Rebelling Against Light-Washing: How 巫 (Wū) Balances Light, Dark, Chaos, and Order in Healing

Context

Let’s not sugarcoat this—this is a rebuttal. I came across a post by a Daoist priest discussing the types of healers in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), specifically the role of 巫 (wū). This term often translates to shaman-witch-wizard, but for simplicity, we’ll refer to it as wū throughout this article.

The post claimed that wū are light-bearers whose role is to heal by uncovering a client’s inner light. While it sounds poetic and appealing at first glance, this oversimplifies the depth of wū practices. Historically, healing wasn’t limited to light and harmony—it often involved entropic work, from working with chaos to performing exorcisms. If you think healing is just about light, you’re missing half the story. Let’s examine how wū engage with light, dark, chaos, and order.

Etymology of 巫 (Wū): Breaking the Myth

The lecturer framed wū as passive light-bearers, connecting Heaven (天 tiān) and Earth (地 dì). While the imagery might sound compelling, it’s historically inaccurate.

• 工 (gōng, "work"): Described as representing humanity as spiritual pillars, 工 actually depicts a carpenter’s square—symbolizing labor, not cosmic enlightenment. It’s grounded in practical action, not lofty metaphors.
• 人 (rén, "person") and 入 (rù, "enter"): These characters were framed as symbols of bowing and humility. In reality, 人 is simply a pictograph of a standing figure, and 入 means “to enter.” These are straightforward representations, not deep cosmic gestures.
• 大 (dà, "great") and 天 (tiān, "heaven"): 大 means “large” or “expansive,” not “enlightened.” 天 represents divine order, but it’s not an intimate personal connection—it’s a universal concept.

The real meaning of 巫 (wū) comes from its historical role. The character evolved from two 工 (gōng) crossed, symbolizing sacrificial jade used in rituals. Later depictions showed two figures in ritual movement, emphasizing activity and adaptability. Its homophone 舞 (wǔ, "dance") reinforces the idea that wū are dynamic practitioners. They weren’t passive—they worked directly with order, chaos, darkness, and light.

Reducing 巫 (wū) to “guardians of light” flattens their legacy, ignoring their depth as practitioners who confronted entropic forces, banished malevolent energies, and navigated dynamic spiritual landscapes.

Healing Isn’t Just About Light

Healing isn’t just about light. Historically, wū practices embraced entropic work—engaging with chaos, dismantling harmful energies for the client, and even performing exorcisms. Early acupuncture, for instance, drew from wū traditions where the primary focus was on expelling malevolent influences, not simply invoking light.

These practices sought to confront and transform the forces causing harm, recognizing that healing often requires navigating shadow and chaos to restore equilibrium. The role of wū wasn’t about imposing an idealized vision of light; it was about fully engaging with the complexity of the human experience.

This approach highlights the active, dynamic role of wū practitioners. They didn’t shy away from disorder or discomfort; they worked directly with it, adapting to whatever the moment and client required.

How 巫 (Wū) Balances Chaos, Order, Light, and Dark

The character 巫 (wū) embodies adaptability. Practitioners of wū don’t force light or cling to rigid frameworks. Instead, they engage dynamically with the forces at hand—light, shadow, chaos, or order—and respond accordingly.

• Navigating Chaos: Healing sometimes requires embracing chaos, letting it unfold naturally to clear the way for a new order. Chaos can serve as a catalyst, shaking loose stagnation and making space for transformation.
• Structuring Order: At other times, creating order is essential to establish stability and a foundation for further healing. This could mean reinforcing boundaries or restoring balance where there is too much unpredictability.
• Being in Darkness: Healing can also involve working with Yin forces—those rooted in darkness, death, or ancestral energies. These interactions, whether with night spirits or deep shadow aspects of the self, offer profound insights and transformation.
• Amplifying Light: And yes, there are times when the work calls for bringing light into a situation, illuminating paths forward or uplifting energies where clarity is needed most.

Healing isn’t about forcing balance—it’s about navigating the interplay of forces to support each client’s path.

Light-Washing: The Real Problem

The lecturer suggested that healing involves “seeing light” in clients, framing illness as a loss of connection to this inner light. While this might sound hopeful, it reduces healing to light-washing: a feel-good narrative that prioritizes light while dismissing the complexity of darkness.

Let’s be clear: healing isn’t a Hallmark moment. Some clients naturally embody shadow or chaos, and that’s not a defect. By focusing only on light, this framework marginalizes those clients and forces them into a narrow, judgmental perspective. Healing isn’t about fitting clients into a practitioner’s worldview—it’s about engaging with their reality.

Darkness Isn’t a Bug, It's a Feature

Not every client has an inner light waiting to be uncovered. Some are spiritually dark, and that’s not a flaw. Darkness can be a source of power, introspection, and alignment. These clients aren’t broken or blocked—they simply operate within a different energetic framework.

A skilled practitioner of wū doesn’t shy away from shadow or chaos. Whether a client thrives in darkness, wrestles with grief, or exists in a state of entropy, the role of wū is to meet them there. Healing isn’t about redemption—it’s about respect.

Darkness and entropy often hold the keys to transformation. By dismissing these forces, practitioners risk losing half of what makes healing possible.

Healing Without Bias

Healing isn’t about uncovering light for everyone. Sometimes it’s about working with grief, anger, or chaos. Sometimes it’s about honoring the shadow.

The role of wū is to trust the process, adapt to the client’s needs, and engage with what arises. Healing is a dynamic interaction, not a rigid formula.

Conclusion: Moving Beyond Light-Washing

The lecturer’s portrayal of wū reduces their work to light-focused healing, erasing the depth of their practice. It marginalizes clients whose paths don’t align with sanitized narratives of redemption, ignoring the complexity of authentic healing.

The character 巫 (wū) reminds us that healing is about adaptability and engagement. Wū practitioners navigate realms of light, dark, chaos, and order, meeting clients where they are and respecting their unique journey.

Light isn’t the whole story. Healing often begins in shadow, where the wū steps willingly, holding space for transformation.

That’s the work. That’s the practice. That’s what it means to embody 巫 (wū).

Navigate Light, Dark, Chaos, and Order with Wū Practices

Are you ready to explore how wū practices can help you navigate the dynamic interplay of light, dark, chaos, and order? Whether you're seeking clarity, transformation, or tools to deepen your spiritual practice, I offer workshops and sessions tailored to meet you where you are. Book now and let’s work together to embrace the full spectrum of healing.

Acknowledgments

A special thanks to Andrieh Vitimus for offering insights and guidance on structure and flow. Your contributions helped shape this piece into what it is. Thank you to SwedishSinologyNerd for fact-checking the etymology and ensuring historical accuracy—it added depth and clarity to this article.