Muses No More - Portraits of Occult Women - Paperback

<p>Muses No More: Portraits of Occult Women is a meandering ghost train through the lives</p><p>work politics and beliefs of both familiar and lesser known female occultists from the</p><p>distant past to the 20th century. </p><p><br></p><p>From the freedom fighting New Orleans Voudon Queen</p><p>Marie Laveau to the witch-next-door personality of Sybil Leek these biographical portraits</p><p>bring light to women often sidelined in occult spaces and memory in favour of the heavyweights </p><p>such as Arthur E. Waite Aleister Crowley and Gerald Gardner.</p><p><br></p><p>Readers will discover that there was much more to Pamela Colman Smith's magical</p><p>undertakings than her illustrations for the Rider Waite Smith tarot deck and that Doreen</p><p>Valiente whilst valiantly fighting for the modernisation of Wicca was an ardent follower of</p><p>televised football.</p><p><br></p><p>Filled with fascinating historical trivia there are deeper narratives at play in this</p><p>compendium too - the struggle for women's liberation pleas for modernisation of religious</p><p>movements the reign of the patriarchy in many magical traditions and the fight for civil</p><p>rights.</p><p><br></p><p>Thoroughly well-researched and written with the flair of an impassioned queer feminist</p><p>occultist Muses No More tells the centuries-spanning stories of women who threw off their</p><p>aprons in favour of the search for greater esoteric knowledge.</p><p><br></p><p>The book concludes with tried and tested personal practices and rituals respectfully</p><p>designed in honour of these wondrous women so that we might channel their power and</p><p>knowledge to cast off our own apron strings and pursue the mysteries of the vast unknown.</p>