They say roses are red and violets are purple
Sugar's sweet and so's maple surple
And I'm the seventh out of seven sons
My pappy was a pistol
I'm a son of a gun.
Roger Miller - Dang Me!
There's something mystical about the number seven. You find it used in many different phrases, and so many groupings of seven. They say Atlantis consisted of seven islands. Every week has seven days. There were originally thought to be seven planets, and today there are what is called seven visible planets. This is according to astrological knowledge, with the Sun and Moon counted as planets. There are also seven deadly sins. You can sail the seven seas or, if you gamble, bet on lucky number 7.
New Orleans, in days gone by, had a family of Hoodoo women called "The Seven sisters." Hoodoo is a system of magic practiced by many people, black and white, in the southern United States. It's not to be confused with Voodoo, which is a religion with several gods and originated in Haiti.
There is a saying that a Seventh Son is very gifted, especially if he is the Seventh Son of a Seventh son. You'll find this mentioned in several places in the Bible, but the legend dates back to prehistoric times, and is known across many cultures and religions. Something so well known must surely have at least a breath of truth to it.
It has become a popular legend in other places as well. Orson Scott Card wrote an entire Science fiction series about The Seventh Son. Iron Maiden took the series and devoted an entire album to it.
Seven deadly sins
Seven ways to win
Seven holy paths to hell
And your trip begins.
Iron Maiden - Seventh son of a Seventh son
So just how is this Seventh Son of a Seventh Son special? He is said to have the power to heal, the gift of "Second Sight" and be blessed with numerous other powers.
So, is seven really a lucky number? It is if you're playing craps! In numerology, seven represents the thinker, the seeker of truth, someone who is always in search of answers.
And, while we're on the subject of Sevens, who can forget that great bit of literary verse:
As I was going to St. Ives
As I was going to St. Ives,
I met a man with seven wives.
Each wife had seven sacks,
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