I Ching hexagram 21

I Ching hexagram 21: Biting Through

噬嗑 shì kè · fire above thunder

Something lodged between the teeth keeps the jaws apart; bite through it with clear judgment and thunder's force.

The judgment: Success. It is right to use legal judgment.
"Shih Ho indicates successful progress (in the condition of things which it supposes). It will be advantageous to use legal constraints."
James Legge's translation, 1882
What it says to you: Look at the figure and you see an open mouth with something lodged between the jaws: firm lines top and bottom, one hard line in the middle. The mouth cannot close until that thing is bitten through. Thunder below, lightning above: force and clarity together. The judgment is short. Success, and it is right to use legal judgment. Something is blocking the connection between you and what you want, a lie, an obstacle, a person behaving badly, and politeness will not dissolve it. You have to bite. The lines go from soft flesh to dried meat to gristle on the bone, harder each time, and partway through you find bronze arrowheads and yellow gold. So get the facts clear, make the response firm, and keep it fair. Then bite down.

Matter by matter

Love: Something unspoken stands between you. Address it directly and fairly so the gap can close.
Work: Enforce the rules, settle the dispute, remove the obstruction. Clear, decisive action works now.
Money: Settle the contested matter or overdue bill. Tough, fair dealing turns up value, like gold in dried meat.
A yes or no question: Yes. Act decisively to remove what blocks you, with clear facts and fair intent.

The six lines of Biting Through

A hexagram is built from the bottom up, so the first line is the lowest. You read a line's text only when your cast made it a moving line.

Bottom line, solid

Feet locked in the stocks, toes hidden from sight. No harm.

A small penalty for a first misstep. It stings, and it stops you before a small fault grows. Accept the correction and walk on; nothing lasting is lost, and you are warned in time.
Second line, broken

Biting into soft flesh until the nose disappears. No harm.

The task is easy and you bite too deep, overdoing it a little. Going hard at something that deserved it is no mistake. Just notice that less force would have done the job.
Third line, broken

Biting old dried meat and hitting something poisonous. A little shame, no harm.

You are tackling an old, tough problem, and it bites back with resentment or nasty surprises. Unpleasant, a little embarrassing. Still the right thing to bite through, and you come out clear.
Fourth line, solid

Biting dried meat on the bone and finding bronze arrowheads. It pays to stay steady through hardship. Good fortune.

The hardest piece yet, gristle and bone. Inside it you find something of value, as hard and straight as a bronze arrow. Know the task is hard, keep at it honestly, and it ends well.
Fifth line, broken

Biting dried meat and finding yellow gold. Stay true, aware of the danger. No harm.

You are in a position to judge, and leaning toward mercy, which is right. The yellow gold is the fair middle course. Stay aware of the stakes, keep your judgment straight, and nothing goes wrong.
Top line, solid

A wooden collar around the neck, hiding the ears. Misfortune.

Someone, maybe you, would not listen, and the faults piled up until the heavy collar came. This is what deaf stubbornness earns. If you can still hear the warnings, listen to them now.

About hexagram 21

What does I Ching hexagram 21 mean?

Hexagram 21, Biting Through, puts fire above thunder. Something lodged between the teeth keeps the jaws apart; bite through it with clear judgment and thunder's force. Its judgment reads: Success. It is right to use legal judgment.

Is hexagram 21 a yes or a no?

Yes. Act decisively to remove what blocks you, with clear facts and fair intent.

What does hexagram 21 mean for love?

Something unspoken stands between you. Address it directly and fairly so the gap can close.

What does hexagram 21 mean for work?

Enforce the rules, settle the dispute, remove the obstruction. Clear, decisive action works now.

Cast the coins for a new question , or for a straight yes or no, throw the moon blocks

The I Ching reads a moment. For the years of your own life, cast your birth chart; on your chart page you can ask three questions of your own, answered against it, for $2.99.

The judgment and lines are rendered from the Chinese text; the quoted judgment is Legge's 1882 translation, and every other English line is Jade Almanac's own. A cast is a prompt for reflection, not advice about health, money or the law.