What this change means
The fifth and top lines move, the upper Fire becomes Lake, and Biting turns into 17 Adapting, thunder within the lake. The top line leads with its warning: staying on a wrong path and refusing advice leads to failure. The fifth line adds the fair judge, steady and impartial when correcting others, aware of the danger yet free of fault. The contrast is pointed. It's easy to be impartial about others' mistakes and deaf to your own. The resulting hexagram asks you to know when to lead and when to follow, and to act genuinely from the place life gives you now. If you're open to correction yourself, your judgments carry more weight and people support you more readily. Lead where you're asked to; listen where you need to.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 6 of 21 Biting
Insisting on staying on the wrong path and refusing to hear advice or warnings will lead you to failure.
A wooden collar on the neck, the ears lost from sight. Misfortune.
- Line 5 of 21 Biting
When you correct mistakes others have made, be steady and impartial, and you'll get results.
Biting dried meat, finding yellow gold. Constancy is in danger. No fault.
- The judgment of 21 Biting
It's a time for firm, decisive action to overcome obstacles, even legal action if needed. Success is within reach if you act with energy and set limits. Don't be afraid: act.
Success. It is favorable to bring things to judgment.
- The judgment of 17 Adapting
It's a time both to lead and to follow. If you can see the place life is asking you to take right now, and act genuinely from wherever you belong, you'll gain more leadership and more support for what you do.
Great success. Constancy is favorable. No fault.
The trigrams
The way back
17 Adapting → 21 Bitinglines 5 and 6
Other transformations of Biting
- 64Transitionlines 1 and 2
- 56The Travelerlines 1 and 3
- 14Wealthlines 2 and 3
- 23The Falllines 1 and 4
- 41Decreaselines 2 and 4
- 22Good Mannerslines 3 and 4
- 12Declinelines 1 and 5
- 10Treading Carefullylines 2 and 5
- 13Gathering with Equalslines 3 and 5
- 42Increaselines 4 and 5
- 16Passionlines 1 and 6
- 54A Subordinate Rolelines 2 and 6
- 55Abundancelines 3 and 6
- 24Coming Backlines 4 and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.