Mary D’Esti Sturges, or Soror Virakam, was the second of eleven Scarlet Women. The photo depicts her around the time that she knew Aleister Crowley.
Virakam — who certainly resembled Rose Kelly, the woman she succeeded as Scarlet Woman — assisted Crowley with one of his greatest works, Book 4, or Liber ABA. Her ability as a seer was great; a record of her oracular talent can be found in The Ab-ul-Diz Working.
She was born on October 10th, 1871 E.V., in Quebec, Canada. She owned a cosmetics firm called Desti Beauty Products and she also owned a New York City studio that sold art, perfume and clothing. She was a close friend of the dancer, Isadora Duncan, and authored her biography, entitled The Untold Story: the Life of Isadora Duncan.
Mary died in New York City on April 12th, 1931 E.V.
