风雷益 · Yì
Hexagram 42 · Increase 益
Hexagram 42, Yi (Increase), describes generous growth: wind and thunder strengthening each other, so what is above gives to what is below and all expands.
- above
- ☴ 巽 Xùn · 风
- below
- ☳ 震 Zhèn · 雷
The Judgment
益：利有攸往，利涉大川。Original text · 周易
Increase: it is favorable to move forward, and favorable to cross the great river. This is a time when bold undertakings are supported.
The Image
风雷，益，君子以见善则迁，有过则改。Original text · 周易
Wind and thunder together form Increase. Following this, a person of depth moves toward the good whenever they see it, and corrects a fault as soon as they notice one.
Meaning
Yi sets Zhen, thunder, beneath Xun, wind. When thunder rolls the wind rises, and when the wind blows the thunder carries farther; each intensifies the other. In the structure of the hexagram a strong line has descended from the upper trigram to strengthen the lower one, which is why the tradition reads Increase as those above giving to those below. The theme is growth that comes from generosity and mutual reinforcement rather than from hoarding. This is the mirror of Hexagram 41: there, the low gave to the high; here, the high gives down, and the whole is enriched.
In modern terms Yi shows up when the conditions for growth are unusually good and the right response is to use them. Picture a manager who has just been given a bigger budget and, instead of keeping the credit, spends it on training and raises for the team. Six months later the team's output has doubled and the manager's own standing has risen with it. The wind-and-thunder pattern is visible: giving downward creates momentum that lifts everyone. It also shows up in someone who finally shares a skill freely online and finds opportunity flowing back.
To hold Increase well, do the two things the image describes: move toward whatever is good the moment you recognize it, and fix your own mistakes without delay. Growth periods are also when errors compound fastest, so quick self-correction matters as much as ambition. The timing is favorable for crossing the great river, meaning the larger, riskier undertaking you have been postponing. Go, but go generously. Increase that only benefits you tends to stall; increase that flows through you to others keeps gathering force.
Common questions
What does Hexagram 42 mean for love and relationships?
In love, Increase describes a relationship where giving makes both people larger. It is a favorable sign for deepening commitment, moving in together, or opening up more fully, because the energy of the moment supports growth. The image also asks each partner to correct small faults quickly, before they harden. If you are single, Yi suggests that generosity of attention and openness draw people toward you now. Watch for one-sided giving, though. Wind and thunder work because each feeds the other; a relationship of increase should feel mutual.
What does Hexagram 42 mean for career and money?
For career, Yi is one of the most encouraging hexagrams: it favors expansion, launching, applying, and taking on the larger responsibility. The path opens when you invest in others, whether that means mentoring, sharing credit, or building tools that help your team. Financially the hexagram supports well-considered growth, such as putting resources into education, a business, or a partnership, rather than sitting on cash. It does not endorse reckless spending or speculation. Increase compounds when it is directed at something real and shared.
Should I take the bigger step if I get Hexagram 42?
Yi says it is favorable to cross the great river, so the reading leans clearly toward yes for the ambitious move you have been weighing. Two conditions come with it. First, act now while the wind and thunder are strong; growth windows do not stay open indefinitely. Second, structure the step so that others benefit as well, because increase that flows outward sustains itself. Before you leap, do the image's homework: name one fault you can correct today, and correct it. Then go.
How to work with this hexagram
- Move toward the good the moment you see it.
- Correct your own faults quickly; growth magnifies errors too.
- Give downward and outward; increase that is shared keeps growing.
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