42 Ideals of Maat

Maat or Maʽat, refers to the ancient Egyptian concepts of truth, balance, order, harmony, law, morality, and justice. The fundamental order of the universe.

The Egyptians believed strongly that every individual was responsible for his or her own life and that life should be lived with other people and the earth in mind. In the same way that the neteru cared for humanity, so should humans care for each other and the earth which they had been provided with. This philosophy is evident in every aspect of Egyptian culture from the way they constructed their cities to the balance and symmetry of their temples and monuments. If one lived harmoniously in the will of the neteru, then one was living in harmony with the concept of ma’at.  One was free to live however one wanted, and completely ignore the principle of ma’at, but eventually one would face the trial which awaited everyone: judgment in the Hall of Truth (also known as The Hall of Two Truths) in the afterlife.

Ma'at first appears during the period known as the Old Kingdom ( 2613 – 2181 BCE ) but likely existed in some form earlier. She is depicted in anthropomorphic form as a winged woman, often in profile with an ostrich feather on her head, or simply as a white ostrich feather. The feather of Ma’at was an integral part of the Weighing of the Heart of the Soul ceremony in the Hall of Truth in the Duat (Egyptian underworld).

Osiris oversees the weighing of the heart of the soul of the dead person against the feather of Maat while they read the 42 Negative Confessions. If the heart was found to be lighter or equal in weight to the feather of Maat, the deceased had led a virtuous life and would go on to Aaru.

Maat is the daughter of Ra and teaches us to be pure, truthful, righteous and orderly within ourself. That means understanding our oneness with the universe, understanding that we are children of the Supreme Being. 

 In 1995, Rev. Loreon Vigne, and 8 other priestess of the Temple of Isis, undertook to create a modern day version of the Ancient 42 Laws of Ma’at transforming them into positive affirmative ideals while traveling in Egypt. 

42 Ideals of Maat Cocreators

In the front row is: Shasta Zaring, Morgan La Fey, Lorean, Elizabeth Kelley, Caryl Campbell & Egyptian guide at Sakkara. Top row standing: Caite Mathis, Carolyn, B.J. and Sophia.