Cadılar, Sürtükler, Feministler: Seks Pozitifin Ruhunu Çağırmak

by Kristen J. Sollee, Çiğdem Dalay (Translator)

Kristen J. Sollee, Cadılar, Sürtükler, Feministler: Seks Pozitifin Ruhunu Çağırmak adlı kitabında, uzak bir geçmişte yaşanıp bittiğini ve günümüze herhangi bir etkisinin kalmadığını düşündüğümüz cadı avının korkutucu derecede güncel olduğunu gösteriyor. Cadılığın izlerini geçmişten bugüne süren ve cadı imgesinin oluşumunu edebiyattan sinemaya, modadan pornografiye dek uzanan geniş bir yelpazede araştıran Sollee, geçmişte cadı olarak suçlanan kadınların şimdi yine cinsiyetleri merkeze alınarak “sürtük” olarak yaftalandığını iddia ediyor. Fakat son derece şen ve keyifli bir dille yazılmış bu kitabın ruhu karamsarlıktan çok uzak: İktidarın belirlediği sınırlar içerisinde kalmayı reddeden kadınlar için daima yaftalama, ifşalama ya da suçlamaya karşılık gelen bir sözcük bulunabileceğini vurgulayan yazar, bu sözcüklerin aynı zamanda bir direniş veya özgürleşme imkânına da kapı aralayabileceğine işaret etmeyi ihmal etmiyor. Böylece eril terminolojide yargılama ve ayıplama sözcüğü olarak işleyen ‘cadı’ ve ‘sürtük’ gibi sözcüklerin, feminist cenahta tahakküme karşı direnenlerin taşıdığı bir onur nişanına nasıl dönüştüğünü sade ve çarpıcı dille ortaya koyuyor.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, History, Witchcraft, Witches, Essays, Sexuality

216 pages, Paperback

First published May 22, 2017

About the author

Kristen J. Sollée is a writer, curator, and educator exploring the intersections of art, sex, and occulture. She is the founding editrix of Slutist, a sex positive feminist website, and she lectures at The New School and across the US and Europe. Sollée’s signature college course, "The Legacy of the Witch" follows the witch through history, pop culture, and politics. Her critically-acclaimed book inspired by the course, Witches, Sluts, Feminists: Conjuring the Sex Positive, was published in 2017.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book! I love the premise. She's drawing analogies between witches, sluts and feminists using cultural discourse and history. It's just that the ideas don't hang together well and it just seems thrown together. It reads like a blog....which makes sense since the author is the blogger who does Slutist. She just needs an editor badly. There are silly cliches and dangling participles on every page. I stopped noticing after a while. An example--"To explore the interaction between witches, feminism, and capitalism--and to find out what is being sold to a public with an appetite for all things occult--I visited an Urban Outfitters in Santa Monica, California, a teeming tourist destination." GROAN.....this is some rigorous research--and decide for yourself whether it's UO or Santa Monica that's the tourist destination. This type of sentence is in every paragraph. She also misuses words--'deportment' when she means 'comportment' for example. It's hard to read actually.
Anyway. Yeah I wanted to like this!! 3 stars for premise and an awesome cover.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like with all essay collections, some are better than others. Overall an interesting book but I'd borrow, not buy.

[Madi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is 150 pages and it took me a week to read. Not because I didn't like it but since it deals with several very current feminist issues that I feel passionately about, I had to keep putting it down.

And you know, going through some shit over here on top of that so...

But now that I'm done, I'm so interested in learning everything there is to know about modern witchery. I read the entirety of The Witches Salem 1692 in July and this book really delves into the present puritan sexism that exists remnant from that time today. I loved reading about about that time period but some chapters just left me upset and angry at the world. (Like Hilary Clinton being canonized as witch 😡) I'm so fantastically interested in researching healing witchiness and getting into the authors website the Slutist.

If anyone has rec's for modern witchcraft books lemme know!

[Kody Keckler · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was SO excited about this book, from the topic to the cover, but I was overall disappointed. It didn’t take as intersectional a lens as I would have hoped, to the extent that the last brief chapter of quotes from other witch-identified folx did more for my understanding than the rest of the book.

[Akiva ꙮ · Rating 1 out of 5]

How do you make this stuff boring?

