The term "woo woo" has often been used to cast doubt on practices that fall outside the realm of conventional Western science or mainstream rationality. It’s typically said with a smirk or an eye-roll, conjuring images of crystals, incense, or chanting—a shorthand for anything "out there." But what if we paused for a moment and asked: where does this term come from, and what are we really dismissing when we use it?

According to Dictionary.com, "woo woo" refers to beliefs considered mystical, spiritual, or pseudoscientific. But the term has no definitive origin. Some believe it's an imitation of eerie background music from sci-fi or horror films. Others point to a far more meaningful and overlooked source: the ancient Chinese word "Wu."

In Chinese history, particularly during the Zhou Dynasty (1028–221 BC), the term "Wu" referred to a shaman or sorcerer. Notably, it was often used to describe women—the Wu priestesses who danced, prayed, and performed rituals to commune with celestial forces. Before 1000 BC, these women were responsible for rain-making ceremonies, offering incantations during disasters, and guiding communities through times of spiritual and emotional distress. According to Prof. Jerry Alan Johnson's The Secret Teachings of Chinese Energetic Medicine: Volume 1 – Energetic Anatomy and Physiology (2014), the role of the Wu was both sacred and essential (Johnson, 2014).

Over time, especially under patriarchal systems, these practices were marginalized, and the women who carried them forward were discredited. What was once divine became dismissed. This dismissal fits a long historical pattern: women healers, midwives, and mystics—those who worked with herbs, intuition, and energy—were often labeled as witches or hysterics and silenced through ridicule or worse. The echo of that discrediting may very well be embedded in how we use "woo woo" today. It's more than a harmless term; it's a reflection of a broader cultural tendency to undervalue feminine knowledge, intuitive wisdom, and healing traditions that don’t fit into a narrow scientific paradigm.

At Moon Rabbit, we believe in honoring the roots of holistic healing—not diminishing them. The same energetic awareness and intuitive wisdom that once guided ancient communities still exists today. Acupuncture, herbal medicine, sound healing, and intuitive practices are not fringe; they are ancestral, time-tested modalities that offer deep, transformative support.

So next time you hear someone call something "woo woo," consider what wisdom might be hidden underneath the label. Maybe it's not a reason to roll your eyes, but an invitation to open them wider.

Reference:

Johnson, J. A. (2014). The secret teachings of Chinese energetic medicine: Volume 1 – Energetic anatomy and physiology (1st ed.). International Institute of Medical Qigong Publishing.