DEITY OF THE WEEK - MA'AT
By Eri 
The goddess Ma’at is one of the more important gods of the Egyptian pantheon. As the Goddess who represents truth, justice, and the laws of nature, no important decision of a Pharaoh could be carried out without offerings to Ma’at. It is said that even her father, the sun god Ra, was subject to her laws, and that it was Ma’at that created order out of chaos at the beginning of the world. This is intensified by the fact that her husband, Thoth, is the god of wisdom, scribes (or, more modernly, the written word) and magic. Ma’at is the laws of the universe, the natural ebb and flow of the cosmos and the order of things, and Thoth can be said to write these laws down and brings them to a more human perspective and practice.
In the Egyptian Book of the Dead the trials of Ma’at are one of the most important parts of the journey of the soul. Just before the soul of the dead person can finally be united with Osiris and enjoy eternal life, his heart must be weighed against the feather of Truth (Ma’at’s feather) on the scales of Justice (Ma’at herself). If the heart of the person weighs less or the same as the feather and is judged by Thoth to be found (relatively) free of sin and falsehood, then the soul is allowed to pass to the final stage of his journey. If the heart weighs more then the feather however, the soul is eaten and destroyed by the beast Ammet. This passage shows that the Egyptians believed that only by living justly in this world, would they be accepted among the gods in the next. Ma’at is the symbol of all that is just, right and balanced and the Egyptians believed by living up to her laws they would be maintaining the universe against chaos.
The goddess Ma’at is one of the more important gods of the Egyptian pantheon. As the Goddess who represents truth, justice, and the laws of nature, no important decision of a Pharaoh could be carried out without offerings to Ma’at. It is said that even her father, the sun god Ra, was subject to her laws, and that it was Ma’at that created order out of chaos at the beginning of the world. This is intensified by the fact that her husband, Thoth, is the god of wisdom, scribes (or, more modernly, the written word) and magic. Ma’at is the laws of the universe, the natural ebb and flow of the cosmos and the order of things, and Thoth can be said to write these laws down and brings them to a more human perspective and practice.In the Egyptian Book of the Dead the trials of Ma’at are one of the most important parts of the journey of the soul. Just before the soul of the dead person can finally be united with Osiris and enjoy eternal life, his heart must be weighed against the feather of Truth (Ma’at’s feather) on the scales of Justice (Ma’at herself). If the heart of the person weighs less or the same as the feather and is judged by Thoth to be found (relatively) free of sin and falsehood, then the soul is allowed to pass to the final stage of his journey. If the heart weighs more then the feather however, the soul is eaten and destroyed by the beast Ammet. This passage shows that the Egyptians believed that only by living justly in this world, would they be accepted among the gods in the next. Ma’at is the symbol of all that is just, right and balanced and the Egyptians believed by living up to her laws they would be maintaining the universe against chaos.
The Weighing of the Heart against the Feather of Ma’at
Ma’at can still be used in ritual today. The ideals she represents are universal and ageless ones. In fact in a society that seems so unbalanced, with all its emphasis on the material world, Ma’at is perhaps the more needed. Ma’at teaches us to live in harmony with universal truths and the laws of nature and to maintain balance in our lives. Call upon Ma’at to help show you the right path between extreme choices or to help obtain justice. Try to keep the ideals of Ma’at in mind before taking any major steps and you will find yourself living a better life.
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