Slim little volume of essays that report history and pop culture with little insight and even less editing.

For ex: 'Emily Tepper says being a slut means "pulling the Patriarchy out of your ass and owning your sexuality without getting arrested or institutionalized."' That seems like a misquote; maybe "being a slut *should be*..."? The entire page this appears on is just the author asking various sex-positive bloggers their definition of "slut" and reprinting without comment.

If you find "70s feminist consciousness raising sessions are just like witches' sabbats!" to be compelling without any elaboration, you'll probably get something out of this book. If that doesn't work for you, skip it.

[Paige Vanderbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know that question “if you could give someone any one book that explains what you’re about, what would it be?”? Well, this is that book for me. I absolutely loved it. I’ve actually read it twice since I got it, because I read it so quickly the first time and I’m genuinely surprised I didn’t write this.

Kristen J. Solée sucinctly blends together all the things modern witches are talking about – racism and different systems of magickal practice, the history of witchcraft, witchcraft in north america vs. europe, the enduring legacy of the salem witch trials, the witch in fashion and on screen, sex positivity and blending sex with spirituality, and a really great reading list.

Though it’s a short read, it packs a ton of incredible information into short chapters, and fully encourages witches to do some research of their own. Before you know it, you’ve followed the path of the witch from ancient times, through the dark ages, to the “new world” via colonialism, to MTV and the 2016 Presidential Election. It examines some of the sexist and capitalist motivations of witch hunts (hindsight is 20/20 y’all), where the witch has worked her way into every wave of feminism and women’s liberation, and features the words and experiences of modern witches channeling their magick into art, music, and sex work.

It’s basically everything I’m about.

Whenever I review books I like to look at other reviews from other blogs and websites. I like to read reviews by witches and non-witches if I can find them and this book got really interesting reviews. Every feminist news outlet plugged the book and every witch online scooped it up as soon as they could. It got 5 star reviews almost everywhere, and when it didn’t it always seemed to be for the same reason: “there’s nothing new in here”.I respectfully disagree. Though the info in the book is stuff you could find on your own, this is really the knowledge and work of almost a lifetime. All of the things I already knew from the book I learned over years of reading witch books and blogs and articles FULL TIME for years. I learned some more than 15 years ago, and some of this stuff I learned 6 months ago. If I could have started out with something like this my life and practice might have been much different. (for example, I actually took a doula certification course, which took me years, and lead to my reading some of the books referenced – I might not have found that info otherwise.) More so, having all of these lines explicitely connected is new. The modern and completey inclusive take on historical and practical witchcraft is also new, and sorely needed.

As I mentioned above, one of my favourite things about this book is that it gives you the tools to do research of your own. It features a really great and well-organized reference list in the back of the book, gives differing perspectives from different witches and experts, and makes you question what you think you know about sex, religion, feminism, and race. It doesn’t tell you what to think, it encourages you to confront that yourself.
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I also absolutely loved the look and artwork of the book. The simple, yet provocative, cover is probably one of my favourite book covers of all time, and the illustrations by Coz Conover (@cozcon on Instagram) are wild and witchy and totally match the vibe of the book.

Witches, Sluts, Feminists modernizes the image of the witch without stripping her of her power or history. I honestly can’t recommend it enough and would almost consider it mandatory reading for all modern witches and feminists (and sluts!).

[Daniela Moritz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich hatte hohe Erwartungen an diese Lektüre und ich wurde nicht enttäuscht! Jedes, wirklich jedes Kapitel war ein Genuss, hat meine Sicht vor allem auf das Thema Feminismus geschärft und die unterschiedlichsten Facetten des Kampfes der Frauen um Freiheit und Gleichberechtigung ausgeleuchtet. Es gelingt Kirsten J. Solleé auf eloquente und unterhaltsame Art und Weise die mal mehr mal weniger offensichtlichen Verbindungen zwischen der Frau als Hexe, Schlampe und Feministin aufzuzeigen und die Wurzeln von Frauenhass, Unterdrückung und Ausgrenzung zu verdeutlichen.

Besonders spannend fand ich es, den historischen Kontinuitäten nachzuspüren, die bis in die Gegenwart reichen und damit nichts von ihrer Aktualität verloren haben. So habe ich erstmals etwas über die Salem Prozesse und die Fehlinformationen, die über sie kursieren, als auch über die Figur der "sacred whore", die bereits im alten Babylonien existierte, gelernt.

