Angels-DEE, JOHN

Astrologer John Dee

(1527–1608) was born in London, England, of a
Welsh family. He was educated at Cambridge University, where he
became a Fellow of Trinity College. Magic and alchemy were among
his major interests from his earliest years, when he began collecting
books and manuscripts on the subjects. He became a well-known
mathematician in his day.
During the reign of the Catholic queen Mary Tudor, Dee was
accused of being a heretic and conjurer. But he was able to clear his
name and avoid being burned to death, though he did spend some
time in prison. He suffered other setbacks, too, because of his interests
in what could be considered witchcraft. During a journey
abroad, for example, he learned that a mob had broken into his
house at Mortlake and sacked his library because people believed he
was a worker of black magic. Eventually, his fortunes shifted, and
Dee was favored at the court of Queen Elizabeth I, who was much more superstitious and interested in astrology than her sister. Dee
became her adviser in things occult, although the queen never
granted him the generous pension he was seeking. During his numerous
trips abroad, Dee also acted as a secret agent under the code
name “007.”
Today, John Dee is best remembered for his practice of Enochian
Magic, a system of magic that teaches communication with angels and
spirits. Dee joined Irishman Edward Kelly in an attempt to communicate
with the spirits through scrying. Communication with the spirits
was possible, according to Dee and Kelly, through the use of the
Enochian language.
When King James I ascended the throne, Dee found himself less
favored by the new court. He ended his days in poverty at Mortlake.