The Conceptual Neteru

5The Conceptual Neteru

Ma-at (Mayet)

Ma-at represents the principle of cos-mic order—the concept by which not onlymen, but also the neteru (gods) themselvesare governed. Ma-at signifies harmony, bal-ance and equilibrium between all the cos-mic forces of nature (neteru).

Ma-at is usually portrayed as a womanwearing a headdress with an ostrich plumeattached.

Ma-at represents the abstract conceptof order, justice, truth, righteousness, and what is right, inall their purest forms. Ma-at is the ideal of balance: of thingsworking as they should. Without Ma-at, chaos reigns un-checked, and the ability to create order is forever lost. Thatis to say, Ma-at is order on its most abstract level—that whichcauses everything to exist and continue to exist.

Excerpt from Egyptian Divinities: The All Who Are THE ONEby Moustafa Gadalla. ISBN 1931446040

Copyright © 2001 by Moustafa Gadalla, All rights reserved.

Egyptian Divinities: The All Who Are THE ONE42

In human terms, Ma-at

represents the right thingto do.

The Egyptians perceived theuniverse in terms of a dualism be-tween Ma-at—Truth and Order—and disorder. Ma-at, as shownhere, is usually portrayed in thedouble form—Maati.

Ma-at represents the law ofcreation. In order to create the dy-namics necessary for progression and ex-tension from the Unity, anassymmetrical division is needed. TheAncient Egyptian representation of ½[shown herein] clearly shows sides of un-equal length, indicating asymmetrical di-vision.

The glyph for Ma-at is the same as the glyph for ½,showing that Ma-at represents the law of assymetric divi-sion. [For more about the law of creation and its application, seeEgyptian Harmony: The Visual Music, by same author.]

As the model for cosmic harmony, order, balance, andequilibrium, Ma-at is associated with many functions, suchas:

1. The administration of justice, as attested to by Diodorus.All judges of high rank in Ancient Egypt were describedas priests of Ma-at, and the chief justice wore a littlefigure of Ma-at around his neck, as a badge of office.

Glyph for ½.Glyph for Ma-at.

435 - The Conceptual Neteru

Ma-at is sometimes represented ‘havingher eyes closed’ to ensure equal justice forall [shown herein].Ma-at is often shown in a double form[see opposite page], representing the twoopposing sides of a litigation, because thescale of justice cannot balance withoutthe equality of the opposing forces.In the Hall of Judgment, Ma-at is shownin double form. The Forty-two Assessors are under Ma-

at’s charge. [For more about the Hall of Judgment and the42 Assessors see pages 101-2.]

2. All the activities of the Egyptian life, including build-ing temples, were devoted to the maintenance of Ma-at.The temple’s rituals were based upon and coordinatedwith the movements of the heavens, which were in turnmanifestations of the divine cosmic law.

3. Ma-at is maintained in the world by the correct actionsand personal piety of its adherents.The ultimate objective of the earthly man is to develophis/her consciousness to the utmost perfection; it meansthat he/she becomes harmoniously tuned with nature.On Judgment Day, the successful person is declared tobe sound and pure by the Grand Jury (the 42 Asses-sors/jurors/neteru), as Maa Kheru—True of Voice.

4. Ma-at is related to the societal orderly relationship andharmony. [See Egyptian Cosmology: The Animated Universe- Second Edition, by same author.]

5. Ma-at is related to the harmonic laws of music. [See Egyp-tian Rhythm: The Heavenly Melodies, by same author.]


Ra (Re)

Ra (Re) represents the primeval, cosmic, creative force.The Ancient Egyptian text, known as The Litany of Ra, de-scribes Ra (Re) as The One Joined Together, Who Comes Out ofHis Own Members. The Ancient Egyptian definition of Ra

(Re) is the perfect representation that the Unity (whole uni-verse) is the sum of the many diverse entities.

In human terms, we say, “That [diversity] is whatmakes the world go around.”

The cosmic creative force, Ra (Re), is writ-ten as a circle with a dot or point in the center.It is a circle moving in a circle, one and solitary.The circle symbolically represents the Absolute,or undifferentiated Unity. The circle, appropriately enough,is the universal archetype of creation.

Ra (Re) is associated with the glyph of theeye. The most distinctive Egyptian symbol isthe eye, which plays many complex andsubtle roles. The eye is the part of the bodyable to perceive the light, and is therefore asymbol for the spiritual ability. The Eye ofRa (Re) is identified with Uatchet (Uadjit,Edjo, Uto, Buto, Wadjet, Uazit), which is theserpent/cobra/uraeus—symbol of the cre-ative potent force.

Creation is the sorting out of (giving definition to/bring-ing order to) all the chaos (the undifferentiated energy/mat-


ter and consciousness) of Nun—the primeval state. Ra (Re)represents this primeval creative force, which causes thetransformation of Nun from its undifferentiated state to dif-ferentiated energy/matter (things, objects, thoughts, forces,physical phenomena). Accordingly, all of the Ancient Egyp-tian accounts of creation exhibit well defined, clearly de-marcated stages.

The Litany of Ra describes the demarcatedaspects of the creative principle—being recog-nized as the neteru (gods/goddesses) whose ac-tions and interactions in turn created the uni-verse. As such, all the Egyptian neteru (gods/goddesses) who took part in the creation pro-cess are aspects of Ra (Re). There are 75 formsor aspects of Ra (Re). As such, Ra (Re) is oftenincorporated into the names of other neteru

(gods/goddesses) such as in Amen-Ra, Ra-Atum,Ra-Harakhti (shown herein), ...etc.

In human terms, Ra (Re) represents each’s ability tocreate. Creation can be mental, physical, or both. Thiscreative ability must be manifested in clearly demar-cated stages.

