The Celestial Language of Angels
Enochian magic represents one of the most complex and influential systems of ceremonial magic in Western esotericism, comprising a complete magical language, an elaborate cosmology of angelic hierarchies, and sophisticated ritual techniques for contacting celestial beings. The system was received by the Elizabethan magician Dr. John Dee (1527-1608/9) and his scryer Edward Kelley (1555-1597/8) through a series of angelic communications spanning nearly a decade, recorded in meticulous diaries that provide unprecedented documentation of magical practice.
"I reign over you, saith the God of Justice" - First Call opening
The term "Enochian" was not used by Dee himself but was applied later, referencing the biblical patriarch Enoch who "walked with God" and was taken up to heaven without dying. According to the angels, this was the language spoken by Adam in Eden and later revealed to Enoch, who recorded angelic secrets in the apocryphal Book of Enoch. Dee believed he was recovering this primordial language of creation, capable of commanding all spirits and manifesting divine power.
Dr. John Dee was one of the most learned men in Elizabethan England - mathematician, astronomer, geographer, advisor to Queen Elizabeth I, and possessor of the largest private library in England. His intellectual ambitions encompassed understanding the fundamental structure of the universe, and when conventional scholarship proved insufficient, he turned to angelic communication. In 1582, Dee began working with Edward Kelley, a talented but controversial scryer who could perceive and communicate with spirits in a crystal "shewstone."
Dee begins attempts at angelic communication; experiments with various scryers prove unsatisfactory
Edward Kelley enters Dee's service; successful angelic contacts begin; system starts to be revealed
Reception of the Enochian alphabet, Great Table, and fundamental system structure
Continental travels; further revelations; 48 Calls received in reverse order
Reception of the 30 Aethyrs; system substantially complete
Dee and Kelley separate; Kelley remains in Bohemia, later dies in prison
Golden Dawn adopts and develops Enochian system; modern revival begins
Aleister Crowley scries the 30 Aethyrs in Algeria; The Vision and the Voice published
The Enochian system presents a comprehensive vision of the cosmos organized into multiple interpenetrating realms. At the center is the Great Table of the Earth (Tabula Recensa), divided into four Watchtowers corresponding to the cardinal directions and classical elements. Above these earthly realms extend 30 Aethyrs - concentric spiritual dimensions of increasing purity and power, culminating in LIL, the first Aethyr closest to the divine source.
"I am the daughter of Fortitude, and ravished every hour from my youth. For behold, I am Understanding, and science dwelleth in me; and the heavens oppress me. They cover and desire me with infinite appetite; for none that are earthly have embraced me, for I am shadowed with the Circle of the Stars..."
- Vision of the 14th Aethyr (VTA)
The foundation of Enochian practice consists of 48 Calls or Keys - invocations in the angelic language that open access to different parts of the system. The First and Second Calls invoke elemental spirits generally. Calls 3-18 invoke the hierarchies of specific Watchtower sections. The 19th Call, combined with the names of the 30 Aethyrs, provides access to those transcendent realms. Each Call must be pronounced correctly in Enochian with proper vibration and intention.
The Four Watchtowers govern the elemental forces of the material world. Each Watchtower is divided into sections ruled by various angelic hierarchies: Three Holy Names of God, the Great King, Six Seniors, the Calvary Cross angels, Kerubic angels, and Servient angels. By working systematically through these hierarchies using appropriate Calls and divine names, practitioners can invoke specific powers for elemental magic, healing, knowledge, and transformation.
The 30 Aethyrs represent a graduated path of mystical ascent. Beginning with TEX (the 30th and lowest) and progressing toward LIL (the first and highest), the practitioner uses the 19th Call with each Aethyr's name to access increasingly sublime spiritual visions. This work resembles Kabbalistic pathworking, with each Aethyr presenting specific initiatory challenges and revelations. Crowley's scrying of all 30 Aethyrs produced The Vision and the Voice, a foundational modern Enochian text.
Enochian sigils are constructed by tracing letter-paths on the Great Table or Watchtower subsections. Each angel's name corresponds to squares on the tables, and connecting these squares creates the angel's unique sigil. These sigils can be used in talismans, scrying devices, or ritual implements. The geometric relationships encoded in the tables ensure each sigil expresses the angel's specific nature and powers.
