Occult Feminism: The Secret History of Women's Liberation

by Rachel Wilson

Occult The Secret History of Women's Liberation dives deep into the occult roots of the movement, detailing the lives of some of its most prominent figures and the esoteric beliefs that inspired and motivated them. Since the 1970's, everything we learn about the history of the women's movement has been subject to gatekeeping by radicals who run women's studies departments in universities. But there's an entire history which has been obscured from public view. Rachel Wilson brings this history to life, filled with incredible true stories of demon worship, spirit mediums, magic mushrooms, witchcraft, CIA spies, and sex cults, there's nothing boring about the real history of feminism and its all here.

In modern society, it is simply assumed that women’s liberation was a good thing. But what if it was never an organic, grass roots movement for social justice? Did feminism liberate women from an oppressive, evil patriarchy? Or did it rip away the fundamental structures that afforded them stability, security, and purpose- turning them into wage slaves for corporations and tax revenue cash cows for governments? What if feminism left women more vulnerable than ever by destroying the family? What if it's a cunning deception which has tricked women into abandoning their God-given identity to serve a new world order and one of the oldest belief systems in the world?

People deserve to know the whole story about the biggest social revolution of all time. A revolution that left no aspect of modern life unaffected and claims to be for the good of women everywhere. This must-read book goes beyond the propaganda to deliver the fascinating truth.

Genres: Feminism, History, Nonfiction, Religion, Politics, Occult, Philosophy

131 pages, Paperback

Published December 12, 2021

About the author

Rachel Wilson is a wife and Orthodox Christian mother of five children. She is a homeschooling advocate who lives in the rural Midwest. When she is not attending to her duties to her family and church, she enjoys fitness, cooking, researching history and studying philosophy and religion.

Reviews

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like everyone else, I got the fairy tale version of feminist events in school where "the idea's time had come" and everyone "just realized" that feminism was true the entire time. Since then, I've learned about a number of different fabricated movements, and the mysterious occultism that always seems to go along with them. That didn't really include feminism until reading this book.

I knew about the surface realities like the witches against Trump sort of thing, but I didn't know that the entirety of feminism's history is occultism and wealthy interests from end to end. The "men's movement" people seem to be much less well informed on these issues than Rachel, since they don't seem to know more than the Declaration of Sentiments stuff, and the odd reference to Wollstonecraft.

This book goes a lot further than that in the history. The analysis even goes into epistemological issues that exist in the different sects in schism from Orthodox Christianity, which lend themselves to being exploited by the marketing of feminism.

Good book really worth giving a look.

[Ella · Rating 1 out of 5]

All I can really say is that this book is ridiculous. I can't even really put it into words... it was a trip.

[Joss Southgate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent, well-researched book that serves as a good introduction to the hidden goings-on behind virtually every major social movement people subscribe to. Feminism is one of the single most destructive ideologies ever thrust upon humankind, it is no surprise to find connections to the occult and secret societies among many feminist icons and heroes.

[J Landon Light · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chock full of of damning evidence that the pioneers and later torchbearers of feminism were all kinds of mixed up in occultist, pagan, transhumanist, and similar ideas and behaviors. Feminism is not what you were taught in your public school history class. It's antichristian and antinature to its core. I would have given the book four stars, but the Eastern Orthodox author felt the need to take unfair and unnecessary swipes at Roman Catholicism and Protestantism at regular intervals throughout, which distracted from the topics at hand and made the book read more like a denominational screed than a focused work of history. I am all for denominational polemics, but it just wasn't useful here.

[[Name Redacted] · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is brilliant... but frustrating. She makes a lot of great points -- and i really appreciate her argument that it was Roman Catholicism that was a schismatic group leaving behind the "true" Orthodox Christianity. But she seems so focused on her "it all begins with pagan goddess-worship" theory that she skims past parts that could really use deeper analysis

[Connie Marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author projects her own lack of skill, willful ignorance and self-loathing upon all women, and declares it the work of feminism. Anyone who disagrees with her very narrow expectation of what the world, and what a women should be, is a man killing, CIA Jewish op, who uses demon worship to force abortions, queerness and masculinity upon the good God-fearing women of the world.

