Hex 21 - who's doing the biting?

[ann]

I keep getting #21 and it puzzles me. Today it's turned up again. I asked 'How can I handle this workload' (more work than I can handle and it isn't a simple matter of rescheduling). I got
#21, change line 5 to 25.

25 keeps appearing at the moment too.

Now, my question for here is - who or what is doing the biting? Am I biting through things, or are things biting through me? Can anyone throw some light on #21 please? Have you had it turn up a lot too?

[frandoch]

Hi Ann,

Here is my interpretation of your resulting hexagrams. I hope it shines some light on your dilemma.

Good fortune,

Michael (Frandoch)

<FONT COLOR="0000ff">Hex: 21.

Outer World: Some ?unwise? person, or an ?unwise? element in your own personality, is working against you and the achievement of your aims. It is a real obstacle in your life, and one which cannot be ignored or wished away. If it is another person, then you must deal with the situation by adhering to the established means of securing justice that are accepted by your society. If you are in a position of power, you must administer just but fair penalties. If you are a follower, you must support those leaders who are in a position to reform the situation.

Inner World: If the ?unwise? element is within you, you must examine your inner self, and root out any inferior elements which are affecting your motivations or behaviour. These will be aspects of ego-based motivations. Whenever you have to make a decision, consult your body. If it gives you a signal of comfort, then proceed. If it gives you a signal of discomfort, don?t.


Line 5: TOUGHEN UP AND ACT - YOU MUST. By nature, you are gentle and forgiving. This is not what is needed now. You must decide what action needs to be taken to resolve the situation, and then you must enforce it. Because of your position, you have a responsibility to yourself and others.

<U>BUT:</U>

Hex: 25


Outer World: Before you take any action, examine your motives. That?s where the problem will be found. Any actions taken for the wrong reasons will be counter-productive. They will lead to misfortune. At this time, forget strategy, forget ulterior motives, forget personal advantage, forget dishonesty and forget clever ploys and planning. You may think that this would lead to failure. You couldn?t be more wrong. You will be successful and respected.

Inner World: Even when you try to live the ways of the ?wise?, the Universe doesn?t necessarily concern itself with your individual needs or desires, because the Universe knows that you are not a separate individual, but part of ?what is?. So, you should expect the unexpected, which is misfortune from outside. If you have examined your motives, and have removed ego-based thoughts and actions, then there can be no inner misfortune, and you know that all outer things will pass. There may be surprises in store. Look on these not as situations to be avoided, but as challenges which will generate novel ideas for future advancement.</FONT>

[cheiron]

Ahh - I see Michael posted while I was typing... I don't think what I have written contradicts... It seems we have taken a different focus... hopefully some of it will fit!

Ritsema / Karcher say that this Hx. is mainly about ?Confronting a tenacious obstacle.? They say to deal with it one has to bite through it and pick it clean. Eg Not to poke at it or look at it http://www.onlineclarity.co.uk/I_Ching_community/clipart/happy.gif but to bite it as in eating ones way through the heap vigorously.

The idea of something stuck in ones mouth, something un-chewable comes to mind when looking at Willhelm?s view of it? Look at the Hx. it is an open mouth shape with something in it ? an extra strong line. (In the fourth place) So the biting is about you bringing your teeth together so to speak ? with force. For me that suggests getting ones act together? not letting the work pressure drive one to choking? Forcefully organising it (Setting processes and boundaries in place) and then forcefully chewing through it.

The Judgement for this Hx. Promises success.

The 5th Line is the qualifier to the general situation above: The common translation here of ?Receives Yellow Gold? is a Chinese Idiom (See Alfred Huang?s Yi Jing)? The idiom refers to the Confucian ?Golden Mean? ? eg? Things are not too hard here for you to tackle and you can ?get a life at last? (Cribbed from LiSe?s Website ? http://www.anton-heyboer.org/i_ching/hex_17-32/hex_e_21.htm - Thanks L)

There is also a hint here that there might be someone around who can help you? perhaps some of the work can be passed to a support worker of some kind? ? This line does carry the message of needing to remain constant and that you will not be blamed.

Now the second Hx. ? This could be your general situation in which you particular problem is seated or it could be the resulting situation? You need to feel what fits best here.

Hx. 25 is also Called (by some translators) ?Without becoming Embroiled? ? or ?Without being Entangled? ? Its central idea is that you need to stand back from worldly embroiled things? To act but not to get entangled with it all emmotionally.

Looking at the trigrams in this one is quite helpful.

The lower trigram representing your inner world is that of ?Thunder? ? Which represents a transformation of your inner world? something new bursting forth inside. (Not growing slowly! This one is under pressure and wants to burst forth)

The upper trigram is of Heaven / Strength / Creativity? It represents the outer world which this ?inner bursting forth / transformation? relates to.

Put together there is the idea of your inner world changing to be in accord with ?Heaven / Strength / Creativity? or from another view ?movement with strength in accord with what is good?. Essentially it is a very positive time? when it gets rolling ;)

I guess in short this Hx. is saying ?Get in tune with what is fundamentally of importance and of value and you will then move forward with great strength and with few difficulties.

All this makes me wonder whether or not it is your work load that is ?sticking in your mouth? and preventing the more fruitful situation. So once you have organised it and chewed through it all (keeping it in proportion too)? then you can ?disentangled yourself from it? (energy wise) and move forward in tune with more creative things which match your inner world more.

Wow? that was a long answer? hope there were some bits in there which help http://www.onlineclarity.co.uk/I_Ching_community/clipart/happy.gif

All the best

--Kevin

[martin]

One way to read 21 is: movement/activity (the lower trigram) creates fire/heat (the upper trigram).
When movement creates heat there is usually resistance and friction.
It's like trying to drive a car with the brakes on. The brakes will get hot and the driver might also get hot (angry): why is this thing so damned slow and where does that smoke come from?? http://www.onlineclarity.co.uk/I_Ching_community/clipart/angry.gif

Who bites? For all I know life is a mirror. Inayat Khan called it "a palace of mirrors".
If there is biting here, there is biting there, and the other way around.

I can only guess what 25 means in your case. Is there perhaps a more intuitive way to do your work, which is less time consuming?
In 25 the mind accelerates somehow, it skips details and elaborate procedures and calculations and arrives at conclusions like lightning. Is it possible to do something like that in your work?

Martin

[ann]

Thank you all for your thought provoking responses. They make a lot of sense, but what isn't yet clear to me is what on earth to do about it on a practical level. I will continue to ponder what you have said, and I am very grateful for your help.

Thank you.

Ann

[anita]

I think Ann who bites through depends on whom you're asking about. It could mean both those involved in the situation, it could be you or the other biting through. A hopeful hexagram anyway leadind to one of my favourites - 25. Innocence, spontaniety.

Best for your Quest

Anita