Traditional Enochian practice requires elaborate temple setup: the Holy Table (a specific design received from the angels), the Sigillum Dei Aemeth (a complex talisman placed under the crystal), the Ring of Solomon-like Enochian ring, the Lamen bearing the Sigillum, and the crystal or black mirror for scrying. Modern practitioners may simplify these requirements, but the original setup reflects the systematic nature of the entire system.
Proper pronunciation of Enochian is crucial but debated. Dee recorded phonetic approximations, but the language has unusual features including letters that change sound based on position. The Golden Dawn developed one pronunciation system; other practitioners prefer different approaches. All agree that the words should be "vibrated" - intoned with power and resonance to activate their magical effect, similar to Hebrew divine names or Sanskrit mantras.
Enochian magic is widely considered among the most powerful Western magical systems. Practitioners report intense results from even casual experimentation. The angels themselves warned Dee about the power of the system, and the Golden Dawn restricted Enochian work to advanced grades. Modern practitioners generally recommend solid grounding in basic ceremonial magic before attempting Enochian operations, and careful attention to protective practices throughout.
The Great Table of the Earth consists of four Watchtowers, each a 12x13 grid of letters forming the names of angelic hierarchies. Each Watchtower governs one classical element and one cardinal direction, containing hundreds of angels with specific functions. The Tablet of Union, a smaller 5x4 grid, binds the four Watchtowers together and governs Spirit as the fifth element.
Ruled by the Great King BATAIVAH. Governs intellectual matters, communication, travel, and all things related to the mind and breath. The Senior angels include HABIORO, AAOZAIF, HTMORDA, and others who govern specific aspects of air magic. Color: yellow. The sunrise direction brings new beginnings and clarity.
Ruled by the Great King EDLPRNAA. Governs will, energy, transformation, passion, and spiritual fire. The Senior angels include AAETPIO, ADOEOET, ALNKVOD, and others commanding various fire powers. Color: red. The noon direction brings power at its peak and matters of courage and action.
Ruled by the Great King RAAGIOSL. Governs emotions, intuition, love, healing, and the unconscious depths. The Senior angels include LSRAHPM, SAIINOV, LAOAXRP, and others governing water magic. Color: blue. The sunset direction brings matters of reflection, love, and inner transformation.
Ruled by the Great King IKZHIKAL. Governs material matters, physical health, wealth, stability, and manifestation. The Senior angels include LAIDROM, AKZINOR, LZINOPO, and others commanding earth magic. Color: black or green. The midnight direction brings grounding and material realization.
Beyond the elemental Watchtowers extend 30 Aethyrs (also spelled Aires) - concentric spheres of spiritual reality. Each Aethyr is governed by three names derived from the Great Table and contains visions and initiatory experiences. From TEX (30th) through RII, BAG, ZAX (the Abyss), up to LIL (1st), they represent a complete mystical journey. ZAX, the 10th Aethyr, is called the Abyss and represents the great barrier between human and divine consciousness.
A specifically designed table received from the angels, featuring a complex arrangement of letters, a central hexagram, and seven planetary talismans (Ensigns of Creation) around the border. The table is the foundation of the working space, consecrated and treated as sacred furniture.
The "Seal of God's Truth" - a complex wax talisman nine inches in diameter, inscribed with divine names, angelic names, and geometric patterns. One large Sigillum is placed under the shewstone, and four smaller ones support the legs of the Holy Table. This seal establishes divine authority over all operations.
A crystal ball or black mirror used for scrying angelic visions. Dee used both a crystal and a black obsidian mirror (now in the British Museum). The stone is placed on the Sigillum Dei Aemeth during operations, creating a focal point for angelic manifestation.
A gold ring inscribed with specific letters and designs, worn by the magician for protection and authority. The angels indicated this ring provided protection similar to Solomon's legendary ring for controlling spirits.
A disc worn on the breast bearing a version of the Sigillum Dei Aemeth design. The Lamen identifies the magician as operating under divine authority and provides additional protection during angelic communication.
The central magical document: a large grid containing all four Watchtowers and the Tablet of Union. Various versions exist (the original, the reformed Tabula Recensa); each square contains a letter from which angelic names are derived. This is the "map" of the entire system.
The Enochian invocations themselves, traditionally copied onto ritual documents in the Enochian alphabet with English translations. Some practitioners memorize the Calls; others read from consecrated manuscripts. The Calls are the "keys" that unlock different parts of the system.
