Dried Gristly Meat

Feet in the Stocks

His feet are fastened in the stocks, hiding his toes. No blame.

The first offence, met with the first, mildest penalty: the stocks stop the feet before they walk further into wrong. This is correction as kindness — consequences arriving early enough to teach. Take your own restrictions this way: not as persecution but as the natural result of a misstep, and a cheap lesson if learned now. The first mistake is tuition; only the repeated mistake is a verdict.

Biting Through Tender Meat

Biting through tender flesh, so deep the nose disappears. No blame.

The correction is easy — the fault is obvious, the meat tender — yet the bite goes deep, driven by indignation. Excess here is understandable and lightly judged, but it is still excess. When wrong is plain and anger feels righteous, watch the force of your response: justice needs no fury. Remain humble and measured while the correction proceeds; the case being clear does not license the sinking of the whole face into it.

Biting on Old Dried Meat

Biting on old dried meat and striking something poisonous. Slight humiliation. No blame.

An old wrong, long-preserved: tough to chew, and toxic inside. Punishing a long-standing grievance — where our own authority or standing is compromised — stirs up hatred and resistance, and we come away with a bitter taste. The counsel is to withdraw from the reactive cycle: revenge on old conflicts feeds a retaliation that never ends. Seek resolution and release rather than retribution; the slight humiliation of letting go is far cheaper than the poison of biting down.

Yellow Gold

Biting on dried lean meat, one receives yellow gold. Steadfastly aware of danger. No blame.

The case is clear and the authority to judge is yours — but judge like gold and the middle way: true, impartial, unbending. Do not accept alliances merely because they are offered, and do not shield people from the consequences of what they have done; help only those working to correct themselves. Resist leniency that would reopen the wound, and resist re-entering too soon. Mild in manner, exact in substance, and always vigilant of the danger — so the verdict stands without blame.

The Cangue

His neck is locked in the wooden cangue, hiding his ears. Misfortune.

The incorrigible end: deafness itself. The ears disappear beneath the very punishment their refusal to hear has earned — stubbornness that ignored every warning, insisting on its own way until shame closed around the neck. If this is you, the exit is humble and gradual: return to the correct path a step at a time, trusting that the universe can turn even this to good. If it is another, learn the line's plain arithmetic: warnings unheard compound; the first stocks were mercy, the cangue is arrival.

Hexagram 21 in love means a blocked issue needs to be faced directly so the relationship can move again. In a partnership, it points to honest conversation, dealing with resentment, and addressing what has been avoided instead of staying stuck in surface harmony. If you are single, it can suggest breaking through a repeating pattern or seeing the truth about your love life more clearly. This love reading favors firm honesty that clears the way.

Hexagram 21 in career means an obstacle, injustice, or unresolved issue needs direct correction so work can move again. It favors firm decisions, clear accountability, and addressing the real problem instead of circling around it. This career reading often appears when progress depends on decisive professional clarity.

Hexagram 21 in business means a blockage, dispute, or unresolved issue needs direct action so progress can resume. It favors clear decisions, firm accountability, and dealing with the core problem instead of circling around it. This business reading often appears when decisive correction is the only way forward.

Hexagram 21 in family means an issue needs to be addressed clearly so the household can move past what is stuck. It favors direct but compassionate truth-telling and dealing with avoided problems before they create more distance. This reading often appears when family trust depends on honest correction and clean resolution.

Hexagram 21 in money means a blockage, dispute, or unclear financial issue needs direct action so progress can resume. It favors firm decisions, clearer agreements, and dealing with the core problem instead of circling around it. This money reading often appears when financial health improves through decisive correction and stronger boundaries.

Hexagram 21 in personal growth means a blockage must be addressed directly if you want to move forward. It favors firm honesty, decisive correction, and cutting through what has been avoided instead of skimming over it. This growth reading often appears when truth needs action behind it.

Hexagram 21 in learning means a block in understanding has to be worked through directly. It favors grappling with hard material, asking sharper questions, and dealing with confusion head-on instead of skimming past it. This learning reading often appears when real clarity requires effort and precision.