John Dee & Edward Kelley & the Spirit World: Pt 8

I again rely heavily on Jane Dunn to get us to the point where my article about John Dee should come in. Hopefully it will be the next article after tonight's -not sure of the timeframe on it yet. This information is from pages 28 and 29 of Jane Dunn's Elizabeth & Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens and begins talking about Mary Queen of Scots and her marriage to the short-lived Francis II of France and about Princess Claude's marriage to the Duc de Lorraine. "Across the English Channel cloth of gold was in similarly short supply. Mary was caught up in the flurry of preparations for another grand celebration at court. Only nine months after her own magnificent wedding, she was to be one of the leading guests at the wedding of the King's (Henri II's) second daughter, Princess Claude, with whom she had grown up. This girl was not yet twelve years old and was marrying the nominal head of the Guise family, Charles, Duc de Lorraine. This was yet another triumph for his uncle the Duc de Guise, "le Balafre," whose family consolidated further to its position at the heart of the French royal family."

Henry II (31 March 1519-10 July 1559) is the French King mentioned in this famous prophecy of Nostradamus-or so commentators say. I will provide a wikipedia link at the end of the article that talks about some controversy to the prophecy that I had never heard of before. If any readers have any thoughts of have also heard of this I would appreciate hearing from you as I thought this was one of Nostradamus' "slam dunk" prophecies. Here is the prophecy from Century 1 and Quatrain 35: The young lion shall overcome the older one/on the field of combat in single battle,/He shall pierce his eyes in a golden cage,/Two forces one, then he shall die a cruel death. I should mention that this is about Henri II's death days later from injuries he suffered in a jousting match.

Now back to Elizabeth and Mary this is the paragraph directly after the one quoted above: "Again no expense was to be spared. In a country still struggling under the levies of war, the young duke spent nearly 200,000 crowns, raised in taxes from his people, on the wedding and the week-long jousting and masquerades, which were traditional accompaniments to such regal nuptials. Part of his expenditure was on the livery of cloth of gold and silver for his team of twelve jousters and the matching eight to nine dresses of extravagant construction for the main female guests. Mary was presented with one of these creations, richly embroidered in gold and silver and lined with lynx's fur against the January weather. There were countless other beautiful gowns offered as gifts to ladies of the court."

"This display of ostentatious wealth and munificence was commented on even by the worldy-wise Venetian ambassador. Mary herself could not have been oblivious to the grandeur and self-confidence of her family inheritance exhibited at every possible occasion. United in her youthful person was the pride and valour of the Guises and the God-given pre-eminence as both a Stuart queen and-she hoped-a queen of the house of Tudor. This powerful dynastic mix was further enhanced through marriage with the mighty Valois, royal family of France. Born to all this, it was understandable if such a young queen had a share of the hubris of those she had grown up amongst. It made it difficult for her to recognize that even such certainty as her right to be the Queen of Scotland, the kingdom she valued least of all, was not immutable."

"Perhaps the same astrological phenomena Dr. Dee used were pored over by French diviners looking for auspicious signs, for this marriage was solemnised on 22 January, just a week after the coronation of Elizabeth as the new queen of England."

" Elizabeth's cornonation managed to be both a grand spectacle and yet intimately involving of her subjects. This ability to combine "a superb show" with a certain formality at great state occasions seems to have been a characterisitc peculiar to the English at the time, differentiating them from the Italian and French. A perceptive Italian observer in his eyewitness account commented on this, not entirely favorably: "the English having no Masters of the Ceremonies...and still less caring about formalities" seemed to rely less on pomp and ceremonial. He thought the cheery way Elizabeth answered back to the jocular crowds who clamoured for her after her coronation was equally deplorable. This informality and sensitivity to the popular mood was to appear to her Catholic observers to extend even into her attitude to religious worship and allow a fatal backsliding, they feared, to her brother's radicalism."

"This ability to unite grandeur with a genuine common touch was memorably displayed in Elizabeth's state entry into London on the Saturday afternoon, the day before her cornonation. The sky was dull with heavy snow clouds; in fact some snow even fell on the waiting crowds, some of whom had been out all night "their untired patience never spent, eyther with long expecting (some of them from a good part of the night before) or with unsatiable beholding of the Ceremonies of that day." There was thick mud everywhere, brought on by the rain and churned up by the increased traffic of carts and horses, and each house-holder had taken it upon themselves to strew sand and gravel in front of their houses to make the going less difficult. The whole court was present and so brilliantly arrayed the weather hardly mattered. They "so sparkled with jewels and gold collars that they cleared the air." Again, all of the previous material, unless otherwise noted is from the Jane Dunn book. I thought her writing and knowledge of the era would add greatly to this series. Next I would like to just state some more things about Dr. John Dee that I had put on tape recorder. I hope none of this is going back over old stuff. I just wanted to have a good background for the next-and maybe last-maybe not article in this series.

