The Guide to Essential Enochian

By Frater Serpentis Satori 9=2

20 nov 03ev: Sun in ;Moon in

“Therefore seek, and turn the earth upside down. Labour, that you may receive fruit, for
unto him that worketh, and hath strength, strength shall be given, and the reward of a
workman. Many years, the Daughter of long time, are not necessary to the opening up
of this mystery. Many months have nothing to do here for lo, it is a labour of one day, for
in one day you may understand to tear this lesson to pieces, and to understand what every
word signifieth….Be therefore diligent, and pray for the grace of god, that you may learn
and understand. The manner of man’s teaching look not for, in me; for I have nothing
to do with man…Now hear what I say unto you. I will open unto you a mystery, the key
and foundation into the entrance of divine wisdom…therefore humbly receive that which
I have to say unto you, or shall open unto you as obedient scholars, kneeling.” I
 What is Enochian?

Enochian is a cosmology and division of the spirit world, comprised

of several sub-systems. Most modern Magickians use Enochian to mean
either the language itself (like Peter Carroll), or to mean the two most
common sub-systems The Elemental Tablets and Aeyres (such as most of
Regardie’s The Golden Dawn or Denning and Philip’s Mysteria Magica).
Most websites, authors and Magickians mean that portion of the system
often neglecting other portions like The Tablet of Nalvage, The Holy Table,
The Sigilum de Aemeth and The Tablets of The Bonorum: all equally
important aspects of Enochian.
The list above shows a definite tendency in Enochian toward Tablets
and Tables, and that is a deserving criticism that does show much about the
system’s origin (see the next question below). Recently there has been an
attempt to begin Enochian Seekers with material outside mainstream
Enochian (Elemental Tablets and Aeyres) and I believe those systems would
not have been central to the curriculums of the two major orders were they
not at least the most useful sections within the Enochian Material. Any
Enochian Magickian who does indeed stick with the path may experiment
with any of these lesser-developed regions at a later and more confident
period in their work.
The Elemental Tablets, or when used as a single Tablet, called The
Great Table, as used by “Reconstructionists” and Ogdoadic Enochian
Adepts. This is the source of the well known Enochians today. These are
maps of the appropriate Elemental Plane, and its Hierarchy, from its
Watchtower or Tablet King, to his Court of Seniors, to the Lesser Angles
each reflecting another of the Elements. These are all that is common to all
Enochian Paths, with each group holding its own interpretation of the fully
hierarchy.
The Aeyres, each containing, The Governors of The Parts of the
Earth (in Dee’s time) and most well-known today Crowley’s work there: The
Vision and the Voice. The only other text that deals with the Aeyres in great
detail is Dr. Dee’s Liber Scientae, reprinted today in Mysteria Magica, gives
an outline for possible different occult uses for The Parts of The Earth. It is
best when working with them to follow the example of Crowley and The
Golden Dawn, and begin at the 30th Aeyre, rather than the 1st Aeyre.
The Sigilum de Aemeth, originally given to Dee as a Scrying aid for
his black crystal ball, but it is the source of several of the spirits he
contacted including Madimi and Ave. This is an area of difficult and highly
advanced work, of which Dr. Dee’s is mostly destroyed, and modern
sources only rarely agree.
The Keys or Calls are actually 18 in number, but the Key to The
Aeyres differing by the name of the Aeyre is often counted 30 times, for a
total of 48. Key 49 was not given to Dee and Kelley. They represent The
Elements including Spirit, other than the Aeyre Key they were told “These
Calls touch all the parts of the World…These Calls are keys into the Cities
of Wisdom.” II Both Major Order-based Systems of Enochian: Golden Dawn
and Ogdoadic, use the same attributions for all of the Keys.
All the other Tablets and Tables: Holy Table, Nalvage, and The Table
of Enoch were all generated by Dee’s Work but have been mostly neglected
by Modern Enochian Magickians. Perhaps it is because these subjects hold
as much uncertainty and danger as the Sigilum, but are less recognizable to
our poorly educated generation of initiates. These too should be avoided by
the beginner, who at best should study the best known areas of Enochian
and not its pole-stars.

Where did it come from?

