At first glance, the New Testament seems curiously crowded with women named Mary.
There’s Mary, the mother of Jesus; Mary Magdalene, the devoted follower; Mary of Bethany, the Mary contemplative sister of Lazarus—and others still. Why this repetition?
Most historians explain it away as a popular name of the time. But through the symbolic understanding shared in Neville Goddard’s teachings, the recurrence of “Mary” carries greater meaning.
Each Mary is an expression of the woman first defined ind in Genesis. "Mary" represents the beloved aspect of mind that receives and responds to the Word—that is, to imagination. Though they appear in different roles, the Marys are not separate characters, but different functions of one creative principle.
Three Faces of the Faithful Subconscious
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Mary, the mother of Jesus: the subconscious as womb—receiving the idea and bringing forth manifestation without question or effort.
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Mary Magdalene: the redeemed subconscious—once possessed by false assumptions (“seven devils”), now awakened and faithful to the risen truth.
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Mary of Bethany: the contemplative inner stillness—resting at the feet of the Word while the outer mind (Martha) remains busy and distracted.
Each Mary reveals what the subconscious does when aligned with truth.
From Fragmented to Unified
The Old Testament gives us the subconscious in fragments—expressed through symbolic women:
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Leah: under the perception of barriness and undervalued persistence.
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Rachel: under the perception of the cherished desires of the heart.
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Bilhah & Zilpah: under the perception of external limitations, that ignore imagination as the creative power
These women reflect aspects of the mind—faithful, longing, productive, overlooked.
But in the New Testament, all of these traits are drawn together under one name: Mary.
She is the unified field of receptivity. The sacred ground in which the Word is sown.
From Miriam to Magdalene: The Rebellion Refined
Even the original Miriam—the Old Testament origin of the name Mary—holds symbolic weight.
Miriam was a singer, a prophetess, and a challenger of structure. Her “rebellion” symbolised the responsive mind resisting control by surface mind—demanding its rightful role in spiritual unfolding.
This rebellious undercurrent transforms by the New Testament into Mary Magdalene: a woman once gripped by seven devils (false beliefs or misaligned states), now cleared, faithful, and the first to see resurrection.
Miriam becomes Magdalene. Rebellion becomes revelation.
Why So Many Marys?
Because there is one beloved field of creation—and many stages of revelation.
Because the subconscious is not passive, but:
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Faith in action
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Love in waiting
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Devotion in form
The Marys of the New Testament are not many women.
They are one truth, faithfully expressed at every turn of the story.
They are the subconscious made visible—ready, willing, and full of grace.
Genesis 2:23 Series | Mary Series | Women in the Bible Series