Hexagram 19 · Kun / Earth (坤) palace · Earth (土) · Second generation (二世)
Lin · Approach
Hexagram 19, Lin · Approach, has Kun / Earth (坤) above Dui / Lake (兌). It belongs to the Kun / Earth (坤) palace, whose reference element is Earth (土).
Updated
Lin is a second-generation hexagram. Self is Mao Wood Officer at line 2 and Other is Hai Water Wealth at line 5. The questioner’s role carries responsibility, while the counterpart or goal is associated with resources. All five categories are visible. The structure gives a basis for a focused question, but it still asks whether responsibility, effort and practical benefits are proportionate.
Relationships
Officer at Self and Wealth at Other give the relationship a practical tone involving expectations, duties or conditions. That does not establish anyone’s motives. Discuss what each person expects and contributes rather than assuming a symbolic role can reveal private intentions.
Money
Wealth at Other draws attention to outside resources, negotiation or cooperation. Officer at Self adds the responsibilities or costs attached to pursuing them. This is not a promise of easy profit; real terms, evidence and obligations remain central.
Career
Officer at line 2 is both Self and a career focus, making duty and constraints prominent in the traditional reading. Wealth at Other introduces the practical result or external resources. A steady approach and clear responsibilities fit the theme better than treating the hexagram as permission for a sudden change.
Health
Officer at Self is traditionally read as a burden or concern. It cannot diagnose a condition. The repeated Sibling category can serve as a prompt to consider available peer support, while actual symptoms and medical guidance determine care.
Health themes are traditional symbolism, not a diagnosis. Seek medical care for symptoms or concerns.
These themes describe the static structure. A particular cast also needs its moving lines, month and day, and focus-line context. The same hexagram can support different interpretations in different situations.
Judgment and Image
Judgment臨：元，亨，利，貞。至于八月有凶。
Image澤上有地，臨；君子以教思無窮，容保民無疆。
The Judgment describes approach with a reminder that favorable conditions are subject to cycles. The Image presents Earth above Lake and connects approach with patient teaching and care. The reference to a later month is a classical caution about change, not a date prediction generated by this page.
The Chinese Judgment is from the Zhou Yi; the Image is from the Image commentary. The displayed Chinese was collated against the recorded sources. This English explanation is our own, not a quotation from a modern translation. Read the Chinese source (opens a new tab).
The six lines: branches, Self/Other and relationships
Use the table to inspect each line’s branch, relationship and Self/Other role. To create your own cast, open the Six-line I Ching tool and cast three coins six times.
Kun / Earth (坤) above Dui / Lake (兌) · Self: line 2 · Other: line 5
| Line | Figure | Branch | Element | Relationship | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line 6 | Yin | You (酉) | Metal (金) | Child (子孫) | — |
| Line 5 | Yin | Hai (亥) | Water (水) | Wealth (妻財) | Other (應) |
| Line 4 | Yin | Chou (丑) | Earth (土) | Sibling (兄弟) | — |
| Line 3 | Yin | Chou (丑) | Earth (土) | Sibling (兄弟) | — |
| Line 2 | Yang | Mao (卯) | Wood (木) | Officer (官鬼) | Self (世) |
| Line 1 | Yang | Si (巳) | Fire (火) | Parent (父母) | — |
Swipe sideways to view the full table
Explore each layer: branch assignment in Na Jia, question categories in focus selection, and line positions in Self and Other.
Six Spirits depend on the casting day and are omitted from this static library. Hidden spirits are not calculated. A specific cast adds its Six Spirits, moving lines and resulting hexagram.
Reading the structure
Hexagram 19, Lin · Approach, has Kun / Earth (坤) above Dui / Lake (兌). It belongs to the Kun / Earth (坤) palace, whose reference element is Earth (土).
This is the Second generation (二世) stage. Self is line 2: Mao (卯), Wood (木), Officer (官鬼). Other is line 5: Hai (亥), Water (水), Wealth (妻財). Self locates the questioner’s side; Other locates the counterpart or target. They do not by themselves determine an outcome.
The palace element is the reference for the Five Relationships: what generates it is Parent; what it generates is Child; what controls it is Officer; what it controls is Wealth; the same element is Sibling. These are symbolic subject roles, not necessarily literal family members.
All five relationship categories appear in the visible lines, so each subject category has a direct structural reference. This does not establish a favorable outcome or predictive accuracy.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the situation stable or pressured?
- The published reading includes both an existing basis and responsibility. Officer at Self does not mean there is no support or opportunity.
- Does Wealth at Other make this a money question?
- It adds a resource-related role to the counterpart position. The actual question still determines the subject.
- Does a complete set of categories make the outcome favorable?
- No. It makes focus selection more direct, not the result guaranteed.
Explore one question
Form one clear question and cast six lines. No birth information is needed. The free chart includes Six Spirits, moving lines and a resulting hexagram when applicable; the result page explains the available reading options.
Cast a hexagramNew to casting? Read the beginner’s I Ching guide for the three steps, example questions and how to distinguish primary and resulting hexagrams.
The library is for learning and reflection. It is not medical, legal or financial advice.