The actual “location” and “basis” of the Enochian System are

shrouded in Mythic Time: those whose private obsessions delve into this
alien hinterland share theories of origin as odd as “the sacred magic of
Atlantis”, to Lovecraftian and Pledian connections. Since there is little of
Linguistics or Archeology to base this claim upon, it does usually sound
absurd. The Enochians, made the connection with Enoch and pre-Flood life
though, and there are some intriguing similarities with Hieroglyphic,
Japanese, Hebrew and even Lakota.
 Enoch is the subject of a number of Hebrew and Gnostik Mysteries,
many of which Dee may have been aware. Enoch himself is compared with
Moses, Thoth and Christ in various places and the belief that he may have
“practiced” Enochian remains a useful myth. Others may someday prove
that comes from a lost linguistic connection between Enochian and
terrestrial languages, possibly making it the “tongue of Babel” as Dee
believed.
The accepted origin of Enochian on Earth is the historic
communications between Dr. John Dee and Edward Kelley during Queen
Elizabeth I’s Reign. Other sites outline this history and series of events in
great detail. Causabon’s True and Faithful Relation between John Dee and
Some Spirits, contains much of the surviving original material, and is
treated as the primary source of this system. Dee Purists or “Enochian
Reconstructionists” rarely accept anything beyond the little that survived of
Dee’s Work.
During The Rosicrucian Enlightenment many groups all across
Europe and Britain’s Colonies continued to explore this as well as other
areas of Hermetic Study. The Aurum Solis and Golden Systems, though
revealed to the world in the 20th Century are outgrowths of this period, and
the countless forgotten pilgrims into the Enochian Universe. Both groups
sought to harmonize the original work both with itself and with each
Order’s Cosmology giving both systems great depth.
Although Aliester Crowley in many ways was a product of The
Golden Dawn, today very few who read any of his Work show any
familiarity with this point. His greatest contribution to Enochian is a derived
system from the Golden Dawn, with different Elemental Tablets, and Keys.
Vision and the Voice today, is often more important.
In my lifetime there have been many Seekers into The Cities of
Wisdom, all too many fly-by-night dabblers, several Adepts providing the
rare insight, but yet few Masters of this System. Today, since Crowley Ben
Rowe is the single most important contributor to this Tradition. He created
the Enochian Temples Template, and the always fascinating Lotus Working.
His own adventures in The Enochian Universe were well documented, from
the Earth Working, to his Parts of the Earth, and Comshela, as well as
freely debate and discuss his Work on many Enochian elists. He is missed,
and not just by myself.
Few others have added anything to Enochian, most blandly
recycle earlier thought and add nothing but either Christian or Thelemic
fanaticism. The Schuelers for all the complaints and flaws with their OTO
version of the Golden Dawn Enochian did add to the discussion through
the creation of their Enochian “Tarot” as well as providing some interesting
thoughts about Tools, Magickal Squares, Dragons and even a book of work
each on the Aeyres and Tablets. There are others with minor but still
important recent contributions, which will hopefully grow to add ever more
this field.

What are The Enochians?

Years ago I got in an argument on an Enochian elist, on “the

nature of the Enochians” for saying that they were Alien and Elemental
Intelligences not Angels or Demons. Recently I discovered that very post on
the internet, and that partially led to this text. That and the fact that
nowhere else online is a similar guide.
That was based on my private Work, some experiments from
my Adepthood and warnings from both Fortune and Crowley about
Elementals that seemed well to fit The Enochians. Beyond this, it is all
Theoretical and has no place in this paper, but suffice to say the Beings
invited in The Keys sound more like Elemental Spirits than kin to Raphael
or Mephisto. This does have a foundation from the beginning-
Madimi says to Dee and Kelley “I am Madimi, and of that order,
wherein the wonders of God are wrought with power, with you, as my
words are: with my self, as my creation is. “ III This is an important but rarely
cited bit of Enochian, with truly profound implications. It is clear she is
Divine, rather than Demonic, but rather than an Angel or Instrument of
God’s Will (like Uriel and others in the book) comes from “wrought with
power…my self, my creation is”. In the penultimate communication with
Dee called the Daughter of Fortitude IV speech, she expands upon these
motifs as well and those taken together seem the best answer to this
question, perhaps with the addition of The Key to The Aeyres.
Rlodnr says to Dee the opposite end of the Elemental side of their
Natures: “There be four mediating ways to the centre… that you call
Animal, Vegetable or Mineral Workmanship of Nature is here, as in a part
of the four… I have delivered you … the true perfect and most plain
Science or understanding the lower creatures of God… which is fourfold.
The First the knitting together of celestial influences, and The Creatures
below. The Second, the centre of every body is elemental. The Third, the
combination of many parts or bodies concurrent with one principle. The
last is true knowledge of every substance… “ V Ending in a place disturbingly
similar to whence Madimi begins.
Oddly neither The Golden Dawn nor Aurum Solis sought any
answer to this question, for reasons unclear to me. “Alien” today leads to
ideas so often more like Taken and The X-Files but it is relevant to
remember that they are Extra-Terrestrial and likely Extra-Dimensional as
well, so it is important to keep this in mind always in dealing with them.
Even Crowley called the Aeyre Call a “dreadful prayer” for this very reason,
and nature of their being.

