The Seven
“The Seven is all that is or was or ever will be. Our fleeting, mortal contemplations of the Seven stir us: there is a tingling in the spine, a faint sensation, as if a distant memory, of falling from a height. We know we are approaching the greatest of mysteries.”
Who are the Gods?
The Gods created space and time. And everything within. Things require makers; the Gods are not things. The Gods are outside space and time. They are in the without. Things require context; the Gods are not things. The Gods can choose which space, and which time. They are the Seven, and they are good.
Some things that exist, are like rocks and Wednesdays. They don’t do things, they only exist. Some things that exist, are like parrots and beetroot. They do do things, but they don’t consider their existence. Other things that exist, are like humans and schild. They consider their existence, and they make choices.
The Gods represent, to the thoughtful, choices – what decisions to make. And they demonstrate, to the thoughtful, goodness – how to make these decisions.
Table: The Seven, the Gods of Tem
| Oohm | Sahir | Razim | Arawn | Qidra | D'Aad | Salaah | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| domain | Life | Sorcery | War | Afterlife | Nature | Justice | Peace |
| symbol |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| rendering (archaic) | female | androgynous | male | androgynous | hermaph. | male | female |
| colour | white | yellow | red | black | green | pink | blue |
| holy symbol | plain gold band | turqoise in lead | emerald in iron | obsidian and white gold | magnet in tin | diamond in silver | amethyst in copper |
| animal | none | cat, crow | vulture, dog | owl | song bird | elephant | dove, lamb |
| celestial | Sun | Saturn | Mars | Dark Sun | Mercury | Jupiter | Venus |
| gem stones | amber, citrine, diamond, sapphire | beryl, carnelian, jade, opal | aquamarine, bloodstone, malachite, ruby | lapis, obsidian | emerald, topaz, tourmaline, turquoise | coral, moonstone, onyx, quartz | agate, amethyst, garnet, pearl |
| season | summer | autumn | autumn, winter | winter | spring | spring | spring, summer |
| months | Jan – Apr | Mar | May — Jun | Jul — Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov — Dec |
| element | water | mud | magma | fire | earth | air | mist |
| sacred number | 1 | 7 | 2 | –1 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| followers | Oohmians | Saar | Razimites | Aranites | Qidranians | Aadites | Salee |
| alignment | CG | NN | LN | NN | LN | LG | LG |
The Seven and the Sky Above
The idea that the Gods live in the sky, is an understandable but primitive way of thinking. The sky is where clouds, birds, insects, and giants live. The Gods live in the otherland; nobody knows what it is like there, or if there is even the correct concept. The Gods are not things - they transcend language. Some clerics think it is possible to travel to where the Gods are. Although the Gods are in the otherland, here on Tem, the sky is always above us, night and day. And at any time, we can look there for guidance and wisdom.
The Sun (which makes light) and the Dark Sun (which makes darkness) represent Oohm and Arawn, respectively, two continuous inseparable parts of the all, surrounding us on all sides. Twilight is the harmonious embrace of the Sun and the Dark Sun, when Oohm and Arawn enfold each other. It is a special time.
The Moon moves across the sky, sometimes visible at night, other times during the day, and sometimes during part of the day and then part of the evening. Thus, the Moon represents the Children of the Gods. Children are sometimes close to their parents, while at other times they may seem rebellious, distant and stand-offish. Yet no matter where the child goes, or what the child does, the parents are a life constant. The life course of an individual, the prospects of a nation, the fortunes of civilizations, these wax and wane, just like the Moon.
The planets are the avatars of the Gods, their embodied representatives in this realm. We experience them as bright points of light that might look like a star but are constantly moving.
The brightest planet is the brilliant Venus, and is the first luminary visible long before the stars appear, and remains visible after the stars are bleached out of the sky. This enduring jewel of the heavens is a bright promise of the stability and harmony that ensues when peace reigns. Venus is thus the avatar of Salaah.
Second-brightest is the planet Jupiter, a shining reminder that only through proper action can peace be maintained. Jupiter thus represents D’Aad.
Next is brightness, and sometimes equal to Jupiter in brilliance, is Mars, famous for its red colour. It brightens and dims over time, and its hue reminds us of blood. Wars and martial conflict flare up and subside; Mars is thus the avatar of Razim.
The fastest moving planet is Mercury, which very obviously changes its position in the sky from day to day, in an apparently unpredictable fashion. Always seen in the vicinity of the Sun, sometimes just before sunrise, other times just after sunset, Mercury represents Qidra.
Finally, the slowest moving planet, which sometimes seems to stand still, or is almost invisible for long times, is the mysterious planet Saturn, which is the avatar of Sahir.
Interview: Holy Master Aendrus Mills, Prelate of Razim
"Some sages and other thoughtful types like to make things complicated, when they really aren’t. A favourite topic amongst certain academics is the so-called euthyphro dilemma. It is hard to know how much ink has been wasted on trying to “solve” this (self-created) puzzle. Essentially, it comes down to the relationship between good & evil, and the Gods. "In truth, good and evil are properties, like beauty, mass, and winter. Some properties are easy for humans to determine, like mass, while other properties are more difficult for mere humans to assess. Thus, the Seven lend a hand so that we can better discern the more subtle ones, such as what is good and what is evil."