Individual versions of each Watchtower for focused elemental work. These may be painted in appropriate elemental colors (yellow for Air, red for Fire, blue for Water, black/green for Earth) and used separately when invoking specific elemental hierarchies.
The Enochian alphabet consists of 21 letters, each with a name and associated number. The letters have distinctive forms unlike any earthly alphabet, though scholars have noted some resemblance to Ethiopian scripts. Letters may be pronounced differently depending on position in a word. The alphabet is used for writing divine and angelic names, the Calls, and constructing sigils by tracing letter-paths on the tablets.
The primary source for Enochian magic is Dee's own diaries, preserved in multiple manuscripts. The most important are Liber Mysteriorum (in various parts), now published as A True and Faithful Relation and other scholarly editions. Dee's system was primarily oriented toward obtaining divine knowledge and communicating with angels, with less emphasis on practical magic. The angels promised that the system would enable understanding of all knowledge and power over the natural world.
After Dee's death, the system lay largely dormant for nearly three centuries. Elias Ashmole preserved some manuscripts. Meric Casaubon published A True and Faithful Relation in 1659, though with skeptical commentary. The system's practical revival awaited the Golden Dawn.
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (founded 1888) adopted and significantly developed Enochian magic, integrating it with their broader Kabbalistic and ceremonial framework. S.L. MacGregor Mathers reorganized the material, creating the system of elemental grades and correspondences that most modern practitioners use. The Golden Dawn added color scales, Tarot correspondences, and detailed ritual procedures not found in Dee's original work. Much modern Enochian practice derives from Golden Dawn interpretations rather than Dee directly.
Crowley, trained in the Golden Dawn system, made Enochian magic central to his Thelemic practice. His scrying of all 30 Aethyrs in 1909 (published as The Vision and the Voice) provided detailed visions and interpretations that influenced all subsequent Aethyr work. Crowley also developed the practice of "walking" the Aethyrs as a form of ceremonial pathworking and emphasized the initiatory nature of Enochian work.
Modern scholars have returned to Dee's original manuscripts, correcting errors in earlier publications and revealing material not included in Golden Dawn teachings. Researchers like Donald Laycock analyzed the Enochian language linguistically, finding it has consistent grammar and vocabulary suggesting genuine linguistic structure rather than glossolalia. Other researchers have explored the system's connections to Renaissance magic, Kabbalah, and earlier traditions.
Chaos magicians have experimented with simplified Enochian techniques, using the Calls without full ritual setup, combining Enochian elements with other systems, and approaching the angels from a paradigm-shifting rather than traditional framework. Some results suggest the system remains powerful even in modified forms; others indicate that proper setup enhances effectiveness.
Scholarly edition of Dee's earliest angelic diaries (Liber Mysteriorum, 1581-1583), showing the system's initial development. Includes facsimiles, translations, and detailed commentary. Essential for understanding the system's original form before later modifications.
The 17th-century publication that preserved the later angelic diaries (1583-1587). Despite Casaubon's skeptical framing, this remains a primary source for the mature Enochian system including the Calls and Aethyrs. Modern editions clarify corrupted passages.
Crowley's scrying of all 30 Aethyrs, performed in Algeria in 1909. Provides detailed visions of each Aethyr and Crowley's Thelemic interpretations. The commentary (written 1911) adds Kabbalistic and initiatory analysis. Foundational modern Enochian text.
Accessible introduction to the system with practical instructions for basic Enochian work. Tyson takes a more traditional approach than some modern authors, emphasizing the system's original angelic/divine framework. Good starting point for newcomers.
Comprehensive analysis of the Enochian language including vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. Laycock's linguistic approach treats Enochian as a genuine language with internal consistency. Essential reference for serious study.
Practical manual presenting Crowley's Enochian methods with modern commentary and instructions. Includes the Calls in Enochian with pronunciation, ritual procedures, and analysis of the system's structure. Useful bridge between historical sources and practice.
Scholarly biography placing Dee in his historical and intellectual context. Essential for understanding why a brilliant scientist and advisor to the Queen pursued angelic communication. Shows connections to Renaissance Hermeticism, Kabbalah, and natural philosophy.
Exhaustive modern study of the Enochian system based on Dee's original manuscripts. Volume 1 covers history and structure; Volume 2 provides complete texts. Corrects many Golden Dawn errors and provides the most accurate modern presentation of Dee's original system.
Angelic and celestial magic traditions: