When you think about business, “woo-woo” isn’t typically what comes to mind. But an increasing number of women professionals are integrating new age, metaphysical and other non-religious spiritual practices into their lives and work.
What is Woo-Woo?
Generally, this refers to a wide variety of spiritual, energetic, or self-improvement practices outside of the major world religions. Examples include, astrology, numerology, energy reading or healing (e.g., Reiki, chakra balancing), crystals, sound healing, tarot or oracle cards, manifestation, law of attraction, human design, psychic readings, intuitive guidance, and even witchcraft.
“New age” is a term that some might use as a catch all but to others means something more specific.
Although many people today consider yoga and meditation to be mainstream, some forms of them might be categorized as woo-woo practices as well. Relatedly, healing modalities such as acupuncture, craniosacral therapy, and other mind-body techniques may or may not be woo-woo, depending on who you ask.
The Intersection of Woo-Woo and Work
A quick internet search reveals a bounty of resources focused on using metaphysical tools in workplace contexts.
A variety of articles have been published on high-profile websites. A few examples include:
- The Business Moguls Who Turn to Astrologists for Big Decisions (Wall Street Journal)
- The Ancient Origins of ‘Manifesting’—and Why It’s Making a Comeback. (National Geographic)
- 9 Crystals that Increase Focus and Productivity (Forbes)
- Why Tarot Readings Can Help ‘Manifest’ Your Reality—from a Psychologist (Forbes)
- Why Embracing Human Design Will Transform Your Workplace for Success (Entrepreneur)
- The Art of Manifesting in Business (Rolling Stone)
- Reiki for Entrepreneurs and the Role of Energy Healing in Success (Brainz)
There is a proliferation of blog articles and podcasts returned from search terms like “tarot reading for business success”, “5 best crystals for leadership”, “manifesting for high-achieving women”.
Books with titles like Astrology in the Workplace: The Zodiac Guide to Creating Great Working Relationships (Penny Thornton, 2019) or Read the Room: Tarot for Women Who Mean Business (Robyn Sayles, 2024) abound.
Atlassian, the software company known for collaboration tools like Trello and Jira, has published a Work Life Tarot Deck and offers guidance on how to use the tool for yourself or with teams. “Bring a team moment, challenge, or question—and let the cards speak” is included in their guidance.
And finally, women with job titles such as publicist, attorney, founder, CEO, COO, HR director, designer, and VP operations are profiled on websites such as WooWooWorkingWomen.com.
Reasons for Utilizing Woo-Woo Tools
Four main reasons emerge as reasons women utilize metaphysical tools in a career context.
Personal Growth and Self-Discovery
Use of these tools helps to cultivate self-awareness, aids in overcoming imposter syndrome or self-doubt, and offers a path of personal and professional development.
Enhanced Intuition and Decision-Making
Many believe these practices help them tap into a deeper inner wisdom. The tools offer a complementary approach to solely using data and evidence to make decisions.
Stress Reduction and Inner Peace
In the relentless uncertainty of life and business, some turn to woo-woo tools as a coping mechanism. Whether for guidance on action or to help release stress, these tools can be a powerful addition to an overall wellness approach.
Performance Optimization
Many use these practices to help maintain a clear focus and to keep their creativity flowing. Others lean into techniques for manifesting success. And with the rise of biohacking for the body, some think of these tools as biohacking for the spirit.
What is the Prevalence of Woo-Woo Practice?
While many women likely keep any woo-woo information about themselves quiet in order to avoid potential judgement and criticism at work, we do have some information about the overall prevalence of woo-woo beliefs.
- 43% of women age 18 to 49 believe in astrology and 27% of women 50+ believe in it (Pew Research Center).
- 13% of women consult astrology, tarot cards, or fortune tellers for helpful insights (Pew Research Center).
- 15% of women have received spiritual guidance from a guru, shaman, or other spiritual leader (YouGov).
- 31% of women believe objects such as crystals, jewels, or stones can have spirits or spiritual energies (Pew Research Center).
- 18% of women believe in energetic or vibrational healing and 20% believe in psychic readings (YouGov)
- 69% of women believe in at least one of the following: psychics, astrology, reincarnation, or that spiritual energy can be located in physical things such as crystals (Pew Research Center).
Perspective from Practitioners
Three practitioners offer perspective from what they see in their own female clients.
“In my practice, I help women with all sorts of jobs – aerospace engineers, economists, entrepreneurs, you name it – seeking guidance and assistance for their careers” says Leanne Holitza, an intuitive energy healer whose own career began as an MBA at a Fortune 100 company. She adds “In the decade that I’ve been doing energy work professionally, I’ve seen it become more widely accepted.” In addition to her intuitive abilities, Leanne utilizes tarot cards, flower essences, and Bio-Well scans in her sessions.
Emerging leaders coach and Reiki master, Elisa Brossard, offers energetic clearing sessions to her clients to support their transition into leadership. She says, “you can do the work to learn new skills, manage your mindset, and build your emotional intelligence, but if your energy is stuck in old patterns, you won’t truly be able to move forward with the success you want.”
Katie Wessels is a trauma-informed energy healer who says one of her more popular offerings for professional women is a 30-minute Tarot reading coupled with a 30-minute reflexology session with chakra clearing. “Busy women with career ambitions seem to be drawn to the combo of receiving clarity and inspiration when they’re navigating something tough at work or a big decision, alongside some TLC for their nervous system.”
Should You Reveal You’re Woo-Woo at Work?
While the data suggests you’re certainly not alone in your practices and beliefs, whether to be open about it at work deserves some careful consideration.
Primary risks include being viewed as unserious and opening oneself up to judgment and criticism. There could be negative impacts on career advancement.
The main benefit is the feeling of showing up as a more authentic version of yourself. It’s also possible you might make new connections with other like-minded individuals.