Ich empfehle jedem dieses Buch zu lesen, der an aktuellen Debatten über Macht und Machtmissbrauch unter den Geschlechtern interessiert ist und Tabuthemen wie Sexarbeit und Pornographie nicht einfach verdammen, sondern aus ganz unterschiedlichen Perspektiven betrachten möchte. Mein einziger Kritikpunkt an dem Buch ist das Kapitel, in der eine Hexe über ein Flugsalbe mit Mentrustionsblut spricht. I mean: What?!? 😂

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am going to keep this review short and simple.
This is an easy to read, interesting and enjoyable book. It won't take you long to read this.
The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because it could have gone into a little more depth in some parts, but the fact that it didn't, probably made it more accessible for more people to read.
I recommend it to anyone interested in the whole women, feminism and witches (and the historical persecution of witches) connection and why slut shaming and sex negativity is damaging us all etc. etc. She has an interesting perspective, and backs up her thoughts very well. I enjoyed her writing style.
It is also fairly inclusive and I felt somewhat evenly toned. I thought it was well researched without using overly academic language which can be off putting. It is very contemporary to what is going on right now in politics, pop culture etc.
4 stars and best reads pile.

[Chels Patterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The parts that were more scientifically researched or historically backed were very interesting. But other chapter were interviews with "witches" and the occult with out comment on its real impact on feminism or why women decided to be witches, or feel the need. The author seemed largely on the sides of the witches rather than an observer. The flow of chapter to chapter were more like articles just put in a book, at times. Although it was an interesting book with interesting topics. It largely did not go into depth on most topics, like Salem, Europe, Islam or Africa, even contemporary buzzewords were used like nasty women with out exploring a woman's drawn or the cultural impact of such terms.

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got a good deal of references to check out and google for more understanding, but that's about it. Whole book really just breeze through various subjects and themes adding a witch filter, but info in general was very shallow and could only help for someone to validate her opinion if she already takes in all that info as some sacred text. For me as someone, who doesn't label herself as witch, this was rather annoying.
An excerpt: "If I can conjure spirits with an old root and a circle of salt, why not through website?(..) I use unique hashtags to communicate with my ancestors, I bless my phone and laptop before online dating, and I charge sigils through Instagram." Well I can add only #facepalm #eyeroll

[Ally Muterspaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Solee does an amazing job of laying out the histories and practices of witchcraft, and how these histories affect contemporary witchcraft in a consumerist and digital age. From Salem to the "Wicked Witch of the Left" and plenty in between, the book gives well-researched insight to how witchcraft is feared and beloved by different people. Solee's book is accessible to readers, while trying to achieve a goal: sparking readers' own witchy curiosities, and finding out what kinds of witchcraft they'd like to explore.

[J Earl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witches, Sluts, Feminists: Conjuring the Sex Positive by Kristen J. Sollee is an eye-opening overview of the similarities and relatedness of the terms and their histories. Much of the material is not so much new as it is juxtaposed with parallel situations that illustrate the links between events of the distant past, the recent past and, sadly, the present.

Sollee manages to present her views very well while also giving space to different and counter views. Like any area where our multiple identities and communities overlap, which is almost everywhere, there are no simple responses nor is there only one or two perspectives. In this book, difference is empowering and cooperative, with various positions being given along with the rationale for each.

I was personally most interested in the ways that the witch hunts we widely think of as a thing of the past have simply morphed into more subtle, and in some ways more sinister, forms of control and punishment. Looking at the information as laid out for the reader, I have a much better understanding and appreciation for the various ways women can and do re-appropriate not only words but indeed their own sexuality and make them work to their benefit and happiness rather than as means of controlling them.

I would highly recommend this to those interested in feminism, gender issues and, in fact, making the world a better place. While this is a nice quick read, readily accessible for any reader, subsequent readings will, I believe, provide much more insight.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via Edelweiss.

[Kenza Vandenbroeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite books to date. So informative and intersectional, covering the vast and cross-cultural history of witches into modern day feminist, queer, non-binary witches and witchcraft practices. The writing is fun and accessible. Great read if you're a practicing witch, or interested in the history and modern-day presence of witches and witchcraft.

