In virtually all forms of symbolism water represents emotion and creativity especially in the magic of dreams and visions. When we dream of water it is an expression of inner emotions being processed. The dreams may be hard, easy or simply interesting or mystifying. Each dream is an expression of what is going on inside us. Often the dream is a symbolic message in which we are attempting to resolve our inner conflicted feelings.
If in the dream the water is calm, deep and peaceful then so are our emotions. If we find ourself being tossed around on a turbulent and rough sea we are processing deep and troubled emotion. Should we be lost at sea in a rudderless boat then we are lost and directionless in life. If the well has run dry or the rivers are empty and the land is cracked, we are in an emotional drought and have run out of all feelings and are left barren and our life has become meaningless. If we find our self drowning in the water we are being overwhelmed by the emotions that we are having to deal with in our life.
We also have images of water as the bringer of life. In the symbol of Aquarius water is being poured on the ground. This is not being thrown away it is feeding the ground allowing the plants to grow, develop and bear fruit. This is an act of creation. In Genesis in the Bible God said…
…“Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven.
Water is a magic symbol for many reasons mainly because it has so many unique qualities. The first is that it comes about by the mixing of two gases together, oxygen and hydrogen. This combination forms H2O that has three forms, water as liquid, ice as a solid and steam as a gas.
There is the astronomical aspect as the tides are formed by the moon pulling the body of water around the earth. The tides become higher when the elliptical orbit of the moon brings it closer to the earth and increases the gravitational effect.
Water has another magical property in that it cannot be compressed. If you fire a small ball of water at speed it will react like a bullet and even go right through a steel plate. This why water can be so painful when we belly flop when diving.
Water is also the symbols of cleansing. Pontius Pilot washes his hands to symbolise that he is washing away his responsibility for the fate of Jesus. The priest will either dunk you in water or wash your forehead to wash away your sins. In Shakespeare Lady Macbeth attempts to wash away the ‘damned spot’ of her guilt that she sees on her hands.
Water can be pure emotion. Bad weather and rain can drive us indoors to huddle by the fire and cosy up. We, in Britain, live with rain but we love to moan about it. As they say…
…there is never bad weather only the wrong cloths.
When we look at the emotions of life that may be our hurts, losses and fears we can either huddle away from them or we can embrace them and learn to live with them in a very real sense.
Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass
It is about learning to dance in the rain.
And if you get good at it you might just be able to boogie in a thunderstorm, jive in a hail storm and fly in a tornado.
Stay happy and don’t worry about getting wet.
Take care
Sean x