2030 – Seal of God

Physical description:

Copper disc engraved with the Seal of God (Sigillum Dei Aemeth) - a complex talisman used for inducing visions and invoking spirits.

Museum classification:

Ritual Magic

Size:

100 mm diam.

Information:

From Cecil Williamson's personal collection. This talisman, the Seal of God, was first described in the 13th century book of magic The Sworn Book, written by Honorius of Thebes and the Angel Hocroel. The Elizabethan magician John Dee and his scrying assistant Edward Kelley drew up a modified version (which they called the Sigillum Dei Aemeth).

Aleister Crowley published details of it in The Equinox. This is the version engraved on this copper disc for Cecil Williamson.

See also objects 3933, 3877 and 3869.

There is a 16th century version of this Seal (53 mm diameter, and found at Devil's Dyke) in the History of Science Museum in Oxford, Inventory Number 46378 (it is referred to as a Magical Sigil). See https://www.hsm.ox.ac.uk/collections-online#/item/hsm-catalogue-4051

 

 

 

 

 

Cecil Williamson said that Dee was, “appointed by Queen Elizabeth I to be her astrologer and occult adviser, generally nicknamed by the public as "Queen Elizabeth's Merlin".  He was one of the most learned men of his age but he said that he wanted more, “All my life time I had spent in learning…I had…sought to come by the best knowledge that man might attain unto in the world; And I found…that neither any man living nor any Book…was able to teach me those truths I desired and longed for…”  As a result of his prayers, Dee said that God’s holy angels began to inform him.

The spirits were quite explicit about how to contact them.  The crystal was to be put on top of “The Seal of God”.  This was to be rested on the Holy Table and seals of God made from wax were to put under each of the four table legs.  The spirits showed them the design of each of the seal and the table.

“It is so terrible, I tremble to gather it.”  John Dee.

Sometimes the spirits would come out of the crystal, this picture shows two of the spirits who appeared most regularly: a young elfine like girl called Madimi and a spirit that dressed like a jester or fool who opened up his chest to show his heart where the word “El” was inscribed.  This spirit sometimes spoke in a language that Dee didn’t understand, it then told Dee that within 28 days he would receive the legendary Book of Enoch or the Liber Logaeth “which in your language signifieth Speech from GOD” the Spirit explained.

Kelley sat in front of the crystal.  An angel would appear with a wand.  The angel would then point to the board and Kelley would explain what he saw.  Dee wrote this down on a pre-prepared table or grid.  Over a series of encounters, a whole language was communicated to Dee and Kelley.  This was said to be the language of God and the angels, the language which Adam originally spoke in and which he used to name all the plants and animals in the Garden of Eden.  Knowledge of this language, it was said, could give one power and understanding like a God.

The language Dee and Kelley wrote down has become known as Enochian (in the Bible, Enoch is Adam’s great great great great great grandson, he is said to have walked with God, to have lived for 365 years, he may have entered Heaven while still alive and is believed to have been the last person to speak the original divine language before Dee and Kelley wrote it down in the 1580s).

For several years in the 1580s, Dee worked with Edward Kelley.  Kelley became his scryer.  He would gaze into a crystal which was described by Dee as, “as big as an egg, most bright, clere and glorious.”  Kelley then reported what he saw and Dee wrote it down.

This cross (below) with AGLA (a notakarion meaning "You, O Lord, are mighty forever") was meant to be put on the back of the Seal.

This was to be rested on the Holy Table and seals of God made from wax were to put under each of the four table legs.  The spirits showed them the design of each of the seal and the table.  A modern reconstruction of the Holy Table can be seen below.

 

The design of the Seal of God

 

 

Resource:

Object

Materials:

Copper

Copyright ownership:

MWM

From Cecil Williamson's personal collection. This talisman, the Seal of God, was first described in the 13th century book of magic The Sworn Book, written by Honorius of Thebes and the Angel Hocroel. The Elizabethan magician John Dee and his scrying assistant Edward Kelley drew up a modified version (which they called the Sigillum Dei Aemeth).

Aleister Crowley published details of it in The Equinox. This is the version engraved on this copper disc for Cecil Williamson.

See also objects 3933, 3877 and 3869.

There is a 16th century version of this Seal (53 mm diameter, and found at Devil's Dyke) in the History of Science Museum in Oxford, Inventory Number 46378 (it is referred to as a Magical Sigil). See https://www.hsm.ox.ac.uk/collections-online#/item/hsm-catalogue-4051

 

 

 

 

 

Cecil Williamson said that Dee was, “appointed by Queen Elizabeth I to be her astrologer and occult adviser, generally nicknamed by the public as "Queen Elizabeth's Merlin".  He was one of the most learned men of his age but he said that he wanted more, “All my life time I had spent in learning…I had…sought to come by the best knowledge that man might attain unto in the world; And I found…that neither any man living nor any Book…was able to teach me those truths I desired and longed for…”  As a result of his prayers, Dee said that God’s holy angels began to inform him.

The spirits were quite explicit about how to contact them.  The crystal was to be put on top of “The Seal of God”.  This was to be rested on the Holy Table and seals of God made from wax were to put under each of the four table legs.  The spirits showed them the design of each of the seal and the table.

“It is so terrible, I tremble to gather it.”  John Dee.

Sometimes the spirits would come out of the crystal, this picture shows two of the spirits who appeared most regularly: a young elfine like girl called Madimi and a spirit that dressed like a jester or fool who opened up his chest to show his heart where the word “El” was inscribed.  This spirit sometimes spoke in a language that Dee didn’t understand, it then told Dee that within 28 days he would receive the legendary Book of Enoch or the Liber Logaeth “which in your language signifieth Speech from GOD” the Spirit explained.

Kelley sat in front of the crystal.  An angel would appear with a wand.  The angel would then point to the board and Kelley would explain what he saw.  Dee wrote this down on a pre-prepared table or grid.  Over a series of encounters, a whole language was communicated to Dee and Kelley.  This was said to be the language of God and the angels, the language which Adam originally spoke in and which he used to name all the plants and animals in the Garden of Eden.  Knowledge of this language, it was said, could give one power and understanding like a God.

The language Dee and Kelley wrote down has become known as Enochian (in the Bible, Enoch is Adam’s great great great great great grandson, he is said to have walked with God, to have lived for 365 years, he may have entered Heaven while still alive and is believed to have been the last person to speak the original divine language before Dee and Kelley wrote it down in the 1580s).

For several years in the 1580s, Dee worked with Edward Kelley.  Kelley became his scryer.  He would gaze into a crystal which was described by Dee as, “as big as an egg, most bright, clere and glorious.”  Kelley then reported what he saw and Dee wrote it down.

This cross (below) with AGLA (a notakarion meaning "You, O Lord, are mighty forever") was meant to be put on the back of the Seal.

This was to be rested on the Holy Table and seals of God made from wax were to put under each of the four table legs.  The spirits showed them the design of each of the seal and the table.  A modern reconstruction of the Holy Table can be seen below.

 

The design of the Seal of God