram recommends, creating a loyal and capable organization that can weather changing market conditions. By combining aggressive pursuit of current opportunities with prudent preparation for inevitable shifts, you build a resilient and prosperous enterprise.
Health & Wellness (健康)
In health matters, hexagram 19 indicates a time of increasing vitality and the opportunity to approach wellness with renewed energy and commitment. Your body is responsive to positive changes now, making this an ideal period to begin new health regimens, adopt better nutritional habits, or increase physical activity. The approaching energy suggests that health improvements come naturally when you engage with your wellbeing actively and consistently. If you have been dealing with health challenges, this hexagram signals a turning point where recovery gains momentum and vitality returns. Approach your body with the same benevolent care and attention that a wise leader extends to their people, listening to its needs and responding with appropriate support.
This is also an excellent time to approach healthcare professionals for guidance, undergo preventive screenings, or address lingering health concerns that you have postponed. The favorable conditions mean that medical interventions are likely to be effective and that you will find practitioners who approach your care with genuine concern and expertise. Mental and emotional health also benefit from this hexagram's energy, as you feel more capable of approaching psychological challenges with courage and seeking support when needed. Therapy, counseling, or wellness coaching initiated during this period has strong potential for positive outcomes.
However, maintain awareness that health requires ongoing attention and cannot rely solely on favorable periods. Use this time of increased vitality to establish sustainable wellness practices that will serve you through all seasons of life. Approach health holistically, recognizing the interconnection between physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. Build habits of self-care, stress management, and preventive health that create lasting resilience. The wisdom of hexagram 19 teaches that the best time to prepare for challenges is during periods of strength and favorable conditions.
Financial Matters (财运)
Financially, hexagram 19 represents a period of expanding resources and growing prosperity. Income opportunities increase, investments perform well, and your financial influence grows through wise management and strategic positioning. This is an excellent time to approach financial growth actively, whether through negotiating salary increases, pursuing new income streams, or making calculated investments in assets with strong potential. Your financial judgment is sound now, and others recognize your capability in money matters, potentially leading to opportunities for financial partnerships or advisory roles. Approach wealth building with both confidence and responsibility, recognizing that growing resources bring the obligation to manage them wisely for long-term security.
This hexagram favors expansion but counsels against reckless speculation or overextension. Approach financial opportunities with the same balanced wisdom that characterizes effective leadership, combining ambition with prudence. Diversify investments, build emergency reserves, and ensure that your financial foundation remains solid even as you pursue growth. This is also a favorable time to approach financial education seriously, learning about investment strategies, tax optimization, and wealth preservation. The knowledge you gain during this period of financial approach will serve you well through changing economic conditions and help you maintain prosperity beyond the current favorable cycle.
Remember the hexagram's warning about changing seasons in your financial planning. Use periods of increasing income to prepare for potential future challenges by building substantial savings, reducing debt, and creating multiple income streams. Approach charitable giving and supporting others generously, as the hexagram teaches that true prosperity includes the responsibility to protect and nurture those within your sphere of influence. By combining aggressive wealth building with conservative financial management and generous spirit, you create lasting financial security and meaningful prosperity that extends beyond mere accumulation.
Personal Growth (个人成长)
Hexagram 19 signals a powerful period for personal development and expanding your capabilities across all dimensions of life. This is a time when your efforts toward self-improvement meet with natural success, and your capacity for growth seems limitless. Approach personal development with the same inexhaustible commitment to learning that the hexagram recommends for teaching others. Whether you are developing new skills, deepening spiritual practice, or working on character refinement, your efforts yield significant results now. Your influence over your own life expands as you take responsibility for your growth and approach self-development with seriousness and dedication. This favorable period allows you to make substantial progress toward becoming the person you aspire to be.
The hexagram also emphasizes the importance of approaching personal growth with both tolerance and protection toward yourself. Be patient with your imperfections while maintaining high standards for your development. Protect your growth by creating boundaries that support your evolution, surrounding yourself with people and environments that nurture your highest potential. This is an excellent time to work with mentors, coaches, or teachers who can guide your development, as you are particularly receptive to wisdom and capable of implementing guidance effectively. Approach learning with humility and openness, recognizing that true growth requires both confidence in your potential and acknowledgment of how much you have yet to learn.
Use this period of personal approach to establish practices and habits that will sustain your growth through all life seasons. Develop daily routines of reflection, study, and self-care that become the foundation of ongoing development. The wisdom of hexagram 19 teaches that favorable conditions for growth are temporary, but the character and capabilities you build during such periods become permanent assets. Approach your personal evolution with both urgency to maximize current opportunities and patience to allow deep transformation to unfold naturally over time.
Timing & Advice (时机与建议)
The timing indicated by hexagram 19 is exceptionally favorable for taking initiative and expanding your sphere of influence across all areas of life. This is not a time for hesitation or waiting passively for opportunities to come to you. Instead, approach situations and people actively with confidence in your abilities and genuine care for creating mutual benefit. The cosmic energies support leadership, advancement, and the natural expansion of your presence and authority. However, this favorable timing comes with the responsibility to act wisely and benevolently, using your growing influence to serve the greater good rather than merely advancing selfish interests. The superior person recognizes that power and opportunity bring obligations to teach, protect, and nurture others.
The hexagram's warning about the eighth month serves as crucial guidance about timing and preparation. While current conditions are favorable, they will not last indefinitely, and wise action includes preparing for inevitable changes. Use this period of approach to build strong foundations, establish beneficial relationships, and create reserves of resources and goodwill that will sustain you when conditions shift. Do not become complacent or assume that current success guarantees future prosperity. Instead, approach favorable times with both gratitude and strategic awareness, maximizing opportunities while remaining mindful of cyclical change. The best time to prepare for winter is during the abundance of summer and autumn.
Practical advice for this hexagram includes taking decisive action on important goals, approaching people and situations with warmth and sincerity, and stepping into leadership roles with confidence tempered by humility. Build alliances, expand your network, and establish your presence in areas where you wish to have influence. At the same time, invest in your own development, strengthen your capabilities, and deepen your wisdom so that your expanding influence rests on genuine competence and character. Approach each day with the awareness that favorable conditions are precious and temporary, motivating you to act with both urgency and wisdom to create lasting value from current opportunities.