![]() ![]() The angels claimed that the ring they designed for Dee was the same one that Solomon used to control demons. The major part of the information was given during 1582 significant corrections to the design of the equipment were given in the spring of the following year, after an hiatus in the work and the presentation of Liber Loagaeth. The necessary physical equipment was described in detail, followed by an angelic hierarchy of 49 “Good Angels”, and further information concerning the Kings and Princes of the hierarchy, and their ministers. The presentation of this magick was remarkably sequential and orderly, compared to later parts of the work. The record of its presentation can be found in Dee’s Mysteriorum Libri Quinti a working grimoire, composed of Dee’s extracts from that record, is known as De Heptarchia Mystica. This is a self-contained and moderately complex planetary magick, similar in style (but not in content) to various “Solomonic” grimoires of the day. ![]() The first system of magick given to Dee was the Heptarchia Mystica. In the strictest interpretation, only the material from the third period qualifies as “Enochian”, but the term is often applied to all of the work. The material received in each period generally stands on its own, and is only loosely related to that in the other periods. Additionally, the reader must deal with side-excursions into apocalyptic religion, politics, Dee and Kelly’s personal problems, and various irrelevant queries that Dee insisted on inserting into the work.Ĭhronologically, Dee and Kelly’s work divides into three highly productive periods separated by months in which nothing of particular value was received. During these periods the angels would present colorful visions, portentous prophesies, and angelic gossip, but very little in the way of solid information. Of the rest, there are long periods of communications that, in retrospect, seem to have no purpose but to hold the magicians’ attention on continuing the operations. Much of the communication was important within the context of the operations, but has no direct bearing on the systems of magick being presented. ![]() The record of these operations is very detailed so much so that it takes careful study to separate the spiritual “wheat” from the chaff. Despite this, the records for the 1581-1585 operations appear almost entirely intact. Ashmole’s collection passed eventually to the British Library.Īccording to Ashmole, about half of the hidden records were mistakenly destroyed by the discoverer’s maid before efforts were made to preserve the rest. The hidden documents were not discovered until around 1662, and found their way into the hands of Elias Ashmole in 1672. After his death the chest was purchased from his estate and passed through several owners. In later years, Dee apparently decided to conceal his magickal records in a hidden compartment of a large cedar chest he possessed. The earlier portions concerning the Heptarchy and Liber Loagaeth came to light by a more roundabout means. This part was published in Casaubon’s A True and Faithful Relation. A portion of them, concerning the Angelic Calls, Tablets and Liber Scientiae, were acquired with Dee’s library by Robert Cotton. Kelly would watch the stone and report everything he saw and heard Dee would sit at another table nearby and record everything that occurred.ĭee made multiple copies of these records. Then a scrying stone would be placed on a prepared table, and the angels were called to manifest a visible appearance therein. Dee would act as the orator, directing fervent prayers to God and the archangels for 15 minutes to an hour. The method employed for these works was fairly standard for the time. Kelly joined him in March of 1582, and was his sole assistant during the remainder of the work. During the years from 1581 to 1585, Dee performed a long series of magickal operations to that intent. Having come to the conclusion that worldly efforts would not lead to the wisdom he desired, he decided to apply himself to contacting divine sources. ![]() Among these was the then-fabled Book of Enoch, which he apparently conceived as being a book describing the magick system used by that patriarch. Dee had a passion for discovering lost knowledge and spiritual truths in particular he wanted to recover the wisdom he believed to be in the lost books of earlier times. The systems of magick now known as Enochian magick derive from the work of the Elizabethan scholar Dr. Thanks also to the many people who made suggestions, whether or not I used them, and to the people who had constructive criticisms of early versions. Thanks to Clay Holden and the John Dee Publication Project for cleaned-up scans from Dee's diaries. Note: Due to their large size, the illustrations for this document are on separate linked pages. ![]()
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