From the 1550s through the 1570s, Dee served as an adviser to the Crown on England's voyages of discovery. Providing technical assistance on navigation and ideological backing for the "British Empire," a term that John Dee was the first man to use. Dee wrote a letter to Willliam Cecil, First Baron Burghley in October 1574 seeking patronage. He claimed to have occult knowledge of treasure on the Welsh Marshes. This area is an imprecisely defined border between England and Wales. Dee also claimed to have knowledge of valuable ancient manuscripts at Wigmore Castle in Herefordshire. Dee knew that the Lord Treasurer's ancestors came from this area. In 1577 Dee published "General and Rare Memorials pertayning to the Perfect Arte of Navigation," a work that set out his vision of a maritime empire and asserted English territorial claims on the New World. Dee was acquainted with Humphrey Gilbert and was close to Sir Phillip Sidney and his circle. Sidney was one of the Elizabethan ages most prominent figures. He was famous for being a poet, courtier and soldier. In 1564 wrote the Hermetic work Monas Hieroglyphica (the Hieroglyphic Monad) an exhaustive Cabbalistic work of the interpretation of a glyph of his own design.

Meant to express to express the mystical unity of all creation. He travelled to Hungary to present a copy to Maximillian II, Holy Roman Emperor. His work was highly valued by his contemporaries but the loss of a secret oral tradition of Dee's milieu makes the work hard to interpret. Dee also published a mathematical preface to Henry Billingsley's English translation of Euclid's Elements in 1570 arguing the central importance of mathematics and outlining mathematics influence on the other arts and sciences. Dee''s work for the audience outside of the university setting was his most published an reprinted. In 1570 Dee argued in Brittanicae republicae synopsis for England's expansion into the New World. In this work he talked about the state of the Elizabethan realm and was also concerned with trade, ethics and national strength. His 1576 work on navigation, mentioned previously also argued for English imperialism and expansion. On the highly suggestive cover of this book, Brittania is seen kneeling and beseeching Elizabeth I to keep England safe by strengthening her navy. Dee used Geoffrey's inclusion of Ireland in Arthur's imperial conquests to argue that Arthur had established a British Empire abroad. John Dee also proposed that England exploit new lands through colonization. Dee posited a British claim to North America on the back of a map drawn 1577 to 1580.

In his Title Royal he invented the claim that the Madog ab Owain Gwynedd had discovered America with the intention of strengthening his claim that England's claim to North America was stronger than that of Spain. By the early 1580s Dee was growing dissatisfied with his progress in learning the secrets of Nature. And with his own lack of influence and recognition he turned to the supernatural as a means to acquire knowledge. Specifically he sought to contact angels through the means of a scryer or a crystal gazer who would act as an intermediary between Dee and the angelic realm. In 1582 Dee met Edward Kelley (then going by the name Edward Talbot) who impressed him greatly with his abilities. Dee took Kelley into his service and began to devote all his energies to his supernatural pursuits. These "spititual conferences" or "actions" were undertaken with an intense air of Christian piety with purification through fasting and prayer before. Dee was convinced of the benefits to mankind from these "communications." The character of Kelley is more difficult to assess. Some claim he acted with complete cynicism, but delusion or self-deception is not out of the question. The sheer volume of Kelley's output is amazing for its intricacy and vividness.

Dee maintained that the angels laboriously dictated the content of several books to him this way-some in a special angelic or Enochian language. In 1583 Dee met visiting Polish nobleman Albert Laski who persuaded Dee, Kelley and their families to accompany him to the continent in September 1583-the "angels" also prompted Dee to undertake the journey. But Laski proved to be bankrupt and out of favor in his own country. Dee and Kelley began a nomadic life in central Europe but they continued their "spiritual conferences" which Dee kept meticulous notes of. Dee also had an audience with Rudolf II (Holy Roman Emperor 1576-1612) and King Stephen of Poland in which he chided them for their ungodliness and attempted to convince them of the importance of his angelic communications. Neither monarch took him under their wings. During a spiritual conference in Bohemia in 1587, Kelley claimed that the angel Uriel had told him that he and Dee should share their wives. This caused Dee great anguish but he did not doubt its genuineness and apparently allowed it to go forward. Kelley, who was becoming a noted alchemist by this time and was much more sought after than Dee may have used this as a way to end the spiritual conferences. However, after this took place Dee ended the spiritual conferences and did not see Kelley again. Dee returned to England in 1589.

Dee returned to Mortlake to find his library ruined and many of his prized instruments and books stolen. He sought support from Queen Elizabeth who finally made him Warden of Christ's College in Manchester in 1592. This former college of priests has been reestablished as a Protestant institution by a royal charter of 1578. However, he could not exert much control over the Fellows who despised or cheated him. Early in his tenure he was consulted over the demonic possession of seven children, but took little interest in the matter. He did allow those involved to consult his still extensive library. He left Manchester in 1605 to return to London. By that time Elizabeth was dead and her successor, James I, was unsympathetic to anything related to the supernatural and provided no help. Dee spent his final years in poverty at Mortlake. He was forced to sell off various of his possessions to support himself and his daughter Katherine who cared from him until the end in late 1608 or early 1609 aged 82. There are no extant records or the exact date as both the parish registers and Dee's gravestone are missing. Dee was married twice and had eight children. Details of his first marriage are sketchy but is likely to have been from 1565 until his wife's death around 1576. From 1577 to 1601 he kept a meticulous diary. He married the twenty- three year old Jane Fromond in 1578. This was the wife that Kelley claimed Uriel had said they should share. Jane died during the plague in Manchester in 1605 along with a number of his children. Dee's son, Arthur, was also an alchemist and Hermetic author.

