The Symbolic World 461 - Rachel Wilson - Feminism Is the Political Arm of Witchcraft
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Jul 1, 2026 
Rachel Wilson, author and cultural critic known for Occult Feminism, explores feminism’s occult and anti-Christian origins. She traces witchcraft links to early suffragists and the cultural reinvention of womanhood. Conversations cover abortion’s symbolic power, gender abolition, impacts on family and motherhood, and practical choices for combining vocation and family.
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Occult Roots Found In Early Feminism
- Rachel Wilson found a persistent occult thread among early feminists linking Theosophy, Spiritualism, and other esoteric movements to women's liberation.
- Her archival research showed many influential suffragists practiced occultism and often abandoned family life, tying spiritual beliefs to political aims.
Matilda Gage Linked Abortion Rituals To Paganism
- Matilda Joslyn Gage, a suffragist, promoted abortion as a ritual influenced by Indigenous practices and opposed Christianity as oppressive.
- Her ideas inspired cultural tropes like the Good Witch in L. Frank Baum's Oz and later TV portrayals.
Artificial Womb Hypothetical Reveals Abortion Framing
- Wilson's artificial womb thought experiment reveals many pro-choice advocates still support fetal death even when nonlethal alternatives exist.
- She uses this to argue abortion is increasingly framed as an absolute right to kill, not merely reproductive choice.
