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John Dee and the Empire of Angels: Enochian Magick and the Occult Roots of the Modern World
John Dee (1527–1608), Queen Elizabeth I's court advisor and astrologer, was the foremost scientific genius of the 16th century. Laying the foundation for modern science, he actively promoted mathematics and astronomy as well as made advances in navigation and optics that helped elevate England to the foremost imperial power in the world. Centuries ahead of his time, his theoretical work included the concept of light speed and prototypes for telescopes and solar panels. Dee, the original "007" (his crown-given moniker), even invented the idea of a "British Empire," envisioning fledgling America as the new Atlantis, himself as Merlin, and Elizabeth as Arthur.
But, as Jason Louv explains, Dee was suppressed from mainstream history because he spent the second half of his career developing a method for contacting angels. After a brilliant ascent from star student at Cambridge to scientific advisor to the queen, Dee, with he help of a disreputable, criminal psychic named Edward Kelly, devoted ten years to communing with the angels and archangels of God. These spirit communications gave him the keys to Enochian, the language that mankind spoke before the fall from Eden. Piecing together Dee's fragmentary spirit diaries and scrying sessions, the author examines Enochian in precise detail and explains how the angels used Dee and Kelly as agents to establish a New World Order that they hoped would unify all monotheistic religions and eventually dominate the entire globe.
Presenting a comprehensive overview of Dee's life and work, Louv examines his scientific achievements, intelligence and spy work, imperial strategizing, and Enochian magick, establishing a psychohistory of John Dee as a singular force and fundamental driver of Western history. Exploring Dee's influence on Sir Francis Bacon, the development of modern science, 17th-century Rosicrucianism, the 19th-century occult revival, and 20th-century occultists such as Jack Parsons, Aleister Crowley, and Anton LaVey, Luov shows how John Dee continues to impact science and the occult to this day.
But, as Jason Louv explains, Dee was suppressed from mainstream history because he spent the second half of his career developing a method for contacting angels. After a brilliant ascent from star student at Cambridge to scientific advisor to the queen, Dee, with he help of a disreputable, criminal psychic named Edward Kelly, devoted ten years to communing with the angels and archangels of God. These spirit communications gave him the keys to Enochian, the language that mankind spoke before the fall from Eden. Piecing together Dee's fragmentary spirit diaries and scrying sessions, the author examines Enochian in precise detail and explains how the angels used Dee and Kelly as agents to establish a New World Order that they hoped would unify all monotheistic religions and eventually dominate the entire globe.
Presenting a comprehensive overview of Dee's life and work, Louv examines his scientific achievements, intelligence and spy work, imperial strategizing, and Enochian magick, establishing a psychohistory of John Dee as a singular force and fundamental driver of Western history. Exploring Dee's influence on Sir Francis Bacon, the development of modern science, 17th-century Rosicrucianism, the 19th-century occult revival, and 20th-century occultists such as Jack Parsons, Aleister Crowley, and Anton LaVey, Luov shows how John Dee continues to impact science and the occult to this day.
528 pages, Hardcover
First published April 17, 2018
165 people are currently reading
1080 people want to read
About the author
Jason Louv
16 books167 followersJason Louv is the author of eight books, including John Dee and the Empire of Angels, Generation Hex, and Thee Psychick Bible. As a journalist, he has covered surveillance, international trade and the dark side of technology for VICE News, Boing Boing, Motherboard and many more. As a futurist and strategist, Jason has worked on Buzz Aldrin’s international campaign to colonize Mars, Google's artificial intelligence program, and in many more strange and wonderful places. He lives in Los Angeles. More at: jlouv.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
May 7, 2018
This book is serious scholarship. Let’s get that out of the way from the beginning. If you are expecting a “how to contact your guardian angel in 5 easy lessons” book stay away! Divided into 3 “books” or sections Louv focusing on Dee’s early life, the actual angelic conversations and how this current has continued into modern occultism. Throughout there is careful and detailed attention given to the apocalyptic shenanigans that have taken place on behalf of extreme fringe cults and individuals as well as the orthodoxy as represented today by evangelical groups trying to bring about the apocalypse by aiding the state of Israel. This last point is especially useful in trying to figure out politicians who seem to be anti semitic and backers of Israel at the same time. There is no contradiction if the person is playing the Apocalyptic long game.
For the occult historian the great gift of this book is contextualization of everything from Dee’s life and the society he lived in to the changing face of Dee scholarship. Before this book the works of Dame Frances Yates which were mostly published in the 1960s and 70s were the gold standard. This fresh look helps the non specialist gain insight into a new generation of scholarship taking into accounts Dee’s political missions and scientific achievements set side by side with his later occult work. Indeed the two are inseparable as the angels seem all too interested in manipulating political affairs throughout Europe.
The final section looks at the work of Aleister Crowley the Golden Dawn and Jack Parsons in their modern work with the Angelic calls. Throughout there is overwhelming evidence that all of these participants were acting in the Judeo-Christian framework. Indeed the whole focus is on bringing about the end times so that Christ can take over. There is also ample evidence that the angels don’t really do anyone any favors. From Dee to Crowley to Parsons all of the people we have records of successfully doing these rituals end their lives impoverished and with a ruined reputation. Perhaps this is in keeping with the belief in a greater reward in the afterlife or the need for a personal apocalypse. Perhaps given the state of our society, this all makes sense.
For the occult historian the great gift of this book is contextualization of everything from Dee’s life and the society he lived in to the changing face of Dee scholarship. Before this book the works of Dame Frances Yates which were mostly published in the 1960s and 70s were the gold standard. This fresh look helps the non specialist gain insight into a new generation of scholarship taking into accounts Dee’s political missions and scientific achievements set side by side with his later occult work. Indeed the two are inseparable as the angels seem all too interested in manipulating political affairs throughout Europe.
The final section looks at the work of Aleister Crowley the Golden Dawn and Jack Parsons in their modern work with the Angelic calls. Throughout there is overwhelming evidence that all of these participants were acting in the Judeo-Christian framework. Indeed the whole focus is on bringing about the end times so that Christ can take over. There is also ample evidence that the angels don’t really do anyone any favors. From Dee to Crowley to Parsons all of the people we have records of successfully doing these rituals end their lives impoverished and with a ruined reputation. Perhaps this is in keeping with the belief in a greater reward in the afterlife or the need for a personal apocalypse. Perhaps given the state of our society, this all makes sense.
