Attributes 2

      When the world was young, my husband Thoth put into writing 42 principles of Ma'at by which man kind should live in order for their lives to be good. When someone dies, I weigh the heart of their soul - called the Ib - against the ostrich feather that I wear upon my head. If they lived by my principles in their previous lives, the scales will balance out and they will be lead into the afterlife. If their heart is troubled by sin, then the scale will tip and their heart shall be devoured by Ammut (or thrown into a lake of fire, if I see fit). I over see this process and review the deeds of soul's past life. The principles of Ma'at embody what I stand for, and in the beginning of time, it was I who brought peace and balance to the world, preventing chaos from taking it. My other duty is to help my father, Ra, as he travels in his boat across the sky. I help guide his ship on its coarse through the heavens, and I sometimes even journey with him on his daily travels, leaving the underworld for a brief time.

Weighing of the Heart

      
       I am most often symbolized by an ostrich feather, which also stands for "that which is straight" or truth. Often, I carry the Was Scepter in one hand, signifying power, and the Ankh in the other, standing for eternal life. Another symbol that is used to represent me is the primeval mound where the creator stood at the beginning of time and created the gods and goddesses in the name of what I stand for.

       As the goddess of truth, justice, and balance, I am also regarded with great importance by the judges and courts of ancient Egypt. Those whom believed in my principles took great care to live by them, least they be deemed unworthy to live in the afterlife. Of all the peoples of Egypt, the pharaohs took the greatest care to uphold my principles, for it is I who gave them the power to rule, and it is they who would be most harshly judged in the underworld. If any culture is associated with me, it is that of abiding by the rules and upholding balance in day to day life in order to eliminate chaos.  

       Due to these facts, I can not be considered good or evil, for a balance must exist within the world between the two if man kind is to live in harmony with their world, themselves, and the gods. Therefore, I am the friend and enemy of all. But my greatest enemy, if there must be one, is chaos, whom I try to banish from the world.