Hieroglyphic Monad

by John Dee, J.W. Hamilton-Jones (Translator)

The Hieroglyphic Monad is a book written by Dr. John Dee, an English mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, and occult philosopher who lived during the 16th and 17th centuries. The book is a treatise on the nature of the universe and the relationship between the microcosm and the macrocosm, presented in the form of a mystical symbol known as the Hieroglyphic Monad.The Hieroglyphic Monad is a complex symbol that represents the unity of all things in the universe, from the smallest particle to the largest galaxy. It is composed of various elements, including geometric shapes, astrological symbols, and alchemical symbols, and is said to contain the key to understanding the mysteries of the universe.In the book, Dee explains the meaning and significance of the Hieroglyphic Monad, and how it can be used to unlock the secrets of the universe. He explores various topics, including the nature of time and space, the relationship between the physical and spiritual worlds, and the role of the human soul in the grand scheme of things.The Hieroglyphic Monad is a highly esoteric work, and is considered by many to be one of Dee's most important contributions to the field of occult philosophy. It has been studied and interpreted by generations of scholars and practitioners of the occult, and continues to inspire new ideas and insights into the mysteries of the universe.1946. Translated into English for the first time, this book was written by the Elizabethan magus, Dr. John Dee in 1564. He explains his discovery of the monas, or unity underlying the universe, as seen in a hieroglyph or symbol. The monad is representative of the alchemic process and goal of the magus, who in partaking of the divine, achieves that gnostic regenerative experience of becoming God and thus furthering the redemption and transmutation of the worlds.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Genres: Occult, Esoterica, Philosophy, Alchemy, Mysticism, Nonfiction, History

84 pages, Paperback

First published March 31, 1564

About the author

John Dee was a noted mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, occultist, navigator, imperialist, and consultant to Queen Elizabeth I. He devoted much of his life to the study of alchemy, divination, and Hermetic philosophy.

Dee straddled the worlds of science and magic just as they were becoming distinguishable. One of the most learned men of his age, he had been invited to lecture on advanced algebra at the University of Paris while still in his early twenties. Dee was an ardent promoter of mathematics and a respected astronomer, as well as a leading expert in navigation, having trained many of those who would conduct England's voyages of discovery. In one of several tracts which Dee wrote in the 1580s encouraging British exploratory expeditions in search of the Northwest Passage, he appears to have coined the term "British Empire."

Simultaneously with these efforts, Dee immersed himself in the worlds of magic, astrology, and Hermetic philosophy. He devoted much time and effort in the last thirty years or so of his life to attempting to commune with angels in order to learn the universal language of creation and bring about the pre-apocalyptic unity of mankind. A student of the Renaissance Neo-Platonism of Marsilio Ficino, Dee did not draw distinctions between his mathematical research and his investigations into Hermetic magic, angel summoning and divination. Instead, he considered all of his activities to constitute different facets of the same quest: the search for a transcendent understanding of the divine forms which underlie the visible world, which Dee called "pure verities".

Dee's high status as a scholar also allowed him to play a role in Elizabethan politics. He served as an occasional advisor and tutor to Elizabeth I and nurtured relationships with her ministers, Francis Walsingham and William Cecil. Dee also tutored and enjoyed patronage relationships with Sir Philip Sidney, his uncle, Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, and Edward Dyer. He also enjoyed patronage from Sir Christopher Hatton.

In his lifetime, Dee amassed the largest library in England and one of the largest in Europe.

