What is ‘Woo shame’?

Woo shame is the embarrassment we feel to talk about our work with the esoteric, especially if that work doesn't have a specific label.

Language shapes consciousness; words birth concepts into existence. And when we can name something then we have a societal assumption that it is valid.  

But what about the hidden things that we can’t see?

Energy? The magical? The psychic?  

The English language is so deeply connected with our ‘I think therefore I am' mindset that we have no common language for the worlds that lie outside our societal consciousness. Nor do we have words for the type of practices that develop our extra-sensory skills. And no words, other than the non-specific ‘energy' for what moves beneath the surface. In places where there is a cultural languages for the un-seen, these concepts are woven into the fabric of every day life:

In China, the concept of ‘qi' underlies everything: the free-flow of qi creates health, and imbalances in the body, in society, in public spaces, and interactions between people can all be attributed to blockages of qi.

In India, the concept of ‘prana' or, life-force, is that which breathes reality into existence.

Not only is prana the life-force running through everything, but the gods in the Hindu pantheon are very real, living beings, who are integrated into the culture of the entire country. 

Because of the lack of language around these things, those of us who work with the energetic in the West are working uphill against the perceptions of our society to prove our legitimacy.  

And then... there’s this: People are scared of the wild.  

Our society tries to control the wilderness. We have rules and governing bodies that keep us safer, to prevent danger or chaos. And we are 'safe' in our controlled environments... Until we’re not. 

hurricane. drought. fire. flood. 

 We’re subject to the laws of nature as much in our safe suburbs as we are in the wild, we just pretend that we aren't. And our lives are not any more fulfilling, more magical, or more beautiful because of this pretension. ( I actually think they're less magical. )
 

And it’s the same with the hidden world. It's always there; we just ignore it. There are, however, those of us who don’t: the witches, medicine makers, mediums, psychics, shamans, energy workers, clairvoyants... and also writers who channel creative genius; detectives who follow their instincts; doctors who test on gut feeling. The energetic world is not seen as valid, to most people in society, and this is a problem. 

Because the unseen world IS real. It’s tangible. It is mysterious, magical, wild, and fulfilling. These un-seen connections are underneath the surface of everything, and when we are in touch with this world, we don’t feel alone. I'd venture a guess that a lot of us know,  in the recesses of our memories, how that world feels, and have secretly, actually, been longing for it. 

At Wonder Botanica, we are talking about this ‘woo' stuff,  because underneath it all, we’re working with connecting to the unseen, and making it real. 

We entrust certain people to be the gatekeepers to this world.

These gatekeepers are seen as somehow special, and we often take what they say at face value because we believe they have access to something we don’t. 

But how can we tell if what we’re being told is true or is a bunch of nonsense? What’s the difference between me saying ‘there are living breathing forces in this world’ and ‘the bubble people from Athgaron think you should wear more purple’. We can learn how to feel truth in our own bones, and how to perceive them on our own.

Because it isn't an exclusive club: 

everyone is invited; most of us have just thrown out the invitation.