Mary Magdalene: At the Crucifixion and Resurrection

In the Gospel of John, the symbolic relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene (derived from Miriam) reveals a mystery of creation. Read through Neville Goddard’s understanding, Jesus symbolises the conscious mind — the active, directing principle, the “I AM” — while Mary Magdalene embodies the receptive, fertile aspect of being, the creative womb within us.

This union echoes the mystery in Genesis 2:23, where woman is drawn from man, not to depict a physical event, but to reveal a metaphysical law: that all outer expressions (the "woman") arise from inner states (the "man" or conscious awareness). The outer world is your own assumption made flesh.

Mary Magdalene at the Cross

At the foot of the cross, Mary Magdalene remains faithful, standing as the unwavering witness to the death of the old state.

"These things did the armed men do. Now by the side of the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister Mary, the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene."
(John 19:25, BBE)

The cross represents the fixing of an idea in imagination — the crucifixion of an assumption. Mary’s presence signifies that the receptive aspect always stands ready to receive and gestate the new impression, even as the old state dies away. Just as Eve was called "bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh," so every outer manifestation is born from our conscious self.

The Awakening at the Tomb

Mary Magdalene’s early visit to the tomb, her grief, and her initial inability to recognise Jesus until he calls her name represent the moment when the receptive self awakens to the new state declared by the conscious mind.

"Jesus said to her, Mary! Turning, she said to him in Hebrew, Rabboni! (which is to say, Master)."
(John 20:16, BBE)

The empty tomb symbolises the complete passage from one state of being to another. Jesus calling her by name is not merely a greeting but an act of "naming" — a creative declaration that evokes recognition and acceptance within the deep self. Just as naming the woman in Genesis was a creative act (“She shall be called Woman”), so too this calling forth signifies the moment the receptive mind fully identifies with the new reality.

The Release and Ascension

When Jesus instructs Mary not to hold on to him, he teaches that after an assumption is impressed upon the deep self, it must be released, allowing it to ascend and manifest.

"Jesus said to her, Do not put your hand on me, because I have not gone up to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, I go up to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God."
(John 20:17, BBE)

This release mirrors the deep sleep of Adam before the woman is brought forth — a letting go, an unquestioning faith that allows creation to unfold. The seed (assumption) must be left undisturbed in the womb of the receptive self to mature into visible form.

The Inner Marriage

Through these scenes, we witness the sacred marriage between the conscious mind (Jesus) and the receptive creative power (Mary Magdalene). Neville describes this union as the foundation of all manifestation: the conscious chooses and directs, the receptive accepts and brings forth.

Genesis 2:23 teaches that the "woman" — the world of experience — is always born from the "man," our conscious awareness. To say "bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh" is to acknowledge: this condition is my own assumption externalised. Mary Magdalene, as the symbol of the receptive self, faithfully brings forth what the conscious mind has fixed and claimed.

Conclusion: The Creative Union

The story of Jesus and Mary Magdalene is not a historical episode but psychological allegory of creation and transformation. It reveals that every outer condition is the offspring of inner belief, just as every "woman" is drawn from "man" in Genesis.

Neville reminds us: "Change your conception of yourself and you will automatically change the world in which you live." When the conscious mind impresses its chosen state upon the receptive self and then releases it in faith, a new reality must arise.

This is the mystery of resurrection, the divine marriage of bride and bridegroom within us. You are both the sower and the womb, the conscious selector and the receptive bringer-forth. In this union, all things are made new.