The antiquary, John Aubrey gives a detailed description of Dee, "He was tall and slender. He wore a gown like an artist's gown with hanging sleeves and a slit. A very fair, clear sanguine complexion...a long beard as white as milk. A very handsome man." John Dee was an intensely pious Christian, but his Christianity was heavily influenced by the Hermetic, Platonic and Pythagorean doctrines that were pervasive during the Renaissance. He believed that number was the basis of all things and the key to all knowledge and the key to God's creation was the act of numbering. From Hermeticism, he believed that human beings could have divine power. And he believed this divine power could be excercised through mathematics. His Cabbalistic angel magic was heavily numerological and his work on practical mathematics, navigation for example, were simply the exalted mundane ends of the same spectrum, not the antithetical activities many would see them as today. I will give a couple of links for this article this morning and hope to come back with more soon. I have been at this almost three hours I think and have to stop for now! I hope to be online tomorrow but if not-I definitely want to be Saturday. Here is a LINK about Francis, Duke of Guise and a LINK about the short-lived husband of Mary and king of France. With any luck many more links on the way! The Dee information was largely from wikipedia in this article. Thanks so very much for your great comments and be well all of you! The image is of a rose of the Tudor dynasty. Forgot the Henry II LINK the part about the Nostradamus prophecy is logically under the "prophecy" label in the wikipedia article.

John Dee & Edward Kelley & the Spirit World: Pt 7

I have always thought that some of the most fascinating thoughts on world history are the conspiratorial, esoteric-ummm things not being quite as they seem. This idea is just one that I hope to touch on in this series. These ideas can be as simple as things we know happened: for instance the conspiracy to kill Hitler-I should also mention here the absolute 100 percent reality of the Holocaust-for there are some numbskulls out there that don't think the Holocaust was the real series of atrocities that it was-or even existed at all! Uh yeah-Zyklon B and "The Final Solution" were simply code words for a new form of roach control! Oh and the walking skeletons you see in photographs taken in concentration camps after the Nazi regime fell-they were just extras-kinda like what you find in Hollywood!. I have always found people coming from this angle to be haters of Jewish folk. They will deny it under all sorts of refutations and folderall-but trust me on just this one thing if anything-people that deny the Holocaust happened hate Jewish people. That is one reason I refuse to visit certain sites on the net even though they may have a great database of other subjects.

In fact Professor Pan did a great expose of one of them and I will try to come back with a link to his article. The deaths of John Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy have long been proven in my mind to be what Jeff Wells at Rigorous Intuition calls "acts of state." Jeff also touches on the anti-Jewish contagion that unfortunately infects some in the field of conspiracy research in his book, Rigorous Intuition. From here I will skip over the many events from the latter part of the twentieth century through the years of our new century-everthing from other assassinations-including Pope John Paul 1 (oh yes-yet another series inspired by Rigorous Intuition might be in the works here if my neighbors don't whack my own bad self before then!), Pan Am 103, the Oklahoma City bombing and of course the biggest bugger of them all-September 11, 2001. There are some out there who would suggest that the money masters of the capitalist West bankrolled both the foundation of Nazi Germany and the nascent Soviet Union. These ideas are what I call the BIG conspiracy theories-and you know what? I think the people that have done research like this just might be onto something. But I digress-as usual:) What I am trying to get at, using too many words is that sometimes our history books may not tell us the whole story. And with John Dee-maybe just maybe a person who rates a footnote in most serious studies of history, was perhaps a much more important individual than given credit for.

Now I would like to plug another book! The lovely author Jane Dunn who has written a biography of Mary Shelley, a study of the relationship between Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell, and also a groundbreaking work on the life of Antonia White authored a beautiful 2004 book called Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals and Queens. Jane Dunn is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Like Rigorous Intuition, the music of Linda Matos and other books, poetry and works of art that I have shouted out here and those I hope to in the future I would feel absolutely secure in offering a refund to readers of my blog who purchased the book and found it wanting. I actually hope to be able to do this with these things if my financial situation ever turns around. Of course one must qualify certain things. I would suggest buying this book iff (iff=if and only iff if I remember geometry and college algebra right!): You have an interest in women in power, feminism, Elizabethan England, Mary Queen of Scots, international relations of the time period, customs, how men and women related to each other then. I also very much enjoyed how Jane Dunn breathed so much life into the people and timeframe she talks about in the book and also the powerful emotions she portrays with an expert skill. Jane Dunn-you get the My Favorite Monsters seal of approval (as if you care:). If you were a man I could offer to do certain things for you-or should I say iff and only iff you were a man! Sorry folks-you know how bad insomnia worsens my already horrid sense of humor! I do have one thing I could offer if you so fancied. I could dress up as Peter Cottontail and chase you around with an egg beater as I sing my version of I think I'm Going Out of My Head by Little Anthony and the Imperials! And of course if you do not wish me to do this you (which I am just assuming on a hunch:) you could just let me quote from your book!

So here goes from pages 27 to 29 in Jane Dunn's Elizabeth and Mary: "Court Life had revived within the month. Having been secluded for so long, careful to be seen as modest, scholarly and not overly ambitious, Elizabeth now joined her courtiers, feasting and dancing into the early morning. Her physical vitality reminded the older ones present of her father when a young man, but unlike him, her energy and physical fitness lasted well into late middle-age when she could still hunt and dance her noblemen to a standstill. Elizabeth began that Christmas to exhibit something of her capacity for epic enjoyment. In another dispatch, Schifanoya was rather disapproving: "The Court is held at Westminster, and they are intent on amusing themselves and on dancing till after midnight," he sniffily reported to the Mantuan ambassador at the court of Philip II in Brussels. A month later he was deploring "the levities and unusual licentiousness at Elizabeth's court, refusing to detail the profanities acted out on the feast of the Epiphany, traditionally Twelfth Night, when mummers dressed up as crows wearing the habits of cardinals, or as asses in bishops' regalia and wolves in abbots' clothing. While the court and the young queen greeted this ribaldry with wild laughter, our devout Italian observer was not amused at the wider implications as to Elizabeth's intentions towards the true religion: "I will consign it in silence."

