11 Fascinating Insights into John Dee, the Royal Astrologer of Queen Elizabeth I

John Dee's life is shrouded in myth, with tales labeling him as both a sorcerer and a spy. Born on July 13, 1527, in London, England, Dee was a celebrated polymath, excelling in mathematics and astronomy. His fascination with the occult also led him to serve as the court astrologer for Queen Elizabeth I, where he attempted to communicate with angels through séances. Discover the truth about Dee—the scholar, scientist, and explorer of the mystical.

1. John Dee faced arrest for allegations of witchcraft.

In 1555, Dee was accused of 'conjuring or witchcrafte' after creating a horoscope for Queen Mary I. However, he was cleared of charges a few months later. During the Renaissance, astrology was often regarded as a scientific discipline, albeit one viewed with skepticism, rather than an occult practice.

2. Dee proposed the creation of a national public library to Mary I and built his own when she declined.

In 1556, Dee urged Mary I to establish a library accessible to the entire nation, aimed at preserving the 'excellent works of our forefathers from decay.' After his proposal was rejected, he assembled a private library at his Mortlake residence, which, while not fully public, welcomed scholars. This collection grew to become one of England's most extensive personal libraries, boasting approximately 4000 volumes, including 3000 books and 1000 manuscripts. Unfortunately, many of these works were pilfered when Dee entrusted the library to his brother-in-law, Nicholas Fromond, during his extended travels across Europe in the 1580s.

3. Dee was appointed as the royal astrologer to Elizabeth I.

Dee gained royal favor when Elizabeth I, who had a keen interest in astrology, ascended the throne. She tasked him with selecting a favorable date for her coronation, which he determined to be January 15, 1559. Dee became her trusted court astrologer, advising her on celestial matters while also serving as an authority in mathematics, chemistry (including alchemy), astronomy, geography, and navigation.

4. Dee is credited with possibly coining the term British Empire.

In his work The General and Rare Memorials pertayning to the Perfect Arte of Navigation (1577), Dee urged Elizabeth to leverage the navy to expand Britain's overseas territories, referring to it as the 'Brytish Impire.' This marks the earliest documented use of the phrase, though it’s possible Dee was simply the first to record it.

5. Dee recommended that Elizabeth adopt the Gregorian calendar, albeit with some personal modifications.

The Julian calendar, established by the Roman Empire, was still widely used in Europe despite its inaccuracies, particularly in calculating the solar year. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar, removing 10 days and adjusting leap year calculations. Dee, renowned for his expertise in astronomy and history, was consulted on whether England should adopt this new system.

Dee advised that England should adopt the new calendar, suggesting an 11-day adjustment implemented gradually to minimize disruption. However, the Anglican Church rejected the proposal, largely due to its papal origins, as England was a Protestant nation at the time. The Gregorian calendar was not adopted in England and its colonies until 1752.

6. Dee played a key role in popularizing the mathematical symbols +, -, x, and ÷ in England.

During the Renaissance, mathematics was often overlooked in favor of rhetoric and moral philosophy taught through Latin and Greek texts. Dee, however, championed the study of math, despite its occasional association with witchcraft. He contributed to introducing the now-standard mathematical symbols +, -, x, and ÷ to English readers by penning the preface to Sir Henry Billingsley’s 1570 translation of Euclid’s The Elements of Geometrie. In this preface, he defended the practical value of mathematics and sought to dispel its connections to occult practices.

7. Dee was convinced that communicating with angels was achievable.

While Dee firmly denied any demonic associations with mathematics, he utilized it in his explorations of the occult. He engaged in numerology and divination, employing tools like a crystal ball and an obsidian spirit mirror to attempt communication with angels. Dee believed these celestial beings could impart secret knowledge, such as the creation of the legendary philosopher’s stone, an alchemical marvel said to grant immortality and transform base metals into gold.

Despite his efforts, Dee struggled with scrying—the ability to receive supernatural messages—and enlisted the help of mediums, including his son, Arthur Dee. Arthur transcribed an encrypted recipe for the philosopher’s stone, believed to be an 'elixir of life' capable of granting immortality and transmuting ordinary metals into gold and silver. This encoded message was finally deciphered in 2021 by scholars Megan Piorko, Sarah Lang, and Richard Bean.

8. Dee formed a significant collaboration with the scryer Edward Kelley.

Dee first encountered Edward Kelley (now widely considered a fraud) in 1582 and became convinced of his ability to communicate with angels. Together, they conducted numerous séances, with Dee meticulously documenting the supposed divine dialogues. The angels reportedly spoke to Kelley in an unfamiliar language, which Dee had to translate. They called this language Angelic or Adamic, though it is now recognized as Enochian.

In 1583, Dee and Kelley, accompanied by their families, traveled across Europe seeking support for their alchemical and occult studies. They met with royals fascinated by mysticism, including King Stephen of Poland and Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II. Dee is believed to have sold the enigmatic Voynich Manuscript to Rudolf, who became the earliest known owner of this cryptic text.

9. Dee and Kelley participated in wife swapping after an angel allegedly commanded them to do so.

During a séance in Bohemia in 1587, Kelley claimed the angel Madimi demanded that the two men share everything, including their wives. Dee’s diary recounts that his wife Jane wept and trembled for 15 minutes upon hearing of the 'cross-matching' arrangement. Despite their reluctance, both Jane and Kelley’s wife, Joanna, complied. Nine months later, Jane gave birth to Theodore Dee, who may have been Kelley’s child. The name Theodore, meaning 'gift of god,' possibly alludes to the unusual circumstances of his conception.

10. Dee lost favor after James VI and I ascended the throne in 1603.

Following Elizabeth I's death in 1603, James VI and I, who despised anything associated with witchcraft, gave Dee a chilly reception. James declined to defend Dee when he was accused of being a 'Conjurer, or Caller, or Invocator of Divels, or damned Spirites.' Dee passed away in poverty in either December 1608 or March 1609.

11. Dee is thought to have inspired William Shakespeare’s Prospero and Ian Fleming’s James Bond.

Some academics suggest that Prospero from William Shakespeare’s The Tempest (1610/11) was inspired by Dee: Both were mystical figures with vast libraries who faced adversity. While Dee was a prominent figure during Shakespeare’s time, there’s no definitive proof linking him to Prospero. Additionally, Dee and Kelley may have influenced the characters Subtle and Face in Ben Jonson’s The Alchemist (1610).

A more speculative connection is Dee’s potential influence on Ian Fleming’s James Bond. In John Dee: Scientist, Geographer, Astrologer and Secret Agent to Elizabeth I (1968), Richard Deacon portrays Dee as 'a roving James Bond of Tudor times.' While Elizabeth employed spies, there’s no evidence Dee served in such a capacity. The theory that Fleming derived Bond’s code name—007—from Dee’s secret signature remains unverified. Katie Birkwood, a rare books librarian at the Royal College of Physicians, London, has never uncovered any letters from Dee signed 007. Fleming never clarified the origin of the iconic name, leaving the speculation unresolved.