Enochian magick is a complex system of ceremonial magic developed in the 16th century by Dr. John Dee and Edward Kelley. Through their scrying sessions, they claimed to have received communications from angels, resulting in a unique magical system with its own language, alphabet, and cosmology.
The system includes several key components:
While controversial in its origins, Enochian magick has influenced numerous magical traditions and continues to be practiced by ceremonial magicians today. Its complexity and comprehensive nature make it one of the most sophisticated magical systems ever recorded.
<aside> ⚠️ Note: Practicing Enochian magick requires careful study and preparation. Many practitioners consider it an advanced system that should not be approached lightly.
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"To someone living in the latter part of the sixteenth century, the possibility of conversing with angels or demons was taken for granted. That John Dee communicated with otherworldly beings through simple ritual (prayer) and a shewstone wasn't debatable—the only question was whether he spoke with angels or demons. Modern scholars, even those who champion Renaissance Hermeticism, find the angelic operations of sixteenth-century England's foremost natural philosopher difficult to accept." - Frank Klaassen
Dr. John Dee (1527–1608) served as mathematician and astrologer to Queen Elizabeth I. His interests spanned widely, from Euclidean geometry and optics to astrology, calendar reform, alchemy, navigational equipment, and espionage. His greatest passion, however, was magic—particularly angel magic. During the 1580s and 1590s, he and his scryer Edward Kelley developed several magical systems, now known collectively as Enochian magic. While modern practitioners consider Enochian magic one of the most powerful magical systems, it differs little from other grimoires of the period, though it is better documented. After its creation through Dee and Kelley's scrying, the system passed through generations of angel-magicians in the 17th and 18th centuries. Mathers rediscovered it in the late 19th century and expanded it significantly before incorporating it into Golden Dawn practices. Though aware of earlier work by practitioners like Dr. Thomas Rudd, Mathers used only a fraction of the system. Only now, with the publication of important period manuscripts, is the full history of Enochian magic and its use by angel-magicians from the 17th to 19th centuries coming to light. The accompanying tables list key angels in the system, categorized by their sources in Dee's manuscripts, with details of their letters found in Columns L35-L38.
The Compendium Heptarchia Mystica is one of John Dee's most significant works on Enochian magic. It details the system of angelic magic received through his scrying sessions with Edward Kelley, particularly focusing on the Heptarchial system.
Key aspects of the Compendium include: