John Dee and the Enochian Angels

John Dee and the Enochian Angels

In 1581, Dr. John Dee—mathematician, astronomer, and advisor to Queen Elizabeth I—began a series of magical experiments that would produce one of the most comprehensive and controversial systems of angel magic in Western history. Working with the psychic medium Edward Kelley, Dee conducted séance-like “actions” in which Kelley received visions of angelic beings who dictated a complete magical language, along with complex systems of tables, calls, and rituals. The Enochian system they created continues to be practiced today, and the locations where Dee worked are said to retain unusual spiritual properties resulting from the doors he opened.

John Dee: The Queen’s Conjuror

John Dee (1527-1608) was one of the most learned men of the Elizabethan age—a genuine Renaissance magus whose interests spanned mathematics, astronomy, navigation, cartography, and the occult. He possessed one of the largest libraries in England, advised Queen Elizabeth on astrological matters, and was instrumental in promoting English exploration and empire-building.

Yet Dee’s deepest ambition was to communicate directly with angels, seeking knowledge that human learning could not provide. He believed that through proper spiritual preparation and the use of consecrated tools, contact with celestial intelligences was possible—and that these beings could reveal secrets of nature, history, and the future.

In his later career, Dee dedicated himself increasingly to these “spiritual actions,” initially attempting to scry (see visions in reflective surfaces) himself before finding a medium who could perceive what he could not.

Edward Kelley: The Scryer

Edward Kelley (1555-1597) entered Dee’s life in 1582, claiming abilities as a scryer. Kelley’s background was murky—he had lost his ears (possibly as punishment for forgery) and had a reputation as a con man. Yet when he looked into Dee’s shewstone (a polished obsidian mirror), he saw things that Dee, for all his learning, could not.

Through Kelley’s visions, Dee recorded extensive communications with beings who identified themselves as angels. The sessions were elaborate: Dee would pray for hours, then Kelley would gaze into the stone while Dee recorded the messages. The angels dictated their communications letter by letter, number by number, requiring precise transcription.

Whether Kelley was a genuine psychic, a brilliant fraud, or something between remains debated. What is certain is that the Enochian system that emerged from their workings possesses a complexity and internal consistency that many find difficult to attribute to simple invention.

The Enochian Revelation

The Language of Angels

The angels revealed a complete language they called “Enochian” or “Angelical,” claiming it was the original language spoken by Adam before the Fall—the tongue in which God communicated with the first man. This language includes:

• A unique alphabet of 21 characters
• Thousands of words with consistent grammar
• The “Calls” or “Keys”—invocations in Enochian designed to open communications with various angelic orders
• Tables and grids correlating letters to spiritual forces

Linguists who have analyzed Enochian find it exhibits consistent phonology and syntax beyond what would be expected from random invention, though it does not appear related to any known natural language.

The Watchtowers

The angels dictated complex magical diagrams called the Watchtowers—large grids of letters representing the four quarters of the universe and the elements. Each Watchtower is associated with one of four Great Elemental Kings and contains hierarchies of angels, seniors, and elemental spirits that can be contacted through proper invocation.

Working with the Watchtowers involves calling the Enochian Keys, vibrating divine and angelic names, and establishing communication with the beings associated with specific squares of the tablets.

The Aethyrs

Beyond the elemental Watchtowers, the angels described 30 Aethyrs or Aires—regions of progressively higher spiritual reality that the magician could explore through proper invocation. The Aethyrs range from the 30th (lowest, closest to physical reality) to the 1st (highest, approaching the divine source).

Aleister Crowley famously explored the Aethyrs in 1909, recording his visions in “The Vision and the Voice.” His experiences matched patterns established by Dee and Kelley’s original communications, suggesting either genuine contact with consistent beings or access to archetypal structures of consciousness.

The Wife-Swapping Controversy

The angels’ communications took a disturbing turn in 1587 when they commanded that Dee and Kelley should share their wives sexually. After great anguish, both men complied. Shortly after, Kelley separated from Dee permanently.

Some interpret this episode as evidence that Kelley was manipulating Dee from the beginning, engineering an excuse to end a partnership that had become burdensome. Others suggest the contact had become corrupted, with trickster spirits replacing the genuine angels. Still others take the communication at face value as a genuine divine test.

Whatever the truth, the relationship between Dee and Kelley ended, and Dee spent his final years in poverty and obscurity, his reputation as the Queen’s philosopher eclipsed by his reputation as a conjuror of spirits.