"The timing of the coronation was of crucial moment. With the implicit threat from the French with Mary Queen of Scots' claim to the English throne in their pocket, and the obdurate insistence of two popes that Elizabeth was illegitimate, it seemed politic to claim her crown as soon as possible. By then it was well-established law, "that the crown once worn quite taketh away all Defects whatsoever. But these new Elizabethans had a complicated relationship with the supernatural. A teeming spirit world coexisted with the material, and divination, astrology, alchemy and other esoteric beliefs flourished as part of the natural sciences. Nostradamus was closely consulted for his prophecies (Catherine de Medici, the mother-in-law of Mary Queen of Scots, was a particularly fervent devotee). According to the seer, 1559 was an inauspicious year: to anyone who could read or was susceptible to tavern gossip there was not much better to be hoped for than "divers calamities, weepings and mournings" and "civil sedition" which would sweep the land. It was not the best omen for the beginning of the reign of another woman and it added to the atmosphere of anxiety and uncertainty."

" Lord Robert Dudley was entrusted with a mission to seek out Dr. John Dee, a remarkable and learned man, who was to become Elizabeth's own consultant philosopher and who numbered astrology amongst his many accomplishments. Unlike Nostradamus with his mysticism, Dr. Dee was known for his more scientific approach to divination by mapping the positions of the planets. His task was to draw up a horoscope of the most auspicious day and time for Elizabeth's cornonation, the formal birth of her reign. Apparently the best astrological augury pointed to 15 January 1559, with Jupiter, the chief god of the planetary system, positioned satisfactorily in Aquarius, to signfiy a universality to this Jovian power and Mars, the planet of war and assertive action, placed in indomitable Scorpio. The date of greatest promise was what the Queen accepted."

"The Christmas of 1558 was even busier than usual as everyone prepared for the coronation, working "day and night both on holidays and week days." There was such a run on crimson silk and cloth of gold and of silver that any sale of it was embargoed until Elizabeth had made her choice for herself and her household. Her noblemen and women were determined to cut a dash and make their mark. With a new reign there was much insecurity and jostling for position and preferment. This was the greatest opportunity for dressing up and showing off, parading one's wealth and influence to which one aspired. It was a chance to catch the royal eye."

There is a bit more to go with the Dee information from Jane Dunn's book. I hope I didn't quote directly from her book too much. I don't want to be in violation of any copyright laws or rules . I have enjoyed this book so much and thought the information in these pages was very pertinent to this series that I quoted more from the book directly than I realized at first. I asked someone who I thought would be very in the know about copyrights when I started the blog-and their answer was as long as you give credit to the author you should be fine-but I have noticed some differences in the way copyrights are worded and such. Perhaps there is a website that will tell about them or about.com or an agency I can call or email to be on the extra-safe side. Again everything in quotes, except earlier where noted is from Jane Dunn's Elizabeth & Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens on pages 27 and 28. I will put the rest that is left-not sure how much in my own words and hope to get it here very soon. And of course the article I have planned all along is in the works-and it may not even be the end of the series. The image is The Armada Portrait of Elizabeth 1. The name of the picture is one of any three surviving versions of an allegorical panel depicting Elizabeth surrounded by symbols of imperial majesty against a backdrop of the Spanish Armada. I also hope to come back with the link to the Professor Pan article I mentioned before logging off for the evening. Peace and best wishes to anyone stopping by! The link to the Professor Pan article -actually a series here The articles Professor Pan has posted is about Jeff Rense. There are many other subjects on his site also besides this.

John Dee & Edward Kelley & the Spirit World: Pt 6

I think several quotes from Richard Smoley's excellent 2006 book: Forbidden Faith-The Gnostic Legacy about John Dee would be a great way to introduce the actual mystery and spiritualism of the man. The chapter in Forbidden Faith that the John Dee information is in is called "The Sages of the Renaissance." In this chapter Smoley focusses on how he would write the Gnostic legacy if it were turned into a drama. He sees two parts to the drama. The first act being the rise and fall of the dualist heresy, and the second great act is the entry of the mystical teachings of the Kabbalah into Western civilization. Later in the series I would like to talk about Enoch and Enochian magic in relation to John Dee and Edward Kelley. Smoley points out that some believe the Kabbalistic tradition began with Enoch, the first fully enlightened human being, who "walked with God" (Gen 5:22). Enoch was said to have been transformed into the angel Metatron, who guides the spiritual evolution of humanity. Metatron appeared before Abraham as Melchizedek and initiated him into the teachings of the sacred Kabbalah.

