Witches, Sluts, Feminists


Book Description

Exposing how "witch" and "slut" are used to police female sexuality, the author rehabilitates these sex positive archetypes.




Witches, Sluts, Feminists


Book Description

“Like being deemed a witch hundreds of years ago, being presumed a slut today is cause for ostracism, abuse, and death.” . . . Archetypes of “witch” and “slut” have been used to police female sexuality and punish women; now, feminists are reclaiming them as positive affirmations. This book unearths the sex positive feminist legacy of the witch in art, music, politics, and popular culture, connecting the fictional witch we love to emulate and fear with real women, past and present. Kristen J. Sollee is instructor at The New School and founding editrix of Slutist, an award-winning sex positive feminist website.




Witch Hunt


Book Description

“A transcendent travelogue that guides readers through the history, places, and people of several of the many witch hunts and how their legacy continues to impact us today.” —Pam Grossman, author of Waking the Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic, and Power Traveling through cities and sites across Italy, France, Germany, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, Kristen J. Sollée explores the places and people significant to the early modern legacy of the witch. Between the 15th and 17th centuries, a confluence of political, economic, and religious factors ignited a wildfire of witch hysteria in Europe and, later, in parts of America. At the heart of these witch hunts were often dangerous misconceptions about femininity and female sexuality, and women were disproportionately punished as a result. Today, this lineage of oppression remains a vital reference point in the fight for women’s rights—and human rights—in the Western world and beyond. By infusing an adventurous first-person narrative with extensive research and moments of imaginative historical fiction, Sollée (author of Witches, Sluts, Feminists) makes an often-overlooked period of history come alive. Written for armchair travelers and on-the-ground explorers alike, Witch Hunt not only uncovers the horrors of history but how the archetype of the witch has been rehabilitated. For witches are not just haunting figures of the past; the witch is also a liberatory icon and identity of the present. This paperback edition includes a new afterword by the author and an updated travel resources section.




Becoming Dangerous


Book Description

"Edgy and often deeply personal, the twenty-one essays collected here come from a wide variety of writers. Some identify as witches, others identify as writers, musicians, game developers, or artists. What they have in common is that they've created personal rituals to summon their own power in a world that would prefer them powerless. Here, they share the rituals they use to resist self-doubt, grief, and depression in the face of sexism, slut shaming, racism, patriarchy, and other systems of oppression"--




Cat Call


Book Description

"An exploration of the untamed crossroads where 'the feline' and 'the feminine' mingle and make magic. From ancient Egypt to early modern Venice to Edo Japan, the witch trials to the Women's March, Catwoman to cat ladies, kitten play to cat conventions, this book tracks the cat's circuitous connection to women and femininity through a magical lens. By combining historical research, pop culture and art analyses, and original interviews, this book uncovers what the 'feral feminine' might mean to witches, sluts, feminists, artists, historians, philosophers, cat ladies, and cat lovers today"--




Basic Witches


Book Description

A magical lifestyle guide for everything from powering up a stylish crystal to banishing terrible Tinder dates Want to feel terrifyingly beautiful? Wear the right color of eye shadow to project otherworldly glamour. Need to exorcise a toxic friendship? Repeat the proper incantation and make it disappear. Want to increase your energy? Whip up a tasty herbal “potion” to rev up your stamina. DIY projects, rituals, and spells—along with fun historical sidebars—summon the best trends of the modern witchy lifestyle and the time-trusted traditions of the hell-raising women of the past. With humor, heart, and a hip sensibility, Jaya Saxena and Jess Zimmerman dispense witchy wisdom for the curious, the cynical, and anyone who could use a magical boost. Selected Table of Contents: CHAPTER 1 - Self-Initiation: An Induction into Basic Witchery What We Mean by “Witchcraft” Our Favorite Pop Culture Witches CHAPTER 2 - Glamours: The Power to Change How You Look How to Clothe Yourself in Literal Darkness The Dark Magic of Unfeminine Haircuts A Spell for Self-Care CHAPTER 3 - Healing: The Power to Care for Yourself A Spell to Make Peace with Your Body Magical Exercise A Ritual for a Relaxing Netflix Binge CHAPTER 4 - Summoning: The Power to Care for Others (and Have Them Care for You) The Transformative Power of Vulnerability A Collaborative Ritual to Deepen Friendship CHAPTER 5 - Enchantment: The Power to Make Choices about Love and Sex Conjuring Your Perfect Mate The Magic Circle of Consent A Spell for Talking about Sex CHAPTER 6 - Banishment: The Power to Avoid What Brings You Down Expelling Social Toxicity The Different Types of Personal Demons A Spell to Counter Impostor Syndrome CHAPTER 7 - Divination: The Power to Decide Your Destiny A Spell to Name Your Heart’s Desire How to Read Tea Leaves




