Catherine Deshayes (La Voisin) — fortune‑teller and figure in the Affair of the Poisons

Activities and services

La Voisin operated a business that combined fortune‑telling, astrological readings and various illicit services. She charged fees for horoscopes and charms and was also accused of providing:

• love potions and aphrodisiacs;
• abortifacients and clandestine abortions, a perilous and illegal practice at the time (see related accusations);
• poisons allegedly sold to clients seeking to remove rivals or spouses;
• rituals described in trial testimony as black masses and other occult ceremonies.

These activities blurred the boundary between popular magic, criminal conspiracy and the fears of an elite anxious about poisoning and occult influence.

The Affair of the Poisons and legal proceedings

The Affair of the Poisons was a wide‑ranging investigation (1677–1682) into poisoners, fortune‑tellers and occult practitioners in France that reached into aristocratic circles. La Voisin became a focal point after testimonies linked her establishment to poisoning plots and ritualized practices. She was arrested, questioned, and ultimately sentenced. Official records mark her execution on 16 February 1680 in Paris. Authorities at the time framed some charges in terms of sorcery; later commentary labeled her as convicted for witchcraft (trial and conviction).

Accusations, evidence and scholarly caution

Trial narratives and denunciations attributed a range of crimes to La Voisin, from selling lethal substances to participating in infant sacrifice. Many of these claims—such as the allegation that she "sacrificed" infants—come from the testimony of witnesses under pressure or informers seeking leniency, and so are treated with caution by scholars (allegations). Historians distinguish between documented criminal acts (poison sales, procuring abortions) and more sensational accusations tied to the panic of the period.

Clients, social context and consequences

La Voisin's clientele reportedly included members of the royal court and aristocracy. Among those named in the inquiry was Madame de Montespan, who has been described in some sources as a courtesan and as an influential mistress of King Louis XIV; such associations amplified the scandal and the state’s desire to contain the affair. The investigation exposed networks of clandestine services used by people at many social levels and prompted tighter policing of fraudulent and dangerous practitioners.

Legacy

La Voisin has remained a potent symbol in discussions of crime, gender and occult belief in early modern Europe. She appears in literature, theater and histories as an archetype of the witch‑doctor or criminal mystic, but historians emphasize the mixture of documented crime, rumor and political calculation that shaped her fate. The Affair of the Poisons itself is studied as a case of social anxiety about poisoning, the vulnerability of royal courts to scandal, and the legal responses to networks that combined magic, medicine and crime.

For further reading and documentary references, see material linked to primary trial records and modern studies of the affair: trial records, Paris archives, and broader analyses of accusations and social impact (medical/legal context, allegations overview, notable clients, courtly context).