Spiritual Symbolism in the Number 7 Seven

The Seventh Chakra, the Thousand-Petal Lotus, is located at the crown of the head. It symbolizes spiritual states of consciousness and connection to spiritual or universal energies.

African:

Seven candles are lit in the kinara during the African-American celebration of Kwanzaa, which is a seven-day holiday.

British/Celtic (Druid):

Seven Chieftain Trees sacred to the Druids were Oak, Hazel, Apple, Holly, Yew, Ash and Pine. Penalty for removal: one cow.

Seven Common Trees were also protected and carried a penalty for removal: Alder, Willow, Birch, Elm, Aspen, "Idhadh," and Mountain Ash.

Seven each of shrub and bramble trees were protected, too.

(All these trees and shrubs were protected by Brehon Law of Ireland.)

Buddhist:

Buddha walked 7 steps at his birth.

Christian:

The number of churches of Asia to which the "Book of Revelation" is addressed.

The number of the Seven Virtues: Chastity, Moderation, Liberality, Charity, Meekness, Zeal, and Humility, corresponding to the seven deadly sins.

The number of sacraments in the Roman Catholic faith, and most reformed traditions.

Daoist:

The Stellar Sovereigns of the Five Planets and Seven Stars are seven Daoist deities. The Five Planets are the Year Star (Jupiter)1, the Sparkling Deluder (Mars)2, the Grand White Star (Venus)3, the Chronographic Star (Mercury)4, and the Quelling Star (Saturn)5. Together with the sun and moon, they are called the Seven Stars. Daoism worships the Seven Stars as spirits and calls them Stellar Sovereigns.

Also important to Daoists is the seven stars of the Big Dipper. "In the process of conducting Daoist Magical Skills, the ritual master often recites incantations with his mouth, making Finger Gestures with his hands, and Pacing the Big Dipper with his feet. Making Finger Gestures and Pacing the Big Dipper are two kinds of major physical movements of the ritual master as he conducts Magical Skills." Taoist Culture & Information Center

Egyptian:

The number of palms in an Egyptian Sacred Cubit.

Greek:

the Ancient Greeks considered seven to be a potent number due to the chanting of the seven vowels of their alphabet as magical sounds. There are several spells and incantations revealed in The Greek Magical Papyri In Translation: Including the Demotic Spells edited by Hans Dieter Betz that include the chanting of A, E, E with a line on top, I, O, U (written Y), and O in various orders for various reasons. (Alpha, Epsilon, Eta, Iota, Omicron, Upsilon, and Omega.) It is possible that chanting the vowels in a particular pattern or order caused a shift in consciousness much like the chanting of "Om." In one spell which seeks the attention of the god, the vowels and sounds each also corresponded to a direction; the priest was to chant or sing each sound while pointing his palms into the directions of east, west, north, south, up (sky/heaven), down (earth), and the final vowel was sung while holding one's hands over one's heart for Center.

Hindu:

Hindu mythology defines fourteen worlds (not to be confused with planets) - seven higher worlds (heavens) and seven lower ones (hells). [There is still one Earth ~M~]

Lord Brahma, out of his thought, creates seven sages, or Sapta Rishis, to help him in his act of creation. Sapta Rishis (sapta means seven and rishis means sages in Sanskrit). They are Bhrigu, Angira, Atri, Gautama, Kashyapa, Vashishta, and Agastya. The other meaning of Saptarishis is constellation of Great Bear (Ursa Major).

Jainist

Jain Dharma takes the seven Nayas as the basis of its philosophy; and so it comprehends all the Nayas. (Naya means a way of comprehending an object).

1. Naigama Naya (Popular standpoint)

2. Sangraha Naya (Synthetic Standpoint)

3. Vyavahara Naya (Empirical standpoint)

4. Rijusutra Naya (Straight-thread stand point)

5. Sabdanaya (Verbal Standpoint)

6. Samabhirudha Naya (Conventional standpoint

7. Evambhuta Naya (Actualistic standpoint)

To further understand these Nayas, please visit Jinalya.com

Jewish:

God rested on and sanctified the seventh day (Shabbat).

The weekly Torah portion is divided into seven aliyahs, and seven men or boys over the age of 13 are called up for the reading of these aliyahs during Shabbat morning services.

The menorah is a seven branched candelabrum lit by olive oil in the Tabernacle and the Temple in Jerusalem.

Mithraic:

The number of ranks in Mithraism.

Corax (raven)

Nymphus (bridegroom)

Miles (soldier)

Leo (lion)

Perses (Persian)

Heliodromus (sun-courier)

Pater (father)

The titles of the first four ranks suggest the possibility that advancement through the ranks was based on introspection and spiritual growth.

Muslim:

The number of ayat in surat al-Fatiha.

The number of heavens in Islamic tradition.

The number of Earths in Islamic tradition.

Native American: Cherokee

The Seven Ceremonies by Rob Wood (no relation to Yours Truly)

Seven is represented in the seven directions: north, south, east, west, above, below, and "here in the center" (Lewis & Kneberg, p. 175), the place of the sacred fire.

Seven also represented the seven ancient ceremonies that formed the yearly Cherokee religious cycle. Six of the ceremonies took place every year, the seventh was celebrated every seventh year:

First New Moon of Spring Ceremony

Green Corn Ceremony

Ripe Corn Ceremony

Great New Moon Ceremony

"Atohuna" the reconciliation or "Friends Made" ceremony

Bounding Bush Ceremony

Every seventh year the Uku Dance replaced the Great New Moon ceremony

Shinto:

Seven Gods of Fortune:

Ebisu, god of fishers or merchants, often depicted carrying a cod or sea bass.

Daikokuten (Daikoku), god of wealth, commerce and trade. Ebisu and Daikoku are often paired and represented as carvings or masks on the walls of small retail shops.

Bishamonten, god of warriors.

Benzaiten (Benten-sama), goddess of knowledge, art and beauty,especially Music.

Fukurokuju, god of happiness, wealth and longevity.

Hotei, the fat and happy god of abundance and good health.

Jurōjin (Gama), god of longevity.

Sumerian:

Most curious is perhaps the story of Inanna's descent to the underworld. In Sumer the Underworld was not necessarily a place like a 'hell' but it was not a heaven. When humans and heroes died that is where they headed. However based on their behavior they could be afforded better treatment or positions in the underworld.

She abandoned all her offices of power and took her 7 divine powers.

She dressed for the occasion by wearing a turban, a wig, a lapis lazuli necklace, beads upon her breast, the 'pala dress' (the ladyship garment), mascara, pectoral, a golden ring on her hand, and she held a lapis lazuli measuring rod.

She passed through a total of 7 gates each removing a piece of clothing or jewelry she had been wearing at the start of her journey. In Sumerian mythology some forms of burials included burying the deceased with gifts for the gatekeepers and judges of the Underworld to win their favor. Items could also be used as an amulet or protective device so stripping Inanna of each item would leave her more vulnerable to any type of attack.

Zoroastrian

The earth is referred to have seventh regions (Yasna 32:3) or seven quarters (Yasna 57:23).

Seven is the number of the creations and of the Amahraspands who guard them.

The keeping of the seven annual feasts (the six seasonal feasts of five Gahânbârs and the Nowruz) is a regular, solemn, and obligatory act of devotion. The seventh, Nowruz, has "many and varied rites containing the number seven" (Boyce, Stronghold, p. 50)