November 3, 2019
My initial impression of this book was positive, as it's section about the lives and doings of Dr John Dee and his 'scryer' Edward Kelly gave a rounded, anecdotal view of their dealings and the historical (and courtly) context in which they moved and acted. As one reads further into the book an 'apocalyptic' theme emerges fully where the 'enochian angels' (the discarnate intelligences which the spiritual seances of Dee and Kelly contacted) are purported to manipulate humans to bring about the eschatology described in the biblical Book of Revelations. In this, the author follows the writings of Donald Tyson, without ever really discussing them. This obsession with 'end times' has been a recurring theme in history, and Mr Louv is right to to include it in his analysis of Dee's diaries, as Dee himself was personally obsessed with it, as equally were many savants and intellectuals of his time. It is true also that Crowley's 'inverted christianity' and his own cult - Thelema - make direct reference to it, and in his turn, Crowley's californian understudy - John Whiteside 'Jack' Parsons - did also. Louv is also right to point out that many evangelical cults in the USA in contemporary times nurture the same obsession. I don't. Men have been rattling on about cosmic deific cycles and end-times for as long as anybody can remember, and they still haven't come about despite many hard dates and timelines having been proposed and gone-by. It's not that I don't think 'The World' will end, because looking around me the evidence is strong enough that it will. Nevertheless, that all this should be the outcome of the will of the jealous and retributive demiurge of the Old Testament, and that we all should buckle-in and be suitably afraid and pious just looks like fear of bogeymen to me. Thus, as much as I enjoyed reading this book, I cannot subscribe it its dour and apocalyptical content. The 'angels' couched their communications with Dee and Kelly in such terms, and with Crowley also. Looking at more contemporary magicians using the 'enochian' magic of Dr Dee - such as Benjamin Rowe - the apocalyptic and eschatological theme is rather less evident, and even absent. This may be because the 'enochian intelligences' are reputed to couch their communications with contacting magicians in terms that their recipients are likely to understand. In Rowe's case, it was in terms of contemporary science, masonic and ritual magic, qabalah and Golden Dawn symbolism. It does seem that all contact with Dee's 'angels' seem to lead to advancement in knowledge and understanding which could be described as 'initiatic'. But whether the World has to come to some massive and millennial conclusion for the magicians concerned rather depends if that is their personal predeliction, which was the case with Crowley and Parsons, as it was with Dee. The passing of millenia - an essentially HUMAN and historical matter - may refer not simply to the END, but also to new BEGINNINGS, which is an interpretation which might be applied to Crowley's cult, except that Crowley was the issue of an extreme evangelical cult (The Plymouth Bretheren) which so marked his childhood that he was never able to escape its dour predictions and the fears they engendered. He embraced the rôle of 'The Beast 666' in the great spectacle of Revelations with such enthusiasm that it dominated his life. The same thing happened to Parsons. Is this the only interpretation we should draw from Dee's magic ? I think not, and I hope not.
May 28, 2018
It was really well written, entertaining, and well researched. That said, I don't agree with the conclusions drawn at the very end. I won't put any spoilers here, but please message me if you want to discuss!
March 31, 2020
This was a pretty good and really informative book for the most part, but Louv’s conclusions in the final chapter were so muddled and disappointing that they nearly killed my enjoyment of the entire book. It also got a little slow towards the middle. The Jack Parsons bits were my favorites
April 11, 2024
"In a world sagging under the weight of the soulless billions, population doubling at an unprecedented rate. Watch them walk through this world, slack-jawed and uncomprehending, staring at their phones as if they expect to see the truth there revealed."
Jason Louv is a brilliant writer and teacher of The Occult. This book is beautifully done. The history of John Dee and his impact on the world of the occult, and otherwise, is presented in such a comprehensible way. The book refuses to whitewash history when it comes to any of the Occultists mentioned. Louv's analysis and insights are top knotch. It's also the first occult book where I became less intimidated of studying the Kabbalah's Tree of Life because all the information in this book is presented concisely.
Jason Louv is a brilliant writer and teacher of The Occult. This book is beautifully done. The history of John Dee and his impact on the world of the occult, and otherwise, is presented in such a comprehensible way. The book refuses to whitewash history when it comes to any of the Occultists mentioned. Louv's analysis and insights are top knotch. It's also the first occult book where I became less intimidated of studying the Kabbalah's Tree of Life because all the information in this book is presented concisely.
Read
April 24, 2021Louv is a talented and competent writer but this book has flaws that might stem from its subject matter and make it hard to unconditionally recommend. Most of the book is about its titular subject and provides an enjoyable, if concise, overview of his life and career. But rather than attempt to be another Dee biography, the author positions Dee's apocalyptic vision quest at the centre of his life and this account of his life. This is a great approach. His motivation, intellectual background and the context of the era are well conveyed and make his incredibly strange life seem sensible and mostly comprehensible.
When reading those 'slightly' esoteric books, books that touch on the supernatural but aren't openly banging a drum for it, one of the battles you have is discerning the author's perspective on the things he's discussing. For grimoires or 'self help magic books' or new age'y stuff, that's not as important - if you're buying a book to tell you how to do magic, you can expect the guy you're buying from to believe in magic. But this is a history book, a history book about a hugely influential occult figure - and all the while reading it, I was trying to eke out what Louv's take was on it. His introduction attempts to disassociate himself from Dee's beliefs; as an academic flourish he suggests the book could be a 'warning' about fanaticism and unchecked belief. But as you get deeper into the text, and the focus shifts from Dee's career trajectory to his wild spiritual experiences, that academic aloofness fades. Everything is, for the most part, taken at face value - all the angelic communication and experiences are treated as though they are legitimate. This is itself not a 'flaw' or anything, it would be a tedious read to be stuffed with 'claimed to have', 'reported he saw', and 'allegedly'. But as with so many books I read, I almost wish the author laid out in brief his own weltanschaaung - because there is a bit of whiplash, going from that academic 'this is an interesting study of belief and self destruction..!' to the book's conclusion - which ends, verbatim, with the statement 'Christ is coming'.
