The Design of the Enochian Altar

    The altar of enochian angel-magic is cubic and should be made of laurel, as all wooden frames you use. The lateral length of the altar is 36 english inches. On the surface there should be the seven banner of creation, made of tin, beside the other utilities as the crystal-sphere on its frame and the Sigillum Dei Æmeth. John Dee painted the banners on the surface, another possible way of representing them on the altar. Each side of the altar has 21 enochian symbols painted on it, the edges are decorated with the enochian "b". The symbols are written from right to left, as it is common in enochian writings. The letters are derived from the seven long names of the kings and princes of the Heptarchia Mystica, the beginning letter "b", however, is omitted here and appears only at the edges.

Within the "Treatise on Angel Magic" of Dr. Rudd you can find these analogies:

The eastern side (the left side on the altar) is corresponding with the planetary banners of Mercury and Venus, that are being ruled by the angels Uriel and Gabriel (and when referring to dark spirits, the dark angels Amaymom and Egyn or Azazel and Mahazel). Uriel (or Nariel) rules the south-wind and Gabriel controles the north-wind, too.

The western side (on the representation it is the right side) is associated with the banners of Jupiter and Saturn, which also are controled by Uriel and Gabriel.

The northern side is analogous to the banners of the Sun and Mars, which are controlled by the angel Raphael, who also controlles the west-wind. When contacting dark angels the dark angel Paymon or Azael is having controll on this side.

The southern side is analogous to the banner of the Moon and the influence of the angel Michael, who controlles the east-wind. Working on the darker side, the dark angels Uricus or Samael are having control over their spirits.

    It may appear confusing that the angels not only control a region of the altar, but also relate to other regions by controlling the winds. The regions of the altar are not to be confused with the quadrants of the Great Table. Dr. Rudd's design of the altar's surface is also in a different orientation and the banners are arranged in a different way then they was arranged by Dee.

    The planetary banners have no direct relation to the angels of the Shemhamphorash and the goetic daemons that are controlled by the mentioned angels. A typical way of interpreting the four edges of the altar would be that the 21 letters on each side build the names of the four directions, beginning with a "b". Here you can see that the Heptarchia Mystica is vital for the altar's design. The small square in the center of the altar has 4 x 3 squares which are derived from the same table the names of the kings and princes are being created.

    The altar's surface, as it was described by the angels, was printed as title-cover on Meric Casaubons edition. An interesting variation you can find in Dr. Rudd's works who combined the classical angel-magic with the enochian system of angel-magic.

    The enochian symbols should be painted in yellow oil-paint. The altar should rest on a red silk-carpet with a length of 72 inches on each side. The four smaller sigills, framed in laurel-wood, are to be placed under the altar's legs. The altar itself is covered with simple white linen. On this cloth the Sigillum Dei Æmeth and the seven planetary banners of creation, made of tin, are arranged. The Sigillum, made of wax, and the seven banners are covered with a red/green silk cloth with cordels. The holy stone of the angels rest upon this red/green cloth. John Dee altered the arrangements, according to his own plans. My own solution is different, too. I have installed the hexagram with the sigills on the ground, big enough that I can stand within it. The design of the altar has a parallel in the "Ars Almadel" of the Lemegeton.

    In the design of Dr. Rudd you can find a direct relation to the classical angel-magic. Dr. Rudd establishes this relation also in the planetary banners and the geomantic analogies. His expansions give us the clear message that the enochian system of angel-magic can be changed and altered individually, as long as it is convenient and makes sense. I am tempted to talk of three different enochian systems around: The first and original version by John Dee and Edward Kelley, the version elaborated by Dr. Rudd and as the third and last version the one created by the magicians of the Golden Dawn. The astrological symbols I used as fill-in for the planetary banners because of aesthetical reasons. Instead of the symbol of the Moon, for example, you should place the planetary banner of the Moon there. It took me four weeks of intense work to reconstruct the altar-surface of Dr. Rudd. Click on it to see it in a larger version.