The 'history' in this book is poorly researched and takes what are often very gray situations and paint them in a black/white situation for the sole purpose of making early female empowerment movements look as horrible as she can. Cherry picking would be a light accusation, as the author at many points ignores context, straight up makes up things up, and writes off any actual historical encounters that don't match her thesis as 'lies' that the cult of feminism has brainwashed people with.

This book is written not as a way to inform people of history, but to give people who already have a negative view of feminism some 'evidence' that they can use to validate their points. At one point she accuses feminists of only reading 'feminist works' and it's clear that this author has never actually read feminist work, only the rhetoric that makes her comfortable and reaffirms her skewed believes. Do not recommend reading. If looking for actual feminist works, recommend Bell Hooks and similar academics, not this slop.

[Estifanos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is by far the best book I have read on F𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑚.

Rachel reveals the occultic roots of the movement that the majority of its supporters, as well as those who oppose it aren't quite aware of.

I previously didn't know much about the people who were behind its conception. However, this book took me on a wild trip that left me stunned and horrified.

Feminism isn't just a social movement; it is a spiritual movement to its very core and the writer did a great job of exposing that.

Give it a read and you will second guess your stance on it because the facts are overwhelming.

[David M. Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

I appreciate the history of radical feminism Mrs. Wilson has explained so eloquently. As someone who knew very little of the early leaders of this occultic movement it was quite interesting and informative. I find it funny that Feminism is still a fractured cult that attracts atheists looking for a higher spiritual self.

[Samrwitt]

This is a take on feminism that I have not seen so far. I don't have enough information to side with/against what the author is saying but it certainly has made me interested to read more about this.

[Mark Stacy II · Rating 4 out of 5]

incredible book that documents the demonic influences of feminism. The only downside is the catholic apologetics. As the saying goes, eat the meat and spit out the bones. The rest of the information provided is gold—a must-read.

[Libby Bork · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of the history is very interesting. However, it’s all viewed through one of the most biased lenses that I’ve ever read. I definitely do not agree with all of her beliefs on religion and societal reform. Cannot recommend.

[Derek · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poorly researched slop with lines literally pulled directly from Wikipedia, built upon using mountains of dubiously-sourced historical personal drama to compel evidence (who slept with who? Oh no!).

It is important to note that this writer is actually fairly clear with why feminism and her Christian Orthodoxy literally cannot co-exist and it forms the crux of her argument. If you want to understand the thoughts of a genuine misogynist, look no further, if you have the inclination or the stomach to do so.

Other than that, some lines are genuine knee-slapping zingers and I had many a loud guffaw, as I furiously scribbled notes onto the sides of pages. For example, referring to Betty Friedan and ‘The Feminine Mystique’ as, quote, “‘basic bitch feminist theory for the masses’” certainly is a choice. If anything, Wilson’s turns of phrase sometimes come off as being exceedingly fucking bad ass, especially when talking about witchcraft. “Radical lesbian separatist movements” is one of my favorites.

Good on ya, Rachel Wilson. Doin’ the Lord’s work. I hope your vision of the future of humanity crumbles, not because women shouldn’t be in ‘traditional’ roles or live heteronormative lives, but because you ask and beg and plead for your women to be absolute and completely subservient to men, where no art or thought or personal freedom can >>ever<< exist.

That you >>had the freedom of choice<< to “escape your feminist upbringing” and retreat to orthodoxy is in and of itself a compelling argument as to why you are absolute bunk. Your arguments are weak, your privilege is breathtaking.

No gods. No masters.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wilson does a great job laying out the lineage of feminism. This book is well researched, easy to read, and connected so many dots for me. It’s an important work.

[Lydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting perspective, but was not edited well.

[Julie Shireman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Occult Feminism: The Secret History of Women's Liberation by Rachel Wilson is a fascinating and bold exploration of the hidden roots of the feminist movement. As someone intrigued by history and cultural movements, I found this book to be an eye-opening journey that challenges conventional narratives with compelling evidence and engaging prose.

