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Thursday, 30 April 2026
The Quiet Courage of Colonel Ruby Bradley
Wednesday, 29 April 2026
He Played On: The Quiet Courage of Titanic Cellist John Woodward
Ma’at: The Quiet Force of Balance, Truth, and Order in Ancient Egypt
Ma’at: The Quiet Force of Balance, Truth, and Order in Ancient Egypt
I have been learning a little about the ancient Egyptian
gods, and I found Ma’at.
In the earliest beliefs, Ma’at was not just a goddess, she
was the idea of order, truth, and balance. It was believed that when the world
was first created, it emerged from chaos, and Ma’at was the god that kept that
chaos from returning.
As Egyptian society changed, Ma’at became even more influential.
She shaped behaviour, decisions, and even the way justice was carried out. The
pharaoh, in particular, was seen as responsible for upholding Ma’at. Ensuring
that harmony remained.
Ma ’at was often symbolised by a single feather, something
that is so light and delicate, but carries immense meaning to so many. That
feather appears in one of the most important moments in Egyptian belief, at the
weighing of the heart after a persons’ death. A person’s heart was
measured against it, and if it was heavier, weighed down by wrongdoing, they could
not pass into the afterlife. Every action, every choice, must have felt so important,
influencing what came after.
As other gods changed and evolved in importance, she
remained constant. She was not defined by dramatic stories or conflicts like
other gods. She was stability.
Ma’at, seems to be a reflection of something people still
struggle with today, the need to live honestly and fairly. And the need to keep
some sense of balance in a world that can feel ever changing and uncertain.
Do you think people found comfort in the idea that even the
smallest actions could help maintain balance in the world?
Image info: Ma’at kneeling over lilies. Scene from tomb of
Ramses III.
From Nurse to Leader: Florence Blanchfield’s Remarkable Wartime Journey
Tuesday, 28 April 2026
A Musician’s Final Performance: The Lost Story of Roger Bricoux
Ptah: The Creator Who Shaped the World Through Thought and Word
Ptah: The Creator Who Shaped the World Through Thought and Word
I have been learning a little about some of the many ancient
Egyptian gods and I want to tell you a little bit about Ptah.
Ptah was seen as a creator god and he was mainly worshipped
in the city of Memphis. Memphis was one of the first capital of a unified Ancient
Egypt. Ptah was believed to have brought everything into existence. It is said
he imagined the world in his heart and then spoke it into being.
As Egyptian belief developed and evolved, Ptah became
closely associated with craftsmen, builders, and artisans and he was seen as
their patron.
Ptah was often depicted as simple and composed, wrapped like
a mummy, holding a staff that combined symbols of stability, life, and power.
Unlike some gods who were shown in dramatic or aggressive poses.
Over time, Ptah became connected to other creator figures
and became part of a broader understanding of how the universe was formed. But
his main identity remained the same. He was still the god who created through
thought and word.
Do you think people felt closer to gods like Ptah because
they could see his influence in the work of their own hands?
Image info:
Ptah, the God of the Metal Workers, the designer of all
things on Earth, with the Egg of the World.
Date: 1917
The Nurse Who Took Flight and Changed Wartime Medicine
She was born in 1913 in Smithtown, New York, and trained as a nurse in New York City. Before the war she worked in several hospitals. In September 1941, she joined the Army Nurse Corps and was quickly given the rank of second lieutenant. She was first posted to Louisiana and Virginia, then she was sent to India.
The Quiet Courage of Colonel Ruby Bradley
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