What should I know?

Since the Aeyres and Tablets are the most accessible portions of
Enochian, a background in related Magick is best. Traditionally Enochian is
the Hermetic equivalent of post-graduate work, taught as the Work of the
Adept in both The Ogdoadic and Golden Dawn Traditions, after the Adept
has achieved contact with their Higher Self.
Although there will always be a few who will attempt to work with
Enochian without any other background other than basic Neo-Paganism,
that is unwise. Traditionally Enochian is taught in Hermetic Orders, at the
Adept (or Advanced Levels) that usually take 3-7 entire years to reach. This
is still the best way to learn Magick in general, especially Enochian, but for
those Solitary Enochian Practioners, there are some general areas one
should study before even beginning Enochian.
A background in Tradition Hermeticism is best, and need not come
from any Order the Golden Dawn can be studied from Self-Initiation into
the Golden Dawn, and the last volume of Denning and Philip’s Magickal
Philosophy Series outlines an entire course. The foundational concept for
the proto-Enochian Magickian is Elementalism, unfortunately it is often only
covered in superficial ways for the uninitiated other than great work with
the Hindu Tatvas, and the best published source is Franz Bardon’s Initiation
into Hermetics. There are other important general areas of study for one
wishing to do Enochian Work, including Alchemy, Thelema, Astrology,
Yoga, Tantra, and Meditation in several forms.
The other reason that Traditionally Enochian was only taught to
Adepts is that the Enochians have little patience for the whims of an
Initiate’s Ego. They actually prefer dealing with Adepts who have already
completed The Abramerlyn Rite, Bornless/Headless One or equivalent and
achieved Conversation and Communion with their Holy Guardian
Angel/Agothodemon/ Higher Self. Attempting Enochian prior to
completion of this Work is done at one’s own risk.
Another point most other Enochian Sources today downplay is that
before dealing with them, The Adept should be comfortable and pious in
their faith. Despite what both Dee Purists and many Hermetics believe it
need not be the Anglo-Catholicism Dr. Dee practiced. These Spirits do not
like it implied that they are either Thought-forms or Subjective, so they are
friendlier to those who do honestly and faithfully serve a Higher Power. In
Vision and the Voice Crowley sees it as “…I cannot catch it properly, but it
seems to be of the effect that the true God is equally in all shrines…”.They
do not discriminate beyond the preference for Divinity and Moral
Standards, Judaism is as good as Buddhism, Hekate as good as Isis or Odin.
In my experience most Enochian Magickians are Egyptian or Voudou
Pagans, or Buddhists and Thelemites, with a very small minority outside of
those four religions, for reasons unclear to me. That is not say it is
unknown; merely that it is not typical of those that stay upon this path.
 Though it is possible for anyone to Work with Enochian, it is
dangerous and best after years of dedicated disciplined occult training.
Conversation and Communion is almost a requirement as well, so is faith in
The Divine, in any form. Few without this background can do this for long.

Where should I begin?

