Greetings Angel Magicians!
I recently submitted my latest book on Enochian magick. This one is a practical manual – a grimoire. The publisher loves it, and we are moving forward with the editing process. Plus, we’re considering ideas for titles and cover design. (And that is why I’m posting this – see further down.)
The book is intended to explain what Enochian Magick really is – especially for those who are just beginning to look into the system. It will serve as a study guide when you read more advanced texts AND it will serve as a functional Enochian Grimoire – outlining step-by-step how to perform all of the rituals for the Heptarchia, Gebofal (the Liber Loagaeth system) and the Great Table. (Much of this has never seen print before.)
It is in three parts – the first is a general overview of the history of the Enochian Tradition. The second part lays out the system as John Dee recorded it. The third part outlines the Golden Dawn recension of the material – including their use of the “Reformed Table of Raphael” and an overview of the Concourse of the Forces.
Both the second and third parts (the actual grimoires) contain the step-by-step instructions for performing the rituals. I don’t waste time on all the ciphers and word squares from which Dee decrypted the system, nor with endless quotes from the Dee journals. I do nothing at all to complicate what is otherwise a simple and straight-forward system of Renaissance Angel magick. I just lay out the system as Dee himself would have practiced it. Then I do the same for the Golden Dawn system. Both Dee-purist and Golden Dawn practices are kept entirely separate, and the differences between the two are plainly explained.
Now, the publisher has asked me what I would like the cover to look like. Personally, I would like it to be a classy cover – akin to what they used on the dust-jackets for The Angelical Language. I don’t want to use the Seal of Truth as that has been done to death. I love the cover of Don Tyson’s “Enochian Magick for Beginners”, but that’s been used. lol All in all, though, you can probably see what I’m getting at. Not too busy, not too pop, not too “Enochian” – I want it to reflect that this is a grimoire of Angel Magick.
So what do you folks think? What would you like to see on the cover of a book like this? In about a week I will send my best ideas to the publisher. Now is your chance to put in a word on what you would like to see as well. 🙂 Let me know!
Zorge,
Aaron
Ananael (The Secrets of Wisdom) 
An angel, drawn by you, that embodies in both feel and symbol, your connection and experience of those mysteries.
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That would be great! But, no, my artistic skills aren’t up to snuff where it comes to drawing angelic figures. 😉
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why still include history of the system? every single book on enochian has it.
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Oh I’m not talking about the same old “Dr. John Dee was an astrologer in Queen Elizabeth’s Court…” history. That is there, but it is VERY brief. Instead, I focus on the history of the *system* itself – specifically where it went after Dee’s passing and how we ended up with what I call the Neo-Enochian (or Golden Dawn) system. Part of the point of this book is to illustrate the differences between Dee-Purism and Neo-Enochian. You’d be amazed at how few occultists know there is any difference at all, fewer still who actually know what the differences are, and yet fewer still who know how those differences came to exist. 🙂
At least until this book comes out. lol 😉
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First and foremost, congratulations on work well done and coming into fruition!
As for the cover, you could always have something like a personal sigil in the middle with a calligraphy-type border on the outer edges of the page? The angel drawing sounds lovely as well, if you don’t feel you can draw it yourself, perhaps ask a friend with drawing skills and work together on a design?
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Thankfully I have the entire art department of the Big LL at my disposal. 🙂 I just hand them the ideas and they come up with the art. Of course, LL gets final say on anything I send them, so we’ll see how it shapes up in the end…
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First, thank you for the advance warning: the penny-saving has begun.
As to the cover, it’s hard to go wrong with simple, spare, and elegant. If the “Ziruph” material will be in it, maybe a sigil of the book’s nativity (i.e. release date) – as that’s not been overused, it’d fit the bill. It also ties into _Angelical Language_.
Part of the fun of neo-Enochiana is that the system itself is quite amenable to hacking. In fact, a case could be made that Dee himself was one of the first – realpolitik through magic? That’s not part of most of the grimoires…
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Greetings, Eoin! I’m glad to see you are interested in the upcoming material. You won’t be disappointed. 🙂
Yes – simple and elegant is what I’m going to ask for. The Ziruph material won’t be here, as I’m not including my own personal innovations in this one. Just Dee’s system as he likely would have used it, and then the G.D. material as it is outlined in Concourse of the Forces. (Both entirely separate, of course.)
So far, my best two ideas are to either continue the same theme used for the Angelical Language books, just a different color to set it apart. Or perhaps to show one of the Enochian magickal tools or talismans on the front. Plus, of course, Llewellyn will have the final say once I submit my ideas.
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What a wonderful book; so vital to people like me, advancing through the Golden Dawn. Such a book that distinguishes the Golden Dawn Enochian system is a gift. For a cover that is simple and classy, i see a dark backround, perhaps a deep blue. Upon this, in a soft white or silver perhaps, an outline of an angel – nothing fancy or baroque -the suggestion of a facial profile and wings. The only “splash of color” may be highlighting the wings. You can modify this to be YOUR angel. On my facebook site (Ariellah Shochet…you are a friend), a picture of Sandalphon is similar. I love to draw and could guide you, if you wish.
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Hmmm… I have to admit, this is one of the better suggestions I have been given. Most folks (myself included) seem to like the idea of continuing the theme of the last two covers. Llewellyn suggested it be a different color – and wouldn’t you know I even suggested to them to make that color darker than the Angelical Language books. lol So we’re pretty much on the same page here. The idea of the silhouette of an angel is intriguing. I think I’ll pass that idea along to them. :):)
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