[Edward Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those great short books (novella) that needs to be given to everyone in school for the purpose of understanding that we as humans need to embrace our sexuality and love who we are. We tend to fear what we don't understand, what makes us uncomfortable, and what is counter what we have been taught on a myopic level.

Women are as much a sexual being as men and why there is a distinction that needs to be made has always puzzled me. Men are sexual beings and it is okay for a man to have partnered plenty, to have one night stands, to act out in public without being called a bitch or "on the rag" - These things and more will get a woman branded, ostracised, or even worse killed, even into modern times.

Read it, hear their voices, support, and respect them, and love them for what they are: human.

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

What art and also earth-based religions can do is to refuse the social control suggested by spectacle-based acts of violence perpetrated by our leaders and in our communities. We have agency through art and ritual to create our own constructs that in turn lead others out of the darkness.

An easy yet absorbing read! Kind of has the same feeling as Roxanne Gay's Bad Feminism, but for witchcraft. It covers so much ground that it comes a little repetitive at a few different points, but I am willing to look past that because I found this to be an excellent guide for anyone who has a budding interest for witchcraft & especially the feminist aspect of it.

I can see why these short peeks to various topics don't work for everyone, but when I look at the list of further reading I made when reading this... Well, the book kind of does what it's supposed to. I am not even a newbie witch and I found so many books I can look up next. Something I really appreciate.

A witch is the opposite of a victim. Hear, hear!

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5*

Kind of incoherent and reads like a random collection of witch-themed essays. I liked some of them (specifically the one on the intersection of witches, feminism and capitalism), really didn’t like others and found yet some others to be really boring. At the end there was a super brief mention of modern witch camps in Ghana and women getting executed in Papua New Guinea and India and I wish those topics had been expanded on more.

I think I would have liked this a lot better a few years ago but it really didn’t work for me at this stage in my life. I’m starting to realize me and sex-positive feminism don’t really get along (especially when it frames the sex industry as empowering) so maybe that’s part of why this book didn’t resonate with me.

Really cool book cover though and it was interesting getting a small insight into the lives of self-identifed witches and their practices.

[Story · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Carmilla Voiez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witches Sluts Feminists is a slender volume. It positions itself as a primer on the connections between the three subjects in the title and in this respect it is very successful. It looks at the subjects in fresh ways, with quotes from different women, and strengthens the connections between each of the tropes and an overarching fear of female power and autonomy.

The book is intersectional, white cis feminism this is not, and I would say that is its main strength. It considers, admittedly at a surface level due to its brevity, multiple points of view about the history of the words witch and slut and the value they might have if we reclaim them for ourselves.

Emily Temper is quoted in the chapter Twitch of the Tongue as saying ‘slut means “pulling the Patriarchy out of your ass and owning your sexuality without getting arrested or institutionalised.”’

Next the author quotes Tanenbaum, who says - “I fervently hope for the day when we can use the word ‘slut’ as a feminist punchline and a badge of honour, but we are not there yet. Only when we have the right to sexual equality can all women be free to take back these words and make them ours.”

The book is American-centric, but in spite of this it is an entertaining read. The illustrations are gorgeous and the style is accessible rather than academic. It also works as a spring board to discover writers and practitioners that could lead the reader on a more in depth and transformative journey towards spiritual and sexual liberation.

[Eliza · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘As we undress the legacy of the witch to reveal her potent history, we may in the process uncover something marrow-deep within ourselves.’

I’ve never thought about the legend of the witch and its connection to sex positivity until I picked this up on a whim from my library. I realized it was written by the creator of one of my fave blogs (Slutist) & immediately started reading.

And I learned so fucking much.
About womanhood, the nasty legacy of misogyny, & of layers within myself.

This 163-page primer in the history of how feminism, sex positivity, and witchcraft connect is a read that teaches and reaches. My biggest takeaway from this read is learning about Tituba, a slave who was the lone black witch tried during the Salem Witch Hunt. TFW a book is SO good, it convinces you to read the books that contributed to her own book!

Women across the feminine spectrum, I implore you to read this. Give yourself this education you had no idea you even needed. Walk away from these 163 pages wiser about womanhood. You won’t regret it!

