Yi Jing · Chinese tarot
Biting Through
Hexagram 21 of the Yi Jing · 噬嗑 Shì Kè
The figure
Fire above Thunder: clarity joined to movement, the lightning that cuts. The image of biting through the obstacle.
What this figure illuminates
Biting Through lights up situations calling for a clean decision, where something stands in the way and must be cut through. Right firmness is better than the complacency that lets things rot.
For a decision, the figure asks for clear courage: “what must be cut cleanly, rather than skirted one more time?”.
The classical text
The Judgment
Biting through what obstructs brings success. It furthers to let justice be firmly applied.
The Image
Thunder and lightning meet. Seeing this, the ancient kings framed clear penalties and made the laws plain.
The Six Lines
- First line
Feet locked in the stocks, held back at the first misstep. A small check now spares a greater fault — no error.
- Second line
Biting through soft flesh, so deep you take off the nose. Firmness against real wrong, though severe, is no error.
- Third line
Gnawing old dried meat, you strike something rancid. A little humiliation, but no serious fault.
- Fourth line
Gnawing meat dried hard on the bone, you win metal and arrows. Know the difficulty of the task, stay firm, and good fortune.
- Fifth line
Gnawing dried meat, you come upon yellow gold. Keep firm and aware of the danger, and there is no error.
- Sixth line
Locked in the heavy yoke, the ears lost to all warning. Deaf to correction: misfortune.
Daoa's wording, written after the classical reference translations, now in the public domain: James Legge (1882) and Charles de Harlez (1889).
A question to keep
What must be cut cleanly rather than skirted again?
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