What this change means
Weeping blood, the horses pulling apart: the top line of 3 Initial Obstacles is the darkest image in the hexagram, and as it moves, the water above becomes wind. The line's advice is simple and firm. However many obstacles you've met, don't give up and don't lose heart. The grief is real, but it isn't the end of the story.
The resulting hexagram, 42 Increase, shows what lies on the other side of that perseverance: a time of gain and growth in which your projects can prosper. It also asks something of you. Keep your inner integrity, learn from people who have the qualities you want, and let go of habits that have caused you trouble before. Watch for despair at the moment just before things turn. Holding on through the hardest stretch is what lets the growth that follows reach you.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 6 of 3 Initial Obstacles
Despite the obstacles, don't give up or lose heart.
The horses of the team pull apart. Weeping blood, in endless streams.
- The judgment of 3 Initial Obstacles
This isn't the time to act directly: look for people who can act for you, allies who represent you. Still, stay alert so you know when the time comes to take back the initiative and control.
Great success. Constancy is favorable. Having somewhere to go is of no use yet. It is favorable to install lords.
- The judgment of 42 Increase
You're in a time of gain and growth: your projects will grow and prosper. At times like this it's important to keep your inner integrity, follow the example of people who have the qualities you want to gain, and get rid of the traits that have caused you trouble before. Overall, it's a time of achievement and generosity.
It is favorable to have somewhere to go. It is favorable to cross the great river.
The trigrams
The way back
42 Increase → 3 Initial Obstaclesline 6
Other transformations of Initial Obstacles
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.