June 28, 2025 • 36 mins
Shoot me a text and I will respond! ☆
Greetings fellow humans! In this episode I discuss the exciting and mystical life of famed occultist John Dee (1527-1609). He was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer and personal advisor to Queen Elizabeth I. Dee attempted to merge science, religion and magic during the Renaissance into a cohesive and digestible trinity. He explored esoteric topics such as alchemy, divination and Hermetic philosophy. Come with me as we explore the influence of this magical man on music, art and culture! Peace and Love everyone, enjoy!! ☆
**I apologize if the audio seems odd or a bit more noisy than usual. I had to have my A/C running while there was a heat wave lol 🙃
"Do what though wilt shall be the whole of the law" - Aleister Crowley
"Discover that which makes you shine, always and forever into infinity"
-Joseph Matthew
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Welcome, one and all, to the Magic Music Podcast.
I'm your host, Joseph Matthew,and in this series, we will be
discussing various occult andesoteric practices in music,
art, and culture.
So sit back, relax, and let'sexplore the unknown together.
Enjoy.
(00:21):
Hey, everybody.
Welcome to episode number 10.
It has been...
uh quite the whirlwind to saythe least um with what's going
on in the world right now so ifyou're not really following the
news um good on you becausethere's a lot of going on right
(00:45):
now in the in the middle eastand in america and you know
whether or not you voted forWhoever you voted for, there's a
lot of crazy stuff going onright now.
So I hope everyone's well.
I hope everyone is taking careof themselves and just trying to
live their lives as much aspossible without focusing on
(01:06):
politics and world news andeverything like that.
So hopefully...
I mean, I've been losing my mindthe past couple of days, but...
Yeah, so I hope everyone isdoing okay.
So...
I know I haven't posted anythingin about, like, it's been about
two weeks since the lastepisode, I think.
Episode number nine.
(01:28):
But today we are going to bediscussing the occultist John
Dee.
So let's get into it.
Some of you who are in variousoccult circles may know who John
Dee is already, but I'mbasically going to be giving a
brief overview of who he was andwhat his contribution was to the
(01:53):
occult world.
He was a very, very influentialfigure for modern occultists.
And his reach has extended farbeyond probably what he thought
was even possible himself.
So John Dee was born in 1527 anddied in 1609.
(02:14):
He was an English mathematician,astronomer, astrologer, a
cultist, and advisor to QueenElizabeth I.
He's best known for his effortsto unify science, magic, and
religion during the Renaissance,and for his extensive work in
the fields of alchemy,divination, and hermetic
philosophy.
(02:37):
So, let's get into some keyaspects of Dee's life and his
work.
So, first and foremost, he was ascholar and a scientist.
He was a highly educated man whostudied at Cambridge and
traveled extensively in Europe.
(02:59):
So this was a guy that he was avery, very, very smart
individual and was skepticalactually of a lot of mysticism
and things like that.
He was a very practical man, avery math and science oriented
man, which makes him veryinteresting.
So he was respected as amathematician and promoted the
(03:21):
study of mathematics,navigation, and astronomy in
England.
Dee served as an advisor toQueen Elizabeth I on matters
ranging from astrology tonavigation.
He even selected the date forher coronation.
And that's pretty interesting.
So in terms of the occult andEnochian magic, which we'll
(03:45):
touch on later and what that is,So later on in his life, he
became deeply involved in theoccult.
He worked closely with a scryernamed Edward Kelly, with whom he
claimed to communicate withangels.
These spiritual entitiesrevealed what Dee called the
(04:05):
Enochian language, and that'sE-N-O-C-H-I-A-N, Enochian
language, which is a supposedangelic tongue and magical
system.
So he was trying to communicatewith angels or spirits.
And these weren't evil beings.
They were beings of light andlove.
(04:28):
And yeah, we'll get into what hedid practice and what he
utilized.
So he tried to synthesize thenatural sciences with mystical
traditions such as Neoplatonism,Hermeticism, and Christian
Kabbalah.
He believed that true knowledgeof the universe required both
(04:48):
empirical study and divinerevelation.
So, yeah, it's like you can'tjust go drawing pentagrams on
the ground and expect to haveall of your dreams and wishes
come true.
I think it was, um, there was a,he's a very popular streamer,
(05:13):
um, I think he streams on Twitchand like on YouTube and stuff.
His name's Kai Sinat.
Most younger people would know.
I'm almost 30 years old, buthe's more for like the younger
generation.
He had a quote that I, he waswatching a video of his the
other day and he was like, youhave to meet God halfway.
And I thought that was, Ithought that was really
(05:38):
interesting because if you justput all your eggs in one basket
and say, you know, God's goingto, help me out.
God's going to do this.
God's going to do that.
Like whatever you think God isto you, you have to still put in
a little bit of effort.
So yeah, just trying to meet aspirit like halfway instead of
having them do all the workbecause it might not work out in
(06:01):
your favor.
So his legacy reputation hasfluctuated over time.
from respected scientists toreputed magician.
In modern times, he is seen as asymbol of the Renaissance
thinker who straddled the linebetween emerging science and
(06:23):
traditional mysticism.
And I think that's reallyinteresting.
I feel like I can relate to JohnDee.
I believe in things like aliensand ghosts and...
supernatural stuff i have likean affinity for i haven't really
(06:46):
had any personal experienceswith with beings um of any kind
really i'm pretty rooted i'vealways been interested in
science and how in sacredgeometry and mathematics and so
i feel like i can relate to johnd and he i was listening to a
podcast um i guess actually itwas an audiobook um on john d a
(07:11):
couple weeks ago to kind ofprepare for this podcast.
And a lot of this stuff, it justkind of resonated with me.
He liked to travel.
You know, he was very, very wellrespected.
You know, he seemed like a goodguy or he might've been a piece
of shit.
I don't know.
But I mean, like as historygoes, it's like guys like
Aleister Crowley, who was forsure a fucking narcissist and
(07:36):
was pretty evil.
