Tibetan Astrology

The Relevance of the Topic of Time  Time (dus, Skt. kāla) and such topics as the past, the present and the future are very important to study when we are on the Buddhist path. They’re not just metaphysically interesting, but they are actually quite relevant. That’s...

The Complexity of Karma Karma is a topic that concerns what happens to us and why. It is something that is very relevant to all of us on a personal level, not something outside of the sphere of our lives. If we can start to understand karma and how it works, we can begin to...

Learn about the distinct features of the Tibetan almanac such as the “arising from the vowels” system, special dates and combination and action periods.

The daily positions of the planets are calculated according to complex arithmetic formulas. The Tibetan mathematical model of the motion of the planets differs greatly from the Indian and Chinese ones.

Tibetan astrology has materials that are similar to or derived from systems from India and China but are modified and used in very different ways to constitute the unique Tibetan system. Much of the materials for the study of these topics derive from the “Kalachakra Tantra.”

External Kalachakra presents the external cycles the universe goes through and includes the teachings on world systems, astronomy, astrology, the motion of the planets, the calendar and history.

The first and second of the five inclusive features of a Tibetan calendar are the lunar weekday and the date of the lunar month. These are involved in the mech­anism through which the lunar and solar calendars are brought into harmony.

The Chinese-derived, or “black calculations,” also called “element calculations,” adds a few more features to the Tibetan calendar, such as correlations with animal and element cycles.

Magic-squares consist of a grid of three by three with numbers in each row and column adding to 15. Each number is correlated with a color and one of the five Chinese elements. In the Tibetan astro system, each year and each date has a magic-square number.

The Tibetan calendar and almanac play a large role in Tibetan life. One of their most important usages is setting the dates for various Buddhist offering ceremonies, tsog.