Wilson meticulously uncovers the surprising connections between early feminism and occult practices, spotlighting figures like Helena Blavatsky and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, whose ties to spiritualism and esoteric ideologies shaped the movement’s trajectory. Her research is thorough, drawing from historical texts and primary sources to reveal how these influences steered feminism away from its initial push for equality toward more radical, and sometimes unsettling, ideologies. The discussion of the Oneida Community’s experiments in communal living was particularly striking, illustrating the broader implications of these ideas on society.

Occult Feminism is a thought-provoking read that invites reflection on the cultural forces shaping our world. For anyone interested in history, feminism, or the intersection of ideology and spirituality, this book is a captivating and well-crafted addition to the conversation.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was fascinating and I’d like to read more on the topic. Rachel Wilson definitely put a lot of information in a short volume which is appreciated. However, she desperately needs to find a good editor-friend to clean up all of the editing issues….i know some excellent Orthodox Christians that are really talented in this department. So I know they exist.

Overall, the book truly inspired me to think outside of the box on what my own personal indoctrination with feminism has been. I don’t think the last picture in the book was necessary to include. I also think the picture on the cover is an eye-grabber and nothing more…definitely not relevant to the overall topic of the book.

[Jacob DeVries · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has a lot of interesting information about the occult connections of many of the figures in and around the early feminist movement. However, the author's fairy-tale portrayal of Eastern Orthodoxy and constantly misrepresentations of Protestantism make the book impossible to recommend.

[Richelle Moral Government · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative! I vaguely was familiar with some of this, like Margaret Sanger, but this book really gets into the details of who drove the culture so far to the left, what they believed, and how they conducted their lives. People who say that feminism started out good and just went too far are not familiar with the roots of the movement.

[Jennifer DeFrates · Rating 3 out of 5]

This might be the nicest 3 star review you’ve ever read. This book contains a lot of really interesting and important information. Wilson connects movements and people in the feminist movement which are truly eye opening and sometimes shocking. The information is worth reading the book to learn.

After learning the history of the Oneida company, I’m a tad worried about using my forks. So much of the feminist movement is apparently tied to kinky sex and channeling demons.

Another positive is that all of the facts I have checked were accurate, but I would have liked to see more scholarly evidence, footnotes, quotes, etc. If you’re going to write an exposé, you have to bring the receipts.

As a Christian, I agreed with her on many issues, but some of her statements criticizing denominations outside of her own were straw man arguments. Some of her assertions just didn’t have enough backing scripturally or evidentially.

I listened to the audiobook which is part of my low rating. It was not professionally done. Coughing and other noises plus the most dull voice made it hard to listen to. Plus the readers edits were obvious and many names were mispronounced. It was just poorly done.

I think this is a good idea that needs some scholarly help and an editor if she wants to really expose the truth and do so in such a way that people will take her writing seriously.

That being said, this book contains enough shocking information about the feminist movement to be worth reading. The occult ties to some of the most prominent names in history alone is worth reading this book.

[Christopher Ouellette · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is ok, the info is interesting, the intro made me think it was going to be a much worse book. I think another major revision / rewrite would have made this book prominent

[Markus · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author is a devout Christian so the book is heavily influenced by it. I do like the more objective parts that observe the development of feminism in the earlier centuries. For example Mary Wollstonecraft's life in the 18th century, who is supposed to be one of the original feminists. I shall read her book at some point. Apparently she just went around sleeping with rich men, having illegitimate children with them and abandoning them, which goes counter to the whole idea of women being so oppressed in the earlier times that they couldn't even breathe without the say of a man.

I like the examination of the early 20th century suffragettes movement in America, where most women considered the idea of "liberating" women ridiculous, literally 3.8% of voting age women out of about 550k women in the state of Massachusetts wanted suffrage. Women appreciated the ability to build a home and raise a family and the idea of "liberating" women from this to start devoting their lives to working or politics instead was viewed as irrational. Thus the suffragette movements were not powered by grassroots movements, but individual wealthy investors instead and this is also examined to some detail in the book.