There's something very tempting about a totalising occultism which rationalises so much horror and violence - horror and violence exerted by the global capitalist imperialist hegemony which Louv is refreshingly conscious of - as the manifestation of malign metaphysical forces. I want to believe that from Dee we go to the royal society, later to Crowley, then to the moon via the Thelemic-Apollo mission connection. But I cannot based on the evidence provided. Certainly the later magical traditions took from Kabbala and Dee's recorded ritual system, the author makes that clear. But to attribute the British empire to Dee, because he used the phrase "British empire" and argued that such an entity would be beneficial seems absurdly naive and anthropocentric (ironic, as the magical system is concerned with powers above human and their influence). Dee constantly lurks at the fringes of these world events and wants them to go certain ways - to attribute a causal element when they happen to seems like wishful thinking. Are we supposed to believe Britain would not have pursued settlement to capitalise on the extremely lucrative new world fur trade if Dee hadn't written about fantastical Arthurian claims to the land?
Structurally and detached from critiques of the believability of events, I have to say that the huge chunk of the book devoted to Crowley is both exhausting and dubious in its relevance. It seems to exist in order to draw Dee's life into some kind of grandiose aspect of world history - of dialectics, in another parlance - at the macro level, at least. At the micro level, we are given a short synopsis of Crowley's 'magical innovations' and bizarre visions so as to connect him to Parsons, so that via Parsons we can connect Dee to the counter culture of the 20th century with prophecies of the Antichrist. I think people in the Occult sphere are going to have to suck it up and accept no one except them gives a fuck about Crowley. He is not an icon, he is not hugely influential outside of his own very specifically strange sphere and he is not a precursor to libidinal and hedonistic liberation. Can anyone with a straight face try to say Crowley is more of a significant factor in heralding sexual commodification and libidinal capitalism than technological advancement and social degeneration? He had a lot of debased sex and took a lot of drugs; then 20 years later, people also did this. Because he said he was the Antichrist the former is causal of the latter?
No, forget that bald fatty and focus on historical events instead of trying to make a very patchy, pentagram covered blanket to cover up all of the mindbogglingly diverse socioeconomic fasters that contribute to the unstoppable tide of history like some cheap magic trick.
When reading those 'slightly' esoteric books, books that touch on the supernatural but aren't openly banging a drum for it, one of the battles you have is discerning the author's perspective on the things he's discussing. For grimoires or 'self help magic books' or new age'y stuff, that's not as important - if you're buying a book to tell you how to do magic, you can expect the guy you're buying from to believe in magic. But this is a history book, a history book about a hugely influential occult figure - and all the while reading it, I was trying to eke out what Louv's take was on it. His introduction attempts to disassociate himself from Dee's beliefs; as an academic flourish he suggests the book could be a 'warning' about fanaticism and unchecked belief. But as you get deeper into the text, and the focus shifts from Dee's career trajectory to his wild spiritual experiences, that academic aloofness fades. Everything is, for the most part, taken at face value - all the angelic communication and experiences are treated as though they are legitimate. This is itself not a 'flaw' or anything, it would be a tedious read to be stuffed with 'claimed to have', 'reported he saw', and 'allegedly'. But as with so many books I read, I almost wish the author laid out in brief his own weltanschaaung - because there is a bit of whiplash, going from that academic 'this is an interesting study of belief and self destruction..!' to the book's conclusion - which ends, verbatim, with the statement 'Christ is coming'.
There's something very tempting about a totalising occultism which rationalises so much horror and violence - horror and violence exerted by the global capitalist imperialist hegemony which Louv is refreshingly conscious of - as the manifestation of malign metaphysical forces. I want to believe that from Dee we go to the royal society, later to Crowley, then to the moon via the Thelemic-Apollo mission connection. But I cannot based on the evidence provided. Certainly the later magical traditions took from Kabbala and Dee's recorded ritual system, the author makes that clear. But to attribute the British empire to Dee, because he used the phrase "British empire" and argued that such an entity would be beneficial seems absurdly naive and anthropocentric (ironic, as the magical system is concerned with powers above human and their influence). Dee constantly lurks at the fringes of these world events and wants them to go certain ways - to attribute a causal element when they happen to seems like wishful thinking. Are we supposed to believe Britain would not have pursued settlement to capitalise on the extremely lucrative new world fur trade if Dee hadn't written about fantastical Arthurian claims to the land?
Structurally and detached from critiques of the believability of events, I have to say that the huge chunk of the book devoted to Crowley is both exhausting and dubious in its relevance. It seems to exist in order to draw Dee's life into some kind of grandiose aspect of world history - of dialectics, in another parlance - at the macro level, at least. At the micro level, we are given a short synopsis of Crowley's 'magical innovations' and bizarre visions so as to connect him to Parsons, so that via Parsons we can connect Dee to the counter culture of the 20th century with prophecies of the Antichrist. I think people in the Occult sphere are going to have to suck it up and accept no one except them gives a fuck about Crowley. He is not an icon, he is not hugely influential outside of his own very specifically strange sphere and he is not a precursor to libidinal and hedonistic liberation. Can anyone with a straight face try to say Crowley is more of a significant factor in heralding sexual commodification and libidinal capitalism than technological advancement and social degeneration? He had a lot of debased sex and took a lot of drugs; then 20 years later, people also did this. Because he said he was the Antichrist the former is causal of the latter?
No, forget that bald fatty and focus on historical events instead of trying to make a very patchy, pentagram covered blanket to cover up all of the mindbogglingly diverse socioeconomic fasters that contribute to the unstoppable tide of history like some cheap magic trick.
May 18, 2018
Historical
This masterpiece is an important body of work about the history of one of the greatest magicians from the last centuries. John Dee, the scientist, the magician, the prophet is a life that must be read, work to study and ideas to meditate.
Jason Louv made an astonishing historical piece. The importance of this work will last and hopefully inspire a lot of people.
XOXO
This masterpiece is an important body of work about the history of one of the greatest magicians from the last centuries. John Dee, the scientist, the magician, the prophet is a life that must be read, work to study and ideas to meditate.
Jason Louv made an astonishing historical piece. The importance of this work will last and hopefully inspire a lot of people.
XOXO
January 13, 2020
Just to be clear from the start — John Dee and the Empire of Angels is not a book for everyone. It provides an excellent and remarkably granular history of John Dee and Edward Kelly, and for that reason alone I would recommend it. However, this book (unlike any other historical record of John Dee), goes balls deep into Dee’s angelic scrying sessions with Kelly, and then goes even further to relate how those scrying sessions went on to influence the realms of science, as well as the Western Esoteric Tradition in its entirety. If you are interested in occult studies, it is extremely interesting to follow the thread of Dr. John Dee and see how his impact inspired countless esoteric teachings and philosophies of the modern era.
