Spiritism as Artistic, Affective, and Feminist Agency: The Case of the Morla Sisters in Chile

Abstract

Spiritism, a philosophical-religious practice developed by the French educator Allan Kardec in the mid-nineteenth century, was adopted and widely practiced by the feminine elite of Chile. These women—the majority being artists, poets, and writers—came together around this practice, building a network that was not only artistic and intellectual, but also affective. In this chapter I will contextualize these practices through texts, published biographies and fiction that recollect the life and community surrounding these well-known Spiritists, the Morla sisters. I read Spiritism as a practice linked to the arts and intellectual thought and as a mean to stand against patriarch order. The historical context brings a flux with the study of literature, history, science, spirituality, and the birth of psychoanalysis with alliances that built a feminist Avant-garde.