Oh, The Water: Water Symbolism
- sharmondavidson
- Sep 11
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 12
11 September, 2025
"Water covers 70% of the Earth’s surface and is vital for all known forms of life. The cells in our bodies consist of 65 – 90% water. We cannot survive without it." ~ Higher Frequency Living
My Water Obsession
If you follow me on instagram or facebook, or if you've been a reader of this blog for any length of time, you've probably noticed my water obsession. I am addicted to photographing water in its myriad forms and locations. My eyes delight in the abstract shapes and luminous colors it reflects.
But I've been particularly obsessed with the water of the Kinniconick Creek in Lewis County, Kentucky, where we owned a 60-acre tract of forest for almost 23 years.
So, if you're sick of my creek photos, or don't like images of water, this may not be the post for you. But if you have an interest in the symbolism of water, or have ever wondered why the sight, sound, or touch of water affects us so profoundly, read on.
Three views of Kinniconick Creek
"Water is life, and clean water means health." ~ Audrey Hepburn
Water = Life
This part will be brief, because most of us are aware of the basics, right? We all understand the importance of water. 70% of our planet is covered with it, and our bodies are made of about 70% water. Humans can live for about three weeks without food, but only three to five days without water.
More to the point, we begin our lives inside of a fluid-filled enclosure, and life itself, going back to the first single-celled organisms, began in water. When scientists search for planets that may harbor any type of living beings, they start by looking at planets in the 'habitable zone', which is the "...orbital distance from a star where temperatures would potentially allow liquid water to form on a planet’s surface." (NASA, "Can We Find Life?")
"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water."
Water Stories
Water figures heavily in the creation stories of many cosmologies, usually functioning as the primordial essence from which the universe is born. In Babylonian, Mesopotamian, and Egyptian mythology, the universe emerges either from a chaotic ocean, or from the mixing of fresh and salt waters.
"In the Book of Genesis, the act of creation begins with the Spirit of God moving over the waters, symbolizing the primordial chaos from which God brings forth order and life. Water is thus depicted as the medium through which God initiates the process of creation..." (Going Coastal; The Eternal Flow: Water in Mythology)
Countless myths and stories recognize both the creative as well as the destructive powers of water. Most of us are familiar with the biblical story of the Great Flood, which probably came from older, similar stories such as the Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh (2100 - 1000 B.C.E.). I'm not going down that road, except to emphasize that water is strongly associated with three main concepts: creation/birth, destruction/cleansing, and redemption/rebirth. That pretty much covers it all, doesn't it?
Left: Angel of the Storm II, monotype/mixed media, 22.5 x 15 in
some of water's reflections
"Water, and particularly deep water, usually has a maternal significance, roughly corresponding to "womb"." - Carl Jung
Water Symbolism
Life/Womb/Birth: Given its prevalent
place in creation myths, as well as in
biology, it's not surprising that water
is primarily associated with life, the womb, and birth. For these same reasons, it is most often thought of as a feminine symbol, personified in many cultures by various goddesses. The Inuit goddess Sedna, the Babylonian creator goddess Tiamat, Yemaya of the African Yoruba, the Greek Aphrodite, and the Irish Danu are just a few examples.
Movement/Journey: Its fluid, flowing nature is obvious. Water is in constant motion in streams and oceans; even in lakes it moves with the wind, or if a stone
is dropped into it. Humans have always
built their homes near water, not just for
sustenance, but also for ease of finding game, traveling, and moving goods.
Cleansing/Purification: Water literally
cleans and refreshes, so of course this
corresponds to one of its main symbolic meanings. In its destructive forms, such as floods and tsunamis, it washes everything away, making space for new beginnings. Aside from the Great Flood stories, the first thing to come to our minds may be the Christian idea of Baptism, or the immersion in water to wash away sins. But spiritual water purification is important in virtually every known religion throughout the world.
This article gives a good overview of many of the purification rituals practiced in a wide variety of religious traditions.
Emotions/Dreams/Subconscious: What lies beneath the water's surface is a mystery. Even the clearest water reveals a distorted view of the bottom. The depths of the ocean are largely unknown, with only about 26% of the sea floor being mapped and studied to date. This vast unknown symbolizes the mysterious aspects of ourselves, such as our emotions, dreams, and the subconscious mind. They can be as strange and uncontrollable as the rolling, crashing movements of the deepest waters on our planet.
"Water is a symbol of the unconscious. The dreamer and her boat are symbolic of her ego, her conscious orientation to life. The dream points out the psychological reality that consciousness floats upon the unconscious and is quite small in relation to the unconscious." ~ Carl Jung
Transformation/Rebirth: In the words of Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh,
“A cloud can never die. A cloud can become snow or rain or ice but a cloud can never die. So the cloud becomes the rain, the rain becomes the creek on a mountain and the creek flows down and becomes a river and the river goes to the sea and the heat generated with the sun helps the water in the ocean evaporate and become cloud again."
These words are the best explanation I've read concerning water as a symbol of transformation and rebirth. Need I say more?
"The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea." ~ Karen Blixen
Blue Mind
Most of you have probably heard of 'forest bathing' by now. Scientific research has confirmed what many of us knew instictively: spending time in nature is good for our health, both mental and physical. But newer research is revealing that being near water is especially healing. Specifically, it reduces stress, calms us and induces a mild meditative state.
In 2015, marine biologist Wallace J. Nichols coined the term 'blue mind' to describe that psychological state in his book, Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do.
According to Blue Mind Theory, some of the ways water can produce physical and mental health benefits include:
Bodies of water trigger involuntary attention, which is essential to problem-solving and creativity.
Water increases the neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, and decreases cortisol, the stress hormone.
Water is a source of awe that expands a person’s compassion.
The color, sound and feel of water can lower pulse rate and increase feelings of calmness.
“We are beginning to learn that our brains are hardwired to react positively to water and that being near it can calm and connect us, increase innovation and insight, and even heal what’s broken.”
Wishing you all peace, love, and art... and, of course, water.
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