Reviews

[Théo d'Or]

Dee swims in some rather murky waters, for an unauthorized reader. According to him, the monad is the ultimate unit of existence, representing a unified and indivisible essence. His concept aligns with ancient philosophical traditions, such as Pythagorean and Neoplatonic, that similarly seek to understand the fundamental nature of reality. I may find it too abstract or speculative, though, requiring further empirical evidence to fully accept. He assigns symbolic values and meanings to different shapes, lines, and angles which he believes can be manipulated and rearranged to gain insights into the natural and spiritual realms. The approach combines math, symbolism and hermetic philosophy, but the interprétation, in my view, can vary from person to person. This holistic approach may resonate with individuals seeking a more integrated understanding of reality, however, skeptics may question the validity of such connections and argue for a more empirical approach to knowledge. I could find this methodology fascinating, seeing the potential for hidden patterns and meanings to be unveiled, though I think the practicality or applicability of these insights within everyday life is merely questionable. One above the other, interesting, but the réception of Dee's theory depends on an individual's willingness to engage with esoteric concepts, symbolism, and philosophical speculations.
An engaging read, all in all.

[Katelis Viglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Το βιβλίο αυτό περιλαμβάνει μια μετάφραση του θρυλικού έργου του Τζων Ντη Ιερογλυφική Μονάς, από τον Παναγιώτη Κάρδαρη και την Ευαγγελία Θώμου, με κατατοπιστικά σχόλια, ωραία Εισαγωγή και εκτενές Επίμετρο. Η μόνη έλλειψη αφορά τη βιβλιογραφία, η οποία είναι πολύ φτωχή. Η βιβλιογραφία είναι μόνο δυόμιση σελίδες στο τέλος, και περιέχει μη έγκυρες εκδόσεις. Για παράδειγμα, χρησιμοποιείται μια έκδοση του Ενάλιου για το έργο του Γεωργίου Γεμιστού Πλήθωνα Μαγικά λόγια των από Ζωροάστρου μάγων, ενώ υπάρχει από το 1995 η άριστη έκδοση της Brigitte Tambrun-Krasker της Ακαδημίας Αθηνών. Επίσης, θα έπρεπε οι σχολιαστές να φανερώνουν όλες τις παραπομπές τους στις σημειώσεις στο κάτω μέρος της σελίδας, κάτι που δεν πράττουν -αν και φυσικά, και ευτυχώς, στο κάτω μέρος των σελίδων υπάρχουν πάμπολλες, ορθές και καίριες πραγματολογικές σημειώσεις. Πάντως για τα ελληνικά δεδομένα όσον αφορά ένα τέτοιο έργο -που ανήκει στον κλάδο της μαγείας, της αστρολογίας, της Καμπαλά, του απόκρυφου κλπ- είναι πολύ καλή εργασία και εκφράζω από εδώ τα συγχαρητήριά μου στους μεταφραστές και σχολιαστές του.

[Luis · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a hard reading for me. Maybe I’ll re-read it in some years because I think I need more background.

[Romolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Here the vulgar eye will see nothing but Obscurity and will despair considerably,” John Dee adds at the very end of his 32-page book “the Hieroglyphic Monad”. The book — written in two weeks in the year 1564 in Antwerp — contains 24 theorems that are extracted from an enigmatic “glyph” which condenses (alchemically) all knowledge available to him. Some theorems have a calm, almost Buddhist quality (“That which is affected at the periphery, however large it may be, cannot in any way lack the support of the central point,” from Theorem III), but there is more often than not a curious lightness in the text, a relaxed bluff, a frivolous grin. Diane di Rima’s advice in the foreword fully resonates with how I felt about “The Hieroglyphic Monad”: “Read the text with an open mind and even more, an open heart: it requires that we use, and at the same time subordinate, our powers of reasoning—subordinate them to a supra-intellectual faculty that comes into play and makes high, non-analytic “sense” for us when we read certain alchemy texts, and certain poems.” The glyph invites us to let go and look fearlessly at the world, with new eyes.

[chris fidler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a copy of this under my bed. When I say copy, I mean inkjet on printer paper, held together with a paperclip. I enjoy oddities, and that's what I'd call this. The hieroglyphic is a mash up of a few alchemical signs and is supposed to represent all the important elements of the universe - the sun, moon, mercury, man, woman, etc. You don't really need to understand Dee's thought process to be entertained by this, but it gets much more fun if you've read any of the other occultists of the time.
Plus, as an added bonus, if you haven't played Uncharted 3 and plan to some time, there's some cool Dee items in the game.

