Toil and Trouble: A Women's History of the Occult

From the celebrity spirit mediums of the nineteenth century to the TikTok witches hexing the patriarchy, women have long used magic and mysticism to seize back the power they re so often denied. Organized around different approaches women have taken to the occult over the decades creating new magical systems and symbols, using the supernatural for political gain, seeking fame and fortune as spiritual practitioners, questioning and investigating paranormal phenomena, and embracing their witchy identities this book shines a light on these under-appreciated magical pioneers, including: Dion Fortune, who tried to marshal a magical army against Hitler Tituba, the first woman in Salem accused of witchcraft Joan Quigley, personal psychic to Nancy Reagan Pamela Colman-Smith, the artist behind the Rider-Waite tarot deck Bri Luna, the Hoodwitch, social media star and serious magical practitioner Elvira, queer goth sex symbol who defied the Satanic Panic. And more mystical women from American history who found strength through the supernatural and those who are still forging the way today. Weird sisters are doin it for themselves!