WETON AND ITS IMPORTANCE TO JAVANESE CULTURE
“Javanese people have been using weton since a long time ago to make a lot of crucial decisions in their life …”
The term of weton itself comes from the Javanese word, wetu, which means to come out or to be born. That is why weton is used to refer to someone’s birthday.
The calculation of weton is based on the Javanese calendar and cosmology. The interesting fact about the Javanese calendar is how it is actually a combination of Islamic, Saka (Hindu), and also Julian calendar.
Weton celebration consists of every 35 days based on a combination of the seven days (Julian calendar) and Pancawara. Pancawara or Pasaran is the five days of the Javanese market cycle that consists of Pahing, Pon, Wage, Kliwon, and Legi. Every single day of usual days and Pancawaran day has different values.
So, to know someone’s weton we have to add their birthday and Pancawara’s values. For example, weton of someone who was born on Sunday Kliwon is 13 and someone who was born on Saturday Pahing is 18.
How Weton Plays a Role in Javanese Culture
In Javanese culture, they believe that there are the best and the worst day based on its weton, therefore Javanese people have been using weton since a long time ago to make a lot of crucial decisions in their life, such as the planting and harvesting period, traveling, choosing a partner, and even to decide a wedding day. That is why weton is also known as a form of a traditional prediction.
Weton is also used to describe someone’s character and fate. Weton starts from 7 to 18. And each of it has different character and fate. Here are different characters and fate based on their weton:
- Weton 7: someone who travels a lot, either for work or vacation
- Weton 8: someone who is vengeful and holds grudges a lot
- Weton 9: someone who is and impressionable
- Weton 10: someone who likes to give other people advice, but refuse to be given one
- Weton 11: someone who is very indecisive
- Weton 12: someone who is kind-hearted to everyone
- Weton 13: someone who is very charismatic
- Weton 14: someone who is very good at giving solutions to others
- Weton 15: someone who is irritable and grumpy
- Weton 16: someone who is a good leader and loves to protect others
- Weton 17: someone who is very moody
- Weton 18: someone who is dominant
From these different characters of different weton, we also can find out about our compatibility with our partner by adding our weton with theirs. Here are different compatibilities as partners based on the total of two people’s weton:
- Sujanan (7, 16, 25,34): this couple will often experience arguments and infidelity problems.
- Pesthi (8,17, 26, 35): this relationship will run harmoniously, there might be slight problems, but it does’t disturb the harmony
- Pegat (9, 10, 18, 19, 27, 28, 36): this relationship will often face a lot of problems and end up with separation
- Ratu (11, 20, 29): this couple is compatible and highly respected by people around them
- Jodoh (12, 21, 30): this couple is destined to be together
- Topo (13, 22, 31): this relationship will often experience difficulties at the beginning, but will end up happy together
- Tinari (14, 23, 32): this couple will find happiness and ease in looking for sustenance
- Padu (15, 24, 33): this relationship will experience a lot of fights or arguments, but will stay together in the end
Weton in This Modern Era
These days, people tend not to believe any kind of prediction. However, weton can’t only be seen as a prediction, but also as part of the culture. So, even though weton is not used as an absolute standard, but some of the Javanese people still use it until now to decide some important events.
“But, is it actually still relevant?”
Regardless of the accuracy of weton, we have to see the value of how through weton we actually try to work on the best possible and avoid the worst one. This value also can be applied to any kind of form in our life.
As one of the Javanese proverbs says “ngundhuh wohing pakerti”, which means we will get the results depends on what we have done, so as long as we have tried the best possible, we will get the best result as well.
