⚜️ Ceremonial Magic

The Heptarchia Mystica of John Dee

✍️ Turner, Robert
Reader Score
4.8
(1 review) 61 sold
$23.99 $24.00 Save $0.01
In stock — ready to ship Ships in 1–2 business days
📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A restored third edition of John Dee's complete 1582 planetary magic system, transcribed from original manuscripts.

This volume recovers a neglected branch of Renaissance magic that sat hidden in John Dee's personal papers for centuries. Transcribed directly from sixteenth-century manuscripts by Robert Turner, the work documents the planetary hierarchy and invocation rituals delivered through Edward Kelley's crystal scrying. This updated third edition includes full annotations, explanatory essays, and historical context that bypassed nineteenth- and twentieth-century occult traditions entirely.

Key Themes
planetary magic systems Elizabethan crystal scrying angelic hierarchies and invocations
Literary Context

Rooted in Elizabethan England, this material originated in 1582 through John Dee and Edward Kelley. Neglected during the Victorian occult revival, it was recovered from original manuscripts in the late twentieth century.

Difficulty
●●● Challenging
Recommended For Fans Of
Aleister Crowley · Arthur Edward Waite · The Key of Solomon · Francis Barrett
⚜️
Ceremonial Magic
🏛 Thoth Publications 📅 2023 📖 196 pages 🌐 en 📐 Paperback ISBN: 9781913660420
Fun Fact
This meticulously presented edition of 'The Heptarchia Mystica' is an invaluable resource for serious students of esoteric history and ceremonial magic. It faithfully renders Dee's complex angelic system, providing both scholarly context and practical details for potential engagement. While its intricate nature might deter the casual reader, those committed to deep study will find it a foundational text. It offers profound insight into angelic communication and planetary magic, expertly filling a long-standing void in accessible Dee scholarship.

📝 Description: The Heptarchia Mystica of John Dee

First received in 1582, this text presents the complete system of planetary magic communicated to Elizabethan magus John Dee through the crystal scrying of Edward Kelley. The magic details the angelic spirits who rule the planets and days of the week, outlining their precise functions and the methods required to invoke them. Though overlooked by later occult groups like the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and Aleister Crowley, the late Robert Turner spent years conducting research to collate Dee's original manuscripts, publishing the material in 1983 with a follow-up edition in 1986. This updated third edition, revised by Robin E. Cousins, brings the long-unavailable text back into print. Inside, the work features Turner's transcribed core text alongside extensive annotations, illustrations, and a collection of essays on related themes written by the authors. This edition opens with a foreword by Anne Turner and includes a dedication to Robert and Patricia Shore Turner. Turner's qualifications rest on his painstaking transcriptions directly from the archival manuscript sources, making this volume a reliable historical resource. This publication suits readers of Renaissance occultism, ceremonial magic, and historical spirit communication who want direct access to sixteenth-century primary source material. It does not suit readers looking for modern Golden Dawn magic, modern Wiccan practices, or a light introduction to angelic work, as it focuses strictly on Dee's original system.

💎 Expert review

💎
Esoterica Books editorial team
Occult literature desk
This volume is a scholarly and practical treasure, meticulously revised to bring Dee’s third-edition insights to light. However, it does not suit casual readers or those seeking straightforward, low-effort magical techniques. The text demands patience for its complex celestial orders and historical context. It may frustrate those unfamiliar with Elizabethan language nuances or traditional ceremonial structures. While invaluable for historians and dedicated practitioners of high magic, it is likely too dense and specialized for beginners in the occult arts. Readers expecting simple rituals will find this a rigorous academic and magical study rather than an accessible guide.
✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers deeply invested in the historical foundations of Western esotericism will find immense value in this meticulous compilation. It offers a rare, direct encounter with John Dee’s celestial order, long shrouded in mystery and overlooked by prominent magical orders for centuries. By presenting the precise invocation methods and planetary angelic functions from original manuscripts, it provides profound insights into Elizabethan magic. Those seeking to understand the lineage of angelic workings or expand their ceremonial repertoire will appreciate this resurrected foundational text. It is essential for serious practitioners who wish to engage with the specific celestial secrets and structured magical system that defined a pivotal era in occult history.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —
⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.8/5
★★★★
This book is essential for serious practitioners of ceremonial magic, scholars of Western esotericism, or anyone deeply intrigued by the profound depths of Elizabethan occultism. It offers a direct conduit to John Dee's intricate angelic system, providing both unparalleled historical insight and…

