What Is Mewa 3
Mewa 3 is one of the nine mewas of Tibetan astrology. Mewas are numbers of the magic square 3×3 assigned to the year of birth; the word "mewa" (Tib. rme ba, རྨེ་བ; in another transcription — sme ba) means "spot, mole." Mewa 3 is dark blue (in some sources simply blue), and its element is water.
Unlike Western numerology, where the date of birth is reduced to a "destiny number," mewa is determined by the year of the Tibetan calendar and remains with a person for life. According to tradition, it describes past lives with residual tendencies, character, children, probable lifespan, next rebirth, and recommended "pacifying" practices. All of this is interpretation from one of the traditional texts, not established facts (details in the "Controversial Points" section).
Mewa 3 by Birth Year and Animal Group
The dark blue water mewa corresponds to the years: 1994, 2003, 2012, 2021 — by Tibetan reckoning, for those born after Losar (the Tibetan New Year; on the boundary of the year, see the "How to Calculate Your Mewa" section).
Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
Mewa | 3 |
Color | dark blue (in some sources blue) |
Element | water |
Birth years | 1994, 2003, 2012, 2021 |
Animal group | Ox, Dragon, Sheep, Dog |
Together with mewas 6 and 9, mewa 3 shares one animal group: Ox, Dragon, Sheep, Dog. This card concerns the permanent birth mewa — keme; the annual mewa (bame) changes every year and is used in annual forecasts.
Mewa 3 Meaning According to the "White Emerald" Text
The detailed interpretation below is a retelling of the traditional Tibetan text "White Emerald" as presented by the Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia. This is not canon or scientific data: the text is one, and different authors place their own emphasis.
Past Lives
According to the "White Emerald" text, the past lives of the bearer of mewa 3 are: the spirit bSenmo, then a stone-eating ogre, a cannibal, and an elephant.
Character
According to the text, a person with mewa 3 is described as greedy, cunning, and drowsy, yet brave; the character is changeable and ambitious, and such a person is hard to please.
Health
According to the text, health is generally good, but death from chronic illness or accident is possible; for descendants the text names falling from a mountain, a sword, and strangulation.
Children and Family
According to the text, the image is: "a tree with many leaves and little fruit" — many marriages, but few children.
Wealth
According to the text, property is unstable — "like an illusion or the evaporation of water"; it is believed that fortune (Yang) has been stolen by the spirit hDre or an enemy.
Lifespan
According to the text, the lifespan is approximately 50 years; also mentioned are three obstacles (what these represent is not elaborated in the open retelling — this is a gap).
Next Rebirth
According to the text, the next birth is as the daughter of a cannibal, an elephant, or a partridge. Pacifying practices are traditionally intended to improve this karmic result.
Pacification and Spirits
The "pacifying" practice for mewa 3 is the installation of a statue of Vajrasattva (the buddha of purification) and recitation of his mantra: according to the text, 10,000 or 100,000 times. The text names the provoking spirits as Dre-wo and Sen-mo (immediately after birth), and in life as Sa-srin and kLu-srin; the protectors are kLu-srin and Gongpo. Specifics of the rites are not provided in the open retelling.
How to Calculate Your Mewa
The mewa count runs in descending order: 1 → 9 → 8 → 7 → … → 1. The starting point is the 17th Tibetan 60-year cycle, which began in 1987. For the Gregorian year:
r = (year − 1987) mod 9
when r = 0 the mewa equals 1, otherwise — 9 − r + 1.
Verification for mewa 3: 2021 − 1987 = 34, 34 mod 9 = 7 → mewa = 9 − 7 + 1 = 3. The other years in the table (1994, 2003, 2012) yield the same remainder of 7.
An important caveat — Losar: the Tibetan New Year falls in February–March, not on January 1. Those born before Losar belong to the previous Tibetan year — and to the previous mewa. For an accurate result, the year should be taken according to the Tibetan calendar. More on the system in the article on Tibetan numerology; online calculation in the mewa calculator.
Controversial Points
- Color: dark blue or blue. Berzin gives mewa 3 as dark blue; in the Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia it is listed as blue — with the note that in old Chinese texts water was designated black and wood blue. Both variants are recorded in the hub; the card heading uses Berzin's variant.
- Interpretations are not canon. Detailed meanings ("about 50 years, three obstacles," "rebirth as elephant or partridge," etc.) are taken from a single traditional text — "White Emerald" — as retold by the Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia, a site with unclear legal status that itself copies materials. Other authors (F. Cornu, Namkhai Norbu) give different emphases. Therefore, all characteristics above are "according to the text," not established facts.
- Gaps. Not detailed for mewa 3 in the available retelling: the nature of the three "obstacles," the correspondence to its parkha (trigram). No specific scientific studies of mewa 3 have been found — the general critique of numerology and astrology applies.
See Also
- Tibetan Numerology — mewa system: table, colors, elements, calculation
- Mewa Calculator — online mewa calculation by birth year
- Chinese Numerology — related system: Lo Shu, 60-year cycle
- Number 3 — meaning of three in Western schools (do not confuse with mewa 3)