Hexagram 42 of 64
Increase 风雷益
☴☳ Wind over Thunder
Gaining through giving.
Hexagram 42 is about gain and growth. Wind and thunder strengthen each other, and the advice is to move forward, take on meaningful work, and share what you have. Growth comes from generosity and steady conduct. The reading favors beginnings, though it warns that gains kept without constancy can be lost.
Judgment
利有攸往，利涉大川。
It is favorable to go forward and to cross the great waters.
Image
风雷，益；君子以见善则迁，有过则改。
Wind and thunder: increase. On seeing what is good, the noble person moves toward it; on having faults, they correct them.
The six lines
Read from the bottom line (the beginning) to the top line (the outcome). Each line gives the classical text, our English translation, and a plain-language reading.
初九：利用为大作，元吉，无咎。
It is favorable to undertake great works. Excellent fortune and no blame.
This is a good time to start something substantial. Keep your commitments honest as you build it.
六二：或益之，十朋之龟弗克违，永贞吉。王用享于帝，吉。
Someone adds to you with a gift so valuable it cannot be refused. Lasting perseverance brings good fortune. The king offers sacrifice to the Lord on High, and this brings good fortune.
Support or a generous gift may come your way. Receive it with gratitude and keep your steady habits, because lasting value comes from consistency.
六三：益之用凶事，无咎。有孚中行，告公用圭。
Using the gain to meet a time of crisis brings no blame. Be sincere and walk the middle way, and report to the lords, presenting the jade tablet as your credential.
If you have resources to spare in a hard moment, using them to deal with the problem is no fault. Be honest about it and report through the proper channels.
六四：中行，告公从。利用为依迁国。
Walking the middle way, you report to the lord, and he follows your counsel. It is favorable to use this to relocate a state.
A sound, honest proposal can win the support of people in authority. It is a good moment for a significant change, if it is carefully planned.
九五：有孚惠心，勿问元吉。有孚惠我德。
With sincerity and a generous heart, there is no need to ask: excellent fortune. Sincerity blesses the virtue within me.
When your intentions are sincere and generous, you do not need to over-explain or second-guess. Let your steady goodwill speak for itself.
上九：莫益之，或击之，立心勿恒，凶。
No one adds to you, and someone even strikes you. If you set your heart on something without constancy, misfortune follows.
If you lose consistency or act on impulse, support can turn into setbacks. Stay steady in what you commit to.
In practice
Love and relationships
Affection and support can grow when both people give generously and openly. Share what you can without keeping score, and keep your promises steady.
Work and decisions
This is a favorable time for a worthwhile project, a proposal, or taking on more responsibility. Build on what already works, and keep your standards high as you expand.
Money
Growth is possible, especially through careful investment in skills and well-chosen opportunities. Expand gradually, and avoid taking on more than you can sustain.
How to use this reading
Use this reading when you are considering a new step, an expansion, or a generous action, and ask: what steady, honest effort will help this grow?
New to the method? Start with the six-line basics.
For cultural reflection only. This is not a prediction guarantee or professional advice.