Commitment (The Woo Woo Issue)

If you tune in to the right frequency, you’ll be sure to hear the voices. Beneath the static of the daily horoscopes (“Your brightness can’t be dimmed because … Leo rising!”), the sound baths on the beach and the vaguely Eastern ambiance of tea “experiences,” the Woo Woo are communicating with the universe on their own terms. Angelenos tend toward the sublime; we seek out perspective. We like to make sense of the mood. There’s energy in the room to be analyzed. So, we oblige — and for good reason: When the world looks like an untenable hellscape, what else is there to do but try to understand it on irrational terms?

People be reaching, which is why the rules of the court were written: Thou shalt beware of those who teach. It gets metaphysical out here real quick. Sometimes the pseudo-philosophizing leaks out: Whispers of “Not to get too deep but…” and “That’s some other shhhh…” are shorthand for those who prefer to keep theirs on 10 and 2. Woo Woo is the city’s not-so-secret language. And it’s easy to act like you’re on the right wavelength. But if you listen closely, the guttural hums reverberating about town speak to something deeper. What, exactly, is being said is kind of beside the point. That’s between you and the ancestors. It’s more about where you’re transmitting to — and to whom. To open up that kind of line of communication requires total commitment. Sincerity is the cornerstone of the Woo Woo way of life.

Los Angeles is the land of true believers. And yes, we are, in fact, aware of the redundancy baked into the term. Either you believe or you don’t, an Uber driver once said from the front seat. But true believers hold space for what’s beyond their normal range of vision. Read that again, and if it doesn’t click, maybe it’s best to read that backwards or upside down. The third eyes are always open in L.A. Real eyes realize real lies. But to access that higher consciousness you must first be in touch with what’s on the inside.

And so, August is the month where we show you “Commitment.” This one’s for the Woo Woo among us. In this issue, we unpack what it means to live out your truth. Faith is so multifaceted, with so many points of entry. So we brought in some folks who can help us get in touch with our deepest selves. Artists rafa esparza and Maria Maea talked through the spiritual and deeply personal act of creating objects. Poet and artist Harmony Holiday formed an impromptu arkestra with friends Nikita Gale and Arthur Jafa to invite the ghost of Sun Ra back to lift a curse. Darian Symoné Harvin went to ONE on La Brea to see how Pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts is putting herself into the Word.

That’s just the beginning. We burned a lot of incense, summoned several spirits (Dr. Sebi, Anaïs Nin), did a tarot reading and spoke to some elders.

We’re excited to show you what transpired. Keep reading and maybe you’ll be convinced. Your transformation is out there somewhere. Just put on your Woo Woo glasses and watch what becomes of the L.A. you thought you knew.

Ian F. Blair
Editor in Chief

Image logo by Eduardo Viramontes For The Times