Reader rating

4.8
Based on 1 reviews
5
0
4
1
3
0
2
0
1
0
E
Esoterica Books editorial team

This volume is a scholarly and practical treasure, meticulously revised to bring Dee’s third-edition insights to light. However, it does not suit casual readers or those seeking straightforward, low-effort magical techniques. The text demands patience for its complex celestial orders and historical context. It may frustrate those unfamiliar with Elizabethan language nuances or traditional ceremonial structures. While invaluable for historians and dedicated practitioners of high magic, it is likely too dense and specialized for beginners in the occult arts. Readers expecting simple rituals will find this a rigorous academic and magical study rather than an accessible guide.

❓ Frequently asked questions

It functions as both. While providing a complete system of planetary magic with invocation details, its original context and painstaking scholarly presentation also make it an invaluable historical document of Elizabethan occult practice.
This is a carefully revised and updated third edition, building upon Robert Turner's original collation. It includes extensive annotations, supplementary illustrations, and additional essays, ensuring the most complete and accessible presentation of Dee's work to date.

📖 Who should read this

This book is essential for serious practitioners of ceremonial magic, scholars of Western esotericism, or anyone deeply intrigued by the profound depths of Elizabethan occultism. It offers a direct conduit to John Dee's intricate angelic system, providing both unparalleled historical insight and practical guidance for engaging its unique wisdom.

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Planetary Angelic Dominion

This volume meticulously outlines a complex system for engaging with the angelic intelligences associated with the seven classical planets and days of the week. It provides detailed instructions and sigils for establishing communication and working within this celestial hierarchy, offering a direct pathway to understanding and utilizing these powerful cosmic forces in a structured ritual context.

Angelic Communication Through Scrying

At its heart, the 'Heptarchia Mystica' is a testament to the profound practice of angelic channeling through crystal scrying. The text documents the precise methods and visions through which Edward Kelley received these divine instructions for John Dee, providing a rare glimpse into the practicalities and perceived realities of direct spirit communication in the Elizabethan era.

Elizabethan Occult Legacy

This work represents a crucial artifact of Elizabethan England's vibrant esoteric landscape, directly from the mind of its most famous magus, John Dee. It offers an unparalleled window into the intellectual and spiritual currents of the late 16th century, showcasing the era's blend of scientific inquiry, theological speculation, and practical magical pursuit.

📜 Historical context

Born from Edward Kelley's visionary scryings for Dr. John Dee in 1582, the 'Heptarchia Mystica' served as a foundational, yet long-hidden, pillar of Elizabethan magic. Despite its profound significance, it remained largely unacknowledged by later influential occult traditions. Robert Turner's meticulous scholarship finally brought this vital text to public light in 1983, securing its rightful place in the annals of esoteric history.

📚 Glossary

Heptarchia Mystica
Scrying
Planetary Magic

📔 Questions to reflect on

  1. How might the structured, hierarchical nature of the Heptarchia Mystica influence or inform contemporary approaches to spirit communication and angelic invocation?
  2. Reflect on the ethical implications of seeking dominion over planetary intelligences as described in Dee's system. What responsibilities might accompany such power?
  3. Consider the critical role of the medium (Edward Kelley) in Dee's work. How does the concept of channeling affect the perceived authority or authenticity of such magical texts for you personally?

