John Dee and the Enochian System

 "Temple of Set Reading List:

Category 11 - John Dee and the Enochian System" (7/22/88CE)

Reprinted from: _The Crystal Tablet of Set_

(c) Temple of Set 1989 CE

Weirdbase file version by TS permission

by Michael A. Aquino, Ipsissimus VI* Temple of Set

Electronic mail: MCI-Mail 278-4041

John Dee was court magician, astrologer, mathematician, and occasional spy 

for Queen Elizabeth I. At that time sorcerers were still subject to being 

burned at the stake for "dealings with the Devil"; hence Dee was quite 

careful to lace his magical writings with pro-Christian preambles. He was 

also a cipher expert, keeping many of his personal records in various forms 

of cryptical shorthand. In 1584 he wrote into his diaries a series of 

nineteen magical incantations, since known as the Angelical or Enochian 

Keys. These Keys were regarded as being of high potency for ritual 

operations by the Golden Dawn, the A.'.A.'., and the Church of Satan. In the 

_Book of Coming Forth by Night_ they are revealed as a corruption or 

approximation of the _Word of Set_ (contained in _The Book of Coming Forth 

by Night: Analysis & Commentary_).

11A. _John Dee_ by Richard Deacon. London: Frederick Muller Ltd, 1967. (TS-

3) MA: "While other biographical studies of Dee have been written, none 

compares with this one for insight, clarity, and readability. An excellent 

introductory work. The author is particularly sensitive to Dee's linguistic 

skills and contributes many helpful research recommendations of his own."

11B. _John Dee: The World of an Elizabethan Magus_ by Peter J. French. 

London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, 1972. (TS-4) MA: "To date this remains 

the most sophisticated study of Dee and his philosophy, with detailed 

chapters on magic, science, religion, Hermetics, applied science, 

literature, and antiquarianism. An exhaustive bibliography is appended. This 

book is not recommended for those not already familiar with the basic facts 

concerning Dee, and a grounding in Classical philosophy and metaphysics 

wouldn't hurt either."

11C. _John Dee_ by Charlotte Fell Smith. London: Constable & Company Ltd, 

1909. (TS-3) MA: "This book is lighter on the philosophy and heavier on the 

biography than either #11A or #11B. Hence its greatest value is as a cross-

reference to them. A good index to names and events is included, and the 

bibliographical appendix is helpful in classifying the various Dee-works 

which the researcher might encounter."

11D. _The Vision and The Voice_ by Aleister Crowley. Dallas: Sangreal 

Foundation, 1972. (TS-4) MA: "This book contains the record of Crowley's 

experiences with the thirty AEthyrs of the XIX Enochian Key. The visions are 

considered by many to be Crowley's most beautiful magical record. This 

material is also included in both #9G and #9H, but this small edition has 

the advantage of detailed footnotes by Crowley, together with helpful 

annotations by F.I. Regardie."

11E. _John Dee's Actions With Spirits_ by Meric. Casaubon. London: Askin 

Publishers, 1974 (originally published 1659). (TS-4) MA: "A large, 

beautifully bound photofacsimile edition of Casaubon's transcript of the Dee 

diaries containing the original Keys. While not a completely accurate copy 

of the original diary material, this volume was far more authoritative than 

the corruptions progressively introduced by the Golden Dawn, A.'.A.'., and 

Church of Satan. This edition originally sold for $100-$150, as did a 

similar, leatherbound edition which followed a year or so later. Unless you 

are a book collector per se, #11H is a more useful acquisition. Introduction 

to #11E by Stephen Skinner. [Note: The Casaubon Keys are reproduced in 

_Scroll of Set_ #I-11.]"

11F. _The Complete Enochian Dictionary_ by Donald C. Laycock. London: Askin 

Publishers, 1978. (TS-4) MA: "In addition to containing a comprehensive 

English-Enochian and Enochian-English dictionary, this volume includes a 

scholarly history and analysis of Dee's Enochian system and Laycock's edited 

version of the Keys from Dee's original manuscript. Comparison of Laycock's 

version with the Temple of Set's microfilm copies of the original Dee 

diaries, however, reveals that Laycock arbitrarily subdivided parts of the 

Enochian text and added English-based punctuation. [Setian Gregory Anderson 

reports that 'Laycock' is in fact a pseudonym of Francis I. Regardie, who 

didn't use his own name because he was dissatisfied with the book. Anderson 

also notes the existence of an Enochian dictionary entitled _GMICALZOMA!_ by 

Leo Vincy, available through some British outlets. 'Leo Vincey' - a hero in 

Haggard's _She_ novels - was a pseudonym occasionally employed by Aleister 

Crowley, who included some Enochian-jargon incantations in an edition of 

_The Goetia_.] Until the appearance of #11H, the only verbatim printed copy 

of the original Dee Keys readily available to Setians was/is in _The Book of 

Coming Forth by Night: Analysis & Commentary_ together with the _Word of 

Set_ translation."

11G. _John Dee on Astronomy_ by Wayne Shumaker (Ed.). Berkeley: University 

of California Press, 1978. (TS-4) MA: "This book is the 'missing link' 

between the metaphysics of Pythagoras, Plato, and Aristotle and Dee's 

otherwise-seemingly fantastic magical Workings. It is also the key to Dee's 

enigmatic 'hieroglyphic monad'. You will need to have a basic grounding in 

higher mathematics, astronomy, and geometry before this book will reveal its 

essence to you, however. Shumacher is a Professor of English at the 

University of California and is also author of #3J."

11H. _The Enochian Evocation of Dr. John Dee_ by Geoffrey James 

(Ed./Trans.). Gillette, NJ: Heptangle Books, 1984. (TS-4) MA: "At long last 

- The original Dee diary Keys assembled with a large selection of Dee's 

related spells, all carefully footnoted and annotated to the original 

Sloane, Cotton, Bodeleian, Ashmolean, etc. documents. James is familiar with 

and critiques as appropriate the various approaches in such works as 

#11B/D/F. Since this is a book consisting solely of annotated magical text, 

it will not be readily intelligible to readers who have not obtained a 

biographical and exoteric understanding of Dee through other sources. A top-

quality clothbound volume, well worth the $40 pricetag for serious students 

of Dee."