In 1582, John Dee and Edward Kelley sat in a darkened room at Dee’s house in Mortlake. A crystal shewstone rested on a table. Kelley stared into it and began to speak words that Dee transcribed: an angel named Uriel was dictating a language no human had ever spoken. Enochian angels are the celestial beings described in the Enochian system, a magical tradition received by John Dee and Edward Kelley in the 1580s. Each angel has a specific role, a unique sigil, and a place within a complex hierarchy of Watchtowers, Aethyrs, and Calls.
Learn the symbols and roles of Enochian angels, the celestial beings of the Enochian system revealed to John Dee and Edward Kelley in the 16th century.
The Birth of the Enochian System: Dee, Kelley, and the Shewstone
John Dee (1527–1608) was a mathematician, astrologer, and adviser to Queen Elizabeth I. He was also a devout Christian who believed that direct communication with angels was possible. In 1582, he met Edward Kelley (1555–1597), a scryer who claimed to see visions in a polished piece of rock crystal. Over the next seven years, the two men conducted hundreds of sessions. Kelley would stare into the shewstone and describe what he saw: angels, letters, and geometric shapes. Dee would record every word in his diaries, now held in the British Library as Sloane Manuscripts 3188 and 3189.
The first angel to appear was Uriel, followed by Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. But the system quickly expanded. The angels dictated a 21-letter alphabet, a language they called Angelical, and a series of 48 poetic invocations known as the Calls or Keys. They also revealed a set of tablets: four Watchtower tablets representing the elements, a Great Table of the Earth, and the Holy Table of Practice. Dee believed this was the language spoken by angels before the Fall of Man, preserved for humanity’s restoration.
The name “Enochian” comes from the biblical Enoch, who was taken to heaven and shown angelic secrets. Dee saw himself as a new Enoch, tasked with recovering this lost wisdom. The system was never completed in Dee’s lifetime; he died in 1609, still hoping to publish his work. The manuscripts remained obscure until the late 19th century, when the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (founded 1888) adopted and adapted the Enochian system. MacGregor Mathers and later Aleister Crowley expanded it, turning it into a cornerstone of modern ceremonial magic.
That history explains why the symbols are not arbitrary. Each letter, each tablet, each seal was dictated with a purpose. The Enochian alphabet consists of 21 letters, each with a name, a sound, and a numerical value. The letters are written from right to left, like Hebrew. They appear in the Calls and on the tablets. The letters themselves are considered living symbols, each corresponding to a specific angelic power.
The four Watchtower tablets are the most recognizable Enochian symbols. Each tablet is a grid of 13 rows and 13 columns, containing letters and names. The tablets represent the four elements: Air (East), Fire (South), Water (West), and Earth (North). Within each tablet are smaller squares, each governed by an angelic name. The Great Table of the Earth is a composite of the four tablets, used for scrying and invocation.
The Holy Table of Practice is a wooden table inscribed with the names of God and the angels. On it sits the shewstone, the focus of communication. The table is surrounded by wax seals bearing the names of the 30 Aethyrs. The Aethyrs are the 30 levels of the universe, from the material to the divine. Each Aethyr is governed by three angels called the Seniors, and each Aethyr has its own Call.
The sigils of the angels are geometric figures drawn from the tablets. They are used to invoke or evoke specific beings. The most famous is the sigil of the angel Uriel, a cross with four arms. But each of the 91 Calls has its own set of sigils for the governors of the Aethyrs. These symbols are not decorative. They are keys that, when drawn correctly and combined with the spoken Calls, are said to open a door between worlds.
Dee and Kelley’s practice was rigorous. They would begin with prayer, often using the Christian liturgy. Kelley would then gaze into the shewstone, which was placed on the Holy Table. The room was lit by a single candle. Dee would ask questions, and Kelley would describe what he saw: letters appearing in the stone, angels speaking, visions of towers and landscapes. Dee wrote everything down, sometimes in shorthand.
The Calls themselves were recited aloud. Dee and Kelley would read the Calls in the Angelical language, then in English. The angels would correct their pronunciation. The Calls were used to travel through the Aethyrs, each one bringing the practitioner closer to the divine. The 30th Aethyr, called TEX, was the highest, where the angel of the presence appeared.
The Golden Dawn later systematized this practice. They used the Watchtower tablets in temple rituals, placing them on the four cardinal points. The Enochian system became part of the Second Order grades. Aleister Crowley took it further, traveling through the Aethyrs himself and recording his visions in The Vision and the Voice (1909). Modern practitioners often use the Calls for meditation or astral projection, but the original method required a consecrated space, specific planetary hours, and a trained scryer.
Enochian angels are not the same as the angels of the Bible or the Kabbalah. The traditional Christian hierarchy, based on Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (5th–6th century), lists nine choirs: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Archangels, and Angels. Enochian angels do not fit into this structure. They are not guardians of nations or messengers of God in the usual sense. They are governors of the Aethyrs, wardens of the Watchtowers, and beings of a specific magical system.
The closest parallel is the angels of the Book of Enoch, an ancient Jewish text that describes the Watchers, the Grigori, and the archangels. Dee was familiar with this book. He saw his angels as the same beings that taught Enoch the secrets of heaven. But the Enochian system is far more structured. It is a complete language and cosmology, not a collection of stories.
Some scholars argue that the Enochian system was invented by Kelley, either consciously or through subconscious inspiration. Dee believed it was genuine. We do not take sides, but we note that the system’s internal consistency and its influence on later occultism make it a subject worth studying on its own terms.
The most persistent misconception is that Enochian is the universal language of angels. It is not. It is a specific language revealed to Dee and Kelley, used only within their system. Other traditions have their own angelic languages, such as the “language of the birds” in Sufism or the “Adamical language” of the Kabbalah.
Another misconception is that Enochian angels are dangerous or demonic. This idea comes from Aleister Crowley’s association with the system and his reputation as a “wickedest man.” But Dee was a devout Christian who saw the angels as holy. The system itself is neutral; it depends on the practitioner’s intent.
People also think the Enochian alphabet is a code for English. It is not. It has its own grammar and syntax, though it is limited in vocabulary. The Calls are the only complete texts in the language.
Finally, some believe that the symbols are purely decorative. They are not. Each letter, each sigil, each tablet has a precise function in the magic. Drawing them incorrectly can render the invocation ineffective.
FAQ
Are Enochian angels the same as the angels in the Bible?
No. Enochian angels are specific to the system revealed to John Dee and Edward Kelley. They do not appear in the Bible or traditional Christian angelology.
What is the Enochian alphabet?
It is a 21-letter alphabet dictated by angels to Dee and Kelley, written from right to left. Each letter has a name, sound, and numerical value.
How many Enochian angels are there?
The system includes hundreds of named angels, including the 30 governors of the Aethyrs, the Seniors, the Cacodaemons, and the angels of the Watchtowers.
Is Enochian magic dangerous?
Sources disagree. Dee considered it holy. Later practitioners like Crowley reported intense experiences. We recommend study before practice.
The Enochian system is a doorway into a larger tradition of magical alphabets and angelic communication. To explore the script itself, see our guide to the Enochian script. For the broader context of angelic symbols and their roles, visit our glossary entry on Enochian angels. And to understand how this system fits alongside other sacred alphabets, browse our hub on magical alphabets.