Hexagram 42.1 — Increase (First Line)

Original Text & Translation

「利用為大作,元吉,無咎。」 — It is favorable to undertake great works. Supreme good fortune. No blame.

The image is of receiving unexpected advantage at the foundation level and recognizing its proper scale. The increase arriving now is not trivial — it carries momentum that can support structures, initiatives, or commitments far beyond your previous capacity. The counsel is to match the magnitude of what you receive with the magnitude of what you build. Small thinking wastes the gift; ambitious vision honors it.

Core Meaning

Line one sits at the base of Increase, where new resources, energy, or support first enter the situation. In this hexagram, that arrival is not accidental — it represents a structural shift, a transfer of advantage from above to below, from established to emerging. The first line marks the moment you recognize that something significant has changed in your favor, and that recognition must immediately translate into scaled intention.

Practically, this line distinguishes between consumption and construction. Increase can be spent on comfort, distraction, or minor upgrades — or it can be invested in projects that reshape your trajectory. "Great works" means efforts that outlast the moment: building systems, launching ventures, committing to training, establishing foundations that compound. The line promises supreme good fortune specifically when the scale of your action matches the scale of the opportunity.

Symbolism & Imagery

Increase at the first line evokes the image of fertile ground receiving rain after drought, or a craftsman suddenly granted access to superior materials and tools. The conditions have shifted; what was previously constrained is now expansive. The symbolic teaching is that increase is not neutral — it creates responsibility. To receive and do nothing, or to receive and squander on trivialities, violates the momentum of the moment.

This imagery also addresses discernment. Not every windfall is increase in the I Ching sense. True increase arrives with clarity about purpose: you know instinctively that this resource, this help, this opening is meant for something specific and substantial. The first line asks you to trust that intuition and act accordingly, without hesitation or false modesty.

Action Guidance

Career & Business

• Scale your ambition: if you've received funding, a promotion, a key hire, or strategic partnership, immediately map it to a project worthy of that input. Avoid incremental thinking.
• Commit to infrastructure: use the increase to build systems, processes, and tools that will serve you for years — CRM, automation, training programs, documented workflows.
• Launch the flagship: this is the moment for the project you've been deferring. The resources and support are aligned; delay is now the greater risk.
• Formalize roles and accountability: great works require clear ownership. Define who does what, by when, and how success is measured.
• Communicate the vision: increase at the first line benefits from transparency. Share the goal, the plan, and the stakes with your team or stakeholders to multiply momentum.

Love & Relationships

• Deepen commitment: if the relationship has entered a new phase of trust, support, or shared resources, respond by formalizing intentions — move in together, plan long-term, integrate families.
• Invest in shared projects: channel the relational energy into something you build together — a home, a creative work, a shared practice, or a meaningful trip.
• Expand your capacity for generosity: increase in love means you have more to give. Offer time, attention, and presence at a scale that matches the bond's depth.
• Avoid complacency: receiving love and support is not the endpoint; it's the fuel for co-creating a richer life together.

Health & Inner Work

• Commit to a transformative program: if you've gained energy, clarity, or access to guidance, use it to undertake serious training — strength building, therapy, a meditation retreat, or a structured learning path.
• Set a milestone goal: define a health or inner-work objective that stretches you — a race, a certification, a 100-day practice, a creative project completion.
• Leverage support: if you have access to a coach, therapist, teacher, or community, engage fully. Great works in inner development require guidance and accountability.
• Build rituals that scale: establish daily or weekly practices robust enough to carry you through future challenges — morning routines, journaling systems, movement protocols.

Finance & Strategy

• Deploy capital into growth: if liquidity or credit has increased, allocate it to investments with compounding potential — education, business expansion, real estate, diversified portfolios.
• Formalize your strategy: document your investment thesis, risk parameters, and review cadence. Great works in finance require discipline and structure.
• Avoid lifestyle inflation: increase is not permission to raise baseline expenses. Preserve the delta and direct it toward wealth-building assets.
• Seek leverage responsibly: this line supports bold moves, including intelligent use of leverage, provided the underlying project is sound and the risk is managed.

Timing, Signals, and Readiness

How do you know the increase is real and the moment is right for great works? Look for convergence of capacity and clarity: (1) you have received tangible new resources, support, or access; (2) you have a specific, ambitious goal that has been waiting for exactly this input; (3) the goal is aligned with your deeper values and long-term direction; and (4) you feel energized rather than anxious about the scale of the commitment. When these align, hesitation becomes the obstacle.

If the increase feels vague or the goal is unclear, pause to define both before acting. But if both are sharp — "I now have X, and I will use it to build Y" — then speed and boldness are your allies. The first line of Increase rewards those who recognize the gift and move decisively.

When This Line Moves

A moving first line in Hexagram 42 often signals that your bold response to increase will set a new foundation in motion. The reading indicates that undertaking great works now will not only succeed but will also establish patterns, relationships, and structures that define the next chapter. Depending on your casting method, the resultant hexagram will show the nature of that new configuration; consult the specific hexagram number your divination produced to understand the trajectory of change.

Practical takeaway: do not treat this as a one-time windfall. The great work you initiate now becomes the platform for future growth. Build it with care, ambition, and an eye toward sustainability. The increase is not a spike — it is the beginning of an upward cycle, provided you anchor it in meaningful action.

Concise Summary

Hexagram 42.1 is the arrival of increase at the foundation, calling for a response equal to its magnitude. It asks you to recognize the gift, define a great work worthy of it, and commit fully. "Great works become possible" is both permission and instruction: the resources are here, the moment is now, and small thinking is the only true risk. When you match the scale of opportunity with the scale of your vision, supreme good fortune follows naturally.