Hexagram 35:

jìn expansion

By Augustin Chan · Last updated 2025

Upper TrigramFire
Lower TrigramEarth

Judgment

jìnexpansion, progress, advance, development
kāngthe prosperous, exalted; ^Kang(shou Feng)
hóulord, governor, chief; Lord
yòngpresent, offer, send; use, utilize (s, ed)
grants, awards, rewards, gifts
of horses
fānin, to propagate, breed, multiply, increase (ing)
shùa, the multitude, large numbers; numbers
zhòuand (in, by) the light of
a, one day
sānthree times
jiēmeet, receive, contact; grant(s, ed) audience(s)

Progress. The powerful prince is honored with horses in large numbers. In a single day he is granted audience three times. Progress brings honor and recognition when inner clarity becomes manifest.

Image

míngthe light clarity, intelligence, vision
chūrises, arises emerges, comes out, appears
^(the) earth, ground, land
shàngover, above, across

The sun rises over the earth: the image of Progress. Thus the superior man himself brightens his bright virtue.

Techno-Mysticism

Hexagram 35 digital artifact

Aleister Crowley & Lady Frieda Harris - The Thoth Tarot

Aleister Crowley & Lady Frieda Harris (1938)

In 1938, Aleister Crowley commissioned Lady Frieda Harris to paint a new Tarot deck incorporating his Thel emic philosophy and advanced occult knowledge. What emerged over five years was the Thoth Tarot: 78 cards synthesizing Egyptian symbolism, Qabalistic correspondences, astrological associations, and Art Deco modernism. Crowley renamed key trumps—Judgment becomes The Aeon, Strength becomes Lust, Justice becomes Adjustment—each change reflecting deeper esoteric understanding. Harris painted each card multiple times until the sacred geometry aligned perfectly. Fire beneath heaven: clarity and illumination (fire) supporting creative advancement (heaven). This wasn't preservation of Tarot tradition—it was bold reinterpretation that honored source material while pushing divination forward. Hexagram 35 (Progress/Advancement) describes the superior man advancing through his own clarity. The Thoth deck advanced Tarot by making visible what earlier decks only hinted at: the complete integration of Western ceremonial magic, Eastern mysticism, and psychological insight into visual form.

Historical Context

Period
Zhou Dynasty
Oracle Bone Etymology
Fire (☲) above, Earth (☷) below—light rising above the receptive earth, illuminating what was hidden.
Traditional Use
The classical text describes advancement and progress, particularly through one's own light and clarity. The superior man himself brightens his virtue. Progress occurs when inner clarity illuminates the path forward.

Lines

Line 1: 晉如摧如貞吉罔孚裕無咎

jìn^expansion, advance; ^ far along, ahead
it may seem that v; so, how (very) v
cuī^ overwhelmed; ^ frustrated, pressed
is to be, the same as v; (and yet, to be) so v
zhēnbut persistence, dedication, commitment
is promising, auspicious, opportune, timely
wǎnguse wits; net, snare, trap, steal [by any means get]
for trust, confidence, assurance, the true
and be tolerant, accepting, generous
no; (this is) not; nothing
jiùblame; is wrong; a mistake, an error (s)

Line 2: 晉如愁如貞吉受茲介福于其王母

jìn^ expansion, advance; ^ far along, ahead
it may seem that v; so, how (very) v
chóu^ anxious, worried; ^ fearful, gloomy
is to be, the same as v; (and yet, to be) so v
zhēnbut persistence, dedication, commitment
is promising, auspicious, opportune, timely
shòuaccept, receive, take; be given; enjoy
the, these present, given; these this
jièboundary, border, limitation, constraint (s)
as (if, one would) (a) blessing, favor, gift
from, by, of
one's (own)
wánggrand-
mother [i.e. graciously and gratefully]

Line 3: 眾允悔亡

zhòngmany, numerous; much; a multitude of
yǔnpermission, allowance, grant, liberty (s) +
huǐregret(s), remorse
wángpass, disappear, dissolve (s)

Line 4: 晉如鼫鼠貞厲

jìnadvancing, progressing, moving forward
just, much like; as if, though
shía, the squirrelly, long-tailed, skulking
shǔrodent, rat
zhēnpersistence, determination, resolve
is harsh, dangerous, difficult; trouble

Line 5: 悔亡失得勿恤往吉無不利

huǐregret(s), remorse; regret, repent (and)
wángpass, disappear, dissolve (s); move on
shīabout, over loss; giving up; failure
and gain; receiving; attainment
are not to be; do not
taken to heart; worry, be concerned
wǎngsimply to go, move on, advance, progress
is promising, auspicious, opportune, timely
without; (there is) nothing
doubt; (that) (is) not; (which) cannot be
worthwhile; (turned to) advantage(ous)

Line 6: 晉其角維用伐邑厲吉無咎貞吝

jìnadvancing, extending
the, one's, his, those
jiǎohorns, antlers
wéilimit, confine, constrain, restrain, hold
yòngthe, this practice, application, use, exploit
to subjugate, subordinate, discipline (ing)
of the home town, community; locally
that harsh, stern, strict (ness); severity
is promising, opportune, timely, positive
is not; nothing
jiùto be blamed; wrong; a mistake, an error
zhēnbut persistence; to persist, continue
lìnis embarrassment; a disgrace, shame

Practical Guidance

You've got deep knowledge in your domain—years of accumulated understanding, patterns others don't see, insights that could advance the field. The question isn't whether you possess it. You do. The question is: are you making it visible? Crowley in 1938 had five decades of occult study: Golden Dawn training, Qabalistic mastery, Eastern mysticism, Thelemic revelation. That knowledge could have stayed locked in grimoires and private teaching. Instead, he commissioned Harris to paint it—make the invisible visible, translate esoteric wisdom into visual form accessible to anyone willing to look. The Thoth Tarot cards aren't dumbed down. Harris painted sacred geometry with mathematical precision, Egyptian symbolism with scholarly accuracy, astrological correspondences with technical correctness. But she made it luminous. The Art Deco aesthetic, the bold color choices, the modernist composition—clarity without simplification. Fire above earth: illumination rising from solid foundation. Here's what most experts miss: hoarding knowledge isn't wisdom, it's fear. You think keeping insights private makes you valuable. Actually, it makes you invisible. Real progress happens when you brighten your virtue—make what you know clear enough that others can build on it. The classical text: the superior man himself brightens his virtue. Not waiting for recognition, not hiding expertise until someone pays enough. Making knowledge luminous because that's how fields advance. Crowley renamed the cards (Lust instead of Strength, Aeon instead of Judgment) not to be contrarian but to make visible the deeper meanings earlier decks obscured. Your version: write the definitive explanation of that pattern you've noticed. Create the visualization that makes the complex relationship obvious. Build the tool that demonstrates the principle so clearly that beginners and experts both see it. That's progress—not incremental improvement, but making visible what was previously hidden. The Thoth deck took five years, hundreds of paintings, endless revisions until the geometry aligned. Harris repainted cards completely when Crowley's specifications sharpened. That's the work of advancement: not just knowing things, but refining how you show them until clarity emerges. Fire rises above earth. The sun climbs over the horizon, illuminating the landscape. Your knowledge is the foundation—solid, real, accumulated through years of work. Progress happens when you make it luminous. Stop hoarding insight. Start brightening your virtue. That's how individuals advance and fields transform.

Transformations

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