The pages where I quote from the book are from 118-120. "Because of the ambiguous role of the magus in Western civilization-who is seen sometimes as a sage, often as a charlatan-these figures have risen and fallen in the esteem of history, much as they did in their own day. John Dee, court astrologer to Queen Elizabeth I, the inspiration for the character Prospero in Shakespeare's Tempest, and the man who according to legend, conjured up the storm that sank the Spanish Armada, furnishes a vivid example. Dee (1527-1608) saw extremes of good and bad fortune in his life. At one point a close adviser to Elizabeth, he ended his years in poverty and disgrace. He espoused a version of the Christian Kabbalah that sought to reform the church; he also sketched out the ideal of a universal British monarchy that inspired the beginnings of the British Empire. And yet he became most famous for a strange series of encounters involving a medium named Edward Kelly (or Kelly). The record of these conversations with beings of the other world was published in 1659 under the title A True and Faithful Relation of What Passed for Many Years Between Dr. John Dee and Some Spirits by a debunker named Meric Casaubon, who sought to discredit Dee's reputation posthumously and largely succeeded. Dee was generally regarded as a plain fraud until the twentieth century, when scholars began to see him as a key figure in the intellectual world of the Elizabethan Age."

Smoley goes on to point out that Dee had invoked the supposed Arthurian ancestry of the Tudor dynasty and its mythical rights to lands overseas to lay the groundwork for Elizabeth to take possession of these vast territories. John Dee wanted England to rule over the European continent instead of the extremely powerful Habsburg dynasty that at the time was Europe's greatest power. 1583 was the year that John Dee and Edward Kelley, along with their familes, began a six year tour of Central Europe. Prague was the capital of the Holy Roman Empire at the time and ruled by Emperor Rudolf II. Rudolf II was known for his religious tolerance as well as his interest in occult and esoteric matters. Apparently, Dee discussed with Rudolf his vision of a reformed Christianity that would be guided by esoteric principles. Dee also seemed to be prophesying that Protestanism would triumph over both Catholicism and Islam. Emperor Rudolf II wasn't greatly intrigued by Dee's vision. Smoley also points out that similarities between Dee's failures as a prophet and those of his contemporary Nostradamus. Of course, the idea of Nostradamus being a failure as a prophet has been argued for centuries-and many believe in his work today. The quatrains of Nostradamus were used during World War II by both opposing sides predicting defeat for the other (so maybe that should tell us something of the fluidity of his prophecies)!

Unlike John Dee, Nostradamus was viewed with respect by the French court until his death in 1566, whereas Dee died in penury and near obscurity. Some reasons for this are that Dee's protectors had died. But even more importantly, hatred and suspicion of sorcerers and witches had grown. Smoley writes, "The public-and some of those in power-were not always able to distinguish a learned magus from a low sorcerer who trafficked in evil spirits. Indeed Christopher Marlowe's highly popular 1593 tragedy Doctor Faustus explicitly connected the two turning sorcery hunting into a popular craze. As a result the last two decades of Dee's life were a time of disappointment and impoverishment, made worse by the accession to the throne of James I in 1603. James was obsessed with witchcraft and had even written a tract against witches entitled Demonologie. Dee could expect no favors from him and did not receive any. In 1608, the old magus died in great poverty." The image is of one of John Dee's magical "sigils"-more about this later. I think I will write the next article on John Dee with the first source I had found-I don't know how long it will be but hope that it is interesting. From there maybe I can expand on the subject using internet sources and links that people like Justin Russell and Anadae have given. The articles below this one are all "history" but might be helpful explaining later events. Peace and be well to anyone passing through or stopping by!

John Dee & Edward Kelley & the Spirit World: Pt 5-Background

Acting against what he considered to be Protestant subversion, King Philip II of Spain (1536-1598) put his support behind the Catholic cause, which had been strengthened by the Council of Trent. Philip put at the Church's disposal the immense resources of the Spanish Empire, which from 1558 onwards were increased by the annexation of Portugal and its territories overseas. With the abdication of his father Charles V, the old rivalry between Spain and France led Philip to declare war once again on the King of France, Henry II; Pope Paul IV, who opposed any Spanish presence on Italian soil, supported the French King. Under the terms of the Treaty of Cambresis (1559), France retained Metz, Toul and Verdun, and recovered Calais, but had to give up its claims to Savoy, Italy and the Low Countries. Spain achieved supremacy this way on the western part of the European mainland. In 1565 it liberated Malta from the siege of the Turks. From this point forward there could be no doubt of Philip's dominant position. However, in 1568, fortunes changed for him. In the north Calvinism took root in the Low Countries. In sounthern Spain, the Moors, rebelled, while the Turks began a new offensive and captured Cyprus which had previously been held by Venice.

Philip II's first action was in the Meditteranean. In 1571 the Holy League formed by Spain, Venice and Rome destroyed the Turkish fleet at Lepanto. With the Turkish threat eliminated, Philip tried to subdue the Low Countries, which were supported strongly by England and France. With Queen Elizabeth 1 giving assistance to Dutch rebels, the attacks by English ships on Spanish possessions in America and also the execution of the Catholic Mary Queen of Scots, Philip II tried to invade England. The Spanish Armada, thought to be invincible, was to escort Spanish troops. The Armada's "invincibility' in the tradition of the ocean liner Titanic, centuries later was attacked by the English and destroyed by a storm in the English Channel in 1588. This catastrophe weakened Philip in his struggle against France, where he was supporting the Catholics against the Protestants. At the end of his reign, Philip signed a peace treaty with France and recognized its King Henry IV, despite his Protestant past. Philip II intended to rule the Low Countries as an absolute monarch and he fiercely suppressed Calvinism, which was spreading in the larger cities. In 1566 the Spanish repression sparked a revolution. A number of things gave rise to the revolt. The nobles were afraid of losing their power; the bourgeoisie thought taxes too high; and of course Calvinism exacerbated religious tensions.