Sometimes these guys have reallyinteresting ideas so you know
it's good to just pay attentionand just maybe you can pull
something from that even if youif you're a good person you know
you can pull from all thesedifferent sources whether or not
the person his or herself wasgood or bad you know alrighty so
(08:02):
we're gonna dive into theEnochian system and what that is
is a complex magical frameworkDeveloped by Dee and his
associate, or his scryer, EdwardKelly in the late 16th century,
it is named after the biblicalpatriarch Enoch, who was said to
(08:25):
have walked with God andreceived divine knowledge.
Almost like a radio transmitter,right?
Like you're receiving a signalfrom a divine source.
So Dee and Kelly claimed thatEnochian magic was revealed to
them by angels, making it a formof angelic magic rather than
(08:52):
demonic sorcery.
And that's important is that Ithink he was trying to channel
positivity and love and somekind of guidance for humanity
itself.
And maybe he was soul searching,maybe he was trying to figure
something out like he he was awell-read guy very smart and
(09:16):
maybe it just wasn't quenchinghis thirst for knowledge like
maybe he was like there'ssomething more to this than like
what i've been studying so thatprobably set him down that path
alrighty so the core elements ofthe enochian system angelic
communications d and kellyperformed numerous scrying
(09:37):
sessions using a crystal ball ora shoe stone.
I don't personally have acrystal ball.
Some of you may.
I like the ones, I don't knowwhat they're called, but yeah,
it's like the ones that sitoutside in the sun where it kind
of reflects the sunlight.
Like those are really awesome.
I like those.
(09:58):
I don't have one.
But yeah, like, you know,crystal gazing, stuff like that.
Like that's primarily what theydid to try to like access this
divine realm.
Kelly acted as the medium or ascryer, relaying visions and
dictations from angels likeUriel, Michael, and Raphael.
(10:19):
These messages were meticulouslyrecorded in Dee's diaries.
So that's another aspect, too,is he really kept notes of what
they were doing, like very, verydetailed notes.
I mean, to this day, I think,yeah, they can still, you know,
pull it up and read what hewrote and...
We will get into the Sigilum DeiEmeth, which is like an Enochian
(10:43):
symbol that he had drawn up asalmost like a portal for these
divine angels to talk to himthrough.
And you can look that up online.
I'll spell that out and I can...
Actually, I'll probably just putup a picture of it as the
podcast thumbnail.
(11:06):
so that you guys can see what itlooks like.
It's a really cool symbol,really cool.
It basically outlines theEnochian system.
So the Enochian language itself,it was a fully constructed
language, including its ownalphabet, grammar, and
vocabulary, which the angelsclaimed was the original Adamic
(11:28):
language spoken before the fallof man.
The language was used in magicinvocations, prayers, and
rituals.
Let's see, the watchtowers andthe great table.
Central to Enochian magic is alarge grid of letters called the
great table or watchtowers.
(11:51):
The table is divided into fourquadrants, each associated with
one of the four elements, earth,air, water, and fire.
And it's ruled by a hierarchy ofangels.
So from this table,practitioners derive names of
spirits, invocations, andsigils.
(12:14):
And you can actually, you know,you can make this yourself at
home.
It's a little fun thing to do ona rainy day.
Let's see.
So the Enochian calls or keys isa set of 19 poetic invocations
in the Enochian language.
That's really interesting.
(12:41):
I mean, it's...
you know whether it was you knowshown to them in some kind of a
vision or if he was just such askilled mathematician that he
was able to draw this out in hisspare time and like you know
make something of it it meantsomething to him which i think
(13:04):
like even if you think this isall like you know bs or whatever
there is something to this thereis something to channeling
Channeling, you know, justpositivity and well-being and
love and kindness.
I think there it can reallyreally Help you in the long run
instead of just being a negativeNancy all the time doesn't
(13:26):
really help you too much So theethers or Aries His system
includes 30 spiritual realmsknown as the athers which are
accessed through ritual andtrance and These became
particularly important in 20thcentury occultism, especially in
the work of Aleister Crowley,who described visionary journeys
(13:49):
through the ethers in The Visionand the Voice.
I have not read that work byhim, so maybe I'll check that
out.
But yeah, Crowley was reallyinfluenced by John Dee.
Really, really apparent.
He took a lot from him, so hepermeates throughout time.
(14:11):
Let's see.
So on to his influence andlegacy.
See, the Hermetic Order of theGolden Dawn, which Crowley was a
part of, they adopted andmodified Dee's system as part of
its ceremonial magic practices.
So they just kind of pulledcertain elements from what he
(14:31):
believed in and what he taughtand wrote down.
In modern occultism, Enochianremains a foundational system in
many magical traditions, oftenstudied alongside Kabbalah and
Hermeticism.
We shall touch on those in laterepisodes.
(14:52):
I know I always say that, buteventually we will.
So rest assured, I'm not BSingyou guys.
Alrighty, so...
An example of...
Enochian Invocation.
This gets a little complex here,so just try to stay with me.
(15:20):
I'm going to break this down asbest as I can.
And you guys can also, all thisstuff is online, so if you guys
are curious about this and youwant to see what all the symbols
look like and how to draw yourown and how to conjure these
angels, you can try it.
See what happens.
You can comment too.
If you try it, let me know.
(15:40):
Let me know how it goes.
Let's see.
So an example of an Enochianinvocation, specifically the
first Enochian call or key,which is used to open the entire
system and is considered themost powerful and universal.
So this is the first door thatyou got to open.
The first door you got to knockon and it shall open for you.
(16:01):
If you do it right.
The first Enochian key isAlright, I'm not going to
attempt to say this because it'sin original Enochian, which is a
language that I don't know howto say.
So I'm just going to pull up thetranslation.
So a rough English translationfrom his angelic glossaries.
(16:26):
Alrighty, so.
I reign over you, says the Godof justice, in power exalted
above the firmaments of wrath.
in whose hands the sun is asword and the moon a
through-thrusting fire, whomeasures your garments in the
midst of my vestures and trustsyou together as the palms of my
(16:50):
hands, whose seats I garnishedwith the fire of gathering and
beautified your garments withadmiration, to whom I made a law
to govern the holy ones anddelivered you a rod with the arc
of knowledge.