🏛 Books from this publisher Thoth Publications

All books from this publisher →
Power and Principles of the Runes -15%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
Aswynn, Freya
Power and Principles of the Runes
$21.99 $26.00
86
Power and Principles of the Runes -15%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
Aswynn, Freya
Power and Principles of the Runes
$15.99 $18.95
81
Paths of Wisdom -16%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.8
Greer, John Michael
Paths of Wisdom
$24.99 $29.95
91
Magical Kabbalah -11%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
Richardson, Alan
Magical Kabbalah
$12.99 $14.75
84
Advanced Magical Arts: Visualisation, Mediation and Ritual in the Western Magical Tradition -13%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.7
Stewart, R J
Advanced Magical Arts: Visualisation, Mediation and Ritual in the Western Magical Tradition
$25.99 $30.00
88
Wild Witchcraft: A Guide to Natural, Herbal and Earth Magic -15%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
Green, Marian
Wild Witchcraft: A Guide to Natural, Herbal and Earth Magic
$16.99 $19.99
83
First Steps in Ritual (Substantially Revised, Expanded and Brought Up to Date) -15%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
Ashcroft-Nowicki, Dolores
First Steps in Ritual (Substantially Revised, Expanded and Brought Up to Date)
$21.99 $26.00
83
Witchfather - A Life of Gerald Gardner Vol2. From Witch Cult to Wicca -15%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
Heselton, Philip
Witchfather - A Life of Gerald Gardner Vol2. From Witch Cult to Wicca
$33.99 $39.99
82

You might also like

See more →
Paths of Wisdom -16%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.8
1
Greer, John Michael
Paths of Wisdom
$24.99 $29.95
91
Lion People -13%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.7
3
Hope, Murry
Lion People
$25.99 $30.00
89
Advanced Magical Arts: Visualisation, Mediation and Ritual in the Western Magical Tradition -13%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.7
1
Stewart, R J
Advanced Magical Arts: Visualisation, Mediation and Ritual in the Western Magical Tradition
$25.99 $30.00
88
Teutonic Magic: A Guide to Germanic Divination, Lore and Magic (Revised) -15%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.7
1
Gundarsson, Kveldulf
Teutonic Magic: A Guide to Germanic Divination, Lore and Magic (Revised)
$31.99 $38.00
88
First Steps in Ritual (Substantially Revised, Expanded and Brought Up to Date) -15%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
1
Ashcroft-Nowicki, Dolores
First Steps in Ritual (Substantially Revised, Expanded and Brought Up to Date)
$21.99 $26.00
83
Magic: The Basics Bailey, Michael D -13%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.8
1
Bailey, Michael D
Magic: The Basics Bailey, Michael D
$24.99 $28.99
91
The Conjuring of America: Mojos, Mermaids, Medicine, and 400 Years of Black Women's Magic -13%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.8
1
Stewart, Lindsey
The Conjuring of America: Mojos, Mermaids, Medicine, and 400 Years of Black Women's Magic
$25.99 $30.00
91
Dæmonology: An Introduction with a Selection of Texts -16%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.8
1
Maggi, Humberto
Dæmonology: An Introduction with a Selection of Texts
$20.99 $24.99
91
Three Books of Occult Philosophy -11%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.8
1
Agrippa, Heinrich Cornelius
Three Books of Occult Philosophy
$29.41 $33.24
91
The Complete Enochian Dictionary: A Dictionary of the Angelic Language as Revealed to Dr. John Dee and Edward Kelley Laycock, Donald C -14%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.8
1
Laycock, Donald C; , Kelley, Edward; , Dee, John; , Skinner, Stephen; , DuQuette, Lon Milo
The Complete Enochian Dictionary: A Dictionary of the Angelic Language as Revealed to Dr. John Dee and Edward Kelley Laycock, Donald C
$29.99 $35.00
91
Home Genres
Cart
Wishlist