This book is the first collection to feature histories of women in Western Esotericism while also highlighting women's scholarship. In addition to providing a critical examination of important and under researched figures in the history of Western Esotericism, these fifteen essays also contribute to current debates in the study of esotericism about the very nature of the field itself. The chapters are divided into four thematic sections that address current topics in the study of esotericism: race and othering, femininity, power and leadership and embodiment. This collection not only adds important voices to the story of Western Esotericism, it hopes to change the way the story is told.
"This volume provides a good starting point for wider explorations that could include a more intersectional approach that considers how gender intersects with aspects such as class, race, or sexuality, as well as an investigation of the role of women in non-Western esoteric traditions and the evolving and changing nature of esotericism in the modern world. The volume's comprehensive view of the history and diversity of esotericism is a welcome contribution to the current body of works in the field." (Lulie El-Ashry, Religious Studies Review, Vol. 49 (2), June, 2023)