Whoa, okay, that's, that's apretty powerful opening, opening
(17:15):
key, right?
Damn.
So, this invocation is usedritually, often with tools like
the Sigillum Deumeth, And thatis, I'll spell that for you
guys.
S-I-G-I-L-L-U-M space D-E-Ispace A-E-M-E-T-H.
(17:45):
The Sigillum Deumeth.
So it's used with that, theEnochian tablets, and angelic
names derived from the system.
Practitioners, they usuallychant or vibrate the words.
to create altered states ofconsciousness or open
communication with spiritualentities.
(18:06):
So you are taking away almostlike the veil of the material
world and opening yourself up tothe spiritual realm.
So now the calls two through 18are more specific, linked to
(18:26):
particular watchtowers or ethersand are used in more targeted
magical work.
There is, you guys can pull thisup online, but you can, if you
type in the Enochian alphabet,basically D created a specific
(18:47):
alphabet for speaking with theseangels.
Almost like just a differentlanguage, you know?
Um, and so, and I'm looking atit now, a lot of these symbols
or letters look exactly, uh, thesame.
They're actually like prettysimilar, but yeah, I think it's,
(19:10):
it's so cool that, you know,these, these guys, they can just
kind of make up their ownlanguage and they're like, Hey,
here, here's this thing, liketake it or leave it.
And it doesn't matter if it'sthe ultimate truth or if it's
not.
It's still something cool thatyou can just kind of look into.
The Great Table, also known asTable of the Watchtowers, is a
(19:35):
central component of theEnochian magical system revealed
to John Dee and Edward Kelly.
It's a large grid of letterssaid to contain the names and
powers of angels who govern thespiritual forces of the
universe.
The angels revealed this tablethrough visions, claiming it
reflected the divinearchitecture of creation.
(19:58):
So the great table, whenever Isee that, I just think of like a
giant table with like, you know,massive legs or something, like
the greatest table you've everfucking seen.
But the great table is composedof four elemental watchtowers,
(20:19):
each representing one of theclassical elements.
Air, which is east, water, whichis west, earth, which is north,
and fire, which is south.
Each watchtower is a 156-lettersquare, so it's 12 rows by 13
(20:45):
columns, and includes...
the names of elemental angels,hierarchies of kings, senior
angels, and servitors, divisionsthat relate to astrological
signs, planetary influences, andgeographic directions.
(21:08):
At the center of the fourwatchtowers is a fifth table
called the Tablet of Union,which represents spirit.
unifying the elemental forces.
Let's get into magical uses.
Practitioners use the GreatTable during rituals to summon
(21:28):
and communicate with specificangelic entities.
It's often used in conjunctionwith the Enochian Calls, the
Sigilum Deumeth, and otherceremonial tools.
Each quadrant is activateddepending on the elemental focus
of the ritual.
For example, invoking fireangels for will, or
transformation.
(21:50):
Yeah, you know, you don't haveto speak to all of the angels.
It's almost like if you'retrying to get in touch with one
specific entity and help youthrough a difficult time.
And if they can give you, inpart, some wisdom onto you.
(22:11):
Yeah, I mean, you can pull uponline how to how to do your own
great table, how to draw yourown if you want to.
I'm sure you can print it out aswell.
And you can find his worksonline also.
Okay, so.
The Sigillum Dei Emeth, which isLatin for Seal of the Truth of
(22:34):
God, is a complex magicaldiagram central to the Enochian
magical system.
The term Emeth means relates totruth in Hebrew, signifying the
seal's association with divinetruth.
Its origins and purpose, theSegellum Dei Ameth has its roots
(22:54):
in earlier magical traditions,notably the 13th century
grimoire Liber Horatis, or thesworn book of Honorius.
So Dee, he was seeking a moreprecise and divinely inspired
version.
and claimed to have receivedguidance from angels in
constructing his version of theseal.
(23:16):
So, maybe he had a vision oneday and decided to draft it up.
Same thing with, to tie it inwith music.
Divine inspiration can reallycome from anywhere.
(23:36):
I mean, you can hear a guitarriff in your head or like a drum
beat that it comes fromsomewhere else, comes from this
ether that you pull from.
And it's almost like you'rechanneling something that wants
its voice to be heard.
And you try to represent thatthe best way that you can.
In D's Enochian system, theSigilum Deameth serves as a
(24:00):
powerful talisman designed tofacilitate communication with
angelic beings.
It was used in conjunction withother ritual tools such as the
holy table and the crystal shoestone to receive divine
revelations and insights.
So he kind of put all of thesedifferent elements together to
form one cohesive, almost like asignal, if you will, like
(24:27):
merging all these thingstogether to communicate with
these beings.
So the Segellum Dei Emeth, itsstructure and symbolism, what it
is is a highly intricate diagramcomposed of multiple geometric
shapes and inscribed withnumerous divine names.
(24:50):
It starts with two concentriccircles, and these form the
outer boundary of the seal.
Next is a pentagram locatedwithin the circles, symbolizing
the five elements, and humanmicrocosm.
Next is two heptagons.
(25:12):
And heptagon is a seven-sidedfigure.
These represent the seven daysof creation and the seven
classical planets.
And then a heptagram, which is aseven-pointed star interlaced
within the heptagons, furtheremphasizing the significance of
(25:34):
the number seven.
Divine and angelic names, theseal is inscribed with various
names of God and angels derivedfrom biblical and mystical
sources.
Each component of the seal holdsspecific symbolic meanings,
reflecting the cosmological andtheological principles of Dee's
(25:55):
esoteric beliefs.
Yeah, it's a really interestingsymbol.
I just kind of like looking atit.
It's, you know, I kind of feelsomething when I look at it, if
that makes sense.
It's like it just resonates withme in a way.
I haven't tried any of theserituals yet, but it's just, you
know, it's something that'sfascinating to me.
(26:18):
So I thought I'd share it withyou guys, you know, just to, you
know, pique your curiosity alittle bit.
All right, ritual use.
In practice, Dee created fivewax discs engraved with the
Sigilum Deameth.
So the four smaller discs wereplaced under the legs of the
(26:39):
holy table to stabilize andsanctify the ritual space.
And one larger disc waspositioned at the center of the
table, serving as the base forthe shoe stone used in scrying
sessions.
These arrangements were believedto create a sacred environment
conducive to angeliccommunication and spiritual
(27:01):
exploration.
I asked ChatGPT to, you know,just post some pictures of the
Sigillum Deumeth and, you know,you can actually buy your own
wax engraving.
(27:24):
or wax disc engraved with theSagittum Diameth, which, I mean,
if I had extra money layingaround, I might, because it's a
really cool symbol.
Or, you know, you can get atapestry or something.
It's kind of at our fingertipsnow.
So there's a really, reallygreat channel on YouTube that
(27:46):
it's called Lifting the Lamp.
And what this host does is hekind of describes various occult
practices and symbols and, youknow, really, really in-depth
analysis of things.
But he has a video calledDecoding the Sigillum Diameth.
(28:09):
So if you just type in that orLifting the Lamp on YouTube,
it's a really, really awesomevideo if you guys are curious
about this and want to just see,like, visuals since this is, you
know, audio-only podcast fornow.
So yeah, pull up a bunch ofpictures.
So yeah, if you want to...
(28:31):
You know, yeah, there's astep-by-step way on how to do
it.
So if you're interested increating your own, you'll need a
couple materials.
You'll need a clean sheet ofparchment or high-quality paper,
a compass and ruler for precisegeometric constructions, ink
pens or fine brushes fordetailed inscriptions.
(28:51):
So construction steps begin bydrawing the outermost circle.
Within the circle construct theheptagon and inscribe the names
of the archangels.
Draw the pentagram at the centerensuring it aligns correctly
with the heptagon.
Add the inner heptagon andheptagram inscribing the
appropriate names and symbols asper traditional designs.
(29:13):
Maintain focus and intentionthroughout the creative the
creation process as this is aspiritual and meditative
practice.
So you should be just free fromall distractions while you're
doing this.
Refer to reputable sources orguides to ensure accuracy in the
inscriptions and design.
So now that we discussed alittle bit about Dee and his
(29:34):
life and his legacy, what is hisinfluence on modern culture in
2025, right?
hundreds of years later i meanpeople still know who this man
is he is just a historicalfigure that has influenced many
many artists many musicians overthe course of time so you know
(30:00):
he inspired it's such a widerange of artists writers
musicians um but some notablefigures you know if you guys
know william blake It's likevisual artists.
He didn't directly referenceDee, but Blake's visionary and
(30:21):
mystical approach to art sharesthematic parallels with Dee's
angelic scrying and spiritualcosmology.
So there are parallels betweenhim and Blake.
Derek Jarman is a Britishfilmmaker and artist whose 1978
film Jubilee features John Deesummoning a vision of England's
future.
(30:43):
So that's quite interesting thathe included that.
I've never seen that movie.
But yeah, I might check it out.
Let's see.
Damien Hirst included referencesto D and alchemical symbolism in
his work, such as his 2007 showBeyond Belief.
I haven't seen that one either.
Brian Catling, who's a visualand performance artist who has
(31:07):
incorporated D-like ritualelements and visionary cosmology
into his work.
especially in the Vor series.
(31:37):
It's widely speculated that Deewas a model for characters such
as Prospero in The Tempest.
That's super cool.
Ben Johnson has played thealchemist, satirizes figures
like Dee and Kelly.
Peter Ackroyd, who wrote thenovel The House of Dr.
(31:58):
Dee, was blending history andmysticism together.
Alan Moore, who I've mentionedbefore, he wrote The Watchmen.
And Alan Moore's big into theoccult, so I'm not surprised.
He's a comic book legend.
Features D and his Enochiansystem in Promethea and
(32:21):
references him in From Hell,which I still have to check out.
So I'm not really a verycultured person, I would say.
There's a lot of things I haveto check out from him.
But I've read The Watchmen manytimes, but...
I'll read more of his stuff.
(32:41):
Neil Stevenson.
D appears in the Baroque cycle,a series of historical novels
involving science, magic, andcryptography.
Yeah, this is a nice treasuretrove here.
All right, so now getting intomusic and composers.
Damon Albarn, which he is famousfor being in the gorillas
(33:09):
created the opera dr d in 2011with director rufus norris
blends elizabethan themes withfolk and modern music directly
inspired by d's life uh the bandcoil the experimental band
referenced nokia and magicalthemes influenced by d in
several works dead can dancewhile not explicitly about
(33:34):
either atmospheric mysticalmusic often draws on themes he
explored.
Current 93, frontman David Tibetis heavily influenced by
apocalyptic mysticism andmagical traditions akin to Dee's
work.
And also King Crimson, which Ididn't know.
I love King Crimson.
(33:54):
I did a reaction video to DannyCarey, the drummer from Tool.
He is playing, I think they'restill playing, but the 80s
lineup of King Crimson.
Adrian Beaulieu, Bill Bruford,Tony Levin, and Robert Fripp.
(34:21):
They are actually doing, well,it's everyone besides Robert
Fripp and Bill Bruford.
So basically it's AdrianBeaulieu, Tony Levin, Danny
Carey, and Steve Vai.
They're playing basically the80s King Crimson songs on tour.
So I reacted to him playing inDiscipline.
(34:42):
And that kind of makes sense.
I mean, it says, Fripp'sprogressive rock often
intersects with hermetic andmystical ideas found in Dee's
philosophy.
So he was heavily influenced.
And in Esoteric Circles, alsoyou have Kenneth Anger.
(35:05):
He was an experimental filmmakerwho used Dee-inspired magical
symbolism in his occult-themedcinema.
And I'm sure there are many moreindividuals that have been
influenced by Dee.
But yeah, that's all I have foryou guys today.
Thank you for listening.
