Meet Catherine Deshayes Monvoisin, a.k.a. “La Voisin.” Judging from her matronly countenance and placid expression, one might guess this late 17th-century French woman might have led a staid if uninteresting life . . . But nothing could be further from the truth. After her husband’s business collapsed, La Voisin turned to fortune-telling as a way to make a living. Excellent at reading facial expressions and convincing her customers of her abilities, her clientele of France’s wealthiest aristocrats grew. She began offering aphrodisiacs to her customers, and expanded her services to increasingly darker arenas. La Voisin became a well-known contact amid the highest levels of the aristocracy as someone who would concoct poisons and plan murders for the right price. She developed Black Masses as well, where Satan received the petitions of seekers under La Voisin’s guidance. Eventually, a rival poisoner turned in La Voisin, who was burned at the stake in 1680 . . . Undocumented rumors held that the bodies of 2,500 infants were buried in her garden. La Voisin was a central figure in “L’affaire de poisons,” which was the subject of my post yesterday.
