Astrology has seven gates/heavens right?

[SannaR]

It might be a mandala effect, but I swear when we go about unlocking the various gates a 7th one is mentioned. Yet it's hinted that it would mean the Astrologian's death or something if they were to atune to the 7th gate. Which got me to thinking about the assumed 7th Heaven a few theorize about the domed area of the Omphalos in the center is the entrance to. So I was wondering if anyone might think the two are connected. Or if I'm just misremembering. I do know that it most likely is too soon to really speculate more about that part of thr Omphalos, but it's to detailed to seem to be just decorative.

[kaynide]

I forget where it is specifically mentioned, but the lore has 6 elemental Heavens and a 7th overarching heaven.

Anonymoose had this post a while back:

The Seven Heavens / Hells are, at least for the time being, apurely a theological concept. Just like The Twelve themselves, they're part of a religious system whose themes have been tumbling through the ages as if there's more to them than meets the eye, but with no supporting evidence.

The theologians would have you believe that the time before the First Umbral Calamity was "The Age of the Gods," and that the First Umbral Era coincided with the Twelve departing our realm for new homes in the heavens. In creating the six elemental astral heavens and the seventh to rule over them all, the umbral hells came into being as a biproduct.

This may sound like the Great Sundering, but how can the shattering also be the first rejoining? What came between? Is this where the Twelve once existed?

Some believe the constellations to be representations of the heavens in the Firmament. (You'll notice this association comes up a lot in the AST quests.) Or was it the constellations themselves that inspired the stories, rather than mis-remembered history? But then why does the tale of the SPIRE, of Byregot's clockwork tower unceasingly assailed from above by the jealous Rhalgr whose lightning only serves to fuel the tower's machinations, sound like merely a half-remembered Crystal Tower / Dalamud? Maybe all of these themes influence each other reciprocally.

The theologians would have you believe that people, by virtue of their loyalties or their strengths or their way of life or anything, really, might bring them into alignment with one god or another, and this guardian or patron may influence which heaven you go to. For example, the icy halls of the Fury's palace are thought to be the final resting place of the warriors, heroes, and knights, which fits well with Ishgard forming its religion around Halone in the first place. Likewise, the nature of your sins might also determine the hell you are sent to - the dark pit below the Fury's palace is said to be home to cowards, deserters, and adulterers.

This may sound like it flies in the face of what we know about the Lifestream, so where are we put our faith? For all we know the 14 Heavens and Hells were the 14 dimensional planes all along, and the rest is just fanciful story and song. Maybe the Twelve were beings created by Hydaelyn to guide us after the Sundering and it went awry.

The lore book says: (imgur link)

The wiki says: this.

There is speculation that it is a metaphor for the reincarnation process overall, that it might be related to the calamities, and/or it’s more of a “world tree Yggdrasil”kinda thing…

All that said, bit of a mystery there. Could be the omphalos itself is the 7th as the connective tissues…. But I would say, being over silvertear lake (guarded by midgardsormr aka Jormagandr), it does reek of a Yggdrasil/Norse multiverse.

[SannaR]

Well I'm glad my mind wasn't playing tricks on me.