(35:26):
Thank you for supporting thepodcast.
Thank you for being awesome.
And I know we're living in acrazy time right now, but we
will get through it.
We have to pray for everybody,pray for innocent civilians that
are being affected in war-tornareas right now.
(35:48):
So please just be kind topeople, love everyone.
It's not worth it to hate.
It really isn't.
But yeah, guys, thank you somuch.
And I will see you next time.
Have a good one.
Welcome, one and all, to the Magic Music Podcast.
I'm your host, Joseph Matthew,and in this series, we will be
discussing various occult andesoteric practices in music,
art, and culture.
So sit back, relax, and let'sexplore the unknown together.
Enjoy.
(00:21):
Hey, everybody.
Welcome to episode number 10.
It has been...
uh quite the whirlwind to saythe least um with what's going
on in the world right now so ifyou're not really following the
news um good on you becausethere's a lot of going on right
(00:45):
now in the in the middle eastand in america and you know
whether or not you voted forWhoever you voted for, there's a
lot of crazy stuff going onright now.
So I hope everyone's well.
I hope everyone is taking careof themselves and just trying to
live their lives as much aspossible without focusing on
(01:06):
politics and world news andeverything like that.
So hopefully...
I mean, I've been losing my mindthe past couple of days, but...
Yeah, so I hope everyone isdoing okay.
So...
I know I haven't posted anythingin about, like, it's been about
two weeks since the lastepisode, I think.
Episode number nine.
(01:28):
But today we are going to bediscussing the occultist John
Dee.
So let's get into it.
Some of you who are in variousoccult circles may know who John
Dee is already, but I'mbasically going to be giving a
brief overview of who he was andwhat his contribution was to the
(01:53):
occult world.
He was a very, very influentialfigure for modern occultists.
And his reach has extended farbeyond probably what he thought
was even possible himself.
So John Dee was born in 1527 anddied in 1609.
(02:14):
He was an English mathematician,astronomer, astrologer, a
cultist, and advisor to QueenElizabeth I.
He's best known for his effortsto unify science, magic, and
religion during the Renaissance,and for his extensive work in
the fields of alchemy,divination, and hermetic
philosophy.
(02:37):
So, let's get into some keyaspects of Dee's life and his
work.
So, first and foremost, he was ascholar and a scientist.
He was a highly educated man whostudied at Cambridge and
traveled extensively in Europe.
(02:59):
So this was a guy that he was avery, very, very smart
individual and was skepticalactually of a lot of mysticism
and things like that.
He was a very practical man, avery math and science oriented
man, which makes him veryinteresting.
So he was respected as amathematician and promoted the
(03:21):
study of mathematics,navigation, and astronomy in
England.
Dee served as an advisor toQueen Elizabeth I on matters
ranging from astrology tonavigation.
He even selected the date forher coronation.
And that's pretty interesting.
So in terms of the occult andEnochian magic, which we'll
(03:45):
touch on later and what that is,So later on in his life, he
became deeply involved in theoccult.
He worked closely with a scryernamed Edward Kelly, with whom he
claimed to communicate withangels.
These spiritual entitiesrevealed what Dee called the
(04:05):
Enochian language, and that'sE-N-O-C-H-I-A-N, Enochian
language, which is a supposedangelic tongue and magical
system.
So he was trying to communicatewith angels or spirits.
And these weren't evil beings.
They were beings of light andlove.
(04:28):
And yeah, we'll get into what hedid practice and what he
utilized.
So he tried to synthesize thenatural sciences with mystical
traditions such as Neoplatonism,Hermeticism, and Christian
Kabbalah.
He believed that true knowledgeof the universe required both
(04:48):
empirical study and divinerevelation.
So, yeah, it's like you can'tjust go drawing pentagrams on
the ground and expect to haveall of your dreams and wishes
come true.
I think it was, um, there was a,he's a very popular streamer,
(05:13):
um, I think he streams on Twitchand like on YouTube and stuff.
His name's Kai Sinat.
Most younger people would know.
I'm almost 30 years old, buthe's more for like the younger
generation.
He had a quote that I, he waswatching a video of his the
other day and he was like, youhave to meet God halfway.
And I thought that was, Ithought that was really
(05:38):
interesting because if you justput all your eggs in one basket
and say, you know, God's goingto, help me out.
God's going to do this.
God's going to do that.
Like whatever you think God isto you, you have to still put in
a little bit of effort.
So yeah, just trying to meet aspirit like halfway instead of
having them do all the workbecause it might not work out in
(06:01):
your favor.
So his legacy reputation hasfluctuated over time.
from respected scientists toreputed magician.
In modern times, he is seen as asymbol of the Renaissance
thinker who straddled the linebetween emerging science and
(06:23):
traditional mysticism.
And I think that's reallyinteresting.
I feel like I can relate to JohnDee.
I believe in things like aliensand ghosts and...
supernatural stuff i have likean affinity for i haven't really
(06:46):
had any personal experienceswith with beings um of any kind
really i'm pretty rooted i'vealways been interested in
science and how in sacredgeometry and mathematics and so
i feel like i can relate to johnd and he i was listening to a
podcast um i guess actually itwas an audiobook um on john d a
(07:11):
couple weeks ago to kind ofprepare for this podcast.
And a lot of this stuff, it justkind of resonated with me.
He liked to travel.
You know, he was very, very wellrespected.
You know, he seemed like a goodguy or he might've been a piece
of shit.
I don't know.
But I mean, like as historygoes, it's like guys like
Aleister Crowley, who was forsure a fucking narcissist and
(07:36):
was pretty evil.
Sometimes these guys have reallyinteresting ideas so you know
it's good to just pay attentionand just maybe you can pull
something from that even if youif you're a good person you know
you can pull from all thesedifferent sources whether or not
the person his or herself wasgood or bad you know alrighty so
(08:02):
we're gonna dive into theEnochian system and what that is
is a complex magical frameworkDeveloped by Dee and his
associate, or his scryer, EdwardKelly in the late 16th century,
it is named after the biblicalpatriarch Enoch, who was said to
(08:25):
have walked with God andreceived divine knowledge.
