Tibetan Astrology Calculator: Mewa Birth Number and Color

Enter your birth year to get your Mewa, one of the 9 numbers of the Tibetan magic square, and its color.

How to work out your Tibetan Mewa from your birth year

The Mewa are the 9 numbers of the magic square in Tibetan astrology, each tied to a colour. The tool assigns a Mewa to your birth year using a 9-year cycle that drops by one each year: Mewa = 1 + ((1999 − year) mod 9), giving 1 White for 1990 and 1999, and 8 White for 1992. It is a symbolic tradition with no scientific validation.

The rule applied

The Tibetan magic square arranges the numbers 1 to 9 so that every row, column and diagonal adds up to 15, with 5 in the centre. The colours used by the tool are: 1 White, 2 Black, 3 Indigo blue, 4 Green, 5 Yellow, 6 White, 7 Red, 8 White, 9 Red/Maroon. The birth Mewa goes down by one each year and returns to the same number every 9 years. The anchor is 1999 (Mewa 1), like 1990:

Mewa = 1 + ((1999 − birth year) mod 9)

Examples

  • 1992: 1999 − 1992 = 7, 7 mod 9 = 7, Mewa 8 White (metal / earth).
  • 1984: 15 mod 9 = 6, Mewa 7 Red.
  • 2001: −2 mod 9 = 7, Mewa 8 White.
  • 1999 and 1990 both give Mewa 1 White, nine years apart; 2013 gives 5 Yellow.

For each Mewa the tool shows a colour, an “element”, a symbol and a short character text; these descriptions were written for the tool.

Limits

  • The year runs from 1 January to 31 December, whereas the Tibetan year starts at Losar, in February or March: people born in January or February should check whether they belong to the previous year.
  • The tool does not compute the animal or element of the Tibetan year (60-year cycle), and makes no distinction between men and women, unlike some Tibetan calculations.
  • The anchor is checked against two matching sources: Tibastro (2013 = Mewa 5 Yellow) and the year lists of Buddha Weekly (1990 and 2026 = 1 White, 1992 = 8 White, 2000 = 9 Red). It matches the year number of Chinese Nine Star Ki.

The result is cultural and for entertainment; it does not describe any personality trait in a proven way.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I work out my birth Mewa?

The tool applies Mewa = 1 + ((1999 − year) mod 9). Someone born in 1992 gets 8 White; someone born in 1984 gets 7 Red.

Why does the Mewa repeat every 9 years?

The year’s Mewa steps back by one each year through the 9 numbers of the magic square, so 1990 and 1999 share the same Mewa, 1 White.

I was born in January: which Mewa applies?

The Tibetan year starts at Losar, in February or March, while the tool changes year on 1 January. If you were born before Losar, tradition uses the previous year’s Mewa.

What does the number 5 in the magic square stand for?

It is the centre of the square, where every row, column and diagonal adds up to 15. The tool links it to yellow and earth, a symbol of grounding in the tradition.

Is this tool really free?

Yes, all tools on Kristools are 100% free and accessible without registration.

Is my data protected?

Yes. All processing is performed directly and securely inside your browser. No personal data is sent to our servers.