Author Topic: Woo woo... (Read 2411 times)

Olivia · « **on:** November 13, 2014, 05:07:41 pm »

I know that people don't mean anything bad exactly when they do this but I get super sick of hearing people call certain legitimate religious practices and beliefs "woo woo stuff". I've heard it so many times. It is mildy infuriating.

Sarah · « **Reply #1 on:** November 13, 2014, 05:18:31 pm »

Quote from: Olivia;165173

I know that people don't mean anything bad exactly when they do this but I get super sick of hearing people call certain legitimate religious practices and beliefs "woo woo stuff". I've heard it so many times. It is mildy infuriating.

I actually use it myself as a type of shorthand

Queen of Wands · « **Reply #2 on:** November 13, 2014, 05:52:26 pm »

Quote from: Olivia;165173

I know that people don't mean anything bad exactly when they do this but I get super sick of hearing people call certain legitimate religious practices and beliefs "woo woo stuff". I've heard it so many times. It is mildy infuriating.

For me, woo woo is the act. The circus trick, the flash and bang, smoke and mirrors. Real woo woo could never be legitimate religious practice.

Faemon · « **Reply #3 on:** November 13, 2014, 06:01:36 pm »

Quote from: Olivia;165173

I know that people don't mean anything bad exactly when they do this but I get super sick of hearing people call certain legitimate religious practices and beliefs "woo woo stuff". I've heard it so many times. It is mildy infuriating.

Well, it was originally meant to mean something bad. To my understanding, the term originated in materialistic communities that dismissed religious practices whose claims beyond personal significance and into empirical effect were unproven and yet proliferated. Which was, to those communities, ridiculous.

I guess that spiritualists try to reclaim the term as a shorthand, like, "Yeah, that's what I do. Wanna make something of it?"

But within communities themselves, you might, if you're unlucky, also get infuriated by personally significant experiences/interpretations being dismissed as "fluff" and "fluffy".

Quote from: Queen of Wands;165178

Real woo woo could never be legitimate religious practice.

That's an interesting turn of term, too.

Myst Moonlight · « **Reply #4 on:** May 19, 2015, 02:03:42 pm »

Quote from: Olivia;165173

I know that people don't mean anything bad exactly when they do this but I get super sick of hearing people call certain legitimate religious practices and beliefs "woo woo stuff". I've heard it so many times. It is mildy infuriating.

I myself like the term, for me it basicly means magick

Emma Eldritch · « **Reply #5 on:** May 20, 2015, 12:47:23 pm »

Quote from: Olivia;165173

I know that people don't mean anything bad exactly when they do this but I get super sick of hearing people call certain legitimate religious practices and beliefs "woo woo stuff". I've heard it so many times. It is mildy infuriating.

A few people I really respect use the term, and I find they're usually using it in a very self deprecating matter. A sort of "yes I know this seems silly to you" defense. Making fun of yourself before others can.

(Typing that, I realise that all of said people are women, which is interesting in a 'maybe this is related' way.)

I don't use the term myself, but that's mostly because I use the phrase "spooky shit" instead.

ranetree · « **Reply #6 on:** May 22, 2015, 01:15:33 pm »

Quote from: Mama Fortuna;175197

A few people I really respect use the term, and I find they're usually using it in a very self deprecating matter. A sort of "yes I know this seems silly to you" defense. Making fun of yourself before others can.

I personally refer to my practice as "woo woo" or "woo-work" for pretty much that same reason. Like "yeah, I know it sounds pretty crazy that I honestly believe there's an actual individual spirit residing in this bear or coyote pelt and that he and I are closely bonded and he makes me feel safe, but it's what I believe and it makes me happy and brings me comfort in times of trial".

Not everyone is super-confident about themselves and their practices and what they believe in, and sometimes it's easier for them to be a little self-deprecating about it in order to test the waters. Using silly terms for these things lets you gauge people's reaction to the information--maybe they'll laugh and tell you "that kind of stuff" is weird, or maybe they'll say "that sounds really cool, can you tell me more about it?"

Now, there's definitely something to be said for having the courage to call a spade a spade and tell people exactly what you believe in, but not all of us have that, and using cutesy terms like "woo woo" can be a way to say it, but still have a good escape route.

Just my thoughts, though!

Valeria Crowe · « **Reply #7 on:** May 22, 2015, 01:33:03 pm »

Quote from: Mama Fortuna;175197

(Typing that, I realise that all of said people are women, which is interesting in a 'maybe this is related' way.)
.

I'm a man, and constantly use self-deprecating humor. Might be a coincidence.

Jabberwocky · « **Reply #8 on:** May 22, 2015, 01:37:36 pm »

Quote from: ranetree;175274

Not everyone is super-confident about themselves and their practices and what they believe in, and sometimes it's easier for them to be a little self-deprecating about it in order to test the waters. Using silly terms for these things lets you gauge people's reaction to the information--maybe they'll laugh and tell you "that kind of stuff" is weird, or maybe they'll say "that sounds really cool, can you tell me more about it?"

Now, there's definitely something to be said for having the courage to call a spade a spade and tell people exactly what you believe in, but not all of us have that, and using cutesy terms like "woo woo" can be a way to say it, but still have a good escape route.

I definitely think that's one of the reasons it's used. But at the opposite end of the spectrum, I think you also get some people using it in an almost "in your face" way, daring people to take issue with it.