Almost like a radio transmitter,right?
Like you're receiving a signalfrom a divine source.
So Dee and Kelly claimed thatEnochian magic was revealed to
them by angels, making it a formof angelic magic rather than
(08:52):
demonic sorcery.
And that's important is that Ithink he was trying to channel
positivity and love and somekind of guidance for humanity
itself.
And maybe he was soul searching,maybe he was trying to figure
something out like he he was awell-read guy very smart and
(09:16):
maybe it just wasn't quenchinghis thirst for knowledge like
maybe he was like there'ssomething more to this than like
what i've been studying so thatprobably set him down that path
alrighty so the core elements ofthe enochian system angelic
communications d and kellyperformed numerous scrying
(09:37):
sessions using a crystal ball ora shoe stone.
I don't personally have acrystal ball.
Some of you may.
I like the ones, I don't knowwhat they're called, but yeah,
it's like the ones that sitoutside in the sun where it kind
of reflects the sunlight.
Like those are really awesome.
I like those.
(09:58):
I don't have one.
But yeah, like, you know,crystal gazing, stuff like that.
Like that's primarily what theydid to try to like access this
divine realm.
Kelly acted as the medium or ascryer, relaying visions and
dictations from angels likeUriel, Michael, and Raphael.
(10:19):
These messages were meticulouslyrecorded in Dee's diaries.
So that's another aspect, too,is he really kept notes of what
they were doing, like very, verydetailed notes.
I mean, to this day, I think,yeah, they can still, you know,
pull it up and read what hewrote and...
We will get into the Sigilum DeiEmeth, which is like an Enochian
(10:43):
symbol that he had drawn up asalmost like a portal for these
divine angels to talk to himthrough.
And you can look that up online.
I'll spell that out and I can...
Actually, I'll probably just putup a picture of it as the
podcast thumbnail.
(11:06):
so that you guys can see what itlooks like.
It's a really cool symbol,really cool.
It basically outlines theEnochian system.
So the Enochian language itself,it was a fully constructed
language, including its ownalphabet, grammar, and
vocabulary, which the angelsclaimed was the original Adamic
(11:28):
language spoken before the fallof man.
The language was used in magicinvocations, prayers, and
rituals.
Let's see, the watchtowers andthe great table.
Central to Enochian magic is alarge grid of letters called the
great table or watchtowers.
(11:51):
The table is divided into fourquadrants, each associated with
one of the four elements, earth,air, water, and fire.
And it's ruled by a hierarchy ofangels.
So from this table,practitioners derive names of
spirits, invocations, andsigils.
(12:14):
And you can actually, you know,you can make this yourself at
home.
It's a little fun thing to do ona rainy day.
Let's see.
So the Enochian calls or keys isa set of 19 poetic invocations
in the Enochian language.
That's really interesting.
(12:41):
I mean, it's...
you know whether it was you knowshown to them in some kind of a
vision or if he was just such askilled mathematician that he
was able to draw this out in hisspare time and like you know
make something of it it meantsomething to him which i think
(13:04):
like even if you think this isall like you know bs or whatever
there is something to this thereis something to channeling
Channeling, you know, justpositivity and well-being and
love and kindness.
I think there it can reallyreally Help you in the long run
instead of just being a negativeNancy all the time doesn't
(13:26):
really help you too much So theethers or Aries His system
includes 30 spiritual realmsknown as the athers which are
accessed through ritual andtrance and These became
particularly important in 20thcentury occultism, especially in
the work of Aleister Crowley,who described visionary journeys
(13:49):
through the ethers in The Visionand the Voice.
I have not read that work byhim, so maybe I'll check that
out.
But yeah, Crowley was reallyinfluenced by John Dee.
Really, really apparent.
He took a lot from him, so hepermeates throughout time.
(14:11):
Let's see.
So on to his influence andlegacy.
See, the Hermetic Order of theGolden Dawn, which Crowley was a
part of, they adopted andmodified Dee's system as part of
its ceremonial magic practices.
So they just kind of pulledcertain elements from what he
(14:31):
believed in and what he taughtand wrote down.
In modern occultism, Enochianremains a foundational system in
many magical traditions, oftenstudied alongside Kabbalah and
Hermeticism.
We shall touch on those in laterepisodes.
(14:52):
I know I always say that, buteventually we will.
So rest assured, I'm not BSingyou guys.
Alrighty, so...
An example of...
Enochian Invocation.
This gets a little complex here,so just try to stay with me.
(15:20):
I'm going to break this down asbest as I can.
And you guys can also, all thisstuff is online, so if you guys
are curious about this and youwant to see what all the symbols
look like and how to draw yourown and how to conjure these
angels, you can try it.
See what happens.
You can comment too.
If you try it, let me know.
(15:40):
Let me know how it goes.
Let's see.
So an example of an Enochianinvocation, specifically the
first Enochian call or key,which is used to open the entire
system and is considered themost powerful and universal.
So this is the first door thatyou got to open.
The first door you got to knockon and it shall open for you.
(16:01):
If you do it right.
The first Enochian key isAlright, I'm not going to
attempt to say this because it'sin original Enochian, which is a
language that I don't know howto say.
So I'm just going to pull up thetranslation.
So a rough English translationfrom his angelic glossaries.
(16:26):
Alrighty, so.
I reign over you, says the Godof justice, in power exalted
above the firmaments of wrath.
in whose hands the sun is asword and the moon a
through-thrusting fire, whomeasures your garments in the
midst of my vestures and trustsyou together as the palms of my
(16:50):
hands, whose seats I garnishedwith the fire of gathering and
beautified your garments withadmiration, to whom I made a law
to govern the holy ones anddelivered you a rod with the arc
of knowledge.
Whoa, okay, that's, that's apretty powerful opening, opening
(17:15):
key, right?
Damn.
So, this invocation is usedritually, often with tools like
the Sigillum Deumeth, And thatis, I'll spell that for you
guys.
