Shi He 火雷噬嗑
A time to clear the obstacle
A misunderstanding or hindrance needs to be dealt with firmly. Be fair and take the emotion out.
What does I Ching hexagram 21 (Biting Through) mean?
Like biting through something stuck in the mouth: dealing firmly with an obstacle. It calls for fair judgment and decisiveness.
- Biting Through in love
- Misunderstandings and obstacles have to be cleared by honest talk.
- Biting Through at work and with money
- Firmly sort out the problem that is in the way and things open up.
- Advice
- Don’t avoid the issue; handle it directly.
The judgment and the image
Judgment · Biting Through
Auspicious“Success. It is fitting to administer justice.”
The Image: Thunder and lightning: biting through. The ancient kings made penalties clear and laws firm.
原文 · 亨。利用獄。 / 雷電噬嗑；先王以明罰敕法。
The six lines of hexagram 21
Lines are read from the bottom up. When you cast a reading and a line is changing, its statement becomes the key message.
Line 1 · 初九
No blame“The feet are in the stocks, the toes disappear; no blame.”
A small restraint at the very start stops a bigger offense. It teaches a lesson.
原文 · 屨校滅趾，无咎。
Line 2 · 六二
No blame“Biting through tender flesh, the nose disappears; no blame.”
The matter is easy to bite into, but you overdo it. It’s fine anyway.
原文 · 噬膚滅鼻，无咎。
Line 3 · 六三
Neutral“Biting through old dried meat and meeting poison; a little humiliation, but no blame.”
A hard old problem is unpleasant to deal with, but it needs to be done.
原文 · 噬昔肉，遇毒；小吝，无咎。
Line 4 · 九四
Auspicious“Biting through dried gristle, one gets a bronze arrow; hardship and perseverance bring good fortune.”
A stubborn problem requires effort and persistence, but you succeed.
原文 · 噬乾胏，得金矢，利艱貞，吉。
Line 5 · 六五
No blame“Biting through dry meat, one gets yellow gold; perseverance is dangerous, but no blame.”
You get a valuable result, but stay careful and fair.
原文 · 噬乾肉，得黃金，貞厲，无咎。
Line 6 · 上九
Misfortune“Wearing the wooden collar, the ears disappear: misfortune.”
You refuse to listen and keep making the same error, and it ends badly.
原文 · 何校滅耳，凶。
Related hexagrams
- Opposite hexagram (every line flipped): 48. Jing (The Well)
- Reversed hexagram (turned upside down): 22. Bi (Grace)
The classical text is in the public domain; the English translations and readings are our own, for reflection and entertainment.