Water symbolism begins in the very first breath of Scripture.
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
(Genesis 1:1–2, ESV)
Before form, before light, before speech—there were the waters.
These primordial waters represent the unshaped, creative depth of consciousness—what Neville Goddard would describe as the subconscious realm that holds infinite potential, awaiting the touch of assumption.
In the Hebrew alphabet, the letter Mem (מ) means water. This is not a side symbol—it is the origination point, the first element beneath creation, and it continues to flow through every vision, miracle, and transformation in the Bible.
Neville Goddard taught that imagination is the creative power of God. Mem—water—is its perfect metaphor: fluid, hidden, alive, and formative. In this article, we explore how this symbolism expresses itself most intimately through the New Testament Marys, each embodying a different state of the subconscious imagination.
Genesis: The First Inner Relationship
The symbolic relationship between conscious and subconscious also begins in Genesis:
“Let us make man in our image…” (Genesis 1:26, ESV)
The “man” here symbolises a new perception of self—a formed identity assumed in imagination. It is the beginning of conscious self-definition: the moment you take on an idea of “who I am.”
Shortly after, we read:
“This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh…” (Genesis 2:23, ESV)
This is not merely the beginning of human companionship. It symbolises the subconscious emerging from the conscious—a deeper, receptive layer born from the surface awareness, now ready to receive the seed of assumption and carry it to expression.
This is the pattern: thought (conscious) impresses feeling (subconscious), and manifestation is born. The waters receive, nurture, and reveal.
Why Water Symbolises the Subconscious
Water is the perfect symbol of the subconscious mind—and it has always held this symbolic meaning across Scripture, mysticism, and Neville Goddard’s teachings.
Where the conscious mind is surface, structured, and logical, the subconscious is deep, receptive, formless, and mysterious. Just like water, the subconscious has no shape of its own—it takes the shape of the assumption poured into it.
“Imagination is the only redemptive power.” – Neville Goddard
It is imagination, impressed upon the waters of feeling, that gives rise to form.
Water reflects emotion. It responds to energy without resistance. It can be calm or chaotic, stagnant or flowing, life-giving or overwhelming—just as your inner state can be serene, anxious, fertile, or blocked.
States of Water as States of Feeling
| Water State | Subconscious Parallel | Symbolic Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Still waters | Quiet, receptive, undisturbed feeling | Faith, surrender, readiness to receive |
| Flowing stream | Continuous focus and emotional persistence | Persistence in assumption, movement toward fulfilment |
| Stormy sea | Turbulent feelings, inner resistance | Doubt, fear, or conflicting beliefs |
| Frozen water | Emotional repression, fixity without flow | Stagnation, unwillingness to feel or move inwardly |
| Boiling water | Intense, volatile emotional energy | Over-identification with desire, impatience |
| Rain/dew | Gentle infusion of ideas into feeling | Subtle planting of new states or desires |
| Flood | Overwhelm by the contents of the subconscious | Being ruled by unexamined assumptions |
Each form of water reflects the inner quality of your feeling state. Neville taught that the feeling of the wish fulfilled must be impressed upon the subconscious for manifestation to occur. But not all feelings are equal. The more harmonious, calm, and confident the inner waters, the more swiftly and faithfully they bring forth your assumption.
In this way, the Marys are not just symbolic characters—they are representations of your own inner waters, each showing a different emotional condition of the womb of creation.
The Marys: Living Waters of the New Testament
The name Mary (Hebrew Miryam or Mariam) is commonly translated as “bitter sea,” “drop of the sea,” or “beloved”. Each of these meanings roots the name in the symbolism of water—evoking mystery, emotion, surrender, and devotion.
Each Mary in the New Testament reflects a different state of water—a different posture of imagination as it lives out the Law of Assumption.
| Mary | Narrative Role | Symbolic Water State (Neville’s Teachings) |
|---|---|---|
| Mary, mother of Jesus | Receives and gives flesh to the Word | The deep, still water of surrender and faith |
| Mary Magdalene | Sees the risen Lord; faithful even in despair | The persistent stream refusing to run dry |
| Mary of Bethany | Sits at Jesus’ feet in contemplation | Quiet pools of reflection and focused attention |
| Mary, mother of James | Witness to the crucifixion and resurrection | Waters stirred by grief, holding transformation |
| Mary, wife of Clopas | Present with the faithful at the tomb | The collective waters of enduring hope and faithfulness |
Each Mary is a living embodiment of Mem—symbolic of your own subconscious imagination. These are not separate characters, but phases of you—as you receive, hold, nurture, reflect, mourn, and ultimately birth your inner assumptions into outer life.
Jesus and the Creative Waters
Jesus’ miracles involving water—walking on it, calming storms, turning water into wine—are not random acts of divine power. They are expressions of union with the inner flow.
In Neville’s framework, Jesus symbolises the awakened imagination—the conscious, focused, believing awareness that assumes with feeling and trusts the unseen process.
He does not dominate the water. He moves in harmony with it.
“Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
(Mark 11:24, ESV)
This is not about willpower—it’s about inner knowing. Assumption works not by force, but by resonance with the deep.
Jesus walks upon the water—not to conquer it, but to show confidence in its invisible support.
He stills the storm, not to control nature, but to reflect inner calm projected outward.
He turns water into wine, revealing how the familiar substance of life can be transfigured by inner belief.
Conclusion: The Waters Within
From Genesis 1 to Revelation, Mem—the water—flows.
It is the symbol of your inner creative space, the subconscious imagination, the Mary within.
Every desire begins with a conscious assumption. That assumption is received by the deeper waters, the feminine, hidden realm, which brings it to birth.
To live by the Law of Assumption is to dwell in this water with faith, feeling, and fidelity to your imagined end. In doing so, you become Mary—and your assumption becomes the Word made flesh.
Creation is not a one-time act—it is a current. And the current runs within you.
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