Description

---

A central text of occult literature, now for the first time in a deluxe hardcover edition with new ancillary material (a new introduction, corrections to the text, appendices, and other enhancements) by one of the most renowned scholars of occult literature. 

Discovered in a hidden compartment of an old chest long after his death, the secret writings of John Dee, one of the leading scientists and occultists of Elizabethan England, records in minute detail his research into the occult. Dee concealed his treatises on the nature of humankind's contact with angelic realms and languages throughout his life, and they were nearly lost forever. In his brief biography of John Dee, Joseph Peterson calls him a "true Renaissance man", detailing his work in astronomy, mathematics, navigation, the arts, astrology, and the occult sciences.

All this was preparation for Dee's main achievement: five books, revealed and transcribed between March 1582 and May 1583, bringing to light mysteries and truths that scholars and adepts have been struggling to understand and use ever since. These books detail his system for communicating with the angels and reveal that the angels were interested in and involved with the exploration and colonization of the New World and in heralding a new age or new world order. While Dee's influence was certainly felt in his lifetime, his popularity has grown tremendously since. His system was used and adapted by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and subsequently by Aleister Crowley.

First published by Weiser Books in 2003 as John Dee's Five Books of Mystery: Original Sourcebook of Enochian Magic (Quinti Libri Mysteriorum), his new edition will include:

• Updates to the introduction that reflect twenty years of research by the editor, Joseph Peterson, since the previous edition was last published
• Corrections to text based on a review of high-res scans of the original manuscripts that the British Library only recently made available
• New, high resolution images of Dee's drawings, symbols, sigils, and diagrams
• New appendices reflecting more recent scholarship

About the Author

---

Joseph H. Peterson has been studying esoteric texts for decades, intrigued by the Renaissance intellectual and experimental approach to spirituality. He has translated many esoteric and religious source works and amassed a large collection of rare and occult tracts for comparative research from the British Library and other institutions, which he shares on his award-winning websites esotericarchives.com and avesta.org. Peterson’s published works include The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses and The Secrets of Solomon: A Witch’s Handbook from the Trial Records of the Inquisition. Peterson has a degree in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota, where he also studied various languages and religions. He lives near Rochester, Minnesota.

Praise For…

---

“The Enochian Magic practiced by the Hermetic order of Golden Dawn, Aleister Crowley, and later magicians is significantly different from how the system was conceived of by John Dee. Even those who work the system from modern perspectives should understand how it was birthed. The last twenty years have seen an unprecedented amount of scholarly research into grimoires, magical texts, and famous magicians of the past. Joseph Peterson was at the forefront of this movement and remains the leading scholar in the field. His dedication to updating his own research and publications is invaluable. This book is not just a fancier version of the older edition; it’s a true update that reflects changes in his own thinking and new research that has been done by others. Anyone interested in Renaissance Magic, or Enochian Magic, will want this on their shelf.”
—Jason Miller, author of Consorting with Spirits and other books and courses

“Joseph H. Peterson’s authoritative edition of Dr. John Dee’s Mysteriorum Libri Quinque has long been an essential cornerstone of every serious occult student’s library. It reveals the primary texts of Dee’s angelic sessions—one of the most important events in the entire history of magick. Luckily, Peterson has greatly expanded his Mysteriorum for this new third edition, taking full advantage of over two decades of breakthroughs in Dee research. This is an absolutely welcome contribution to our ongoing golden age of revitalized occult scholarship—if you’re interested in Western magick, just get it!”
—Jason Louv, author of John Dee & the Empire of Angels and head instructor at www.Magick.Me
 
“The adage, ‘Go big or go home!’ can aptly be applied to Joseph Peterson’s Mysteriorum Libri Quinque, or more readily known as John Dee’s Five Books of Mysteries. Those familiar with Peterson’s earlier work will recognize the service provided by Peterson is invaluable in understanding Enochian magic contextually within the framework of the ‘revelations’ provided by the angels, but also in understanding Dee and the world in which he lived. By this I mean, it is a book with lots of footnotes and you will want to read them, as much insight is provided ‘right on the edges’ not unlike the very revelations that were given to Dee through Kelly. The translation, notes, and commentary make it a spectacular piece of publishing, while its size and clothbound binding make it a wonderful piece of printing. You will be pleased have this volume resting on your shelf as well as reading through it sipping some tea on a rainy afternoon, not unlike what Dee might have done at Mortlake.”
—Mark Stavish, M.A., director of the Institute for Hermetic Studies and author of Between the Gates