In the famous weighing of the heart ceremony that took place just after death, the deceased's heart was placed on one side of the scales, and Ma'at's feather on the other side. If the heart was heavier than the feather, that soul had failed the test, and was sent to the Duat, a scary place which is a story for another day. Every Egyptian prayed to have a light heart when their time before the scales arrived.

But back to our church meditation. Suddenly in the quiet, the words of spirit flowed into my mind like a quiet brook: "True justice is light, light and balanced as the feather of Ma'at."

I have been troubled in recent weeks by current events swirling around me: Iraq, the Schiavo court battles, the homophobic actions of my own state legislature, and the ongoing rise of violent fundamentalism in several religions, in America and elsewhere. Many times since the bitter political campaigns of 2004, I have reminded myself that I must imagine a better future, rather than giving my angst-ridden energy to the situations I fear.

It's harder to live our truth, of course, than just to know the theory. But I've learned one thing from nearly fifty years of intense spiritual sojourn: that peace and serenity are the hallmarks of truth and the genuine work of spirit. While there are times we lay down our lives for justice, and still more times that we demand accountability from the unjust, we must also weigh in with Ma'at's feather.

What action brings inner calm? What response or attitude feels light? When justice prevails, it's like the calm after a violent thunderstorm. Chaos and confusion will have run themselves out with the lightning and rain. Real peace of mind seeps into the embattled soul with wisdom in its hand.

Conflict seems to be a natural characteristic of modern life, but we need not exhaust ourselves with every battle. Instead, we can go within, trusting the proverbial still small voice. And when we must stand up for justice, again, we do not fight alone. We can be far more effective as conscious channels for ma'at, in whatever form spirit manifests.

I leaned back in my pew (well, really a chair) and relaxed. I felt myself become a feather, floating slowly through the air, unruffled by the turmoil around me, carrying my message of hope, peace and love wherever I passed. Settling into my side of the scale, I discovered deep contentment in knowing that ma'at stands in the balance with the heart, the symbol of love, compassion and all that makes us human. I found peace in the feather-light justice of Ma'at.

Sekhmet lives and writes in South Carolina, and is the founder of Osireion.com; She is a lifelong seeker and mystic, wiccan in practice, with years of study in creative consciousness.; For more information, write sekhmet@osireion.com.