The rebellion had its first success when Philip II had to dismiss the Cardinal Granvelle, Bishop of Arras. The nobles then demanded autonomy for the country and freedom to worship. Their doings stoked the religious fanaticism of ordinary people who had suffered a great deal from the economic crisis and they destroyed a number of Catholic churches. Philip then took measures that led to a general revolt in the Netherlands. Dutch Catholics and Protestants united under the leadership of William of Nassau, Prince of Orange, Stadholder or Governor of Holland and Zeeland. The rebels who called themselves Geuzen (beggars) seized Brielle and Flushing in 1572. The Duke of Alva, who had been appointed governor general of Holland by Philip was replaced by Don Luis de Requesens, who pursued a policy of religious tolerance. Then the Spanish soldiers, who had not been paid, sacked Antwerp and a general revolt began. The 17 provinces, Catholic and Protestant, united by the Pacification of Ghent in 1576, resumed their fight for freedom and autonomy once more. This time they fought the viceroy Don John of Austria, victor of Lepanto, who was unable to defeat the insurgents. Philip II's new envoy, Alessandro Farneses was a gifted negotiator. He managed to rally the ten Catholic provinces in the south by promising them political autonomy (the Union of Arras, 1579).

The seven northern provinces retaliated a few days later by forming the Union of Utrecht. The Low Countries were split in two. In 1588 the seven northern provinces established the United Provinces, loyal to Calvinism with the support of France and England, they won their independence in 1609 and were recognized by Spain when the Treaties of Westphalia were signed in 1648. The image is a painting of King Philip II of Spain of the House of Habsburg. Peace and best to anyone stopping by and I hope you are having or have had a great weekend! More on Philip II Here

John Dee & Edward Kelley & the Spirit World: Pt 4-Background

When the crisis between the Protestant and Catholic viewpoints had begun there were calls for and ecumenical council. In 1518 Martin Luther had called for a council "against an ill-informed Pope." Catholic humanists, including Erasmus, Luis Vives and Pope Adrian VI, had also called for a council, mentioning the fact it was in line with the traditions of the Catholic Church. In 1524 Charles V made the same proposal. However, successive Popes, afraid of the diminishing of their authenticity tried to use tactics to delay this. Paul III tried to reform the church by setting up a "Council of Cardinals on Church Reform." In 1542 Cardinal Carafa reorganized the Roman Inquisition, whose horrific methods were to suppress 'heresy.' In the end all of these measures failed. There was a necessity of reforming the church. Pope Paul III finally held a Council at Trent (Trento), a strategic location since it was an imperial city on Italian territory. This turned into a series of three different councils at different times between 1545 and 1563. The councils discussions were surprisingly open and free, although the Protestants shunned them. The conclusions of the Council of Trent defined modern Catholicism.

They reaffirmed Catholic dogma, in particular on points rejected by the Protestants: tradition, as well as Holy Scripture, was a source of revelation and a criterion of faith. The Council condemned predestination and justification by faith. It also reconfirmed the necessity of all seven sacraments and declared that Christ was really present in the Eucharist; it declared that the Latin Vulgate was the official version of the Bible. It reaffirmed the Church's hierarchy and the authority of the Pope; it maintained the celibacy of the priesthood and forbade the accumulation of wealth. All forms of religious instruction must be carried out under the strict authority of the bishops. Bishops and priests must reside in their individual dioceses and parishes, now reorganized; and the members of the clergy must be trained in diocesan seminaries. To fight Protestanism, new religious orders were established as part of the restoration of Catholicism as conceived by the Pope. Spain witnessed a growth of mysticism, largely due to the influence of St. Teresa of Avila. This spiritual revival also helped launch the Society of Jesus, an order founded in Paris by the Spaniard Ignatius de Loyola. Loyola (1491-1556) had been born into a noble family. He saw combat and was seriously wounded by the French at the siege of Pamplona in 1521.

He withdrew to the monasteries of Monserrat and Manresa, where he began writing his spiritual Excercises, then left on a pilgrimage to Rome and the Holy Land. Loyola decided to devote his life to God, and studied at Salamenca and settled at the College of Montaigu in Paris. The Society of Jesus was born on 15 August 1534 in the little Montmartre Church in Paris where Ignatius Loyola and six of his fellow students met to take their vows. The group went to Rome, where in 1540 Pope Paul III recognized the new order as the armed champion of faith. The order added the vow of absolute obedience to the Pope in addition to the three traditional vows of chastity, poverty and obedience to the abbot. The studies to obtain admission into the order were difficult with their strict discipline and intellectual training, the Jesuits became the essential corps of the Catholic Counter-Reformation. The resurgence of the faith was continued by three great reforming Popes. Pius V put the Council's decisions into practice, Gregory XIII promoted religious education, and Sixtus V reorganized the central administration of the Church. These reforms enabled Catholicism to check the growth of Protestanism and recover much of the ground that it had lost.

The Company of Jesus had great success in Poland. Another Jesuit, Peter Carnisius had great influence on the restoration of Catholicism in Germany, France, Hungary and Bohemia. Lutheranism for now was limited to northern Germany and Scandinavia. Calvinism took hold in Switzerland, Holland, Scotland, England and western Germany. One post down and hopefully I can get two more done. I am trying to provide more background information to this era that John Dee lived in. Some of it may be very relevant to his story, like the sinking of the Spanish Armada, and some only tangential to the main topic. I just wanted to portray as complete a picture of the politics and religious differences of the time as I could-for these matters did end up having a great effect on Dee's life. Peace and be well! The image is a painting of the Council of Trent at the Santa Maria Maggiore Church.

