The term "subcult", as Joerg and I keep bemoaning, is pretty overloaded and ambiguous. I think that in Blank Cult terms, the "real" cults are Associates of the Seven Mothers cult (as a whole); indeed, their (associate) spells are (broadly) what the 7M cult itself teaches.
As to the internal structure of the 7M cult, I think this varies a fair bit from temple to temple. The "typical" borderlands small temple will be effectively a collection of shrines to each of the Seven, each with a separate priest (or acolyte, or senior initiate, or whoever is available). This individual will often (and preferably) be a member of both the Seven Mothers cult, and of the cult of that pertinent aspect. Because of temple-size restrictions (or rather, because of a lack of enough initiates dedicated to that aspect), no more aspectly magic is available at this temple, though some cultists may have obtained some elsewhere.
Other, larger, 7M temples will have more significant sub-temples, though not necessarily all of equal size. Tales once mentioned a "Yanafal of the Seven Mothers" temple in one of the Provinces, which is probably, in rules terms, a Minor temple to both YT and the 7M. There may conceivably be 7M temples containing minor temples to each of the Mothers, I suppose. In any case, the prefered person to staff (say) the Deezola shrine at a 7M temple would be a 7M Priest/acolyte of Deezola, or a Deezola Priestess/7M acolyte. This is probably what assorted publications mean when they say so-and-so is the Priestess of the Deezola "sub-cult" at a particular temple. Other people stated to be in a given sub-cult may similarly be initiates of both, but more often for sub-Rune-ranks, they'll just be 7M who "lean" towards a given aspect, but their worship, magic, etc., is described in rules terms by initiation into just the Seven Mothers cult.
In the Heartlands, there will be no 7M cult per se, but nevertheless, most large temples to any one Mother will include shrines (or sites, at any rate) to each of the others, so the situation isn't utterly different.
So I think I plump for Andrew's
> Suggestion #1) These sub-cults don't exist per se [...]
with shades of
> Suggestion #2) These are mutual cults [...]
If you see what I mean.
Alex.
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