You can read the rest of my review at https://bellebookandcode.com/reads/jo....
You can read the rest of my review at https://bellebookandcode.com/reads/jo....
August 6, 2023
banger! super dense and technical which makes this book a little daunting for people like me who have zero background in the western occult tradition, but louv does a pretty good job at making the loftier material accessible. the enochian magic was interesting but i read this more as a biography of three big occult names (dee, crowley, and parsons) and how their relationship to the system reflected the events of their lives and their sociopolitical environments never in one million years would i have anticipated wife swapping to play such a key role
July 26, 2021
Really fascinating and extremely in depth, detailed account of the life of John Dee and how his work in the field of magic influenced centuries to come. Jason Louv has done a great job shedding light on some lesser known figures of history here. Honestly a lot of the information in this book just blew my mind, for lack of a better term.
December 30, 2018
I thought before reading this it would be involved with an obscure corner of history but out of this dark corner a light of illumination shines. It helped me understand the context for the occultist revival of last century and the apocalyptic obsession of modern culture and politics.
Recommended.
Recommended.
May 29, 2025
Quite in-depth, though not as rigorous as Frances Yates, and at times distracted and veering off topic. But, he was excellent at tracing the obscure lines of occult history, and he makes a strong case for John Dee's direct responsibility for the World we find ourselves in now.
April 1, 2019
John Dee and the Empire of Angels...
I became familiar with Jason Louv through his appearances on Duncan Trussell's podcast. At that time I was made aware of his book on the legendary alchemist, secret agent of Elizabeth I, John Dee. I added it to my list on here. Recently, with a push from someone special to me, it was moved up my list.
I was between a three-star and four-star rating for this, but I think it sits comfortably at four based on some sections that provoked what I would consider five-star levels of interest. Namely the angel conversations themselves, and Crowley's scrying of the thirty Aethyrs.
Louv does a good job in the beginning of the book explaining that he isn't necessarily taking a stance on the contents within (though he is a practitioner of magick in his own right, and clearly respects and was inspired by Dr. John Dee), but is attempting to present Dee's life and work in a wider sense than may be typical; trying to give the reader an understanding of the times he was shaped by, as well as the Occult following he influenced, whether directly or not. While I think that there are sections of the book that are tough for the uninitiated to get through (me), I think that just comes along with the subject matter. Further research is necessary, so I don't fault Louv for this book not being the end all and be all of Occult knowledge, John Dee, and the systems he influenced (Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry, the Golden Dawn, Crowley, Parsons, etc.)
First we are shown the religious climate in which John Dee was raised; the interminable war-waging, whether literal or not, between the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant off-shoots that rose out of Martin Luther's actions. Dee's scientific progress, relationship with Queen Elizabeth I, and overall activity in geopolitics is interesting stuff, if a bit dense. Dee was a very learned man (he boasted the largest library in England for some time) and he should not be dismissed as some kook alchemist. He had valuable scientific offerings in the way of optics, was a skilled mathematician, was an early believer in the capabilities of the British Empire, and was also a brilliant mind in naval strategy. But of course the most interesting bits, and the reason I was intrigued by the book in the first place, were the angel diaries.
For those who don't know a thing about him, John Dee (and his scryer Edward Kelly) are well known for all the work they did in conversation with entities that they believed to be angels. There are books upon books of their records of these sessions, which took place over some years in the 16th century. Dee believed that he was to make contact with these entities in order to speed along the Apocalypse, returning humankind to its more perfect, pre-Fall state. And as someone who doesn't necessarily have a strong connection with the Christian religion, I was more than a little curious to see just what this was all about.
Obviously this type of thing is met with extreme skepticism; not just that they were talking to angels, but that to believe one was talking to angels one would have to first hold the Christian God as a literally real entity. It was a different time. God was a much bigger part of the majority of people's lives, almost all of modern science was yet unheard of. I mean, I understand alchemy and operative magic as metaphor, and as the attempt to hone one's consciousness to be more aligned with 'God' or to achieve a more perfect state of self. But actually believing you can attain a state of seeming godhood, in the sense that Dee and Kelly did, to take the 'Fall of Man' literally, presents some bigger obstacles of belief. But that's the thing; I don't think it really matters if I know or don't know, believe or don't believe. These guys, Kelly and Dee, they believed what they were doing was real. And if they believed it, what difference does it make if I believe it or not? In some sense, through their own belief, they made it real. In their time, in their corner of the world, in Edward Kelly's scrying ball.. it was all real. Real to them. So who can say it wasn't? That's what interests me most I think. Plus, Louv maintains a good perspective on how this may or may not have happened, offering up several theories of explanation. Frankly, from a secular, non-believer point of view (I don't quite consider myself that, I'm just saying) it sounds like they were both on way, way too many psychedelics, for way too long. The drug angle is indeed one of Louv's theories of explanation, but there were only so many.. options of that kind available to a couple of men in the 1500's.
In any case, the images, apparitions, visions, and even languages channeled by Kelly and interpreted by Dee were not only interesting and evocative, but beautiful. And just as often terrifying. Someone like me, who is interested in the fantastic and the unknown, will find enough here to occupy their head space whether they believe it or not.
Beyond Dee and Kelly, Louv also covers heavily Aleister Crowley and his scryer Victor Neuberg, specifically their scrying of the thirty Aethyrs during their crossing of the Algerian desert. This happened in the early 20th century. Crowley is a name of infamy in the world of the occult for his Thelemic religion, among other things, and Louv makes it a point to present the man in his entirety. Many of his 'fans' will present only one side of the coin when it comes to Crowley. But if even one quarter of the things said about him were true, he was a despicable and haunted man. He saw himself as the Beast of the Apocalypse, and through a challenging childhood was set against the Christian Church from a very young age. Be that as it may, his scrying of the Aethyrs is interesting stuff; and valuable to the Occult world. And after reading those accounts.. I felt a sort of call to darkness. It draws you in. There is a magnet, a force. Not in the sense that i want to go out and commit heinous acts or emulate him in any way, no. In the sense that you want more, you almost crave it. You want the story to go on. Ah, but there is that word. 'Story'. Is that all it was? Is that all there is to it? Are John Dee and Edward Kelly, are Crowley and Neuberg, telling themselves a story? Who is to say?
