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Scrying

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Scrying was the art of telling the future by interpreting shapes or visions. The most common method was to gaze into a reflective surface such as a mirror, crystal ball, body of water, or even a polished fingernail. Other popular options were to study patterns in fire, smoke or clouds. Scryers might summon sprits to relay visions, or might interpret ‘natural’ patterns. Cunning folk might employ scrying to see the forms of people’s future spouses, or to identify thieves or witches in their localities. In 1570, Hugh Bryghan of Pentrefelin appeared in court at Denbigh. For the last two decades, Hugh had recited an incantation calling on the Holy Trinity and making a cross over a crystal stone in order to find thieves and stolen goods.1Stuart Clark and P. T. J. Morgan, ‘Religion and Magic in Elizabethan Wales: Robert Holland’s Dialogue on Witchcraft’, Journal of Ecclesiastical History 27:1 (1976), 31-46, at p. 43.

The astrologer William Lilly (1602-81) described several scryers, including a woman called Sarah Skelhorn who had ‘the best eyes for that purpose I ever yet did see’. She began her sessions by summoning angels with an incantation beginning ‘Oh ye good angels, only and only…’ Skelhorn in fact proved rather too good at her job; Lilly records how ‘the angels would for some years follow her, and appear in every room of the house, until she was weary of them’.2William Lilly, William Lilly’s History of His Life and Times, 2nd edn (London, 1715), pp. 228-9.

Sustained focus on a reflective surface will generate flickers of images for some people, and many scryers may have entered trance-like states, perhaps coming to see dreamlike successions of pictures. Naturally, though, some individuals were sceptical of the practice. In Hamlet (Act III Scene II), Shakespeare pokes fun at the human tendency to pick shapes out of nothingness:

Crystal ball owned by John Dee (1527-1608/9).3Science Museum, London.

Hamlet: Do you see yonder cloud that’s almost in shape of a camel?
Polonius: By the mass, and ’tis like a camel, indeed.
Hamlet: Methinks it is like a weasel.
Polonius: It is backed like a weasel.
Hamlet: Or like a whale?
Polonius: Very like a whale.

Depiction of clouds in a 1552 work.4Detail from illustration in the illuminated manuscript The Augsburg Book of Miracles (c. 1552), f. 45, Wikimedia Commons.

The story of John Dee (1527-1608/9) and Edward Kelley (1555-97/8)5Quotations from A True and Faithful Relation of What Passed for Many Yeers between Dr. John Dee and Some Spirits, ed. Meric Casaubon (London, 1659), pp. 11, *20; The Private Diary of Dr John Dee, ed. James Orchard Halliwell (London, 1842), p. 27.
Image citations:
1) John Dee in Ebenezer Sibley, A New and Complete Illustration of the Occult Sciences, part 4 (London, 1791), pp. 1098-9, Wellcome Collection.
2) Engraving of Edward Kelley (1659) after Francis Cleyn (1582-1658), National Portrait Gallery.
3) John Dee’s scrying artefacts, British Museum.
4) Michael Sendivogius (Sędziwój), the alchemist, demonstrating the art in the court of Rudolf II. Drawing after V. Brožik (1851-1901). Wellcome Collection.
5) Anonymous Portrait of John Dee (1527-1608), c. 1594. Wikimedia Commons.
6) Order signed by Emperor Rodolf II, ordering the arrest of Edward Kelley who had fled from Prague, 1591. Wellcome Collection.
7) Detail from Saint Jerome: he hears an angel blowing the last trump. Etching by J. Ribera.1591-1652. Wellcome Collection.

John Dee graduated from Cambridge in 1548. He was arrested in 1555 on charges of making illicit astrological calculations, and later conjuring and witchcraft, but he was released. In the mid-1560s he settled in Surrey, published on mathematics and began researching alchemy. A convert to Protestantism, he served at times as an advisor at the court of Elizabeth I. His first wife, Katherine Constable, died in 1575. He married Jane Fromond in 1578, and they went on to have eight children. (Click on images for information/higher resolution.)

John Dee graduated from Cambridge in 1548. He was arrested in 1555 on charges of making illicit astrological calculations, and later conjuring and witchcraft, but he was released. In the mid-1560s he settled in Surrey, published on mathematics and began researching alchemy. A convert to Protestantism, he served at times as an advisor at the court of Elizabeth I. His first wife, Katherine Constable, died in 1575. He married Jane Fromond in 1578, and they went on to have eight children. (Click on images for information/higher resolution.)
Edward Kelley was born in 1555. The details of his early life are difficult to recover. He may have first worked as an apothecary, and may also have studied at Oxford. According to popular legend, his ears were cropped as a punishment for fraud around 1580, and he attempted to use necromancy to raise and question a corpse. He married Jane Weston in 1583.

Edward Kelley was born in 1555. The details of his early life are difficult to recover. He may have first worked as an apothecary, and may also have studied at Oxford. According to popular legend, his ears were cropped as a punishment for fraud around 1580, and he attempted to use necromancy to raise and question a corpse. He married Jane Weston in 1583.
Although interested in scrying, Dee could not see anything himself in his various crystals. In 1582, Kelley began to work for him as a scryer. There followed five years of encounters with angels, relayed by Kelley. Dee and Kelley commenced their sessions with prayer. Once the angels appeared, they posed questions about contemporary affairs and philosophical questions. The angels taught them a new language, later termed Enochian.