Light Magic for Dark Times


Book Description

When the world around you turns dark, tap into the light. If you’re having a hard time finding that light, facing trauma and division, or want to send healing vibes to a friend, the inspired, easy-to-do spells of Light Magic for Dark Times can assist. Luna Luna magazine’s Lisa Marie Basile shares inspired spells, rituals, and practices, including: A new moon ritual for attracting a lover A spell to banish recurring nightmares A graveyard meditation for engaging with death A mermaid ritual for going with the flow A zodiac practice for tapping into celestial mojo A rose-quartz elixir for finding self-love A spell to recharge after a protest or social justice work These 100 spells are ideal for those inexperienced with self-care rituals, as well as experienced witches. They can be cast during a crisis or to help prevent one, to protect loved ones, to welcome new beginnings, to heal from grief, or to find strength. Whether you’re working with the earth, performing a cleanse with water or smoke, healing with tinctures or crystals, meditating through grief, brewing, enchanting, or communing with your coven, Light Magic for Dark Times will help you tap into your inner witch in times of need.




Waking the Witch


Book Description

From the podcast host of The Witch Wave and practicing witch Pam Grossman—who Vulture has dubbed the “Terry Gross of witches”—comes an exploration of the world’s fascination with witches, why they have intrigued us for centuries and why they’re more relevant now than ever. When you think of a witch, what do you picture? Pointy black hat, maybe a broomstick. But witches in various guises have been with us for millennia. In Waking the Witch, Pam Grossman explores the impact of the world’s most magical icon. From the idea of the femme fatale in league with the devil to the bewitching pop culture archetypes in Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Harry Potter; from the spooky ladies in fairy tales to the rise of contemporary witchcraft, witches reflect the power and potential of women. Part cultural analysis, part memoir, Waking the Witch traces the author’s own journey on the path to witchcraft, and how this has helped her find self-empowerment and purpose. It celebrates witches past, present, and future, and reveals the critical role they have played—and will continue to play—in the world as we know it. “Deftly illuminating the past while beckoning us towards the future, Waking the Witch has all the makings of a feminist classic. Wise, relatable, and real, Pam Grossman is the witch we need for our times” (Ami McKay, author of The Witches of New York).




Sex Witch


Book Description

“A shameless celebration of sexual freedom, Sex Witch encourages us to cultivate the potent, political powers we all possess within our hearts and minds and between our thighs.” -- Kristen J. Sollée, author of Witch Hunt, Cat Call, and Witches, Sluts, Feminists Sex Witch combines occult knowledge with tried-and-true relationship advice to provide spells for each stage of a relationship. Self-love, seduction, sex, love, protection, revenge, and healing are all covered. The spells, such as “A Tarot Spread to Find Which Relationship Format Is Right for You,” “No TERFS Allowed: Embrace Gender Identity,” and “Consecrate Sex Toys” use occult knowledge and Saint Thomas’s award-winning relationship writing to manifest a spell book that does something genuinely magickal: it works. Sex Witch is real. Love is not always fair. Sometimes we get hurt or hurt others. Using the magic inside, you’ll learn how to stay balanced during these ups and downs: •Break toxic cycles. •Use candle magic to summon the perfect partner. •Embrace and unleash your kinks. •Navigate relationships through rough patches. •Get over former lovers. •Practice self-forgiveness and self-kindness.




Bell, Book and Camera


Book Description

The witch as a cultural archetype has existed in some form since the beginning of recorded history. Her nature has changed through technological developments and sociocultural shifts--a transformation most evident in her depictions on screen. This book traces the figure of the witch through American screen history with an analysis of the entertainment industry's shifting boundaries concerning expressions of femininity. Focusing on films and television series from The Wizard of Oz to The Craft, the author looks at how the witch reflects alterations of gender roles, religion, the modern practice of witchcraft, and female agency.