HEART & FEATHER
A DECLARATION OF PURITY
“Those who destroy the lie promote Ma’at; those who promote the good will erase the evil. As fullness casts out appetite, as clothes cover the nude and as heaven clears up after a storm.” — The Moaning of the Bedouin
Isfet, as an ancient Egyptian verb that means “to do evil.” This word represents injustice, violence, and chaos and it was a term used in ancient Egyptian philosophy. The Pharaoh, as an initiate, would be described as the defensor of Ma’at and the enemy of Isfet. Ma’at is then defined and the unifying source, the truth of all cosmology and without which, nothing can be attained and regulated. Ma’at represented the core of principles and values based on pure truth and fairness of judgment. She, as a Goddess, will weight, in the afterlife, the heart of those who cross over. The heart was thought to be the center of all emotions, of human wisdom and memory. This is the reason why it was left with the body.
The inevitability of death is the right moment to measure truth. But can we do it as efficiently before death? And what does this truth represent? Ma’at represents not only truth but harmony and justice so the concept of ma’at is quite complex in its simplicity. Trusting and truth will become part of the same measure.
Would you trust a witch? There are certain occasions when you can eventually lose the trust you have in somebody. But why is trust so crucial for witches?
Trust is defined as the “ firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.” Trust is without a doubt part of witchcraft traditions as it is included in many of the critical wording in Witchcraft ceremonies. Relationships will develop within Coven members, and one will expect that trust would preside them. I repeat: one would expect! But what does this mean really?
Anything in excess is not good. The truth lies in the middle. If trust is defined by the “firm” believe in the reliability of someone, then this will be verified correctly when this person is reliable and in witchcraft, this land in the loyalty field. We should be careful to not take this to the extreme and add “loyalty addenda” to where there is no need too. Initiates will stay because they want to, not because they have to. The reason is because the will has to come first. There is a lot of occult reasons why this is so, but I would not bother you with the why. Ability comes from training and there are many different ways of training in witchcraft. Some training will enable and stimulate ability. But ability relies on the initiates efforts towards excellence. You get as much out of Wicca as you put into it.
Truth is another matter… truth, from the Old English trēowth defined as faithfulness and constancy, is quite difficult to pinpoint because it depends on the circumstances. Not knowing these circumstances, one has to only rely on the heart connection. Believing in someone’s truth is essencial for the flow of magic in witchcraft. When that is gone or suspended, it is my opinion that work can no longer be done. Like anything else in witchcraft, the truth is perceived immediately by those with experience in the circle.
Anything in excess or deficiency is out of balance, and this will be apparent more quickly inside of a circle. When this is not noticed consciously by others, it will spill outside so that it becomes inevitably visible. The Craft will find other ways to tell you to pay attention. Maintaining ma’at is sometimes tricky as this can become an ordeal for the initiate. But more importantly, being truthful to our ma’at, our balance is one of the most important things an initiate can do. If the teacher is taking you in account, then he or she will guide you in balance to balance.
The Craft is a path of Truth. There is a correlation with this and the Priesthood, the observance of Truth in our rituals and the lack of it in some cases. I was told that one should always be true to the Art. Witches seem to sometimes lose their truth. When this happens, as in the old examples of wise Egypt, corruption and chaos issues. This is quite easy to identify, as the sacred cannot dwell within chaos or disharmony. The very core of our practices is based on the harmonious interaction between two creative polarities.
The problem is when chaos and disharmony become a constant ordinary thing, and it is perceived as the normal state of things; like a numbness that will lead to a false perception. Like power can become abuse, the flame of truth can be extinguished and forgotten; then, contact is lost and all there is to do is a journey back to one’s ma’at in the darkness.
The measure is a white feather that is as fragile and weightless as air. This is the contact. Not all paths lead to a true temple, only the path of truth. Like in the Hall of Two Truths when measuring our life deeds, truth is guided/weighted by the heart, in the innermost part of our souls. We all know what to do; the ordeal is to be aware when it is not too late to find it. This is why in the scale, there is only a heart and a feather. Nothing else matters.