Although interested in scrying, Dee could not see anything himself in his various crystals. In 1582, Kelley began to work for him as a scryer. There followed five years of encounters with angels, relayed by Kelley. Dee and Kelley commenced their sessions with prayer. Once the angels appeared, they posed questions about contemporary affairs and philosophical questions. The angels taught them a new language, later termed Enochian.
In 1583, Dee and his household travelled with Kelley and his wife to central Europe, where they met the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II. Relations between Dee and Kelley were often tense, and Kelley reportedly attempted to break off the scrying sessions, but Dee resisted. In 1587, while they were living in Bohemia, a spirit called Madimi informed the pair that they should live in ‘perfect unity’, and should share everything, including their wives.


In 1583, Dee and his household travelled with Kelley and his wife to central Europe, where they met the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II. Relations between Dee and Kelley were often tense, and Kelley reportedly attempted to break off the scrying sessions, but Dee resisted. In 1587, while they were living in Bohemia, a spirit called Madimi informed the pair that they should live in ‘perfect unity’, and should share everything, including their wives.
There followed an episode of wife-swapping, coyly described in Dee’s diary: ‘May 22nd, Mistris Kelly received the sacrament, and to me and my wife gave her hand in charity; and we rushed not from her.’ Thereafter, the relationship seems to have fractured, and the angelic conversations ceased. Dee returned to England while Kelley remained in Bohemia. Dee persisted with scholarly pursuits, but died in poverty and relative obscurity in 1609.

There followed an episode of wife-swapping, coyly described in Dee’s diary: ‘May 22nd, Mistris Kelly received the sacrament, and to me and my wife gave her hand in charity; and we rushed not from her.’ Thereafter, the relationship seems to have fractured, and the angelic conversations ceased. Dee returned to England while Kelley remained in Bohemia. Dee persisted with scholarly pursuits, but died in poverty and relative obscurity in 1609.
Kelley continued to work on alchemical projects, and was knighted by Rudolf II. In 1591 he was imprisoned, ostensibly for killing an official in a duel, although possibly Rudolf was trying to prevent him from taking his alchemical knowledge back to England. Kelley was released in 1593, but reimprisoned in 1595; his failure to turn metal into gold had soured relations with the emperor. He died in 1597 or 1598, supposedly during an escape attempt.


Kelley continued to work on alchemical projects, and was knighted by Rudolf II. In 1591 he was imprisoned, ostensibly for killing an official in a duel, although possibly Rudolf was trying to prevent him from taking his alchemical knowledge back to England. Kelley was released in 1593, but reimprisoned in 1595; his failure to turn metal into gold had soured relations with the emperor. He died in 1597 or 1598, supposedly during an escape attempt.
The story demonstrates the depth of Dee’s conviction in the angelical conversations. He worried that the command to swap wives was ‘contrary to the law of the Commandment’, but nevertheless obeyed the angel. Kelley’s role is harder to assess; he might have been sincere himself, at least some of the time, or might have deliberately duped Dee. He certainly seems to have had genuine faith in the power of alchemy and astrology, and to have shared Dee’s interest in uncovering spiritual truths.


The story demonstrates the depth of Dee’s conviction in the angelical conversations. He worried that the command to swap wives was ‘contrary to the law of the Commandment’, but nevertheless obeyed the angel. Kelley’s role is harder to assess; he might have been sincere himself, at least some of the time, or might have deliberately duped Dee. He certainly seems to have had genuine faith in the power of alchemy and astrology, and to have shared Dee’s interest in uncovering spiritual truths.

The cunning-woman Anne Bodenham, described here as ‘the witch’, shows a maid how she uses a mirror for scrying in a passage published in 1653.6Edmund Bower, Doctor Lamb Revived (London, 1653), pp. 2-3.

…the witch put on her spectacles, and demanding seven shillings of the maid … she opened three books, in which there seemed to be several pictures, and amongst the rest the picture of the Devil … with his cloven feet and claws … [then] she brought a round green glass, which glass she laid down on one of the books, upon some picture therein, and rubbed the glass, and then took up the book with the glass upon it, and held it up against the sun, and bid the maid come and see … and the maid looking in the glass saw the shape of many persons…

scrying mirror

Scrying mirror believed to have been owned by John Dee.7Science Museum, London.

Evidence given in the trial of Mary Alderman, accused of stealing a pair of silvery buckles from Charles Murrow in 1745. She was found not guilty.8Proceedings of the Old Bailey, 27 February 1745.

 I am the prisoner’s own mother. On the 19th day of January Charles Murrow sent for me, and wanted to speak with me; and desired me to tax the prisoner with having the buckles. He said, he had been recommended to a fortune-teller, and had described the person that had them, and told the colour of her skin, and the nature of her hair; and he said he saw the prisoner’s face in a glass very perfectly…

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