The Egyptian texts state that the createduniverse came out of the mouth (of Ra), andthe mouth is the symbol of Unity—the One—in hieroglyphs. The creation process, i.e. trans-formation (differentiation), is achievedthrough sound (the Word) as the prime moverof the inert energy.

Ra-Harakhti


Tehuti (Thoth)

Tehuti (Thoth) represents the power of sound (the Word),as the prime mover of the inert energy.

Egyptian creation texts repeatedly stress the belief ofcreation by the Word. In the typical Egyptian story form, itwas Tehuti (Thoth), who uttered the words, commanded byRa (Re), that created the world. In the Egyptian Book of theComing Forth by Day (wrongly translated as the Book of theDead), the oldest written text in the world, we read:

I am the Eternal...I am that which created the Word...I

am the Word...

About 15 billion years ago, the condensed energy inNun—the neutron soup—began building up, until it finally ex-ploded and expanded outward. The explosion was loudenough to be called the Big Bang.

The divine sound (Big Bang) transformed the potentialinert energy/matter in Nun into the parts of the universe asdifferentiated, orderly, structured—kinetic energies—in theform of objects, thoughts, forces, physical phenomena, etc.

Tehuti (Hermes to the Greeks, Mercury to the Romans)is called the Master of the City of Eight (Ogdad) at Khmunu

(Hermopolis), an Egyptian word meaning eight.

The Word means action. In human terms, we say, “Aman of his word,” which signifies the action behind the word.As such, Tehuti (Thoth) represents the spoken/written lan-guage, knowledge, etc.


Tehuti (Thoth) is portrayed as an ibis-headed male figure, or sometimes as all ibis.Tehuti (Thoth) is also associated with thebaboon, representing the spirit of dawn,ground zero in the creation process.

Tehuti (Thoth) is often depicted witha crescent moon.

Tehuti (Thoth) is also referred to as theDivine Tongue, who gave names to the di-vine beings that resulted from the BigBang.

Several of Tehuti’s attributes were confirmed by Diodorusof Sicily,

It was by Tehuti [Hermes for the Greeks], accordingto Ancient Egyptians, that the common language ofmankind was first further articulated, and that manyobjects which were still nameless received an appel-lation, that the alphabet were defined, and that ordi-nances regarding the honors and offerings due tothe neteru (gods) were duly established; he was thefirst also to observe the orderly arrangement of thestars and the harmony of the musical sounds andtheir nature. Book I, Section 16-1

In human terms, Tehuti (Thoth) represents the abil-ity to do anything we want to. Tehuti is the force thatis able to transform each person’s creative potentialinto action—realities.

Tehuti (Thoth) represents the ability to sort-it-out /differentiate / unlock the creative energy within.


Clement Alexandrinus (200 CE) told us of 42 volumesassociated with Tehuti’s domain, which include:

• Four books about astronomy—one containing a list ofthe fixed stars, a second on the phenomena of the sunand moon, and two others on the rising of the stars.

• Several books about cosmography and geography, thecourse of the sun, moon, and the five planets, the chorog-raphy of Egypt and scheme of the Nile, an account ofthe supplies of the temples and the lands apportionedto them, touching on measures and the requisites of sa-cred things.

• Two books on music.

• Six books on medicine.

• Ten books were dedicated to the honors to be renderedto the neteru (gods/goddesses) and other actions of Egyp-tian piety, such as sacrifices, first-fruits, vows, ceremo-nies, feasts, and similar things.

• Ten books about the laws of the country and of theneteru (gods/goddesses), and the instruction of thepriests.

• A book about the instruction of youth.

The ability of Ra (Re) to create made it possible for Tehuti

(Thoth) to act. But action is not possible without the will/heart to do it. It is therefore that we find numerous depic-tions of Tehuti and Heru (Horus) in the symbolic representa-tion of tying the knot, because the will (Heru) must be ac-companied by the way (action of Tehuti). [See more on page 80.]


Some neteru (gods/goddesses) represent specific aspectsof the intellectual powers of Tehuti (Thoth), as shown be-low:

Hu

Hu represents the authoratitive utterance. Hu

is complemented by Sia (consciousness).

Sia

Sia represents the mind, or consciousness,knowledge, understanding, perception, etc. Sia iscomplemented by Hu (authoritative utterance).

Heka (Hike)

Heka represents the ability to transform byusing the right words. Therefore, Heka is iden-tified with both Sia and Hu. As such, Hu–Sia–

Heka represent a trinity of active transforma-tion.

The right words have powerful transfor-mational (magical) effects.The words of power(magical words) are called Heka-u (plural ofHeka).


Seshat

Seshat represents the organizationalcapacity of keeping records—knowledge, in-formation, etc.

Seshat is depicted carrying the reedpen and palette, and records deeds in eter-nity/space, i.e. memory. As such, Seshat isreferred to as: The Enumerator, Lady ofWriting(s), Scribe, Head of the House of theDivine Books (Archives), Lady of Builders,...

As the keeper of records, Seshat repre-sents geneology—the keeper of the genetichistory—the DNA. This female aspect ofthe universe is closely related to the legitimacy of the matri-archal/matrilineal societal framework [see more on this sub-ject under Auset (Isis)].

Seshat (or Sefekhts—meaning seven) is usually depictedwearing the panther skin—denoting primordial power—anda seven-petaled flower on her head.

Seshat is closely associated with Tehuti (Thoth), and isconsidered to be a female counterpart of Tehuti (Thoth).

In human terms, Seshat represents the memory—this huge reservoir of knowledge, experiences, events,traditions, past lives, history, geneology, ...etc.

Excerpt from Egyptian Divinities: The All Who Are THE ONEby Moustafa Gadalla. ISBN 1931446040

Copyright © 2001 by Moustafa Gadalla, All rights reserved.

The Conceptual Neteru

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