[Emiloid · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as smart as the author thinks it is?

I went into this wanting to like it, but I don’t feel like this told me anything I didn’t already know something about, and I don’t feel anymore enlightened about the image of the witch than I already was. Also the placing of prominent suffragettes and female politicians on pedestals without nuanced scrutiny of their legacies rubbed me completely the wrong way. Like, did the author know that many of the suffragettes she praised were also virulent racists? Also, she doesn’t seem to realize many people had legitimate reasons to reject Hilary Clinton that had nothing to do with sexism - namely, her reputation as a corrupt politician who actively promoted the slut-shaming of women who were involved with her husband. I did like the message of being cautious of the capitalist co-opting of witchy imagery and woke messages for financial gain, but then again it wasn’t something new that I wasn’t already aware of.

[Maggie Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Witches, Sluts, and Feminists is a decent introduction to these intertwined topics, but don't expect scholarly rigour or truly considered analysis. While Sollee has done some research, she's not trained in using it well, and her arguments don't always string together. The writing is simplistic and could definitely use some editing. On the other hand, this is all pretty par for the course for non-fiction these days. Hopefully it inspires people to read more material on these subjects (and there are many good references given in the book, even if they are not necessarily used well). Just be careful to note that this is a very basic, non-comprehensive source, and it rarely gives appropriate depth to the ideas it is handling.

[Pikobooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Je reste assez dubitative quant à la qualité de cet essai, très introductif et qui a une tendance à la généralisation qui m'a un peu braquée.

MAIS j'ai énormément appris en ce qui concerne les luttes militantes nord-américaines liées aux sorcières des années 1960 à nos jours. Je ressors avec bcp bcp de références à la aller découvrir.

Toutes ces sorcières américaines, je les veux en Europe. Où êtes-vous ? On se fait un cybercoven ?

Et si je m'en tiens à cet essai, il semble que je sois moi-même une sorcière... pourquoi pas ?

Malgré tout, quelques aspects essentialistes m'ont encore refroidie, même s'ils n'occuraient que dans les interventions citées de certaines artistes/sorcières.

Cet essai est une bonne porte d'entrée sur la question disruptive de la sorcière. A tester.

[Chelsea Elwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another quick read, but I really enjoyed it. This is written for an in-group. I'd like to see the ideas in this better fleshed out. Was it worth the read? Would I recommend? Absolutely. If nothing else for such gems as 'The Latin term for Satanic analingus is 'osculum infame.' In short, this felt like bitching about the patriarchy over drinks with an old friend.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this 3 stars because there was research put into it and I learned much about Salem and the Witch in older centuries. I really liked how she ties together sexism and the witch/slut title.
But this book reads like a too-long blog. After all the interesting history lessons I can't say that I read anything I haven't read dozens of times in feminist articles.

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 rounded down

Kind of interesting? But it just all felt very light and vague and ultimately a bit shallow. I didn't feel like any of the conclusions drawn here were particularly unique or inspired.

[Mirjam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dworkin didn't die for this.

[Artemis Crescent · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rise in feminism that never went away - no matter what naysayers desperately want you to believe - has birthed a new wave for a new generation. From this indestructible surge of female empowerment and self-realization, comes a new rise and interest in witchcraft.

Witch and feminist. The two identities are intertwined - by scholarly and knowledgeable feminists, and even by anti-feminists. Since all recognize their collective power and influence, and they speak so much and for so many women around the world. Their history is rooted and knotted together, going back hundreds and even thousands of years, expanding vast cultures, mythologies, and social systems ancient and new.

Feminists, witches, sluts - they relate to all women exhibiting the least freedom, expression, individuality, difference, and any personality trait outside of patriarchal sensibilities; most prominently relating to their sexuality. These words, these labels: as long as the patriarchy has existed they have been used to shame, blame, demean, scorn, punish, prosecute, dehumanize and even kill women. Now women are taking back those words for themselves, transforming them into positive monikers, to do as they please. Or they are reviving them as the positive female badges of honour they always have been, before patriarchal systems twisted them into pejorative terms to be feared and hated.

Really think about it: men don't have nearly as many gender-specific pejorative and shaming terms used against them as women do, anywhere, anytime.

