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Hexagram 21: Biting Through
噬嗑 · Shì Hé
Biting Through has success. It is favorable to let justice be administered.Judgment 卦辭
Thunder and lightning: the image of Biting Through. The ancient kings instituted punishments and clearly defined the laws.Image 象辭
Core Meaning of Hexagram 21
Hexagram 21 is the bite: fire above thunder, lightning with the clap — obstacles severed by decisive force. When something blocks the way between upper and lower teeth, it must be bitten through, not negotiated around. This is the hexagram of firm intervention: setting matters straight, delivering the hard message, administering real consequences.
Hexagram 21 in a Reading
In a reading, a clear obstacle stands between you and union or completion — name it and act. Conditions favor decisive justice: the hard conversation, the enforced boundary, the executed decision. The teeth must meet; half-measures leave the obstacle lodged. Act from clarity, not rage — lightning illuminates first, thunder strikes second. Once bitten through, the connection closes.
Common Questions
What does hexagram 21 mean?
Hexagram 21 is the bite: fire above thunder, lightning with the clap — obstacles severed by decisive force. Read the full meaning above, or cast your own reading with our free online I Ching coins.
What is the structure of hexagram 21?
Hexagram 21 is built from the trigram Fire above and Thunder below — binary 100101 read from the bottom line to the top. Biting Through is King Wen number 21 of the 64 hexagrams.
Related Hexagrams
Other Hexagrams with Trigram Fire Above
Keywords: i ching hexagram 21, hexagram 21 meaning, biting through, shi he, fire over thunder, cutting through obstruction, decisive action, justice