I Ching hexagram 46

I Ching hexagram 46: Pushing Upward

升 shēng · earth above wind

A tree grows up out of the earth: slow, steady rising that needs only patience and the right direction.

The judgment: Supreme success. Go and see the great person; do not worry. Setting out to the south brings good fortune.
"Shang indicates that (under its conditions) there will be great progress and success. Seeking by (the qualities implied in it) to meet with the great man, its subject need have no anxiety. Advance to the south will be fortunate."
James Legge's translation, 1882
What it says to you: Wood under earth: a seed sending its shoot up through soil. Pushing Upward is growth the way trees grow, unspectacular and constant, an inch at a time until one day it is taller than the house. The judgment is warm. Supreme success, go and see the great person, don't worry, setting out south is fortunate. South, on this old map, faces the sun. Nothing here asks you to force anything. The lines climb like steps: welcomed upward, accepted with a small honest offering, walking into an empty city, rising stair by stair. The only caution is the top line, rising in the dark, ambition that has lost sight of where it is going. So keep your effort steady and visible. Ask for the meeting with the person who can help you rise, and take the next single step.

Matter by matter

Love: Steady growth. Let it deepen gradually; meeting family or making it official goes well.
Work: Advancement through steady effort. Seek a mentor or senior sponsor now.
Money: Gradual, sustained growth. Patient saving over time pays off.
A yes or no question: Yes. Move ahead steadily, without worry, toward the light.

The six lines of Pushing Upward

A hexagram is built from the bottom up, so the first line is the lowest. You read a line's text only when your cast made it a moving line.

Bottom line, broken

Rising, and welcomed. Great good fortune.

The people above you are glad to see you rise. Accept the invitation upward with confidence. This is a strong start, and you don't need to prove anything more before you take it.
Second line, solid

With sincerity, even a simple spring offering is favorable. No mistake.

You don't have much to offer yet, but what you give is honest. That is enough. Sincere effort is accepted here where showy effort wouldn't be, so give what you actually have.
Third line, solid

Rising into an empty city.

Nothing stands in your way. The gates are open and no one is resisting. Walk in and take your place, but stay alert to why it is all so easy.
Fourth line, broken

The king makes offerings on Mount Qi, the sacred mountain of the Zhou homeland. Good fortune; no mistake.

You are honored and placed close to power, the way the old kings honored their sacred mountain. Use that trust well, with respect for what got you here.
Fifth line, broken

Steadfastness brings good fortune. Rising step by step.

You climb one step at a time, and that is right. Keep your footing correct on each stair. No leaps are needed, and you will reach the top if you keep this pace.
Top line, broken

Rising in the dark. It is favorable to keep steady without stopping.

You are still climbing but can't see where. Ambition without clear sight is risky. Turn it into persistence: keep doing your steady work without demanding to see the end.

About hexagram 46

What does I Ching hexagram 46 mean?

Hexagram 46, Pushing Upward, puts earth above wind. A tree grows up out of the earth: slow, steady rising that needs only patience and the right direction. Its judgment reads: Supreme success. Go and see the great person; do not worry. Setting out to the south brings good fortune.

Is hexagram 46 a yes or a no?

Yes. Move ahead steadily, without worry, toward the light.

What does hexagram 46 mean for love?

Steady growth. Let it deepen gradually; meeting family or making it official goes well.

What does hexagram 46 mean for work?

Advancement through steady effort. Seek a mentor or senior sponsor now.

Cast the coins for a new question , or for a straight yes or no, throw the moon blocks

The I Ching reads a moment. For the years of your own life, cast your birth chart; on your chart page you can ask three questions of your own, answered against it, for $2.99.

The judgment and lines are rendered from the Chinese text; the quoted judgment is Legge's 1882 translation, and every other English line is Jade Almanac's own. A cast is a prompt for reflection, not advice about health, money or the law.