I Ching / Hexagram 19

Hexagram 19: Lin, Approach

Announces a time of growth in which favorable forces draw near and those who have more come closer to those who have less, to teach or to care for them.

The earth rises above the lake and leans down toward its shores.

The situation

A stage of growth begins: favorable forces advance and draw near, like spring arriving. Whoever has more comes closer to whoever has less in order to teach, care for or lead. It is a good moment, although every rise carries its own decline within it if it is neglected.

The advice

Make use of the momentum to move forward, and approach others with generosity and patience. Remember that a lucky streak has an expiration date, and start preparing now for when the wind shifts.

The judgement

The Judgment of Lin repeats the four virtues from the opening of the book: success from the root, far reach, benefit, and perseverance. Then it adds an unexpected warning: when the eighth month comes, there will be misfortune. The hexagram is associated with the end of winter, when the light gains ground every day, and the warning recalls that this same light will begin to retreat a few months later. The modern reading is simple and useful: the good streak is real and worth making the most of, but it won't last forever. It is a time to grow, to launch projects, and to reach out to others generously, especially those who depend on us. It is also a time to prepare. Whoever counts on the momentum lasting forever spends without measure and is caught off guard by the change of season; whoever remembers the eighth month works with the same energy and also sets aside reserves for when the wind shifts.

Earth over Lake: the two trigrams

Below is Lake, joy; above is Earth, receptivity that gives itself. The image shows the earth rising above the water and leaning over its shores, like someone bending toward another person to look at them up close. Inside there is joy and outside a willingness to serve: the combination describes an affectionate, patient closeness. The two firm lines rising from the base of the hexagram also show a force of light advancing and pushing back the yielding lines. That force does not yet dominate the whole; it is still growing. Hence the figure's double meaning: an approach full of promise and a growth that, like spring, has its own season.

The six lines

  1. First line. You move forward alongside others with good intentions. Stay steady and keep doing things well: a shared approach brings good fortune.
  2. Second line. You draw near together and everything lends itself to it. There is good fortune, and knowing that the cycle will turn keeps you calm.
  3. Third line. You approach with flattery or in search of the easy way. That path leads to little; if you notice in time and correct course, you avoid harm.
  4. Fourth line. You approach fully, with devotion and without reservation, the one who needs it. That openness is well directed.
  5. Fifth line. You approach with wisdom: you choose the right people and give them room to act. That is the proper way of someone who leads well.
  6. Sixth line. You approach with generosity and greatness of heart, drawing on experience. That honest devotion brings good fortune.

The archetype: The Mentor

The Mentor has something others need: knowledge, power, experience, resources. Instead of waiting where he is, he decides to draw near. His desire is to pass things on and watch the person he guides grow, and in that gesture he finds meaning for everything he has gathered. His conflict appears as the distance shrinks: closeness blurs hierarchies, stirs up feelings, and exposes his weaknesses to the disciple and to those watching from above. He also knows, or senses, that his influence has an expiration date, that the student will leave or the institution will push him aside. His risk is complacency: mistaking the approach for a search for admiration, or believing the good streak is permanent. When he gets it right, he leaves others stronger than before.

In literature

  • The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, 1943). You see it in the meeting with the fox. The animal asks the little prince to tame him and explains how: by sitting down at the same hour each day, a little closer each time, in silence at first. The approach becomes a patient ritual that creates a unique bond. The farewell that follows, with its sadness, is a reminder that every closeness won also brings its change of season.
  • Goodbye, Mr. Chips (James Hilton, 1934). Mr. Chipping is a stiff, colorless Latin master at Brookfield School until he marries Katherine, whom he meets in the Lake District. She encourages him to get closer to the boys: he invites them to tea, jokes in class, and wins their affection. Katherine dies soon after in childbirth, and Chips spends decades alongside the boys. On his deathbed, he says he has had thousands of children, all of them boys.
  • The Adventures of Telemachus (François Fénelon, 1699). Minerva, in the form of the old man Mentor, accompanies Telemachus in the search for his father and teaches him at every stop. On Calypso's island, when the young man falls in love with the nymph Eucharis and forgets his voyage, Mentor throws him from a rock into the sea and swims with him to a ship. At the end, near Ithaca, the goddess reveals herself and vanishes: her guardianship had a time limit, and the disciple must go on alone.

In history

The Pedagogical Missions (1931–1936). Created by the Second Spanish Republic in May 1931 and led by Manuel Bartolomé Cossío, they brought libraries, cinema, theater, music, and copies of paintings from the Prado to villages that had never seen anything like them. Teachers, students, and artists traveled to isolated hamlets to share what they had. The episode embodies the approach of those who have more toward those who have less, and also its fragility: the civil war cut the effort short a few years later.

For writers

Someone with power approaches someone below them: a mentor, a boss, a king in disguise. Write how the relationship changes when the distance shrinks.

Hexagram 19 suggests a plot about a distance that shrinks. In the setup, two characters separated by a hierarchy (teacher and student, boss and employee, noble and peasant) are thrown together by obligation. The first approach is clumsy or self-interested; little by little, trust and mutual learning appear, and the one on top discovers that they are receiving as well. The turning point comes with the judgment's eighth month: something signals that this stage will end, whether a transfer, an illness, a scandal, or simply the student growing up. The resolution shows what remains when the closeness ends: a mark left on the other, a new way of seeing. The mistake to avoid is the perfect mentor who gives without cost or doubt; the story gains when drawing near exposes the mentor and changes them.

Frequently asked questions

What does hexagram 19 of the I Ching mean?

Lin, Approach, describes a stage of growth in which favorable forces advance, like spring. It speaks of drawing closer to others, especially those in a weaker position, in order to teach, care for, or lead them. It also warns that the good streak has an end date and that you should prepare for the change.

What does hexagram 19 mean in love?

It signals a promising moment for two people to come closer: someone takes the first step and the relationship gains trust. It favors generosity, patience, and listening. The warning about the eighth month is a reminder that the initial excitement fades, and that the bond needs care before the novelty wears off.

Is hexagram 19 favorable?

It is one of the most favorable hexagrams for starting, growing, or expanding a project, because it promises success and an upward trend. Its only warning concerns time: the cycle will change. Make the most of the momentum with steadiness and without excess, and save some strength for when the situation turns less generous.

Consult the I Ching for free

Published on October 4, 2026 · updated on October 18, 2026.