John Dee & Edward Kelley & the Spirit World: Pt 3-Background

Queen Elizabeth I (7 September 1533-24 March 1603) was queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. She came to the throne after her half-sister, Queen Mary I, who had only been queen since 19 July 1553. Mary was the daughter of the previously mentioned Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII. Mary is best remembered for restoring England to Roman Catholicism. During her short reign she had almost 300 religious dissenters burned at the stake, which earned her the unenviable sobriquet of "Bloody Mary." Elizabeth was sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen." She was expected to marry at some point but never did despite several petitions from parliament. As Elizabeth grew older, she became famous for her virginity, and a cult grew up around her which was celebrated in the portraits, pageants and literature of the time. Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty. She was the daughter of Henry VIII, and was born a princess, but her mother Anne Boleyn, was executed three years after her birth. Anne Boleyn was likely innocent of the charges of adultery, incest and high treason, but that did not save her from being beheaded on 19 May 1536. After Anne's execution, Elizabeth was declared illegitimate. Her brother Edward VI, cut her out of the succession.

In 1558, however, Edward's will was set aside and Elizabeth succeeded her half-sister, Mary to the throne. Elizabeth had been imprisoned for nearly a year on suspicion of supporting Protestant rebels. One of Elizabeth's first acts as queen was to support the establishment of an English Protestant church, of which she became the Supreme Governor. This Elizabethan Religious Settlement later evolved into the modern Church of England. As a ruler, Elizabeth was more moderate than her father and her siblings. Many of her counsellors didn't approve of this strategy, but it often saved her from political and marital mistakes. Even though Elizabeth was cautious in foreign affairs, the defeat of the Spanish armada in 1588 forever tied her name with what is popularly viewed as one of the greatest victories in English history. Within twenty years of her death, Elizabeth was being celebrated as the ruler of a golden age. Her reign is also famous for the flourishing of English drama, led by playrights such as William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe and the foreign adventures of men such as explorers Francis Drake, Walter Raleigh and others. Elizabeth became queen at the age of 25. As her triumphal procession snaked through the city, she was greeted cheerfully by her subjects. Elizabeth's open and gracious responses endeared her to the spectators.

The following day, 15 January 1559, Elizabeth was crowned at Westminster Abbey and anointed by the Catholic bishop of Carlisle. She was then presented for the people's acceptance, amidst the deafening noise of organs, fifes, trumpets, drums and bells. On 20 Noevember 1558, Elizabeth declared her intentions to her Council and other peers who had come to Hatfield to swear allegiance. The speech contains the first instance of her often used metaphor of the "two bodies": the body natural and the body politic. My lords, the law of nature moves me to sorrow for my sister; the burden that is fallen upon me makes me amazed, and yet, considering I am God's creature, ordained to obey His appointment, I will thereto yield, desiring from the bottom of my heart that I may have assistance of His grace to be the minister of His heavenly will in this office now committed to me. And as I am but one body naturally considered, though by His permission a body politic to govern, so shall I desire you all...to be assistant to me, that I with my ruling and you with your service may make a good account to Almighty God and leave some comfort to our posterity on earth. I mean to direct all my actions by good advice and counsel.

Elizabeth and her advisors perceived a threat of a possible Catholic crusade against heretical England. Elizabeth sought a Protestant solution that would not offend Catholics too much while acknowledging the desires of English Protestants; she would not tolerate the more radical Puritans, however, who were wanting far more reaching reforms. As a result the parliament of 1559 started to legislate for a church based on the Protestant after Edward VI, with the monarch as its head, but with many superficially Catholic elements, such as priestly vestments.

It was never clear why Elizabeth never married. Some speculate that she might have known she was sterile. Whatever the case, her last courtship ended in 1581 when she was 48 -well past child-bearing years. This was with a man 22 years younger than she. Elizabeth had kept the marriage question open, but often only as a diplomatic ploy. Parliament repeatedly petitioned her to marry, but she always side-stepped the question. In 1563, she told a imperial envoy: "If I follow the inclination of my nature, it is this: beggar woman and single, far rather than queen and married." That same year, after her illness with smallpox, the succession question became an even greater concern. Parliament urged the queen to marry or nominate an heir, to prevent a civil war after her death. She refused to do either. The House of Commons threatened to withhold funds until she named a successor. In 1566, she confided to the Spanish ambassador that if she could find a way to settle the succession without marrying, she would do so. By 1570, senior figures in the government privately accepted that Elizabeth would never marry or name a successor. Elizabeth was often accused of negligence due to this failure. However, her silence on the matter strengthened her own political security; she knew that if she named an heir, her throne would be vulnerable to a coup.