    Dr. Rudd's analogies are quite interesting to analyze. The southern side Meridies of the altar is associated with the first banner, the north side Septentrio is analogous to the fourth and fifth banner, the eastern side Oriens is analogous to the second and third one and the western side Occidens is associated with the sixth and seventh banner. Contrasting to them Michael reigns the southern region and has a relation to the first banner, as well as the enochian symbols of this side. In the east Gabriel and Uriel reign who have relations to the second and third banner. The fourth and fifth banners have a relation to the eastern region as well as the western region, which is reigned by Gabriel and Uriel together, too. The northern region has a relation to the sixth and seventh banner and is being controlled by Raphael. The angel's names written in hebrew are written just above the enochian symbols and the latin names of the cardinal directions.

    The letters in quotation marks represent the hebrew letters of the names. I used for Ayin = O, the rest of the transliteration is self-explanatory. Within the innermost ring the name of the angel of fire is written in the south: Seraph = "ShRPh", in the north the name of the angel of air: Cherub = "ChRVB". In the east you can read the name of the angel of the water element: Tharsis = "ThRShISh" and in the west the name of the angel of the earth element: Ariel = "ARIAL".

    Within the second inner ring these angelic names of the ruling angels of the 28 houses of the Moon are written, beginning in the south (Meridies) and reading them clockwise. The first one you can find on the top, just beside the cross: Geniel = "GNAL", Enediel = "ANDAL", Amixiel = "AMZAL", Azariel = "AZRAL", Gabiel = "GBAL", Dirachiel = "DRChAL", Scheliel = "SHLAL", Amnediel = "AMNDAL", Barbiel = "BRBAL", Ardesiel = "ARDZAL", Neciel = "NCIAL", Abduxuel = "ABDZZAL", Jazeriel = "IAZRAL", Ergediel = "ARGDAL", Ataliel = "ATLAL", Azeruel = "AZRVAL", Adriel = "ADRAL" (this name is missing in the manuscript), Egibiel = "AGBAL", Amutiel = "AMVTAL", Kiriel = "QIRAL", Bethnael = "BTHNAL", Geliel = "GLIAL", Requiel = "RTQIAL", Abrinael = "ABRINAL", Aziel = "AZIAL", Tagriel = "TGRAL", Alhoniel = "ALHNAL", Amnixiel = "AMNZAL".

    Within the third ring you can find the angels that control the zodiacal signs. Again you start in the south, beginning at the cross and read the names clockwise: Malchidael = "MLKDIAL", Asmodel = "ASMVDAL", Ambriel = "AMBRIAL", Muriel = "MVRIAL", Verchiel = "VRKIAL", Hamaliel = "HMLIAL", Zuriel = "ZVRIAL", Barbiel = "BRBIAL", Advachiel = "ADVKIAL", Hanael = "HNAL", Gabiel = "GABIAL", Barchiel = "BARKIAL" (this name is missing in the manuscript).

