The I Ching
䷩︎Increase
Hexagram 42 · Wind over Thunder
Wind and thunder reinforcing each other — a time to expand and give freely.
Increase is the season of abundance shared: strength that grows by giving. It reads as a favorable time to act boldly and generously, since what flows outward tends to return amplified.
The Hexagram of Flourishing
Increase is the forty-second hexagram of the I Ching, formed by Wind (Xun) above and Thunder (Zhen) below. In the classical arrangement, it sits in the sequence of change and movement, arriving after Benefit and before Breakthrough. The image itself suggests mutual reinforcement: thunder rises from the earth with generative force, while wind spreads and multiplies what has been stirred. The hexagrams that compose it—the lower trigram of Thunder represents growth and the arousal of new life; the upper trigram of Wind signifies penetration and influence carried far. Together they depict a natural unfolding where expansion feeds itself, where the conditions for growth have aligned.
The Character of Increase
Traditional commentaries on Increase emphasize that this is not merely personal gain, but gain that arises through benefit to others. The sage increases by decreasing himself—by giving counsel freely, by sharing resources, by allowing others to prosper. This paradox lies at the heart of the hexagram's wisdom: genuine expansion comes not from hoarding but from circulation. It is the season when action finds fertile ground, when seeds sown return as harvests, when generosity compounds rather than diminishes. The hexagram speaks to those at a threshold, holding something of value—whether knowledge, resources, or influence—and facing the choice of whether to release it into the world.
Across the Teachings
The I Ching, attributed to origins in the oracle bones of the Shang dynasty but codified in the classical commentaries during the Han and later dynasties, uses Increase as one of its most auspicious symbols. The associated divination line counsels: "Favorable to have somewhere to go." This suggests that Increase is not a passive blessing but a season that calls for movement, direction, and purposeful action. In the context of Taoist and Confucian thought alike, the image of wind and thunder reinforcing each other became emblematic of the sage who acts in accordance with the times—who recognizes when to advance and does so without hesitation or fear.
A Mirror for Reflection
When Increase appears in your consideration, it invites a question: What have you been holding close that might flourish if released? Not recklessly, but with wisdom and timing—what gift, skill, or opportunity are you being shown can multiply through sharing? Increase asks whether you trust in circulation, whether you believe that what flows outward returns enriched. It is also a mirror to your readiness: Are you prepared to act boldly in a season of favor? The hexagram does not promise that all will go smoothly, but rather that this is a time when effort aligns with natural momentum. The question becomes not whether you can afford to give, but whether you can afford not to.
Want to know what Increase means in your chart? The Eye reads it through your own birth sky.
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