Dr. John Dee (1527-1608/9) was a British mathematician, astrologer and magician who served as a consultant to Elizabeth I. With the help of his scryer, Edward Kelley (1555-1597), he developed (some say received) the mind-bogglingly complex system of angelic magick called Enochian. After a series of elaborate temple preparations and lengthy prayers, Dee would invoke God's angels and Kelley would relay communications from them. Dee kept meticulous records, and there are lots of books and articles that tell the story of the entire seven-year operation. I recommend Lon Milo Duquette's Enochian Vision Magick for its depth and accessibility.
It's really hard to overstate the importance of Dee and Kelley's work to the current Western tradition. There's a lot of Enochian revivalism going on among ceremonial magicians, who appreciate the system's otherworldly power (and don't mind its verbosity). But traces of the Enochian DNA are found in even in "earth-based" systems like Wicca, thanks to the influence of Aleister Crowley and the Golden Dawn at the beginning of the 20th century.
The objects are, from left: Dee's black obsidian mirror which was brought from North America; a quartz crystal sphere (6 cm in diameter), possibly the "chrystallum" described in Dee's manuscripts; two engraved wax seals, used to support the legs of the Holy Table used in the operation; large Sigillum Dei Aemeth (Seal of God's Truth), upon which Dee placed his "shew-stones"; gold disc engraved with the Vision of Four Castles experienced in by Kelley in 1584.
I visited the British Museum once as a child, but I breezed right past these objects, unaware of their immense historic and occult significance. If I ever make it to London again, I'll definitely take a few moments to gawk at them.
More pictures, taken by a visitor to the museum.
No comments:
Post a Comment