Your current situation can be depicted as "Biting Through" transforming into "Difficulty at the Beginning".
In front of you lies "Fire" which transforms into "Water". That means that brightness and warmth are being transformed into danger and the unknown. Behind you lies "Thunder", representing movement, initiative, and action.
The Situation
21. Shih Ho - Biting Through Above (in front): Li - The Clinging (Fire) Below (behind): Chên - The Arousing (Thunder)
Comment by Richard Wilhelm:
This hexagram represents an open mouth (cf. hexagram 27) with an obstruction (in the fourth place) between the teeth. As a result the lips cannot meet. To bring them together one must bite energetically through the obstacle. Since the hexagram is made up of the trigrams for thunder and for lightning, it indicates how obstacles are forcibly removed in nature. Energetic biting through overcomes the obstacle that prevents joining of the lips; the storm with its thunder and lightning overcomes the disturbing tension in nature. Recourse to law and penalties overcomes the disturbances of harmonious social life caused by criminals and slanderers. The theme of this hexagram is a criminal lawsuit, in contradistinction to that of Sung, CONFLICT (6), which refers to civil suits.
The Judgement for the Current Situation
Biting Through has success. It is favorable to let justice be administered.
Comment by Richard Wilhelm:
When an obstacle to union arises, energetic biting through brings success. This is true in all situations. Whenever unity cannot be established, the obstruction is due to a talebearer and traitor who is interfering and blocking the way. To prevent permanent injury, vigorous measures must be taken at once. Deliberate obstruction of this sort does not vanish of its own accord. Judgment and punishment are required to deter or obviate it. However, it is important to proceed in the right way. The hexagram combines Li, clarity, and Chên, excitement. Li is yielding, Chên is hard. Unqualified hardness and excitement would be too violent in meting out punishment; unqualified clarity and gentleness would be too weak. The two together create the just measure. It is of moment that the man who makes the decisions (represented by the fifth line) is gentle by nature, while he commands respect by his conduct in his position.
The Image for the Current Situation
Thunder and lightning: The image of Biting Through. Thus the kings of former times made firm the laws Through clearly defined penalties.
Comment by Richard Wilhelm:
Penalties are the individual applications of the law. The lawsspecify the penalties. Clarity prevails when mild and severepenalties are differentiated, according to the nature of the crimes. This is symbolized by the clarity of lightning. The law is strengthenedby a just application of penalties. This is symbolized by the terrorof thunder. This clarity and severity have the effect of instillingrespect; it is not that the penalties are ends in themselves. The obstructions in the social life of man increase when there is alack of clarity in the penal codes and slackness in executing them. The only to strengthen the law is to make it clear and make penaltiescertain and swift.
Interpretation of the Changing Line(s)
Line 4: Bites on dried gristly meat. Receives metal arrows. It furthers one to be mindful of difficulties And to be persevering. Good fortune.
Comment by Richard Wilhelm:
There are great obstacles to be overcome, powerful opponents are to be punished. Though this is arduous, the effort succeeds. But it is necessary to be hard as metal and straight as an arrow to surmount the difficulties. If one knows these difficulties and remains persevering, he attains good fortune. The difficult task is achieved in the end.
Line 5: Bites on dried lean meat. Receives yellow gold. Perseveringly aware of danger. No blame.
Comment by Richard Wilhelm:
The case to be decided is indeed not easy but perfectly clear. Since we naturally incline to leniency, we must make every effort to be like yellow gold–that is, as true as gold and as impartial as yellow, the color of the middle [the mean]. It is only by remaining conscious of the dangers growing out of the responsibility we have assumed that we can avoid making mistakes.
Line 6: His neck is fastened in the wooden cangue, So that his ears disappear. Misfortune.
Comment by Richard Wilhelm:
In contrast to the first line, this line refers to a man who is incorrigible. His punishment is the wooden cangue, and his ears disappear under it–that is to say, he is deaf to warnings. This obstinacy leads to misfortune.
The Future
3. Chun - Difficulty at the Beginning Above (in front): K'an - The Abysmal (Water) Below (behind): Chên - The Arousing (Thunder)
Comment by Richard Wilhelm:
The name of the hexagram, Chun, really connotes a blade of grass pushing against an obstacle as it sprouts out of the earth–hence the meaning, "difficulty at the beginning. " The hexagram indicates the way in which heaven and earth bring forth individual beings. It is their first meeting, which is beset with difficulties. The lower trigram Chên is the Arousing; its motion is upward and its image is thunder. The upper trigram K'an stands for the Abysmal, the dangerous. Its motion is downward and its image is rain. The situation points to teeming, chaotic profusion; thunder and rain fill the air. But the chaos clears up. While the Abysmal sinks, the upward movement eventually passes beyond the danger. A thunderstorm brings release from tension, and all things breathe freely again.
The Judgement for the Future
Difficulty at the Beginning works supreme success, Furthering through perseverance. Nothing should be undertaken. It furthers one to appoint helpers.
Comment by Richard Wilhelm:
Times of growth are beset with difficulties. They resemble a first birth. But these difficulties arise from the very profusion of all that is struggling to attain form. Everything is in motion: therefore if one perseveres there is a prospect of great success, in spite of the existing danger. When it is a man's fate to undertake such new beginnings, everything is still unformed, dark. Hence he must hold back, because any premature move might bring disaster. Likewise, it is very important not to remain alone; in order to overcome the chaos he needs helpers. This is not to say, however, that he himself should look on passively at what is happening. He must lend his hand and participate with inspiration and guidance.
The Image for the Future
Clouds and thunder: The image of Difficulty at the Beginning. Thus the superior man Brings order out of confusion.
Comment by Richard Wilhelm:
Clouds and thunder are represented by definite decorative lines; this means that in the chaos of difficulty at the beginning, order is already implicit. So too the superior man has to arrange and organize the inchoate profusion of such times of beginning, just as one sorts out silk threads from a knotted tangle and binds them into skeins. In order to find one's place in the infinity of being, one must be able both to separate and to unite.
21. Shih Ho - Biting Through
3. Chun - Difficulty at the Beginning