"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."