I Ching Reading

Hexagram 30: The Clinging Fire

離 · Lí · Fire over Fire

clarityilluminationdependenceawareness

The Clinging Fire (離, Lí) is hexagram 30 of the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching, in the traditional King Wen order. It is made of Fire (☲) above Fire (☲).

Meaning of hexagram 30

Fire depends on what it burns and clarity depends on what it clings to. Attach yourself to something worthy and your vision brightens.

Advice

Cultivate clear thinking, stay connected to what nourishes you and be warm with others.

The two trigrams

The Clinging Fire doubles the trigram ☲ Fire (Lí): bright, clinging and clear above and below, the quality of fire at its purest.

Hexagram
30. The Clinging Fire
Chinese name
離 Lí
Upper trigram
☲ Fire (Lí)
Lower trigram
☲ Fire (Lí)
Lines
4 yang (solid) and 2 yin (broken)
Place in the sequence
30 of 64 (King Wen order)

The six lines of The Clinging Fire

A hexagram is read from the bottom line up. In a reading, a changing line (a 6 or a 9 in the three-coin method) draws attention to its position.

  1. First line (yang, solid): the beginning. The root of the matter: early stirrings, foundations, and what has not yet shown itself.
  2. Second line (yin, broken): the inner circle. Your immediate surroundings and steady supports: how things work at close range.
  3. Third line (yang, solid): the threshold. A point of tension between inner and outer, often a test or a restless push forward.
  4. Fourth line (yang, solid): the approach. Stepping into wider circles or nearer to authority; caution and good relationships matter here.
  5. Fifth line (yin, broken): the center of power. The place of influence and clear leadership: where the situation is most fully expressed.
  6. Sixth line (yang, solid): the culmination. The far edge of the situation: completion, overreach, or letting go.

Related hexagrams