One thing I do know is that Netflix should seriously look into the opportunity to make an animated series titled 'Kelly and Dee' that chronicles the channeling of the spirit actions. It would be excellent. An informative exploration, vivid imagery for the animators, chemistry (no pun intended) between our two main characters; often devolving into shouting matches as Kelly desperately tries to break session after some freak vision and Dee maniacally bids him stay. Yes, this needs to happen.
Jokes aside.. This was an informative read. These are very loaded subjects and Louv approaches them properly, I think. For anyone interested in alchemy, the Occult, John Dee, or Aleister Crowley, I say give it a shot.
I became familiar with Jason Louv through his appearances on Duncan Trussell's podcast. At that time I was made aware of his book on the legendary alchemist, secret agent of Elizabeth I, John Dee. I added it to my list on here. Recently, with a push from someone special to me, it was moved up my list.
I was between a three-star and four-star rating for this, but I think it sits comfortably at four based on some sections that provoked what I would consider five-star levels of interest. Namely the angel conversations themselves, and Crowley's scrying of the thirty Aethyrs.
Louv does a good job in the beginning of the book explaining that he isn't necessarily taking a stance on the contents within (though he is a practitioner of magick in his own right, and clearly respects and was inspired by Dr. John Dee), but is attempting to present Dee's life and work in a wider sense than may be typical; trying to give the reader an understanding of the times he was shaped by, as well as the Occult following he influenced, whether directly or not. While I think that there are sections of the book that are tough for the uninitiated to get through (me), I think that just comes along with the subject matter. Further research is necessary, so I don't fault Louv for this book not being the end all and be all of Occult knowledge, John Dee, and the systems he influenced (Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry, the Golden Dawn, Crowley, Parsons, etc.)
First we are shown the religious climate in which John Dee was raised; the interminable war-waging, whether literal or not, between the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant off-shoots that rose out of Martin Luther's actions. Dee's scientific progress, relationship with Queen Elizabeth I, and overall activity in geopolitics is interesting stuff, if a bit dense. Dee was a very learned man (he boasted the largest library in England for some time) and he should not be dismissed as some kook alchemist. He had valuable scientific offerings in the way of optics, was a skilled mathematician, was an early believer in the capabilities of the British Empire, and was also a brilliant mind in naval strategy. But of course the most interesting bits, and the reason I was intrigued by the book in the first place, were the angel diaries.
For those who don't know a thing about him, John Dee (and his scryer Edward Kelly) are well known for all the work they did in conversation with entities that they believed to be angels. There are books upon books of their records of these sessions, which took place over some years in the 16th century. Dee believed that he was to make contact with these entities in order to speed along the Apocalypse, returning humankind to its more perfect, pre-Fall state. And as someone who doesn't necessarily have a strong connection with the Christian religion, I was more than a little curious to see just what this was all about.
Obviously this type of thing is met with extreme skepticism; not just that they were talking to angels, but that to believe one was talking to angels one would have to first hold the Christian God as a literally real entity. It was a different time. God was a much bigger part of the majority of people's lives, almost all of modern science was yet unheard of. I mean, I understand alchemy and operative magic as metaphor, and as the attempt to hone one's consciousness to be more aligned with 'God' or to achieve a more perfect state of self. But actually believing you can attain a state of seeming godhood, in the sense that Dee and Kelly did, to take the 'Fall of Man' literally, presents some bigger obstacles of belief. But that's the thing; I don't think it really matters if I know or don't know, believe or don't believe. These guys, Kelly and Dee, they believed what they were doing was real. And if they believed it, what difference does it make if I believe it or not? In some sense, through their own belief, they made it real. In their time, in their corner of the world, in Edward Kelly's scrying ball.. it was all real. Real to them. So who can say it wasn't? That's what interests me most I think. Plus, Louv maintains a good perspective on how this may or may not have happened, offering up several theories of explanation. Frankly, from a secular, non-believer point of view (I don't quite consider myself that, I'm just saying) it sounds like they were both on way, way too many psychedelics, for way too long. The drug angle is indeed one of Louv's theories of explanation, but there were only so many.. options of that kind available to a couple of men in the 1500's.
In any case, the images, apparitions, visions, and even languages channeled by Kelly and interpreted by Dee were not only interesting and evocative, but beautiful. And just as often terrifying. Someone like me, who is interested in the fantastic and the unknown, will find enough here to occupy their head space whether they believe it or not.
Beyond Dee and Kelly, Louv also covers heavily Aleister Crowley and his scryer Victor Neuberg, specifically their scrying of the thirty Aethyrs during their crossing of the Algerian desert. This happened in the early 20th century. Crowley is a name of infamy in the world of the occult for his Thelemic religion, among other things, and Louv makes it a point to present the man in his entirety. Many of his 'fans' will present only one side of the coin when it comes to Crowley. But if even one quarter of the things said about him were true, he was a despicable and haunted man. He saw himself as the Beast of the Apocalypse, and through a challenging childhood was set against the Christian Church from a very young age. Be that as it may, his scrying of the Aethyrs is interesting stuff; and valuable to the Occult world. And after reading those accounts.. I felt a sort of call to darkness. It draws you in. There is a magnet, a force. Not in the sense that i want to go out and commit heinous acts or emulate him in any way, no. In the sense that you want more, you almost crave it. You want the story to go on. Ah, but there is that word. 'Story'. Is that all it was? Is that all there is to it? Are John Dee and Edward Kelly, are Crowley and Neuberg, telling themselves a story? Who is to say?
One thing I do know is that Netflix should seriously look into the opportunity to make an animated series titled 'Kelly and Dee' that chronicles the channeling of the spirit actions. It would be excellent. An informative exploration, vivid imagery for the animators, chemistry (no pun intended) between our two main characters; often devolving into shouting matches as Kelly desperately tries to break session after some freak vision and Dee maniacally bids him stay. Yes, this needs to happen.
Jokes aside.. This was an informative read. These are very loaded subjects and Louv approaches them properly, I think. For anyone interested in alchemy, the Occult, John Dee, or Aleister Crowley, I say give it a shot.
