升 · Shēng — Steady Ascent

Q: What is the meaning of I Ching Hexagram 46 (升 Shēng)?

Hexagram 46 is 升 (Shēng — Steady Ascent), formed by 坤 Kun (Earth) above and 巽 Xun (Wind / Wood) below. King Wen Sequence #46 (升 Shēng — Steady Ascent) embodies living wood pushing upward through rich dark soil. Assigned to the Kan Water Palace (坎宫八卦 · Abysmal Depth) and resonant with Start of Winter (立冬 · Hai Month), its six-line binary vector (011000) pairs 巽 Xun (Gentle Penetration) at the root with 坤 Kun (Receptive Devotion) at the crown.

Upper Trigram: 坤 Kun (Earth) · Lower Trigram: 巽 Xun (Wind / Wood)

Cast 3-Coin Oracle

Classical Judgment (卦辞) — 升卦（第46卦）：上坤下巽，属Kan。错卦为无妄，综卦为萃，互卦见归妹。

King Wen Sequence #46 (升 Shēng — Steady Ascent) embodies living wood pushing upward through rich dark soil. Assigned to the Kan Water Palace (坎宫八卦 · Abysmal Depth) and resonant with Start of Winter (立冬 · Hai Month), its six-line binary vector (011000) pairs 巽 Xun (Gentle Penetration) at the root with 坤 Kun (Receptive Devotion) at the crown.

Great Image (象传)

《大象传》：坤下巽交感成升（䷭），君子观此象以明进退之枢。

Visual Archetype: cedar sapling rising toward sunlight. When Earth (Earth) interacts with Wind / Wood (Wood), the primary strategic mandate centers on step-by-step organic promotion supported by elders. Its Polarity Opposite (Cuo Gua · 错卦) is #25 无妄 (Unentangled Integrity), its Overturned Inverse (Zong Gua · 综卦) is #45 萃 (Converging Talent & Capital), and its Nuclear Core (Hu Gua · 互卦) reveals #54 归妹 (Aligning Role & Timing).

Career, Strategy & Timing

Executive Decision Counsel

For decision-makers consulting 升 (Shēng) regarding step-by-step organic promotion supported by elders, the hexagram highlights the interplay between Wood foundation and Earth manifestation. Rather than generic haste, align execution with Start of Winter (立冬 · Hai Month) rhythms and inspect whether your natal BaZi chart favors Earth or Wood as its Favorable Element (喜用神).

Six Lines Progression (六爻爻辞 · Bottom Line 1 to Top Line 6)

Line 1 (初六 · Root Threshold)初六：升之始，审势立基。

升 (Shēng) Step 1 [Yin 6 · 巽 Xun]: Germination of living wood pushing upward through rich dark soil near cedar sapling rising toward sunlight; validate root premises before accelerating step-by-step organic promotion supported by elders.

Line 2 (二九 · Inner Official)九二：中正居内，与五相应。

升 (Shēng) Step 2 [Yang 9 · Wind / Wood]: Central lower-trigram seat anchored in cedar sapling rising toward sunlight; cultivate Wood craftsmanship in harmony with #54 归妹.

Line 3 (三九 · Trigram Pivot)九三：内卦之极，慎防过刚。

升 (Shēng) Step 3 [Yang 9 · Nuclear #54 Aligning Role & Timing]: Threshold between 巽 Xun and 坤 Kun during Start of Winter (立冬 · Hai Month); pace step-by-step organic promotion supported by elders carefully.

Line 4 (四六 · Ministerial Gate)六四：跃入外卦，审时顺势。

升 (Shēng) Step 4 [Yin 6 · 坤 Kun]: Ministerial counsel within the Kan Water Palace (坎宫八卦 · Abysmal Depth); align living wood pushing upward through rich dark soil with institutional mentors.

Line 5 (五六 · Sovereign Axis)六五：尊位得中，大展宏图。

升 (Shēng) Step 5 [Yin 6 · Sovereign]: Fulcrum of Steady Ascent (䷭); command step-by-step organic promotion supported by elders through balanced Earth and Wood synthesis.

Line 6 (上六 · Horizon Apex)上六：物极必反，归藏待时。

升 (Shēng) Step 6 [Yin 6 · Apex]: Culmination of living wood pushing upward through rich dark soil, pivoting toward Inverse #45 萃 (Converging Talent & Capital) and Opposite #25 无妄.

BaZi & Plum Blossom Numerology (梅花易数) Connection

Spatial & Elemental Calibration for #46 升: Place a cedar sapling rising toward sunlight motif or Earth-element accent in your workspace; cross-reference Hexagram #25 (无妄) when balancing Yin/Yang extremes.

Plot Natal BaZi Chart Check Tong Shu Almanac

#45 萃 Converging Talent & Capital #47 困 Fortitude in the Crucible

INSTANT BILINGUAL ARCHIVAL DOSSIER (PRINTABLE HTML/PDF FOLIO)

Download Hexagram #46 (升 Shēng) 6 Changing Lines Commentary

Get line-by-line classical Yao Ci (爻辞) interpretations from bottom Line 1 (Initial) to top Line 6 (Culmination).