    The inner ring of the two outer rings is quite chaotic in the manuscripts. There you can find the ten sephiroth and their names of God in Atziluth, the angelic choirs in Yetzirah, the archangels in Briah and the heavens in Assiah. All four cabbalistical spheres are represented in this circle. I corrected the sequence of names and the spelling of the names. Beginning at the cross in the south, you can read these names clockwise: Eheieh = "AHIH", Kether = "KThR", Chaioth ha-Qadosh = "HIVTh HQDSh", Metatron = "MTTRVN", Rashith ha-Gilgalim = "RAShITh HGLGLIM", Yah = "IH", Chokmah = "ChKMH", Auphanim = "AVPNIM", Ratziel = "RTzIAL" (this angel is missing in the manuscript), Mazloth = "MZLVTh", Yahwe Elohim = "IHVH ALHIM", Binah = "BINH", Aralim = "ARALIM", Tzaphkiel = "TzPQIAL", Shabbathai = "ShBThAI", El ="AL", Chesed = "ChSD", Tzadqiel = "TzDQIAL", Chashmalim = "ChShMLIM" (this angelic choir is missing in the manuscript), Tzedeq = "TzDQ", Elohim Gibor = "ALHIM GBVR", Geburah = "GBVRH", Kamael = "KMAL", Seraphim = "ShRPIM", Madim = "MADIM", Yahweh Eloah Va-Daath = "IHVH ALVH VDOTh" (in the manuscript this name is shortened to "ALVH"), Tiphareth = "ThPARTh", Michael = "MIKAL", Malachim = "MLKIM", Shemesh = "ShMSh", Yahweh Tzabaoth = "IHVH TzBAVTh", Hod = "HVD", Beni Elohim = "BNI ALHIM", Raphael = "RPAL", Kokab = "KVKB", Shaddai El Chai = "ShDI AL ChI" (in the manuscript this name of God is shortened to "ShDI"), Yesod = "ISVD", Cherubim = "KRBIM", Gabriel = "GBRIAL", Levanah = "LBNH", Adonai Melek = "ADNI MLK", Malkuth = "MLKVTh", Ishim = "AShIM", Sandalphon = "SNDLPVN" (in the manuscript the analogous term "The Soul of the Messiah" — though in a horrible spelling), Cholem Yesodoth = "ChLM ISVDVTh".

    The outer ring contents the 72 angels of the Shemhamphorasch. The copist (or Dr. Rudd) did not have enough place to write all names in the circle itself. In the manuscript the right column contents the missing names. Vehuiah = "VHVIH", Yeliel = "ILIAL", Sitael = "SIThAL", Elemiah = "OLMIH", Mahasiah = "MHShIH", Lelahel = "LLHAL", Achaiah = "AKAIH", Kahetel = "KHThAL", Aziel = "HZIAL", Aladiah = "ALDIH", Lauviah = "LAVIH", Hahaiah = "HHOIH", Yezalel = "IZLAL", Mebahel = "MBHAL", Hariel = "HRIAL", Hakamiah = "HQMIH", Lauviah = "LAVIH", Kaliel = "KLIAL", Leuviah = "LVVIH", Pahaliah = "PHLIH", Nelekael = "NLKAL", Yeiael = "IIIIL", Melahel = "MLHAL", Hahuiah = "HHVIH", Nith-haiah = "NThHIH", Haaiah = "HAAAIH", Yerathel = "IRThAL", Seeiah = "ShAHIH", Reiyel = "RIIIL", Omael = "AVMAL", Lecabel = "LKBAL", Vasariah = "VShRIH", Yehuiah = "IHVIH", Lehahiah = "LHHIH", Chevakiah = "KVQIH", Menadel = "MNDAL", Aniel = "ANIAL", Haamiah = "HOMIH", Rehael = "RHOAL", Yeiazel = "IIZAL", Hahahel = "HHHAL", Mikael = "MIKAL", Vevaliah = "VVLIH", Yelahiah = "ILHIH", Sealiah = "SALIH", Ariel = "ORIAL", Asaliah = "OShLIH", Michael = "MIHAL", Vehuel = "VHVAL", Daniel = "DNIAL", Hahasiah = "HHShIH", Emamiah = "OMMIH", Nanael = "NNAAL", Nithael = "NIThAL", Mebaiah = "MBHIH", Poiel = "PVIAL", Nemmamiah = "NMMIH", Yeialel = "IILAL", Harachel = "HRChAL", Mitzrael = "MTzRAL", Umabel = "VMBAL", Yahehel = "IHHAL", Anuiel = "ONVAL", Mechiel = "MChIAL", Damabiah = "DMBIH", Manakel = "MNQAL", Eiael = "AIOAL", Chabuiah = "ChBVIH", Rachel = "RAChAL", Yabamiah = "IBMIH", Haiel = "HIIAL", Mumiah = "MVMIH".

    The greece letters in the top two pentagrams are building the word: Al-pha. The greece letters in the two pentagrams below result in Ome-ga.