Physical Locations

Several locations associated with Dee’s magical workings are said to retain unusual properties:

Mortlake

Dee’s primary residence was at Mortlake in Surrey (now part of London), where he maintained his library and conducted many of the Enochian workings. The original house no longer stands, but the site and surrounding area generate occasional reports of:

• Unexplained lights visible at night
• Robed figures seen in the area
• Unusual atmospheric sensations reported by psychics and sensitives
• Electronic disturbances in the vicinity

Prague and Krakow

Dee and Kelley spent years on the continent, particularly in Prague and Poland, conducting workings for various noble patrons. Sites associated with their work in these cities are said to retain spiritual residue from their operations.

Surviving Objects

Dee’s original shewstone (obsidian mirror) and other magical implements are preserved in the British Museum. Visitors and staff have reported unusual sensations when near these objects, and they have been the subject of paranormal investigation.

Some practitioners claim that the objects retain connection to the entities Dee contacted, serving as potential points of access for those sensitive enough to perceive them.

The Persistence of Enochian Magic

The Enochian system Dee and Kelley created did not die with them. The materials were preserved and eventually published, attracting the attention of subsequent magical practitioners.

The Golden Dawn

The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (1888-1903) incorporated Enochian magic into their curriculum, developing systematic methods for working with the Watchtowers, Aethyrs, and angelic hierarchies. Their refinement of Dee’s raw material made Enochian magic accessible to generations of subsequent practitioners.

Crowley’s Explorations

Aleister Crowley conducted extensive Enochian workings, most famously his 1909 exploration of the 30 Aethyrs in the Algerian desert. His record of these visions in “The Vision and the Voice” describes encounters with spiritual beings, archetypal visions, and mystical insights that remain influential in magical practice.

Contemporary Practice

Enochian magic is practiced today by ceremonial magicians worldwide. Reports from practitioners include:

• Contact experiences with beings matching Dee’s original descriptions
• Visions during Aethyr work consistent across different practitioners
• Practical effects attributed to Enochian operations
• Psychological and spiritual changes resulting from sustained practice

Paranormal Implications

The question of what Dee and Kelley actually contacted remains open:

Genuine Angels

Orthodox practitioners believe Dee contacted real spiritual beings—angels in the traditional sense—who revealed genuine spiritual technology. The consistency of experiences across centuries and practitioners supports this interpretation.

Autonomous Complexes

Jungian interpretation suggests the “angels” were aspects of the collective unconscious, given apparent autonomy through the ritual context. Enochian operations access these archetypal structures, producing genuine experiences without requiring literal spiritual beings.

Created Entities

Some magical theorists propose that sustained work with the Enochian system has created egregores—thought-forms built up over centuries by practitioners’ belief and practice. These entities now exist independently and respond when properly called.

Open Doors

A more concerning possibility is that Dee’s operations opened connections to other realms that have never fully closed. The locations where he worked, the objects he used, and the practice of Enochian magic itself may represent points of access through which various entities can reach our world.

Investigation and Evidence

Formal paranormal investigation of Dee-related sites has been limited, partly due to access restrictions and partly due to the specialized nature of the claims. However:

• Psychics visiting Dee-associated locations consistently report sensing powerful presences
• Objects associated with Dee’s workings generate unusual EMF readings
• Practitioners report experiences during Enochian workings that resist psychological explanation
• The consistency of reported angel encounters across 400+ years of practice is notable

Warnings and Considerations

Traditional magical teaching emphasizes that Enochian magic is powerful and potentially dangerous. Practitioners are warned:

• Not to undertake Enochian work without thorough preparation
• To use proper banishing and protection
• To approach the work with genuine spiritual motivation rather than mere curiosity
• To be prepared for experiences that may be challenging or disturbing

The entities contacted through Enochian magic—whatever their ultimate nature—are described as powerful and not automatically benevolent. Careless or unprepared contact may produce unwanted effects.

Legacy

John Dee sought to commune with angels and received a complete magical system that has influenced Western esotericism for over 400 years. Whether he contacted genuine celestial beings, archetypal patterns of consciousness, or something else entirely, his workings produced results that continue to be replicated by practitioners today.

The locations where Dee worked may retain connections to whatever he accessed—doors that were opened and never completely closed. His surviving tools may serve as points of contact with forces that do not respect the boundaries of ordinary reality.

For those who engage with Enochian magic or visit Dee-associated sites, the possibility remains that the angels Dee contacted are still there, waiting for those who speak their language and call their names. What they want, and what effects contact with them produces, are questions each practitioner must answer for themselves—as Dee and Kelley did, with consequences they could not fully foresee.

Sources

• Wikipedia search: “John Dee and the Enochian Angels”