Therefore, the patriarchy hates and fears all women, whatever they identify as - for no woman ever can be wholly, genuinely submissive, ignorant, lacking in ambition, Stepford Wife-like, and "pure" (unless they choose to be such as a sexual identity), and be truly happy this way; women are oppressed human beings. It is generally agreed upon now that slavery is wrong (unless one is a sad, monstrous troll), so why should misogyny and the pay gap still be acceptable in this age?

Well, the meanings behind "witch", "slut", and "feminist", are changing. Language is powerful; as powerful as any magical spell cast in order to exact change. Women are taking charge, and identifying themselves however they want without judgement. They are the descendants of - and tributes to - the women who were burned at the stake, or had been accused of "evil" sorcery (for doing anything, right down to wearing brightly-coloured clothing and being a midwife), for being themselves.

Witches, sluts, and feminists - and a combination of all three, as some women proudly are - these are everywomen, as Kristen J. Sollee's 'Witches, Sluts, Feminists: Conjuring the Sex Positive' proves. And it is definitely sex positive.

Witches and feminists are basically the same thing, in expressing and owning themselves in a world that hates and fears them, for their independent thought, will, actions and bonding with other women through their experiences. The freedom to share, to align. Being a witch and a feminist is about sisterhood in the most positive, beautiful light.

Of course there are men and nonbinary persons who identify as witches as well. Masculinity and femininity don't really matter. Witchcraft, like feminism, is for everyone.

I agree with Sollee and other feminists and historians that witch hunts still exist in modern Western countries in more subtle (or not subtle at all, as is the case of the internet and with obnoxious, misogynistic male public speakers and politicians) ways than in the 16th-17th century. History repeats itself in different ways, rooted in the same human fears and irrationality. The author also acknowledges that literal, physical witch hunts persist in countries outside of the West, and she highlights the efforts being made by humanitarian/feminist groups to liberate women and fight for their rights in other countries. No problem, no issue, is more or less important than another, not in feminism.

I admit, being a fiction geek, I went into 'Witches, Sluts, Feminists' for the analyses of portrayals of fictional witches in media alone; not that the other topics Sollee discusses didn't interest me and profoundly educate me. But TV and film (and music; a chapter is dedicated to its history in witchcraft and taking back the witch) are important and powerful tools for positive visualizations of marginalized groups of people and for fighting the patriarchy, due to representation. I love that Sollee recognizes the harmful, negative portrayal of witchcraft and sisterhood in the cult classic and beloved-by-all-witch-converts, 'The Craft', and she sites negative reviews by actual witches that confirm her standpoint. All these years I was made to think that I was the mad one for not liking that movie! And she talks about the Anna Biller film, 'The Love Witch', from 2016, which I had recently viewed and loved - hooray! Plus 'The Witch' from 2015, and Hermione Granger. I don't agree with her praising 2014's 'Maleficent' though, especially in light of her love for the universally-admired Disney villainess from the 1959 'Sleeping Beauty' film.

Views on witches as ugly old evil crones - the matured women who are "past their prime" and therefore men fear and ignore them; witches as pretty young blondes still subservient to men ("don't use your powers too much, ladies, or you'll emasculate men!"); and as feminist icons who do whatever the hell they want without stigmatization: these sure are changing over the years. Like the shapeshifters of yore. Mostly they are shifting for the better.

But why is there hardly any mention of witches as portrayed on TV? I think only 'Bewitched' receives a notification. Did the others get the cutting room floor treatment? as the author says in her introduction that she had to essentially kill her darlings during the editing process of her not-entirely academic but nonetheless passionate book.

In wonderful conclusion, 'Witches, Sluts, Feminists: Conjuring the Sex Positive' is short at 160 pages, but it is my kind of feminist non-fiction. It is highly accessible, addictive and easy to understand.

History, facts, factions, touring experiences (and why Salem, quite unjustifiably, is the most famous out of all the other witch-prosecuting towns and societies of centuries past), interviews with witches, interviews with gender rights activists and witch/coven organisations I'd never heard of until now, gender positivity, genderfluidity, inclusion, black power and magic, sexual freedom power and magic, anti-victim blaming and anti-slut shaming (obviously), historical and modern day witches, witch fashion over the centuries, witch cultural approbation and "trendy" witch consumerism and capitalism (so the word and cause lose their power and so nothing changes in the patriarchy), and even epigenetic inheritance - all are linked. All are relevant today.

