By default, Mac's Finder keeps system files, e.g. .bash_profile, .htaccess,  hidden from your typical file directory. While keeping your file directories looking tidy, this makes editing such files difficult if, for example, you'd like to do a bit of mod_rewrite to tell your Apache server how to make some pretty URLs. To enable viewing of these files its actually quite simple. Open up Terminal and type the following:

$ defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE
$ killall Finder

To return to hiding these files simply execute the same commands, switching TRUE to  FALSE.