May 20, 2018
If you are interested in the life of John Dee, and how he influenced generations to come, then John Dee and the Empire of Angels is most certainly for you. The amount of scholarly work which went into this book shows, so bravo to the author! I found the book to be great, and it really flushed out quite a few things that I had no knowledge of. I highly recommend this if you are interested in occult history or John Dee as it's everything one needs to know of the man himself.
May 10, 2021
Obviously a ton of work went into this book, but it just wasn’t for me. I don’t feel that Louv managed to prove many of his assertions (chiefly that Dee was responsible for the eventual British Empire) and the end was kind of a muddle.
October 15, 2018
It really is hard to know what to say about Louv's book on John Dee. It is a fascinating although really odd book. Louv who is not a trained academic has done a lot of research into the life of Dee, but at the same time the book spends a great deal of time and energy on Dee's speaking with angels. The focus on magic and its relationship to modern science, the Rosicurians, the Masons and other such organizations is reminiscent of the connections made in books like The Da Vinci Code which made me wonder about anything else Louv had to say. That said what he has to say about Dee's life and his relationship to knowledge in his time makes for an interesting read.
"Central to this struggle was not only Dee's work but the Rosicrucian and Freemasonic movement that drew inspiration from it and were concerned with establishing a new era of intellectual, scientific and spiritual freedom away from the stultifying grasp of Rome." 34
"But it was in the 1960s and '70s that another British historian, the eminent Dame Frances Yates, established what has been called the Yates thesis or Warburg interpretation-the grand narrative that Hermeticism laid the foundations upon which science was built." 36
"In 1543, when Dee was sixteen, two monumental works were published: On the Structure of the Human Body by Andreas Vesalius, and On the Revolutions of Celestial Bodies by Copernicus. The first work initiated biological investigation into the inner space of the human body, while the second looked to outer space, and reorientated our conception of the solar system from a geocentric to a heliocentric one-then the height of heresy. Together, these two works marked the beginning of the scientific revolution." 46
"Hermeticism, Renaissance Neoplatonism, and operative magic became the methodology by which to attempt this Great Work." 63
"And while operative magic itself would fall out of favour as a serious pursuit, its fundamental approach-that nature can be procedurally manipulated and altered-would evolve into modern science." 64
"The Rosicrucians would also act as a countermeasure to the Jesuits-a Protestant, Hermetic magical society designed to push back against Rome's Holy Orders...Indeed, the Jesuits and the Rosicrucians were more alike than different-the elite adepts and shock troops of Catholicism and Protestantism, respectively, locked in a magical war for the soul of Christendom and the world." 323
"By 1647, these powerful streams were to unify into a new front: the Royal Society, the English institution dedicated to the advancement of of science, upon whose axis England turned at last from Aristotelianism and humanism toward modern empirical science and medicine-making visible the old ideal of the Invisible College of Saloman's House." 331
"Therefore Freemasonary completed a circuit of English and continental cultural exchange: what Dee had learned as a student in the low countries he distilled into the Monas, his other works, and the spirit actions themselves: upon taking these new works to Bohemia, Dee inspired what would become Rosicrucianism; upon returning to England, these Rosicrucian ideas would find their full and most lasting expressions as speculative Freemasonary, an institution that has inarguably contributed to shaping history and continues to maintain unbroken tradition into the present." 337
"Central to this struggle was not only Dee's work but the Rosicrucian and Freemasonic movement that drew inspiration from it and were concerned with establishing a new era of intellectual, scientific and spiritual freedom away from the stultifying grasp of Rome." 34
"But it was in the 1960s and '70s that another British historian, the eminent Dame Frances Yates, established what has been called the Yates thesis or Warburg interpretation-the grand narrative that Hermeticism laid the foundations upon which science was built." 36
"In 1543, when Dee was sixteen, two monumental works were published: On the Structure of the Human Body by Andreas Vesalius, and On the Revolutions of Celestial Bodies by Copernicus. The first work initiated biological investigation into the inner space of the human body, while the second looked to outer space, and reorientated our conception of the solar system from a geocentric to a heliocentric one-then the height of heresy. Together, these two works marked the beginning of the scientific revolution." 46
"Hermeticism, Renaissance Neoplatonism, and operative magic became the methodology by which to attempt this Great Work." 63
"And while operative magic itself would fall out of favour as a serious pursuit, its fundamental approach-that nature can be procedurally manipulated and altered-would evolve into modern science." 64
"The Rosicrucians would also act as a countermeasure to the Jesuits-a Protestant, Hermetic magical society designed to push back against Rome's Holy Orders...Indeed, the Jesuits and the Rosicrucians were more alike than different-the elite adepts and shock troops of Catholicism and Protestantism, respectively, locked in a magical war for the soul of Christendom and the world." 323
"By 1647, these powerful streams were to unify into a new front: the Royal Society, the English institution dedicated to the advancement of of science, upon whose axis England turned at last from Aristotelianism and humanism toward modern empirical science and medicine-making visible the old ideal of the Invisible College of Saloman's House." 331
"Therefore Freemasonary completed a circuit of English and continental cultural exchange: what Dee had learned as a student in the low countries he distilled into the Monas, his other works, and the spirit actions themselves: upon taking these new works to Bohemia, Dee inspired what would become Rosicrucianism; upon returning to England, these Rosicrucian ideas would find their full and most lasting expressions as speculative Freemasonary, an institution that has inarguably contributed to shaping history and continues to maintain unbroken tradition into the present." 337
September 2, 2019
The Elizabethan John Dee, Queen Elizabeth I's science adviser, alchemist, spy (he was the original 007), the inspiration for Prospero in Shakespeare's "The Tempest," and Speaker to Angels, is probably not known by many. This book, written by a practicing occultist with a grounding in chaos magic, provides a good introduction to the man, his ideas (both scientific and occult), and his conversations with angels. It also includes how Dee's occultism filtered into the general society through the Protestantism of Elizabeth and the British Empire, and into the Christian Evangelicalism of the United States.
All of this has been studied and written about in academic circles. Jason Louv does an excellent job of pulling all of this information into a highly readable history of Dee and his ideas. However, nothing is dumbed down for the reader - this is not a simplified New Age text - although Louv is careful in his explanations of the Elizabethan world and society that Dee lived and worked in.