Sometimes 'Witches, Sluts, Feminists' will make you angry and upset. Like there is a chapter on gender politics, and how Hillary Clinton was treated by the masses during the 2016 presidential election: "witch" was used in the literal 16th century god-fearing, baby-eating, man-killing, Satan-fucking sense of the word in order to smear her name constantly and continuously. She was tormented from day one. It didn't matter what she said or did: she was a woman recognized in a position of power, and this terrified grown men everywhere, in every class, in every job. And so revived the modern day witch hunt: which includes smearing, fear mongering, harassment, lies printed... the lengths went to dehumanize Hilary - and still do, even - there is no justifying it. It's plain evil. It made me want to scream until all my blood vessels burst.

There's a theme throughout the book - the link between witch hunts and internet trolling; the spread of lies and misinformation on absolutely anything concerning any and all women. It is the past catching up to the present. It is about misogyny, just in a different generation; it is not an extreme stretch.

But mostly, the little book will give you hope. All women - witches, feminists, sluts, everywomen in every walk of life - will find a beautiful taste of freedom in its pages. It is a spellbook for the informed, modern day feminist/witch, without a lot of actual spells, but it serves as an education grimoire; a confidence booster for the activist in all of us.

A witch who isn't also a feminist is a contradiction - a dangerously ignorant one at that. A feminist who doesn't identify as a witch can at least relate to them and their struggles, and help them out, as they would sex workers and others.

For feminism is freedom. Feminism is taking back power and agency in a name and culture that is tabooed, shunned or ignored by the patriarchy.

For feminism is for everyone. Repeat this. Repeat, repeat, repeat; chant it like you are performing your own ritual magic, until someone higher up listens, and finally accepts change, progress and prosperity, cultivating in a much wider landscape shift.

Everyone, this is for you.

Final Score: 4/5

[Maddy Heymann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this book years ago, immediately drawn to the title and took it off of my lovely friend Wilder's bookshelf. The dominating concept is that though there is always some word utilized by the patriarchy to degrade women we continue to reclaim the words as our own, and use them to draw our inner powers out. The witches became sluts and the sluts became feminists, but they were all women. This book provoked a lot of thought for me about the politics of language and the every shifting tactics utilized to demean women.

In a month where I am consuming an extraordinary number of witchy books and movies it has me tuned into how those witches are portrayed. I watched Hocus Pocus for the first time and was immediately aware of the way the Witches are shown as "vile" and "hags", menaces to a functioning, normal society both in the past and the present, I can see being drawn into it as a child where the kids save the town from the spell the witches have put the adults under and save all the children from having the life sucked out of them (literally that is what the witches' main goal in the movie is). I feel lucky I saw this movie after I knew to be skeptical of how Witches are portrayed in society and not as a young impressionable child.

The thoughts from this book that will linger with me is the sheer energy around recognition of your ability to reclaim your power and the idea that witch history is women's history. "Unruly women are always witches no matter what century we are in" - Roxanne Gay. The more I look through history from a feminist lens the more I realize that women haven't been left out of it, no they've been systematically written into it in ways that enshrine us into unfavorable roles and lights. We should give far more credit to the men who so calculably wrote history in such a way that women will always be running from the past that has been written for us. To be written out of history may have been kinder, for then at least we would have had the power the write our own.

[Nicole Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief history of female sexuality persecuted across centuries. I especially loved the idea of the “sacred whore” (which Christianity thoroughly ruined) and obviously, lesbian witches. I am inspired to embrace my coven and destroy the patriarchy.

“The witch is at once female divinity, female ferocity, and female transgression. She is all and she is one. The witch has as many moods and as many faces as the moon.”

The perfect book to fly through during the full moon.

[Nina Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an okay introduction to the intersection between the witch-figure in historical and contemporary concepts and feminism/witchcraft, but if you've done any prior reading on the topic there isn't anything new here. It's a self-described primer on the topic and I'd say that's accurate. Having already read intensely scholarly books on the subject like Caliban and the Witch makes this less insightful for me personally. But if you would like a quick read that's a broad look at the topic, this is a decent choice!