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

Summary

This celebration of forgotten magical women, from Salem to WitchTok, is a fascinating and empowering read for anyone interested in occultism or feminist history.

Meet the mystical women and nonbinary people from US history who found strength through the supernatural—and those who are still forging the way today. From the celebrity spirit mediums of the nineteenth century to contemporary activist witches hexing the patriarchy, women have long used magic and mysticism to seize the power they’re so often denied.

Organized around different approaches women have taken to the occult over the decades—using the supernatural for political gain, seeking fame and fortune as spiritual practitioners, embracing their witchy identities, and more—this book shines a light on underappreciated magical pioneers, including:

• Dion Fortune, who tried to marshal a magical army against Hitler;

• Bri Luna, the Hoodwitch, social media star and serious magical practitioner;

• Joan Quigley, personal psychic to Nancy Reagan;

• Marie Laveau, voodoo queen of New Orleans;

• Elvira, queer goth sex symbol who defied the Satanic Panic;

• and many more!