In Scripture, sheep are symbols of our thoughts, impressions, and subconscious states — the inner flock that responds to the guidance of the conscious mind.
Sheep-shearing, then, becomes a vivid metaphor: it is the mental process of trimming, clearing, and preparing the mind. Just as a shepherd removes the old wool to allow the flock to grow anew, the mind must shed outdated beliefs and rigid thought patterns so that imagination — the creative power Neville Goddard spoke of — can bring forth new realities.
The Act of Shearing as Mental Clearing
Sheep-shearing symbolises:
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Removal of old or unhelpful thoughts: The worn wool represents outdated beliefs, fears, and assumptions that no longer serve the mind.
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Exposure of fertile ground: Once the old is removed, the subconscious is revealed and ready to be impressed with new assumptions.
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Preparation for growth: Cleaned and trimmed, the flock — the mind — is ready to nurture new ideas, insights, and manifestations.
The key is submission: just as the sheep is silent before the shearer, the mind must allow the old to be removed without resistance. This silence is not passivity but receptivity — a willingness to let imagination restructure the inner world.
Biblical Illustrations
Though the principle is universal, Scripture provides moments that illustrate the symbolism:
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Nabal at Sheep-Shearing (1 Samuel 25): The feast marks a season of shearing. Nabal, representing the ego clinging to old beliefs, refuses to offer what is rightfully expected. His rigidity and refusal show what happens when the mind resists trimming — decay and collapse of inner growth.
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Judah at Sheep-Shearing (Genesis 38): Here, the shearing brings breakthrough. Judah ('praise') meets Tamar, a veiled symbol of a hidden subconscious condition, and from this encounter comes Perez — whose name means “breakthrough.” This is the mind yielding to the trimming process, allowing old coverings to fall away and new life to emerge.
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The Suffering Servant, Isaiah 53: “As a lamb before its shearer is silent…” This is imagination itself, yielding without resistance. The old is removed, the seed of new consciousness is planted, and transformation begins quietly within.
The Practical Lesson
Sheep-shearing teaches that mental cleansing is not painful if approached with awareness. Each “season” of inner trimming is an opportunity to:
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Notice thoughts and beliefs that no longer serve your desired state.
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Revise and let them go consciously, as the shearer removes the wool.
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Prepare the mind to receive fresh assumptions — the raw material for imagination to manifest reality.
Neville Goddard said:
“Dare to assume the feeling of your wish fulfilled and continue therein. For the assumption, though false, if persisted in, will harden into fact.”
The act of assumption, like the shearing, requires the old to be removed first. Clean your inner flock, allow imagination to sow new seeds, and watch your inner life — and your outer reality — transform.