S-I-G-I-L-L-U-M space D-E-Ispace A-E-M-E-T-H.
(17:45):
The Sigillum Deumeth.
So it's used with that, theEnochian tablets, and angelic
names derived from the system.
Practitioners, they usuallychant or vibrate the words.
to create altered states ofconsciousness or open
communication with spiritualentities.
(18:06):
So you are taking away almostlike the veil of the material
world and opening yourself up tothe spiritual realm.
So now the calls two through 18are more specific, linked to
(18:26):
particular watchtowers or ethersand are used in more targeted
magical work.
There is, you guys can pull thisup online, but you can, if you
type in the Enochian alphabet,basically D created a specific
(18:47):
alphabet for speaking with theseangels.
Almost like just a differentlanguage, you know?
Um, and so, and I'm looking atit now, a lot of these symbols
or letters look exactly, uh, thesame.
They're actually like prettysimilar, but yeah, I think it's,
(19:10):
it's so cool that, you know,these, these guys, they can just
kind of make up their ownlanguage and they're like, Hey,
here, here's this thing, liketake it or leave it.
And it doesn't matter if it'sthe ultimate truth or if it's
not.
It's still something cool thatyou can just kind of look into.
The Great Table, also known asTable of the Watchtowers, is a
(19:35):
central component of theEnochian magical system revealed
to John Dee and Edward Kelly.
It's a large grid of letterssaid to contain the names and
powers of angels who govern thespiritual forces of the
universe.
The angels revealed this tablethrough visions, claiming it
reflected the divinearchitecture of creation.
(19:58):
So the great table, whenever Isee that, I just think of like a
giant table with like, you know,massive legs or something, like
the greatest table you've everfucking seen.
But the great table is composedof four elemental watchtowers,
(20:19):
each representing one of theclassical elements.
Air, which is east, water, whichis west, earth, which is north,
and fire, which is south.
Each watchtower is a 156-lettersquare, so it's 12 rows by 13
(20:45):
columns, and includes...
the names of elemental angels,hierarchies of kings, senior
angels, and servitors, divisionsthat relate to astrological
signs, planetary influences, andgeographic directions.
(21:08):
At the center of the fourwatchtowers is a fifth table
called the Tablet of Union,which represents spirit.
unifying the elemental forces.
Let's get into magical uses.
Practitioners use the GreatTable during rituals to summon
(21:28):
and communicate with specificangelic entities.
It's often used in conjunctionwith the Enochian Calls, the
Sigilum Deumeth, and otherceremonial tools.
Each quadrant is activateddepending on the elemental focus
of the ritual.
For example, invoking fireangels for will, or
transformation.
(21:50):
Yeah, you know, you don't haveto speak to all of the angels.
It's almost like if you'retrying to get in touch with one
specific entity and help youthrough a difficult time.
And if they can give you, inpart, some wisdom onto you.
(22:11):
Yeah, I mean, you can pull uponline how to how to do your own
great table, how to draw yourown if you want to.
I'm sure you can print it out aswell.
And you can find his worksonline also.
Okay, so.
The Sigillum Dei Emeth, which isLatin for Seal of the Truth of
(22:34):
God, is a complex magicaldiagram central to the Enochian
magical system.
The term Emeth means relates totruth in Hebrew, signifying the
seal's association with divinetruth.
Its origins and purpose, theSegellum Dei Ameth has its roots
(22:54):
in earlier magical traditions,notably the 13th century
grimoire Liber Horatis, or thesworn book of Honorius.
So Dee, he was seeking a moreprecise and divinely inspired
version.
and claimed to have receivedguidance from angels in
constructing his version of theseal.
(23:16):
So, maybe he had a vision oneday and decided to draft it up.
Same thing with, to tie it inwith music.
Divine inspiration can reallycome from anywhere.
(23:36):
I mean, you can hear a guitarriff in your head or like a drum
beat that it comes fromsomewhere else, comes from this
ether that you pull from.
And it's almost like you'rechanneling something that wants
its voice to be heard.
And you try to represent thatthe best way that you can.
In D's Enochian system, theSigilum Deameth serves as a
(24:00):
powerful talisman designed tofacilitate communication with
angelic beings.
It was used in conjunction withother ritual tools such as the
holy table and the crystal shoestone to receive divine
revelations and insights.
So he kind of put all of thesedifferent elements together to
form one cohesive, almost like asignal, if you will, like
(24:27):
merging all these thingstogether to communicate with
these beings.
So the Segellum Dei Emeth, itsstructure and symbolism, what it
is is a highly intricate diagramcomposed of multiple geometric
shapes and inscribed withnumerous divine names.
(24:50):
It starts with two concentriccircles, and these form the
outer boundary of the seal.
Next is a pentagram locatedwithin the circles, symbolizing
the five elements, and humanmicrocosm.
Next is two heptagons.
(25:12):
And heptagon is a seven-sidedfigure.
These represent the seven daysof creation and the seven
classical planets.
And then a heptagram, which is aseven-pointed star interlaced
within the heptagons, furtheremphasizing the significance of
(25:34):
the number seven.
Divine and angelic names, theseal is inscribed with various
names of God and angels derivedfrom biblical and mystical
sources.
Each component of the seal holdsspecific symbolic meanings,
reflecting the cosmological andtheological principles of Dee's
(25:55):
esoteric beliefs.
Yeah, it's a really interestingsymbol.
I just kind of like looking atit.
It's, you know, I kind of feelsomething when I look at it, if
that makes sense.
It's like it just resonates withme in a way.
I haven't tried any of theserituals yet, but it's just, you
know, it's something that'sfascinating to me.
(26:18):
So I thought I'd share it withyou guys, you know, just to, you
know, pique your curiosity alittle bit.
All right, ritual use.
In practice, Dee created fivewax discs engraved with the
Sigilum Deameth.
So the four smaller discs wereplaced under the legs of the
(26:39):
holy table to stabilize andsanctify the ritual space.
And one larger disc waspositioned at the center of the
table, serving as the base forthe shoe stone used in scrying
sessions.