Eventually we arrive at the conclusion that might seem obscene to a modern feminist, that women actually wanted to raise children, build homes and devote their lives for their men. Essentially the aim of feminism is to remove that option for women altogether as women would naturally choose this, were it an option, at least according to the great feminist, Simone de Beauvoir. Thus, men must be portrayed as evil and untrustworthy and marriage along with raising of children must be viewed as slavery. I haven't yet heard from feminists how working for some toxic boss should be considered better than the previous version but their arguments are irrational anyway, so who cares.

[ReConnect · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very instructive — thank you!

I believe this reflects the continuation of the "death of God" that Nietzsche spoke about. It is a kind of disease — this excess of self-reflection — which he saw as a hallmark of spiritual illness. Modern women have turned their gaze inward, questioning the foundations of their existence. Lucifer symbolizes this human trait: the impulse to question the very nature of reality. Like the modern intellectual woman, Lucifer is the angel who revered his own intellect and was, as a result, cast out of Paradise.

Men are not perfect beings, and it's not entirely their fault. If women abandon their traditional roles, the foundation of civilization begins to erode.

We all find ourselves here — not knowing where we came from, or where we're going. Life is full of suffering, and we are all destined to die. Yet there are a few noble ways of being that can lessen this pain, and even make life meaningful. These ways were learned by our ancestors over vast spans of time and passed down through traditions — in rituals, ancient texts, and stories.

When we sever ourselves from those traditions, chaos follows. Modern man lacks wisdom. He worships his intellect — and for that, he will fall. Dr. Iain McGilchrist offers a compelling perspective on this cultural collapse.

Yes, Western civilization may well be doomed. I don’t see Western women returning to their traditional roles — the serpent’s poison has already spread throughout the body. Perhaps this is why many Western governments push for mass immigration: having allowed their women to step away from certain responsibilities, they are now trying to compensate for what has been lost.

[Lina · Rating 1 out of 5]

While some of the historical stories she mentions are interesting, this book is more of an opinion piece and not a holistic view on feminism. She is confusing terminology and mixing feminism with misandry. A misandrist is not a feminist. The extreme examples she gives in the book illustrate that she thinks the core of feminism is for "Women to be Gods over men" and this just simply isn't accurate. The very definition of feminism is a movement to end sexism for both men and women so they are on equal grounds in society. Not for one to be above the other.

She is also leaving out key concepts of stories to make them fit her narrative. An example of this is when she brings up Hypatia but fails to mention Hypatia was brutally murdered by radical Christians that thought she was talking with Satan. Why leave that part out? Because it wouldn't fit her anti-feminist narrative if radical Christian's killed the progressive thinking woman she is trying to illustrate as "not oppressed."

Overall, I thought it was interesting that she says feminism, as a whole, is inherently bad because of a few bad apples, or extremist beliefs, but if you based Christianity on the crusades you would probably think all Christianity was evil as well. But clearly she does not because she illustrates she is a Christian herself.

As a working Christian mother of only daughters, I think the best thing you can do for your girls is teach them kindness and there is no one shoe that fits every lifestyle, and that's okay. However, sadly, you will not find that in this book.

[Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly a collection of brief biographies of early influential feminists, and how they relate to occultism and where they get their funding from

I have no prior knowledge about the subject, really. The book is well written in that there is a great flow and it’s easy to read and understand. The descriptions and topics are interesting for sure, but at the same time I find it difficult to make any inferences at all really, using what’s in here. As an example, it’s interesting to read about the CIA, Rockefeller and Gates influences in feminism, but it’s difficult for me to grasp the importance of it in the grand scheme of things. It’s not terribly surprising that rich atheists would donate money to atheist causes, feminism or even anti Christian causes. Another example is the occult roots, which are interesting to read about but also not very surprising that a feminist, who wants abortions and more power for herself to act out all her wants without restrictions, would strive to challenge Christianity. This is not really a critique. It’s a totally fine premise to just go through some influential personalities to explore what makes them tick. I found that to be interesting. And I also think I can sympathize with the conclusion. I just didn’t find the book structured or thorough enough to be a sort of thesis, that can be used for a strong argumentation for the points that the author seems to want to get across. Again, that still felt fine with me and I enjoyed it for what it was and might read more from the author in the future

[Kendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned a lot reading this book and it has some fascinating details included. One detail that caught my eye was the large number of women who were against the women’s suffrage movement put out a “Ten reasons why” type article. In it one of the reasons listed was “Because women realize that when they become voters, they will in consequence have to serve as jurors, and be compelled to hear all the repugnant details incident to murder trials and trials for other crimes disclosing unspeakable wickedness. Jury service is abhorrent to every normal woman.” Compare that to the massive market for true crime content today.

