24. Division of Labor
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crafts, trades, and the arts. He is/was the coagulating, creative fire, simultaneously the cause (of the created world) and effect (of the scission). Ptah is phi, the creative power. Ptah sits enthroned or stands upon a pedestal in the form of the glyph for Ma-at (cosmic law, harmony, equilibrium), to emphasize the importance of balancing energies in the transformation process, from a raw to finished form. Ptah’s work is expressed in the following Mande-speaking people’s saying: The smith forges the Word, The weaver weaves it, The Ieatherworker beats it smooth. Words possess high levels of Ny-ama (force/energy), and only trained energy handlers, Ny-ama-ka-la-u, are capable of handling, controlling, and manipulating the energies contained in raw materials. The handlers are broken down into three major specialized guilds: blacksmiths, leather workers, and bards. Their professions are usually passed down from one generation to the next.
3a) The Smiths Ptah’s counterparts on earth are the smiths, who are/ were called The First Sons of the Earth. The forge was called