The second part of the book, which delves into the actual angelic work that Dee and his scryer, Edward Kelly, did, is the meat of the text. These divine beings are not your kindly guardian angels or cute cherubs; they are fearsome, and often monstrous in behavior and attitude. Whether you believe in angelic contact or not doesn't apply here; both men believed they did, and they were able to influence the course of religious and political history through the various occult orders and societies that followed, such as the Freemasons, the Golden Dawn, and Aleister Crowley's Thelema. It can be argued that the current form of Protestant Evangelical Christianity that is popular in the United States today has roots in John Dee's Angelic Conversations.
The spiritual work that the angels revealed, know to us now as Enochian Magick, can be used to bring an individual to spiritual enlightenment, similar to what the Buddha experienced. Louv makes the case that the Enochian angelic way is more appropriate for the Western mind than the Eastern Buddhist or Indian spiritual road to enlightenment. One avoids devotion to a guru, but that doesn't make the road any easier to travel.
I can't think of a better book that introduces the reader to John Dee and his world. The bibliography is excellent and will provide plenty of fodder for investigation.
All of this has been studied and written about in academic circles. Jason Louv does an excellent job of pulling all of this information into a highly readable history of Dee and his ideas. However, nothing is dumbed down for the reader - this is not a simplified New Age text - although Louv is careful in his explanations of the Elizabethan world and society that Dee lived and worked in.
The second part of the book, which delves into the actual angelic work that Dee and his scryer, Edward Kelly, did, is the meat of the text. These divine beings are not your kindly guardian angels or cute cherubs; they are fearsome, and often monstrous in behavior and attitude. Whether you believe in angelic contact or not doesn't apply here; both men believed they did, and they were able to influence the course of religious and political history through the various occult orders and societies that followed, such as the Freemasons, the Golden Dawn, and Aleister Crowley's Thelema. It can be argued that the current form of Protestant Evangelical Christianity that is popular in the United States today has roots in John Dee's Angelic Conversations.
The spiritual work that the angels revealed, know to us now as Enochian Magick, can be used to bring an individual to spiritual enlightenment, similar to what the Buddha experienced. Louv makes the case that the Enochian angelic way is more appropriate for the Western mind than the Eastern Buddhist or Indian spiritual road to enlightenment. One avoids devotion to a guru, but that doesn't make the road any easier to travel.
I can't think of a better book that introduces the reader to John Dee and his world. The bibliography is excellent and will provide plenty of fodder for investigation.
September 5, 2018
3.5 Stars. A longform conspiracy theory--this is if Disinformation produced actual scholarly work. It's about a polymath/Renaissance man--
The Elizabethan era kind of led a through line to the modern world. The British Empire was a allegedly a meme John Dee divined from an angel. John Dee was as a through line between Copernicus and Newton, but took a left turn. It'd be like if Stephen Hawking became Terrence McKenna.
They presented the idea of the British Empire as necessary--as seen as a protestant/humanist response to the Catholic church. The end goal being a New World Order of angels that governed the globe and reconciled Protestantism and Catholicism. Then bring forth the apocalypse. Jesuits vs. Rosicrucians.
It's a hybrid--it's no longer Shamans in the Jungle. It's now an empire leveraging these insights with magic AND gunpowder. Are the British Empire a more benevolent empire? Or was it a bad idea gone wrong? The Anti-Christ is to proclaims false dawns/golden age. Age of Horus could be false Milleniums of Communism, The New Age, 2012, the Singularity. Every generation gets its own apocalypse it seems.
There are many heirs apparrent--Jack Parsons who can be viewed a s combination of Faust, Elon Musk, Hugh Hefner and Abbie Hoffman rolled into one. But towards the end, AI has the potential to be more Monster and Antichrist. Louv suggested we should pattern AI as Bodhisattvas. Maybe with corporate burning man attendees.
However--all the brightest AI minds are no longer universities--they are now at Google and Facebook doing value creation work. Fall of Empire, Judeo-Christian Progress. Accelerationism. The West Never Escapes the Apocalypse. "Pseudo-Methodius to Dee's magic to environmental collapse to popular obsession with zombies to the election of Donald Trump to the conviction that the end if nigh is hardwired into Western consciousness).
The technology becomes inevitable because it's an arms race.
The Elizabethan era kind of led a through line to the modern world. The British Empire was a allegedly a meme John Dee divined from an angel. John Dee was as a through line between Copernicus and Newton, but took a left turn. It'd be like if Stephen Hawking became Terrence McKenna.
They presented the idea of the British Empire as necessary--as seen as a protestant/humanist response to the Catholic church. The end goal being a New World Order of angels that governed the globe and reconciled Protestantism and Catholicism. Then bring forth the apocalypse. Jesuits vs. Rosicrucians.
It's a hybrid--it's no longer Shamans in the Jungle. It's now an empire leveraging these insights with magic AND gunpowder. Are the British Empire a more benevolent empire? Or was it a bad idea gone wrong? The Anti-Christ is to proclaims false dawns/golden age. Age of Horus could be false Milleniums of Communism, The New Age, 2012, the Singularity. Every generation gets its own apocalypse it seems.
There are many heirs apparrent--Jack Parsons who can be viewed a s combination of Faust, Elon Musk, Hugh Hefner and Abbie Hoffman rolled into one. But towards the end, AI has the potential to be more Monster and Antichrist. Louv suggested we should pattern AI as Bodhisattvas. Maybe with corporate burning man attendees.
However--all the brightest AI minds are no longer universities--they are now at Google and Facebook doing value creation work. Fall of Empire, Judeo-Christian Progress. Accelerationism. The West Never Escapes the Apocalypse. "Pseudo-Methodius to Dee's magic to environmental collapse to popular obsession with zombies to the election of Donald Trump to the conviction that the end if nigh is hardwired into Western consciousness).
The technology becomes inevitable because it's an arms race.
June 16, 2018
This was a fascinating read, and the most striking thing about it for me is the way it builds on earlier writers on Dee and his life and work like Dame Frances Yates and Benjamin Woolley to carry that legacy of, not just Hermetic magick but also his apocalyptic worldview, into the present day: through the Rosicrucian movement, the Order of the Golden Dawn, Aleister Crowley, and Jack Parsons (whom he compares to Dee as someone who was both a committed occultist and a pioneer in the cutting-edge science of his time and saw no conflict between the two whatsoever - a POV you'd expect in the 16th century but rather more striking, though not completely un-heard of, in the 20th). This is a brand-new book and it works events like the Trump election into a legacy of spiritual conflict and desire to take material control of occult energies that's rooted in the very history of Western religious iconography - and the spiritual underpinnings of empire.
