Hexagram 30

Clinging (Fire) (離為火)

Ri-i-ka / Lí

Double fire—bright clarity and dependence. Follow what is right with flexibility.

Upper: Li (Fire)Lower: Li (Fire)claritylightadhesion

Judgment

離。利貞、亨。畜牝牛、吉。

Clinging. Benefit in correctness, success. Raise a gentle cow—good fortune.

Stay clear and correct, yet gentle and adaptable like a cow.

Line-by-Line (Yao)

Interpretations if the line changes.

初九。履錯然、敬之、无咎。

Treading among mix-ups—be respectful and there is no blame.

六二。黃離、元吉。

Yellow clinging—great fortune. Balanced central clarity.

九三。日昃之離、不鼓缶而歌、則大耋之嗟、凶。

Sun slanting in decline; if you do not drum and sing, there will be elderly lament—misfortune. Keep spirit up in waning times.

九四。突如其來如、焚如、死如、棄如。

Sudden arrival, burning, death, abandonment—volatile change. Beware sudden flare-ups.

六五。出涕沱若、戚嗟若、吉。

Tears flow, sighs arise—yet fortune. Honest emotion cleanses.

上九。王用出征、有嘉折首、獲匪其醜、无咎。

The king goes to war, takes the chief’s head; the captives are not evil—no blame. Just action conquers.

Practical Reading: Love, Career, Health & Decisions

When you cast Hexagram 30, Lí (Clinging), the Book of Changes shows you a situation with Li (Fire) above and Li (Fire) below. Double fire—bright clarity and dependence. Follow what is right with flexibility. 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

Warmth and insight deepen attraction; show understanding. In a love or relationship reading, Hexagram 30 (Lí) describes the meeting point of Li (fire) above and Li (fire) 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

Use intellect and clarity; remain flexible. In work and career, Lí points to whether the outer market or workplace (Li (fire)) and your inner stance (Li (fire)) 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 Lí situation; reading the configuration usually does.

Health & Wellbeing

Fire energy high—cool temper and balance habits. For a body or wellness reading, treat the lines of Hexagram 30 as descriptions of phases, not diagnoses. Lí 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 30 (Lí, Clinging) as a statement about the configuration of your situation rather than the outcome. The summary "Double fire—bright clarity and dependence. Follow what is right with flexibility." 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.

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