I don't use "woo" because it's overly cutesy for me personally. (I also get grumpy about people calling indie pop "twee" for the same reason).

But I will openly describe my practice as "comical", even "silly". And there's a definite unstated "your fucking point, caller?" in my motivations for doing so.

My self-description as a magical "dilettante" is more complex. There probably is an element of self deprecation there. But there's an equally significant element of me using the term because I think it makes me sound all foppish. Like I was wearing a velvet smoking jacket, smoking a cigarette holder and listening to Noel Coward records. All while raising a single eyebrow in an arch manner.

(Only two of those things are true. I broke my cigarette holder by accidentally stepping on it. And I can't raise my eyebrow, archly or otherwise. And I've tried. God, how I've tried).

Lana288 · « **Reply #9 on:** May 22, 2015, 02:16:56 pm »

Quote from: ranetree;175274

I personally refer to my practice as "woo woo" or "woo-work" for pretty much that same reason. Like "yeah, I know it sounds pretty crazy that I honestly believe there's an actual individual spirit residing in this bear or coyote pelt and that he and I are closely bonded and he makes me feel safe, but it's what I believe and it makes me happy and brings me comfort in times of trial".

Not everyone is super-confident about themselves and their practices and what they believe in, and sometimes it's easier for them to be a little self-deprecating about it in order to test the waters. Using silly terms for these things lets you gauge people's reaction to the information--maybe they'll laugh and tell you "that kind of stuff" is weird, or maybe they'll say "that sounds really cool, can you tell me more about it?"

This is pretty much how I use the term, along with the word 'superstitious'- particularly if I'm with a group of people whose opinions on magic/religious practice I don't know.

I think I may end up ending my use of it, however. Honestly, I'm not sure it helps, because unless they also have an interest in magic or are unusually open minded, people tend to appear uncomfortable no matter how I phrase it, and I'm a little bit tired of feeling like I have to excuse my beliefs and practices to non pagan types.

Emma Eldritch · « **Reply #10 on:** May 23, 2015, 03:08:54 am »

Quote from: Cuthwin Crowe;175279

I'm a man, and constantly use self-deprecating humor. Might be a coincidence.

Sorry, what I meant to say was that women tend to be taught that a lot of their thoughts are 'silly' and open to ridicule, so I was wondering if maybe that was a factor in their being likely to use woo woo' dismissively.

Emma Eldritch · « **Reply #11 on:** May 23, 2015, 03:12:53 am »

Quote from: ranetree;175274

I personally refer to my practice as "woo woo" or "woo-work" for pretty much that same reason. Like "yeah, I know it sounds pretty crazy that I honestly believe there's an actual individual spirit residing in this bear or coyote pelt and that he and I are closely bonded and he makes me feel safe, but it's what I believe and it makes me happy and brings me comfort in times of trial".

Not everyone is super-confident about themselves and their practices and what they believe in, and sometimes it's easier for them to be a little self-deprecating about it in order to test the waters. Using silly terms for these things lets you gauge people's reaction to the information--maybe they'll laugh and tell you "that kind of stuff" is weird, or maybe they'll say "that sounds really cool, can you tell me more about it?"

Now, there's definitely something to be said for having the courage to call a spade a spade and tell people exactly what you believe in, but not all of us have that, and using cutesy terms like "woo woo" can be a way to say it, but still have a good escape route.

Just my thoughts, though!

That all makes sense, yeah.

What you said about using the term as a gauge for other people's reactions is something I had not even considered. It sounds very useful in that way at least.

carillion · « **Reply #12 on:** May 23, 2015, 05:29:24 am »

Quote from: Olivia;165173

I know that people don't mean anything bad exactly when they do this but I get super sick of hearing people call certain legitimate religious practices and beliefs "woo woo stuff". I've heard it so many times. It is mildy infuriating.

I don't engage in what may be termed 'legitimate religious practises' but what I do engage in I wouldn't be discussing with people who were not simpatico with many ideas I hold so I'm not seeing when this would ever come up. If someone was present within that group who made a derogatory comment it would most likely be a case of pot>kettle>black anyway. I don't speak of many aspects of my personal life at, say, work or in a group of people who are strangers.
I am never comfortable sharing personal things with people I don't know anyway. Having said that, the ideas I hold are no more strange to me or those that know me as it would be strange to discuss going to the park or what I thought of a certain book.
Perhaps it comes down to what people classify as 'woo-woo'. I find that term tends to apply more to the way some people behave or act upon the beliefs they hold. Those that go out of their way to seem arcane and mysterious or wired into some universal force that rules all, well. That just says more to me about their insecurities. Nowt 'woo-woo' there.

It's a huge universe filled with uncountable phenomenon. Whose to judge what constitutes 'stranger than truth'? How people respond or behave , that's different.

I'm pretty sure I believe in a lot of things (not just metaphysical) that other people would think bullshit. That's just life. Everyone has an opinion and they are welcomed to it. I don't have to live with them or spend a second in their company so I don't really care. But if I tell people I don't know certain things or they tell me certain things, that opens the door and one can't complain about what comes through.

Queen of Swords · « **Reply #13 on:** May 23, 2015, 03:46:17 pm »

Quote from: Mama Fortuna;175197

I don't use the term myself, but that's mostly because I use the phrase "spooky shit" instead.

Oh, I like "spooky shit." I might have to use that.

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Olivia

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