A newly updated translation of Propaedeumata Aphoristica by John Dee, translated by best-selling author and renowned magician John Michael Greer. Few texts have played such a foundational role in the development of astrological magic, and its influence on the living tradition of today’s practicing magician cannot be overstated. This edition is an essential addition to any serious occult library.
From the Introduction
John Dee needs little introduction to modern occultists. Court astrologer and magician to Queen Elizabeth I, owner of the finest library in Elizabethan England, mathematician, navigator, alchemist, and secret agent of the Crown, Dee stands as one of the most extraordinary figures of the Renaissance. He is best known today as the co-creator of the Enochian system of magic and as the author of the enigmatic Monas Hieroglyphica, one of the most cryptic works in the Western alchemical tradition.
What may surprise many readers is that Dee’s first major occult work remains largely unknown today.
First published in 1558 and revised in 1568, Propaedeumata Aphoristica (“An Aphoristic Introduction”) was written as a practical guide to the core principles of astrology and astrological magic. Framed by Dee’s magical and alchemical emblem, the Hieroglyphic Monad, the work unfolds through 120 aphorisms—ranging from brief insights to extended reflections—that concisely articulate the worldview of the Renaissance astrologer and magus with a clarity and depth rarely matched.
This new translation brings Dee’s voice back to life, making a foundational magical text accessible, readable, and relevant for contemporary practitioners.