Jason Louv also runs the Ultraculture blog (https://ultraculture.org/) and is deeply immersed in this background - I enjoyed this book immensely not only for its intense modern-day relevance but for the way the various characters in this centuries-long drama come through as people: flawed, sometimes unhinged, dedicated, torn between their mortal lives and the spiritual forces that pushed them beyond human limits.
Jason Louv also runs the Ultraculture blog (https://ultraculture.org/) and is deeply immersed in this background - I enjoyed this book immensely not only for its intense modern-day relevance but for the way the various characters in this centuries-long drama come through as people: flawed, sometimes unhinged, dedicated, torn between their mortal lives and the spiritual forces that pushed them beyond human limits.
June 17, 2019
Weird and interesting book. I don't really read much about the occult but I was sucked in by the bold hypotheses that John Dee was pivotal to the formation of the British empire. Besides the fact he was likely the first person to use the term "British Empire", the evidence for this assertion was lacking. The book felt kind of fragmented, and it read more like a series of related journal articles than a coherent history.
On the other hand, the politics of Queen Elizabeth's court, and the bizarre descriptions of the angelic conversations made for exciting reading. The last chapter about the legacy of the occult in general and John Dee specifically in the 20th century was interesting food for thought. The book also has about 20 pages of very beautiful plates as well as numerous illustrations throughout.
On the other hand, the politics of Queen Elizabeth's court, and the bizarre descriptions of the angelic conversations made for exciting reading. The last chapter about the legacy of the occult in general and John Dee specifically in the 20th century was interesting food for thought. The book also has about 20 pages of very beautiful plates as well as numerous illustrations throughout.
March 22, 2020
An unusual read, exciting in some places, in others incredibly dull.
The story of Dee and Kelly was quite new to me. They're like a 1500s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas touring around medival Europe. I think there's some good material for a more interesting book or TV series about their various antics. John Dee wrote the preface to the first English edition of Euclid, so he's obviously a clever guy but then he spends an awful lot of his life trying to literally talking with angels (though this also similar with Newton, birthed modern science, spent a lot of time on alchemy and occult too).
This particular book is written with the understanding that angelic beings are guiding the fate world which colours a lot of the narrative and historical retellings. I enjoyed it, it was interesting to get a peek into occultist beliefs.
The story of Dee and Kelly was quite new to me. They're like a 1500s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas touring around medival Europe. I think there's some good material for a more interesting book or TV series about their various antics. John Dee wrote the preface to the first English edition of Euclid, so he's obviously a clever guy but then he spends an awful lot of his life trying to literally talking with angels (though this also similar with Newton, birthed modern science, spent a lot of time on alchemy and occult too).
This particular book is written with the understanding that angelic beings are guiding the fate world which colours a lot of the narrative and historical retellings. I enjoyed it, it was interesting to get a peek into occultist beliefs.
December 4, 2021
I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. The material alone is worth 5 stars. The author is a good writer and he has structured this book well. I've been interested in Christian Cabala, having read about it in Michael Hoffman's "The Occult Renaissance Church of Rome" and Francis Yates' books on "The Rosicrucian Enlightenment" and "The Occult Philosophy in the Elizabethan Age." It's fascinating to me that people once believed that Christian Cabala, and the summoning of angels, would replace Medieval scholasticism. I find that incredible, but it's true. WARNING: Do NOT attempt to summon angels! They are demonic entities! IMHO!
June 3, 2020
Louv’s work here is a massive undertaking, an attempt to not only document Dee’s importance to his times, but to connect his work to our modern situation in an unbroken thread. For the most part, he succeeds; the biographical portrait of Dee is full and complex, and the record of his angelic conversations does a great job at explaining an often mystifying and confusing collection of occult work. His connection of Dee to our age, through Crowley and Parsons, is also fantastic work. If you have any interest in occult matters, you should read this book.
January 2, 2020
Louv's Empire of Angels is an exceptional book. Rewind history 500 or so years to the court of Queen Elizabeth I and her chief astrologer Dr. John Dee.
At his home in Mortlake right by the Thames and other places, he along with his scryer Edward Kelley contacted some Angels.
It was a magical working that would change the shape of the political world from then until now.
Louv details what happened in a blow by blow account that is remarkable.
Great scholarship and fine storytelling.
At his home in Mortlake right by the Thames and other places, he along with his scryer Edward Kelley contacted some Angels.
It was a magical working that would change the shape of the political world from then until now.
Louv details what happened in a blow by blow account that is remarkable.
Great scholarship and fine storytelling.
May 17, 2021
took me longer than i thought it would as the subject matter is intimidating and i have little to no background knowledge on magick of any sort. was expecting to be very much out of my depth but despite my ignorance i found myself able to glean insight and ultimately follow Louv's historical narrative. he was very good at acknowledging subjectivity and objectivity, allowing space for dualism all the while pointing to that which transcends.
September 7, 2023
John Dee and the Empire of Angels lives up to its reputation as necessary reading for anyone interested in the saga of Dee's magical journey with Kelley as they communed with angels. Louv writes with clarity and balanced pace. The last third was cumbersome. It would do well to exclude the unnecessary retelling of Crowley's Aeyther visions.
July 6, 2018
Could be considered as the leading bio on Dee and the author clearly has made a concerted effort to present the man in a balanced way. Recommended as a good insight into the subject though the later stages of the book were perhaps lees convincing.
October 22, 2018
Deep philosophical work
I love his approach here, with excellent writing, clear presentation, and plenty of thought-provoking philosophy. I got a little confused and derailed during the Aethers, but overall this is a foundational book that I cherish.
I love his approach here, with excellent writing, clear presentation, and plenty of thought-provoking philosophy. I got a little confused and derailed during the Aethers, but overall this is a foundational book that I cherish.
October 10, 2021
Fascinating book, I had been eagerly awaiting getting a copy for some while, and it has not disappointed. The last chapter is either contentious or compelling, contingent on your perspective. Not a usual historical record, and not for every reader. Muggles beware! I personally loved it.
November 7, 2025
The portions about history and the ideas of John Dee are solid but the last third or so is a mess, in my opinion misrepresenting Thelema and relying on tangential factors to connect Dee’s work to the modern era.
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