These arrangements were believedto create a sacred environment
conducive to angeliccommunication and spiritual
(27:01):
exploration.
I asked ChatGPT to, you know,just post some pictures of the
Sigillum Deumeth and, you know,you can actually buy your own
wax engraving.
(27:24):
or wax disc engraved with theSagittum Diameth, which, I mean,
if I had extra money layingaround, I might, because it's a
really cool symbol.
Or, you know, you can get atapestry or something.
It's kind of at our fingertipsnow.
So there's a really, reallygreat channel on YouTube that
(27:46):
it's called Lifting the Lamp.
And what this host does is hekind of describes various occult
practices and symbols and, youknow, really, really in-depth
analysis of things.
But he has a video calledDecoding the Sigillum Diameth.
(28:09):
So if you just type in that orLifting the Lamp on YouTube,
it's a really, really awesomevideo if you guys are curious
about this and want to just see,like, visuals since this is, you
know, audio-only podcast fornow.
So yeah, pull up a bunch ofpictures.
So yeah, if you want to...
(28:31):
You know, yeah, there's astep-by-step way on how to do
it.
So if you're interested increating your own, you'll need a
couple materials.
You'll need a clean sheet ofparchment or high-quality paper,
a compass and ruler for precisegeometric constructions, ink
pens or fine brushes fordetailed inscriptions.
(28:51):
So construction steps begin bydrawing the outermost circle.
Within the circle construct theheptagon and inscribe the names
of the archangels.
Draw the pentagram at the centerensuring it aligns correctly
with the heptagon.
Add the inner heptagon andheptagram inscribing the
appropriate names and symbols asper traditional designs.
(29:13):
Maintain focus and intentionthroughout the creative the
creation process as this is aspiritual and meditative
practice.
So you should be just free fromall distractions while you're
doing this.
Refer to reputable sources orguides to ensure accuracy in the
inscriptions and design.
So now that we discussed alittle bit about Dee and his
(29:34):
life and his legacy, what is hisinfluence on modern culture in
2025, right?
hundreds of years later i meanpeople still know who this man
is he is just a historicalfigure that has influenced many
many artists many musicians overthe course of time so you know
(30:00):
he inspired it's such a widerange of artists writers
musicians um but some notablefigures you know if you guys
know william blake It's likevisual artists.
He didn't directly referenceDee, but Blake's visionary and
(30:21):
mystical approach to art sharesthematic parallels with Dee's
angelic scrying and spiritualcosmology.
So there are parallels betweenhim and Blake.
Derek Jarman is a Britishfilmmaker and artist whose 1978
film Jubilee features John Deesummoning a vision of England's
future.
(30:43):
So that's quite interesting thathe included that.
I've never seen that movie.
But yeah, I might check it out.
Let's see.
Damien Hirst included referencesto D and alchemical symbolism in
his work, such as his 2007 showBeyond Belief.
I haven't seen that one either.
Brian Catling, who's a visualand performance artist who has
(31:07):
incorporated D-like ritualelements and visionary cosmology
into his work.
especially in the Vor series.
(31:37):
It's widely speculated that Deewas a model for characters such
as Prospero in The Tempest.
That's super cool.
Ben Johnson has played thealchemist, satirizes figures
like Dee and Kelly.
Peter Ackroyd, who wrote thenovel The House of Dr.
(31:58):
Dee, was blending history andmysticism together.
Alan Moore, who I've mentionedbefore, he wrote The Watchmen.
And Alan Moore's big into theoccult, so I'm not surprised.
He's a comic book legend.
Features D and his Enochiansystem in Promethea and
(32:21):
references him in From Hell,which I still have to check out.
So I'm not really a verycultured person, I would say.
There's a lot of things I haveto check out from him.
But I've read The Watchmen manytimes, but...
I'll read more of his stuff.
(32:41):
Neil Stevenson.
D appears in the Baroque cycle,a series of historical novels
involving science, magic, andcryptography.
Yeah, this is a nice treasuretrove here.
All right, so now getting intomusic and composers.
Damon Albarn, which he is famousfor being in the gorillas
(33:09):
created the opera dr d in 2011with director rufus norris
blends elizabethan themes withfolk and modern music directly
inspired by d's life uh the bandcoil the experimental band
referenced nokia and magicalthemes influenced by d in
several works dead can dancewhile not explicitly about
(33:34):
either atmospheric mysticalmusic often draws on themes he
explored.
Current 93, frontman David Tibetis heavily influenced by
apocalyptic mysticism andmagical traditions akin to Dee's
work.
And also King Crimson, which Ididn't know.
I love King Crimson.
(33:54):
I did a reaction video to DannyCarey, the drummer from Tool.
He is playing, I think they'restill playing, but the 80s
lineup of King Crimson.
Adrian Beaulieu, Bill Bruford,Tony Levin, and Robert Fripp.
(34:21):
They are actually doing, well,it's everyone besides Robert
Fripp and Bill Bruford.
So basically it's AdrianBeaulieu, Tony Levin, Danny
Carey, and Steve Vai.
They're playing basically the80s King Crimson songs on tour.
So I reacted to him playing inDiscipline.
(34:42):
And that kind of makes sense.
I mean, it says, Fripp'sprogressive rock often
intersects with hermetic andmystical ideas found in Dee's
philosophy.
So he was heavily influenced.
And in Esoteric Circles, alsoyou have Kenneth Anger.
(35:05):
He was an experimental filmmakerwho used Dee-inspired magical
symbolism in his occult-themedcinema.
And I'm sure there are many moreindividuals that have been
influenced by Dee.
But yeah, that's all I have foryou guys today.
Thank you for listening.
(35:26):
Thank you for supporting thepodcast.
Thank you for being awesome.
And I know we're living in acrazy time right now, but we
will get through it.
We have to pray for everybody,pray for innocent civilians that
are being affected in war-tornareas right now.
(35:48):
So please just be kind topeople, love everyone.
It's not worth it to hate.
It really isn't.
But yeah, guys, thank you somuch.
And I will see you next time.
Have a good one.
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