Ma’at Lodge No. 1686

Orient of Denver, CO

 

The naming of our lodge was a long task. We knew we would not settle for any name that did not symbolize our aspirations or speak to us of our goals. In our search, we came across the concept of “Ma’at” (pronounced to rhyme with lot), which fit our needs.

 

From the sources we consulted, we learned that as the word was used in ancient Egypt, “Ma’at” originally referred to a physical quality - “ level, ordered, symmetrical like the foundation plan of a temple.”  Later, it came to mean the moral qualities of righteousness, truth and justice. The Egyptians were a practical people who recognized that justice is so fundamental that it is part of the natural order of the world. “Ma’at”, therefore meant something more comprehensive than simple fairness; “Ma’at” was goodness- pure and freely given.

 

In Egyptian mythology, Ma’at was a feminine principle, a goddess; daughter of the sun god, Re, and sister of the god, Toth. Ma’at was a divine protector, one who harmonized and who brought regularity and the balance of social justice.

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“Ma’at” symbolizes an attitude toward life that blends three great human values: the knowledge of science, the beauty of art, and the spirituality of religion.