初
初九。素履、往无咎。
Plain footsteps—going brings no blame. Simple conduct is safe.
䷉
Hexagram 10
Treading (Conduct) (天沢履)
Ten-taku-ri / Lǚ
Walking on thin ice or a tiger’s tail—success depends on correct attitude and careful steps.
Judgment
履虎尾，不咥人，亨。
Treading on a tiger’s tail; it does not bite. Success.
Proper conduct and respect allow you to pass through risky situations unharmed.
Line-by-Line (Yao)
Interpretations if the line changes.
二
六二。履道坦坦、幽人貞吉。
Treading a level path; the recluse stays correct and finds good fortune. Quiet correctness.
三
九三。眇能視、跛能履。履虎尾、咥人、凶。武人為于大君。
Half-blind yet seeing, lame yet walking. Treading the tiger’s tail, it bites—misfortune. A warrior serves a great lord—dangerous duty.
四
九四。履虎尾、愬愬、終吉。
Treading the tiger’s tail, fearful—ends good. Cautious respect averts harm.
五
九五。夬履、貞厲。
Resolute tread—upright but perilous. Bold steps need care.
上
上九。視履考祥、其旋元吉。
Watching the treading, examining the omens—the turning returns great fortune. Reflect and adjust course.
Practical Reading: Love, Career, Health & Decisions
When you cast Hexagram 10, Lǚ (Treading), the Book of Changes shows you a situation with Qian (Heaven) above and Dui (Lake) below. Walking on thin ice or a tiger’s tail—success depends on correct attitude and careful steps. Use the cards below to map that pattern onto your specific question — a love reading, a career decision, a health concern, or a yes/no choice.
Love & Relationships
Be courteous and mindful; avoid provocative moves. In a love or relationship reading, Hexagram 10 (Lǚ) describes the meeting point of Qian (heaven) above and Dui (lake) below: how the outer situation meets your inner state. Ask whether you are forcing the relationship to fit a picture, or letting it move at the rhythm this hexagram suggests. For a partnered question, read the changing lines to see which side — yours or the other person's — is being asked to shift.
Work & Career
Handle hierarchies carefully; respect processes to avoid backlash. In work and career, Lǚ points to whether the outer market or workplace (Qian (heaven)) and your inner stance (Dui (lake)) are in alignment. If a project, negotiation, or job change is the question, ask what this hexagram says about timing rather than effort: pushing harder rarely changes a Lǚ situation; reading the configuration usually does.
Health & Wellbeing
Watch your footing—prevent accidents and overstrain. For a body or wellness reading, treat the lines of Hexagram 10 as descriptions of phases, not diagnoses. Lǚ usually signals where energy needs to be conserved versus where it is asking to be expressed. Combine the hexagram's advice with concrete medical guidance — the I Ching is a reflective tool, not a substitute for professional care.
Decision-Making
When the question is a yes/no — should I take the offer, move, leave, commit? — read Hexagram 10 (Lǚ, Treading) as a statement about the configuration of your situation rather than the outcome. The summary "Walking on thin ice or a tiger’s tail—success depends on correct attitude and careful steps." is your starting frame. Ask: does this action respect that configuration, or fight it? Changing lines, if any, tell you which specific aspect needs to bend.
Go Deeper in the I Ching App
Study real readings, changing lines, and FAQs. The AI edition gives tailored interpretations and dialogue.
📖 The app translation is now a book
Wilhelm's I Ching (Japanese edition)
is now available as a book
Free with Kindle Unlimited