Though often overlooked in the history of western esotericism, women made a strong showing during the 19th century occult revival. Notable women such as Madame Blavatsky and Annie Besant certainly stand out, even to this day, as vanguards. This collection is intended not only to showcase some of their writing but demonstrate that women’s involvement in occult publishing isn’t something new. Frequently, women writers are left out of the framework, when it comes to discussing modern occult history. But the reality is that they’ve nearly always been present; in fact, one could say their collective presence was prevalent throughout the mid-to-late 19th century and into the early 20th, nearly a century or more before the Age of Aquarius.  

This is a collection of 18 essays on a variety of occult-themed topics, covering the full spectrum of classic esoteric and related subjects, which include Hermeticism, alchemy, magic, the Kabbalah, ancient wisdom and philosophy, Rosicrucianism, Theosophy, and spiritualism, by some of the most notable and prominent names in the history of those subjects.  

01 What Is Occultism? by Helena P. Blavatsky
02 The Mysteries by Annie Besant
03 Symbolism of Equilateral Triangle by Lydia Bell
04 Some Psychic Experiences by Edith Wheeler
05 A Cumberland Witch by Mrs. J. Allsopp
06 Allegory of the Cup by Katherine Hillard
07 Divine Magic by Jessie Horne
08 Alchemy in the Nineteenth Century by Helena P. Blavatsky
09 Psychic and Spiritual Development by Annie Besant
10 The Scorpions of Isis by Margaret Murray
11 The Astral Light by Louise A. Off
12 Aspects of the Christ by Annie Besant
13 The Rosicrucians and the Alchemists by Florence Farr
14 Aphorisms From the East by Helena P. Blavatsky
15 Symbolism of the Serpent by Sarah F. Gordon
16 The Reality of Dream-Consciousness by Mabel Collins
17 Precious Stones and Their Occult Powers by Mary L. Lewes
18 Faerie Ireland by Lady Archibald Campbell