7. The first state is the state which precedes, both the state existing from earliest childhood onwards and that existing immediately before regeneration; and it is called a void, emptiness, and thick darkness. And the first movement, which is the Lord's mercy, is 'the Spirit of God hovering over the face ¹ of the waters'.

Footnotes:

Great lights, as in luminaries, signify love and faith, and are called in Genesis 1:14-17 the sun, moon, and stars.

(References: Arcana Coelestia 31 [1-3])