Yi
Increase
The Image
Wind and thunder: the image of Increase. Thus the superior person, seeing what is good, imitates it; having faults, corrects them.
The Judgment
Increase. It furthers one to undertake something. It furthers one to cross the great water. Energy flows downward from above, enriching all below. This is a time of genuine expansion, growth, and the multiplication of resources.
Description
Yi shows wind above and thunder below, two forces that strengthen each other through their interaction. The wind feeds the thunder; the thunder disperses what the wind carries. This hexagram represents the favorable moment when energy flows from those who have toward those who need, creating growth and abundance for all. Where Decrease asked for sacrifice, Increase offers reward.
The image of the superior person imitating what is good and correcting what is faulty captures the dynamic quality of increase: it is not passive receipt of fortune but active participation in growth. Increase comes to those who are already moving in the right direction, reinforcing their efforts and multiplying their results.
Deeper Meaning
Yi teaches that the universe is generous to those who use their resources wisely. When you have been sincere in your decrease, when you have simplified your life and focused your energy, the natural response of the world is increase. This hexagram describes a moment when circumstances conspire to support your growth, when the wind is at your back and the ground beneath your feet is fertile. Use this favorable period to undertake significant projects, cross major thresholds, and invest in long-term growth.
Life Areas
Love & Relationships
Increase in love signals a period of growing intimacy, deepening affection, and the enrichment of the partnership through shared experience and mutual generosity. This is an excellent time for significant commitments, shared ventures, and the expansion of the relationship into new territory. The love between partners is multiplying, and each act of generosity is returned manifold.
Career & Work
Yi in career matters is one of the most favorable hexagrams for professional growth, new ventures, and bold initiatives. Resources are available, support is forthcoming, and the conditions for advancement are optimal. Launch the project you have been planning, seek the position you have been preparing for, or invest in the opportunity you have been evaluating. The winds of increase are blowing, and the time for action is now.
Health
Increase in health indicates improving vitality, successful treatments, and the body's positive response to care and attention. This is a time when health investments pay off with interest. New exercise programs, nutritional changes, and healing practices are likely to produce better results than expected. The body is in a receptive state, ready to grow stronger in response to your efforts.
Advice
Act boldly during this period of increase. Undertake significant projects, cross major thresholds, and invest in your future with confidence. The conditions are favorable, and your efforts will be multiplied by the supportive energy of the time. Imitate what you see is good, correct what you know is wrong, and allow the natural momentum of increase to carry you forward.
Changing Lines
Changing lines in Yi explore different manifestations of increase: from the sudden windfall that tests your stewardship to the gradual growth that rewards patience, from the increase that comes from above to the increase that arises from within. Each line asks how you will use the abundance that is flowing toward you.
Related Hexagrams
Complementary: Hexagram 41 (Sun, Decrease) represents the sacrifice that earns and precedes increase. Opposite: Hexagram 32 (Heng, Duration) shows the steady state that contrasts with Yi's dynamic expansion.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does I Ching Hexagram 42 (Yi) mean?
Hexagram 42, Yi (益), translates to "Increase." It is composed of Wind/Thunder and associated with the Wood element. Yi teaches that the universe is generous to those who use their resources wisely. When you have been sincere in your decrease, when you have simplified your life and focused your energy, the natural r
What is the advice of Hexagram 42 (Yi)?
Act boldly during this period of increase. Undertake significant projects, cross major thresholds, and invest in your future with confidence. The conditions are favorable, and your efforts will be multiplied by the supportive energy of the time. Imitate what you see is good, correct what you know is
What does Yi mean for love and relationships?
Increase in love signals a period of growing intimacy, deepening affection, and the enrichment of the partnership through shared experience and mutual generosity. This is an excellent time for significant commitments, shared ventures, and the expansion of the relationship into new territory. The lov
What does Yi mean for career?
Yi in career matters is one of the most favorable hexagrams for professional growth, new ventures, and bold initiatives. Resources are available, support is forthcoming, and the conditions for advancement are optimal. Launch the project you have been planning, seek the position you have been prepari
What do the changing lines mean in Hexagram 42?
Changing lines in Yi explore different manifestations of increase: from the sudden windfall that tests your stewardship to the gradual growth that rewards patience, from the increase that comes from above to the increase that arises from within. Each line asks how you will use the abundance that is