There are at present Three Schools of Enochian: The

“Reconstructionists”, Ogdoadic, and Golden Dawn. Nearly all Enochian
today can be easily placed within one of these Three Schools. Ogdoadic is
the current that was until recently The Order of The Aurum Solis, and The
Golden Dawn form came from the Enochian of that Order. The
“Reconstructionists” believe they are rebuilding The Enochian practiced by
Dr. Dee. There are many similarities between these systems, but as many
differences.
The “Reconstructionists” often use beeswax Sigilum’s, carved Holy
Tables, Scrying Balls or Black Mirrors, and similar props of grimour magick.
Some of them can become very proficient at Enochian, but there never
seem to be very many in this School at one time. They spend much of their
time reading other grimours, like Artabatel, Verum, Picatrix and the Works
of Agrippa and Mathers.
Which is odd since Mathers and Dr. Wescott developed the entire
Golden Dawn System, including its Enochian. The important variations in
the GD Enochian system is that Elemental Tablets are painted in colors, and
its opposite of Flashing Color; that the squares on every Table and Tablet
are assigned sub-attributions of Elemental, Astrological and Planetary nature
called Truncated Pyramid Squares and Scrying the Enochian Letters.
Crowley’s Enochian is merely an outgrowth of this, as is nearly all Enochian
in print and on the web.
The Ogdoadic Tradition has a somewhat different flavor to its
Enochian than the GD, as does its system overall. The same entire
hierarchies are used, as in the GD system, but the formulas for evocation
from the Elemental Tablets are very different including a specific Latin
Evocation for each Elemental King. The method of using the Aeyre Key is
also different, only One Governor is called at a time, and the Second Key is
the only other Key employed. They also do not separate or paint the Tablets
in color. Since the collapse of the Aurum Solis, this School actually seems
to be growing more quickly, and has influenced many Enochian Magickians
in our Internet age.
Again, this Tradition does not reward casual or superficial study.
Whichever of The Three Schools of Enochian the Adept chooses they
should work with for a minimum of three years! The chosen system should
be studied in full working with its preferred Enochian Elemental Tablets,
uses of the Keys in regular if not daily Evocation. The Adept should also
become acquainted with Governors and Aeyres, with at least as much
experience as with the Tablets.
After three or more years of consistent work then the Adept may
explore the other Schools and Lesser Tables. This is where most of The
Enochian Webring comes from, those working with these conflicts and
delving into these little known aspects of the Enochian Cosmos. The
differences in them are all wondrous and profound, and this period often
goes on for years if not decades.
The end result is often tremendously different from the point one
starts this system. I was trained strict Golden Dawn Enochian Tradition,
slowly drifted to Crowley and Ogdoadic before buying Ben Rowe’s Work
through mail order. His journey, Christos Pir and my contemporaries all
have created fusions and hybrids very different from our origins, as
hopefully will future Enochian Adepts and Masters.

Resources

Casaubon, Meric True & Faithful Relation: of What Passed for

Many Years between Dr. John Dee and Some Spirits (1659), Kessinger
Publications, LLC, and ISBN 0-76661-0812-0.
 Crowley, Aliester The Vision & The Voice with Commentary and
other papers: The Equinox vol. IV number ii, Samuel Weiser, Inc. York
Beach, Maine, 1998. ISBN 0-87728-906-9

Denning, Melita & Philips, Osborne Mysteria Magica: Volume 3 of

The Magickal Philosophy Series, Llewellyn Publications, St Paul MI 1992.
ISBN 0-87542-196-2.

James, Geoffrey The Enochian Magick of Dr. John Dee,

Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul MI 1994. ISBN 1-56718-367-0.

Laycock, Donald C. The Complete Enochian Dictionary, Samuel

Weiser, Inc York Beach, Maine 1994. ISBN 0-87728-817-8.

Regardie, Isreal The Golden Dawn: A Complete Course in

Practical Ceremonial Magic Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul MI 1987. ISBN
0-87542-663-8

Various Hands, The Enochian Webring.

Copyright 2003, Frater Serpentis Satori.

I
True and Faithful Relation, 18 Jan 1585 (pg 364)
II
Ibid,14 May 1584 (Pg 145)
III
Ibid,, 15 Aug 1584 (pg 215)
IV
Ibid,, 23 May 1587 (pg *25)
V
Ibid, 17 Jan 1585 (pgs 362-363)