[Acacia · Rating 4 out of 5]

forgot to add this here finished a while ago love john dee

[Imy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stumbled across this rather on accident while looking for books regarding hieroglyphics, but the book itself and the history behind it was rather interesting. The introductions and history about John Dee was worth the read but the theorems themselves without any accompanying work existing to explain them are probably not worth trying to parse through.

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Takes about 1000 times reading and reading again to comprehend the profound meaning of John Dees mystery of the Monad. This is a book to return to many times in life, and then contemplate in your heart and soul.

[Keith]

Since GR lumps all translations and editions into a single "work," I note that this review pertains to the slim red translation of Hamilton-Jones published by Weiser. I am also working my way through the more scholarly, more complete, and far more recent Ouroboros Press edition via the YouTube classes by Teresa Burns.

H-J, as a Theosophist and alchemist, takes that angle in his interpretation of Dee's Latin original, as well as his commentary, which forms the latter half of the book, leaving aside the context of Dee's epistle dedicatory to Maximilian (who became Holy Roman Emperor shortly afterward) and the instructions to the printer, which help to clarify some of his… unique orthography. Nevertheless, this is far any away the most readily available edition of the MH, as well as the most popular among Theosophists (are there any such left?) and other occultists.

Of course, as Sledge notes, a straight material-alchemical approach to the Monas is—at a minimum—incomplete. Dee's project, as he indicates in the here-missing epistle, transcends both the qabala and the alchemy (and astrology and mathematics) around which it it built. Nevertheless, alchemy is still a significant part of it, so the notes remain interesting, even if not decisive.

So this is quite a serviceable baseline copy, but if you really want to understand it and you have the opportunity to do better, do.

[Tom Andersson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Denna lilla bok författad av Mystiker John Dee är en ”manual” för att förstå ”den heliga enhetssymbolen”. Boken var en gåva till den tysk-romerske kejsaren Maximilian II.

Enkelt sagt: boken är knepig - med flit - den är med flit skriven på ett svårt sätt för att bara de bästa skall kunna ta innehållet till sig. Enhetssymbolen är i sig inte ett jättekomplicerat tecken alla tecknets komponenter kan kopplas ihop med planeter, element, siffror osv som i sin tur hänger samman och her ytterligare svar eller information. Att hålla reda på allt ÄR knepigt, men så är det ju därför herr Dee tycker att symbolen är så bra, den innehåller så mycket.

Rekommenderar boken bara till personer som är intresserad av mystik och esoteriska texter. Och då menar jag inte spännande och farfylld mystik utan ganska torr och navelskådande sådan.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth reading if one is in to the subject matter as myself.
Until now i had avoided Dee albeit I had studied both Bacons, and thousands of other realted and semi related texts both ancient and up to 18th century.
I do precribe reading primary works and avoiding secondary and teriary; in such that we use our own eyes and later check to see what the other fish sayd.
I found it most exellant and interesting, his subtle cudgling of the Spagyrists, vs the Astrologers or, lets say more comprehensivists, to put it one way in how Dee may have seen himself.
His points were not invalid made. Albeit.
Glad I read it after all these years. A pleasure Mr Dee!

[Rytis · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Monas Hieroglyphica" (Latin for Hieroglyphic Monad), originally published in the year 1564 is a book written by the Elizabethan Magus and Court Astrologer John Dee. In this book, Dee presents the mystical symbol of Monad and explains the mysterious properties the symbol possesses. From alchemy to astrology to linguistics and geometry, Dee explains the inner workings of the symbol and its importance.

The book is divided into 24 theorems and provides us with illustrations and drawings to help the reader better understand the mystical properties of this symbol.

A must-read for anyone interested in alchemy and sacred geometry.

[AttackGirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

consideration

If I could be paid given a position by the king to think and write of these things how happy I would be. I’ve read all of Alister but dismissed whence I found out from whom he was paid. After his father’s fortune was gone. To play all day with my maps and charts and write sneaky half descriptive text and symbols to help women be attracted or find that buried treasure just show up in a please form smelling divine with a voice soothing to my crazy heart. For what do I desire is that not the question for which we seek

[Paulo De · Rating 2 out of 5]

O livro em si é muito bom e revelador, porém, a edição brasileira deixa a desejar sem uma análise crítica, que explique as referências à astrologia, à alquimia e ao pitagorismo. Além disso, no original são relacionados diversos epigramas, chaves e mensagens secretas, que sequer foram abordadas em rodapé.

[Äsruþr Cyneaþsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent piece of work. Dee incorporates some astrology (and a hint of astrotheology) and a great deal of alchemy into a single treaty and wraps them in the Qabbalah. At some 350 years of age, the fact that the text holds up so well is testament to the validity of Dee's work.

[Plumb · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't understand a bit of it. Unenjoyable. This 1 star isn't a reflection on the text, necessarily, just to say I did not enjoy it. Maybe I'll try again another year, though I expect this is something best read with the context of other works and I have next to no knowledge of hermeticism.

[Virgilbot · Rating 4 out of 5]

here for the Diane di Prima intro more than anything

[Alienne Laval · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enochian Magic, the angel of the western window, Greenland, and the North-West-Passage...

There never lived a Matthew Cabot in Bristol...

[Hal Lowen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll have whatever he had

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good translation of a book that is deeply puzzling and little understood.

[Keith]

I don't actually have this book in hand, but the text is included in Burns' YouTube videos, so I'm functionally reading along. Can't really track the page numbers tho.

[maia · Rating 2 out of 5]

hard to follow

[Daniel Rekshan]

This little book is central to Dr. John Dee's work, but it remains unintelligible to me. He presents his exegesis of a glyph he created from astrology and alchemy. This glyph is the hieroglyphic monad, which can represent the universe to the initiate. A representation of something is particularly useful to the magician who works with the correspondences in the universe. These correspondences are archetypally express through the zodiac and are made use of by the alchemists.

The book consists in 24 theorems, much like Euclid. He also wrote a preface to Euclid's Elements.

Reportedly, there once was an oral tradition to provide true understanding to the initiate. Reportedly, this tradition is lost.

[Alexandros Solomos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ιδιαίτερο βιβλίο. Σε κάποια σημεία πολύ ενδιαφέρον και σε άλλα δυσνόητο και κουραστικό. Αν δεν έχεις εντρυφήσει από πριν σε κάποια ζητήματα που άπτονται του αποκρυφισμού, δεν μπορείς να το παρακολουθήσεις.
Από την άλλη σημαντική η προσπάθεια που έγινε για τον σχολιασμό και την εισαγωγή του. Σου προσφέρει ένα σημειο εκκίνησης για να παρακολουθήσεις τις δυσνοητες -είναι η αλήθεια- ατραπούς σκέψης του Dee. Ωστόσο αυτό δεν είναι αρκετό.

[Nox Prognatus · Rating 5 out of 5]

A MUST read for students of alchemy. Dee relates the learning of the ancient philosopher's to his own hieroglyphs and representation of the nature of reality and the Philosopher's stone. An understanding of symbolism is recommended. This is used or taken from (you decide) the philosophy of the Templars, Freemasons, and Rosicrucians.

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a great translation, preface or commentary, but simply the only thing available on the mass market. Of course, not a patch on Josten's facsimile/translation in Ambix, but gives you the gist of things nicely enough.

[Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

yet another I need to re read and study

[Trebha Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential in the understanding of how latitude and longitude were set out and in the inner workings of the Psyche....

[Marcelo Lemes · Rating 3 out of 5]

.

[Angela Natividad · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read.