What is Hexagram 30, The Clinging?
Hexagram 30, The Clinging (離 Lí), is built from Fire (離 Lí) over Fire (離 Lí), and the Wilhelm-Baynes translation reads its themes as clarity, illumination, attachment. The classical sources describe it as a pattern in the Book of Changes (易經 Yìjīng), a situation to recognise, not a verdict to obey.
Key Takeaways
- Hexagram 30 is built from Fire (離 Lí) over Fire (離 Lí).
- Its central themes, clarity, illumination, attachment, brilliance, sit in the Wilhelm-Baynes lineage.
- The classical pairing matches the hexagram to Citrine as the meditation stone.
- Read alongside BaZi, Kua, and Compass School sector mapping for a fuller picture.
- This is a pattern, not a verdict, the I-Ching frames reflection, not prediction.
The Judgment
The Clinging. Perseverance furthers. It brings success. Care of the cow brings good fortune.
The Image
That which is bright rises twice: the image of Fire. Thus the great person, by perpetuating this brightness, illumines the four quarters of the world.
Master Wei Lin's Interpretation
Interpretation by Master Wei Lin, Chinese Metaphysics Scholar, pattern recognition, not fortune-telling
Fire upon fire, brilliance, clarity, and the quality of clinging to what gives light. Fire needs fuel; it cannot exist alone. This hexagram asks what you are attached to, what gives you light, and whether that attachment is sustainable. Your question is illuminated: you can see clearly. But clarity requires something to cling to, a purpose, a value, a commitment. What sustains your flame?
The Six Lines
When a changing line appears in your reading, its text carries special guidance for your situation.
Line 1 (bottom)
“The footprints run crisscross. If one is seriously careful, no blame.”
Line 2
“Yellow light. Supreme good fortune.”
Line 3
“In the light of the setting sun, people either beat the pot and sing or loudly bewail the approach of old age. Misfortune.”
Line 4
“Its coming is sudden; it flames up, dies down, is thrown away.”
Line 5
“Tears in floods, sighing and lamenting. Good fortune.”
Line 6 (top)
“The king uses the one to march forth and correct. Then it is best to kill the leaders and take captive the followers. No blame.”
🔮 Crystal for Hexagram 30
Citrine
Hold Citrine while meditating on The Clinging. Its energy resonates with the themes of clarity, illumination, attachment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Hexagram 30 (The Clinging) mean?
In the Wilhelm-Baynes translation of the I-Ching (易經 Yìjīng), Hexagram 30, The Clinging (離 Lí), is read through Fire (離 Lí) over Fire (離 Lí). The classical sources describe its themes as clarity, illumination, attachment. This is pattern recognition, not prediction.
What is the Judgment for The Clinging?
The Judgment reads: "The Clinging. Perseverance furthers. It brings success. Care of the cow brings good fortune.", the Judgment is the I-Ching's classical summary of the situation the hexagram describes, and what the present moment is asking of the reader.
What is the Image for The Clinging?
The Image reads: "That which is bright rises twice: the image of Fire. Thus the great person, by perpetuating this brightness, illumines the four quarters of the world.", in the classical sources the Image is the elemental picture, the upper and lower trigrams in conversation, that the reader holds while sitting with the hexagram.
What crystal pairs with Hexagram 30?
Citrine is the traditional pairing for The Clinging. The classical Chinese gemology lineage associates this stone with the hexagram's central themes, hold it during meditation on the reading. This is reflective practice, not divination-as-prediction.
How is Hexagram 30 read in BaZi or Feng Shui?
An I-Ching cast is one consultation. The fuller reading, Four Pillars (四柱 Sì Zhù), Kua personal feng shui, and Compass School sector mapping, reads the hexagram alongside the chart. Master Wei Lin's Master Reading section synthesizes the Book of Changes alongside BaZi and the other Chinese metaphysics traditions.
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