初
初九。咸臨、貞吉。
Sincere approach—upright and fortunate.
䷒
Hexagram 19
Approach (地沢臨)
Chitaku-rin / Lín
Earth approaches the lake—leaders draw near to the people. Growth is strong but will wane later.
Judgment
臨。元亨利貞。至于八月有凶。
Approach. Great success and benefit in correctness. By the eighth month, danger appears.
A prime time for growth; remember cycles turn and prepare for decline.
Line-by-Line (Yao)
Interpretations if the line changes.
二
九二。咸臨、吉、无不利。
Approach with feeling—good and universally beneficial.
三
六三。甘臨、无攸利。既憂之、无咎。
Sweet, indulgent approach—no true benefit. Worrying about it removes blame.
四
六四。至臨、无咎。
Reaching approach—no blame. Timely closeness is fine.
五
六五。知臨、大君之宜、吉。
Knowing approach fits a great ruler—auspicious. Wise leadership in closeness.
上
上六。敦臨、吉、无咎。
Thick, sincere approach—good and blameless. Earnestness is rewarded.
Practical Reading: Love, Career, Health & Decisions
When you cast Hexagram 19, Lín (Approach), the Book of Changes shows you a situation with Kun (Earth) above and Dui (Lake) below. Earth approaches the lake—leaders draw near to the people. Growth is strong but will wane later. Use the cards below to map that pattern onto your specific question — a love reading, a career decision, a health concern, or a yes/no choice.
Love & Relationships
Take initiative; sustaining the bond will need care later. In a love or relationship reading, Hexagram 19 (Lín) describes the meeting point of Kun (earth) above and Dui (lake) below: how the outer situation meets your inner state. Ask whether you are forcing the relationship to fit a picture, or letting it move at the rhythm this hexagram suggests. For a partnered question, read the changing lines to see which side — yours or the other person's — is being asked to shift.
Work & Career
Good for new projects and mentoring; foster development now. In work and career, Lín points to whether the outer market or workplace (Kun (earth)) and your inner stance (Dui (lake)) are in alignment. If a project, negotiation, or job change is the question, ask what this hexagram says about timing rather than effort: pushing harder rarely changes a Lín situation; reading the configuration usually does.
Health & Wellbeing
Feeling well—keep up habits to avoid later dip. For a body or wellness reading, treat the lines of Hexagram 19 as descriptions of phases, not diagnoses. Lín usually signals where energy needs to be conserved versus where it is asking to be expressed. Combine the hexagram's advice with concrete medical guidance — the I Ching is a reflective tool, not a substitute for professional care.
Decision-Making
When the question is a yes/no — should I take the offer, move, leave, commit? — read Hexagram 19 (Lín, Approach) as a statement about the configuration of your situation rather than the outcome. The summary "Earth approaches the lake—leaders draw near to the people. Growth is strong but will wane later." is your starting frame. Ask: does this action respect that configuration, or fight it? Changing lines, if any, tell you which specific aspect needs to bend.
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