This special issue explores how women and gender-diverse artists have navigated artistic and occult identities since the 19th century, reclaiming the figure of the witch as a symbol of empowerment. It introduces new conceptual frameworks—feminist ecoaesthetics, magical futurist art, and seeker as weaver—to challenge male-centered narratives in art history and esotericism. The term "witching" is used politically to reimagine normative approaches to art history and its intersections with occultism and magic. The issue highlights the contributions of artist women to both the art world and occulture, reshaping modern religiosity. All articles were peer-reviewed and developed from discussions at an international seminar held in August 2025.
Clairvoyance, mediumship, and gender intersected in early-twentieth-century art, as shown by the Finnish artist and occultist Meri Genetz (1885–1943). Although esotericism shaped modern art, visionary and mediumistic practices are often marginalized in mainstream art history. Analysis of Genetz's archival material and self-portraits from the 1920s–1930s reveals that conceptual ambiguities, discursive demarcations, and gender bias contributed to this marginalization. Her case demonstrates that deep engagement with occultism does not always produce easily identifiable artistic traces; archival research and familiarity with esoteric discourses are essential for identifying such phenomena. The study challenges male-oriented narratives of modern art and calls for reassessing mediumistic and visionary art as vital to twentieth-century art.