Hexagram 30: The Clinging (Fire)
䷝ 離 Lí – The Book of Changes
The Judgment
The Clinging indicates that it will be advantageous to be firm and correct, and that thus there will be free course and success. Let its subject also nourish a docility like that of the cow, and there will be good fortune.
The Image
Brightness repeated: the image of the Clinging. Thus the great man cultivates more and more his brilliant virtue, and diffuses its brightness over the four quarters of the land.
Description
The Clinging (Li) doubles the fire trigram: brightness upon brightness. Fire clings to what it burns, and light depends on what sustains it. The figure stands for clarity, perception and culture, and asks you to recognize what you depend on and to cultivate a docile, cow-like steadiness of heart.
The six lines
A line's place shapes its role: 1 the beginning, 2 the center of the inner world, 3 the threshold to the outside, 4 close to power, 5 the ruler's place, 6 the end and the excess. Keep this grid in mind and the line texts become much easier to read. More in the guide →
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Line 1: Old Yang (bottom)
Fire clings to the wood. Favorable — clarity needs fuel; nourish your light.
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Line 2: Old Yin
Clinging with joy. Favorable — passion becomes purpose; let your flame dance.
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Line 3: Old Yang
Clinging with confusion. Danger — scattered fire burns without aim; focus your energy.
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Line 4: Old Yang
Clinging with insight. Favorable — illumination reveals truth; see clearly.
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Line 5: Old Yin
Clinging with arrogance. Danger — light mistaken for superiority blinds; humble your flame.
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Line 6: Old Yang (top)
Clinging with grace. Favorable — fire becomes warmth; share your glow.
Reading by area of life
❤️ What does hexagram 30 mean for relationships and private life?
Feelings burn bright and visible now, and you can see each other clearly. Remember that a flame needs fuel: what does this relationship depend on? Nurture it, and acknowledge your dependence on each other without shame. Gentle steadiness keeps the warmth from flaring into jealousy or burning out in drama. Shared interests and shared beauty keep the fire fed.
💼 What does hexagram 30 mean for work and money?
You are on display: presentations, publications, roles where people see your work. Shine through clarity, not ego. Know what your success rests on, including partners, suppliers and colleagues, and treat those relationships carefully. Education, media, design and consulting are especially favored. Steady, cooperative behavior sustains a reputation over the years; brilliance alone flickers out. Give credit to those who keep your light burning, and they will keep doing it.
🌌 What does hexagram 30 mean for your personal path and spirituality?
Light within and light without. Insight sharpens, and you see your patterns more clearly. Keep cultivating that clarity, and let it reach others through kindness and good work. All light depends on a source; humility about what sustains you keeps the flame steady. Brightness that clings to what is true never runs out of fuel.
Nuclear hexagram
Lines 2, 3 and 4 form the lower trigram, lines 3, 4 and 5 the upper one. Leaving out the beginning and the end reveals the core of the situation, what is at work out of sight. It is a secondary aspect, not a second verdict. If it seems to contradict the main hexagram, that happens and is not an error. More in the guide →
Lines 2, 3, 4 and 3, 4, 5 form nuclear hexagram 28, Preponderance of the Great. It shows what is at work beneath the surface – an inner tendency, not a verdict on the situation itself.
Hexagram 28 – Preponderance of the Great
Preponderance of the Great suggests to us a beam that is weak. There will be advantage in moving in any direction whatever; there will be success.
The two trigrams
- Upper, outer: Li – Fire
- The Clinging (Middle Daughter). Within, it is clarity, inner vision and passion; without, a light that guides and connects through beauty and meaning.
- Lower, inner: Li – Fire
- The Clinging (Middle Daughter). Within, it is clarity, inner vision and passion; without, a light that guides and connects through beauty and meaning.