Hexagram 19 of 64 · Earth ☷ over Lake ☱
Approach
Lín
The approach of something good — a window that is open now and will not stay open forever.
The Judgment
Approach has supreme success. Perseverance furthers. When the eighth month comes, there will be misfortune — the favourable time is real, and it is limited.
The Image
The earth above the lake: the shore leans down to the water, approaching it without limit. The wise person is inexhaustible in their will to teach and without limits in tolerance and protection of the people.
Hexagram 19 Meaning
Two yang lines rising from the bottom — spring approaching, strength growing, a good thing drawing near. This is a hexagram of opportunity and goodwill; something is coming toward you and the counsel is to meet it. Its unusual second sentence is a warning about time: the eighth month (autumn) will come, and the window closes. Act within the season. Generosity and openness are the attitudes that make the approach fruitful.
Approach in Love
Someone or something good is approaching — a new connection, a deepening, a return. The hexagram says be open and warm; meet it more than halfway. It also says do not dawdle: the moment of approach is a moment, and if you hold back out of caution or pride, the eighth month arrives and it has passed. Kindness and availability are the whole strategy.
Approach in Career & Money
Growth, opportunity, an approach from someone influential or a rising tide in your field. Take the meeting, say yes to the collaboration, expand while the season allows. The hexagram’s time warning is practical: opportunities under Approach have expiry dates. Move now, generously and thoroughly, and do not assume the goodwill lasts forever.
What to Do
Meet what is approaching with warmth and openness. Be generous. Act within the window — this is a season, and seasons end. Teach, protect, and include; that is what makes the growth last.
Approach as a Yes or No
yes
Yes — but act now; the favourable time is real and has a limit.
The Trigrams
Above: Earth (坤 Kūn) — the receptive — devotion, yielding, the mother.
Below: Lake (兌 Duì) — the joyous — pleasure, openness, the youngest daughter.
The Six Lines of Approach
Read when the line is moving (a 6 or 9 in the cast). Bottom line first.
- 1
Line 1 · yang
Joint approach, perseverance brings good fortune: you advance together with others of good will — stay correct.
- 2
Line 2 · yang
Joint approach, good fortune, everything furthers: strength is growing and nothing stands in its way.
- 3
Line 3 · yin
Comfortable approach — nothing furthers; if one is induced to grieve, no blame: careless ease is a mistake; wake up and it is fixed.
- 4
Line 4 · yin
Complete approach: an open-hearted welcome to the capable — no blame.
- 5
Line 5 · yin
Wise approach — right for a great prince: delegate to the competent and oversee wisely — good fortune.
- 6
Line 6 · yin
Great-hearted approach, good fortune, no blame: the wise elder returns to help — generosity from above.
Will Approach Appear in Your Cast?
Cast the coins on your own question — free, instant, with every moving line explained.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does hexagram 19, Approach, mean?
Two yang lines rising from the bottom — spring approaching, strength growing, a good thing drawing near. This is a hexagram of opportunity and goodwill; something is coming toward you and the counsel is to meet it. Its unusual second sentence is a warning about time: the eighth month (autumn) will come, and the window closes. Act within the season. Generosity and openness are the attitudes that make the approach fruitful.
What does Approach mean in love?
Someone or something good is approaching — a new connection, a deepening, a return. The hexagram says be open and warm; meet it more than halfway. It also says do not dawdle: the moment of approach is a moment, and if you hold back out of caution or pride, the eighth month arrives and it has passed. Kindness and availability are the whole strategy.
What does Approach mean for career and money?
Growth, opportunity, an approach from someone influential or a rising tide in your field. Take the meeting, say yes to the collaboration, expand while the season allows. The hexagram’s time warning is practical: opportunities under Approach have expiry dates. Move now, generously and thoroughly, and do not assume the goodwill lasts forever.
Is hexagram 19 a yes or a no?
Approach answers "yes". Yes — but act now; the favourable time is real and has a limit.
Previous hexagram
18. Work on What Has Been Spoiled
repair
Next hexagram
20. Contemplation
observation
Last updated: August 30, 2026
Get Weekly Tarot Guidance
One card to guide your week — tarot wisdom in your inbox every Sunday.