However, a few qualms I have about the book is the title and the cover seem to indicate this book is about the occult, and there is plenty of mention of that in the book, but also the author seems to define any non-Christian religion as the occult. Which she does make a good argument that almost all of the main leaders of the feminist movement were anti-Christian.

Lastly as many others have mentioned, the formatting of the book was off, frequently having a whole blank line and then the text starting again in the middle of the line as well as typos and other formatting and grammatical errors.

[K8 U · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a scholarly work but is designed to be accessible to the average person, particularly Christians. It does have quotes and some end notes. I would have enjoyed more of these and perhaps in a format which was easier to follow (ie not using Roman numerals). The author is very upfront in her bias in favour of Orthodox Christianity. I found her perspective on Protestantism’s laying the ground work for radical feminism interesting and I would agree to some extent although I am a convinced evangelical Protestant myself.
I am very familiar with the scholarly work on feminism (from the conventional feminist perspective) and found that the author did not in any way misrepresent what feminists themselves said or claimed to be trying to achieve. The occultic aspect was interesting and again her development of this theme does not misrepresent the literature and practice of many influential feminists.
There were some typos in the book which I found distracting and I didn’t like how the author inserted her own voice with casual asides at times but that is more of a stylistic preference on my part.
The thrust of the book and the content is generally well researched and I think many women would be surprised and enlightened if they approached this book with an open mind.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I realized that I am not the target audience for this book and that may be a Christian women who is so emboldened to think that there may be some positives to feminism. According to the xenophobic author, there are no positives. The book reminds me of that common adage; when you are a hammer, everything looks like a nail. So apparently for orthodox Christians (or at least for R. Wilson) any other religious or spiritual belief is a satanist and occultist nail.

I was interested in learning about the history of the feminist movement, the headliners, the financiers, the authors. This book is well researched and will give you the points however, it is so biased it’s actually hard to read. There is zero subtly in her writing and her delivery of a point.
Obviously I am reading this book because I don’t like people telling me what I should think or what the right/ wrong side of an issue is. If you are the same way- be warned, the author will spend 130 pages telling you how to view feminism and what you should think about the women who lead it into the 21st century.

[Cristian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciate the effort that was put into the writing of this book and although it makes a lot of valid points and shows good critique about feminism, in the end its target audience is devout christians and extreme conservatives which I'm none of.
It often feels like a big hit piece with lots of people getting smeared. I wish it had discussed more about ideas in a way in which the authors wouldn't take the subject so personal. Hope someone with a more open mind would expand on this book.

As a side note, my copy of the book which was printed by Amazon has lots of glitches one of which presents itself as text inserted at random within the page, pure chaos. Someone did a very unprofessional work.

[Julius · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good shortened look into the development of Feminism in America from the springboard of spiritual awakenings of 1800's and the religious melting pot of American culture. The book shows from carefully cited primary sources that the first Feminists delved into the occult as a source of identity and power. This look into the spiritual background of the first feminists gives another angle to the question why must feminism only subvert and tear down, and why it cannot build almost anything of its own. This fused with the Marxist thinking of 1900 gives us more reasons to conclude that feminism, at its core was anti-Christian, since the Christian ethos is rooted into the masculine order of God. This order through the feministic point of view is discriminating, and must be torn down.

[Heather Robinson (GFB) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate the more nuanced perspective on Feminism and aspectsof Feminism that are usually not discussed. I think more time could have been spent on gathering info and writing it out well. I don't necessarily agree with all of Wilson's conclusions but still would read and listen to more of her. The audio could have been better I believe it kind of sounded like it was recorded with a microwave. I believe most of what she said about witchcraft, Wicca and the Occult however I would consider witchcraft to be more a form of worship or a lifestyle rather than being a religion on its own.