Apart from courthship with a man she actually loved, her childhood friend, Lord Robert Dudley, Elizabeth treated marriage as an aspect of foreign policy. She had turned down Philip II's offer in 1559, but negotiated for several years to marry his cousin Archduke Charles of Austria. Relations with the Habsburgs declined by 1568. Elizabeth the considered marriage to the two French Valois princes in turn, first Henri, Duke of Anjou, and later from 1572 to 1581, his brother Francois, Duke of Anjou. The last proposal was tied to a planned allegiance against Spanish control of the Southern Netherlands. Elizabeth's foreign policy was largely defensive. The exception was the disastrous occupation of Le Havre from October 1562 to June 1563, when Elizabeth's Huegenot allies joined the Catholics to retake the port. Elizabeth had intended to exchange Le Havre for Calais, retaken by France in January 1558. She sent troops to Scotland in 1560 to prevent the French from using it as a base. In 1585, she signed the Treaty of Nonsuch with the Dutch to block the Spanish threat to England. Only through the activities of her fleets did Elizabeth puruse an aggressive policy. This paid off in the war against Spain-80% of which was fought at sea. She knighted Francis Drake after he circumnavigated the globe from 1577 to 1580, and he also won accolades for his raids on Spanish ports and fleets. There was an element of piracy and mercenary self-enrichement that drove Elizabethan voyages-much the same as other powers of her time, before and afterwards.

Elizabeth reign also witnessed the first colonization of new land in North America; the colony of Virginia was named by her. Elizabeth's policy towards Scotland was to oppose the French prescence there. She was afraid the French planned to invade England and put Mary, Queen of Scots, who was considered by many to be the true heir to the crown, on the throne. When Mary returned to Scotland in 1561 to take power, the country had established a Protestant church and was run by nobles who supported Elizabeth. Mary refused to ratify the treaty. Elizabeth had offended Mary by proposing her own suitor, Robert Dudley, as a husband. Instead, in 1565 Mary married Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, who carried his own claim to the English throne. The marriage was the first of a series of errors of judgment by Mary that gave the victory to the Scottish Protestants and to Elizabeth. Darnley became unpopular in Scotland and then infamous for presiding over the murder of Mary's Italian secretary, David Rizzio. In February 1567, Darnley was murdered by conspirators, almost certainly led by James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell.

Shortly afterwards, on 15 May 1567, Mary married Bothwell, arousing suspicions that she had been involved in the murder of her husband. Elizabeth wroter to her: How could a worse choice be made for your honour than in such haste to marry such a subject, who besides other and notorious lacks, public fame has charged with the murder of your late husband, besides the touching of yourself also in some part, though we trust in that behalf falsely. These events led quickly to Mary's defeat and imprisonment in Loch Leven Castle, near Kinross, Scotland. The Scottish lords forced her to abdicate in favor of her son James, who had been born in 1566. James was taken to Stirling Castle to be raised as a Protestant. Mary escaped from Loch Leven in 1568, but after another defeat fled across the border to England, where she had once been assured the support of Elizabeth. Elizabeth had thought to restore her half-sister and fellow monarch; but she and her council chose a more cautious route. Rather than risk returning Mary to Scotland with an English army or sending her to France and the Catholic enemies of England, they detained her in England. Mary was imprisoned there for the next nineteen years.

Whenever the next article is ready to go, it should finally have more information about John Dee and Edward Kelley. I just thought it might be good to have some background to this historical era-and will try to continue to talk about this era in these articles. The image at top is of Elizabeth 1 in her Coronation Robes. The next image is of Elizabeth as a younger woman and the last image is of Mary, Queen of Scots. Thanks again for your comments and best to all of you!

John Dee & Edward Kelley & the Spirit World: Pt 2-Background

Catherine of Aragon was born at the Archbishop's Palace in Alcala de Henares, in Madrid on 16 December 1485. She was the youngest child of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile. Queen Mary I (18 February 1516-17 November 1558) was the only child of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon to survive infancy. In 1525 Henry VIII fell in love with Anne Boleyn-a maid of honor to Queen Catherine about 10-17 years younger than Henry. Catherine had been pregnant six times altogether with only the future Queen Mary surviving. All of Catherine's male children died very young-one Henry, Duke of Cornwall lived only 52 days (born 1511) and the other male children were stillborn. Catherine's religious dedication grew as she aged along with her interest in academics. Education among women became fashionable partly because of Catherine's influence. She also donated large amounts of money to several colleges. Henry VIII still thought a male heir to the throne was essential. The Tudor dynasty at that time was fairly new and Henry felt if its legitimacy were tested, a male heir would help solidify the Tudor's claim to the throne. A long civil war (1135-1154) had been fought the last time a woman, Henry I of England's daughter, Empress Matilda had inherited the throne.

The disaster of the Wars of the Roses, between the rival royal houses of Lancaster and York, between the years of 1455 and 1487 were still fresh in people's minds. In 1520, Catherine's nephew Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, paid a state visit to England, and she urged Henry to enter into an alliance with Charles rather than with France. Immediately after his departure, she accompanied Henry to France on the celebrated visit to Francis I, within 2 years war was declared against France and the Emperor was once again welcome in England, where plans were being made to betroth him to Catherine's daughter Mary. By 1525 when Henry VIII was falling in love with Anne Boleyn Catherine wasn't able to undergo any more pregnancies. Henry actually began to believe his marriage to Catherine was cursed and sought confirmation from the Bible,which stated that if a man marries his brother's wife, the couple will be childless. If Catherine had lied when she said her marriage to Arthur (Prince of Wales and eldest son of Henry VII of England and heir to the throne due to her overwhelmingly English ancestry, inherited from her mother Queen Isabella I of Castile), it meant that their marriage was wrong in the eyes of God.

It is possible that the idea of annulment had been suggested to Henry much earlier and it is very likely that it was motivated by his desire for a male heir. Soon it became an obsession for Henry VIII to secure an annulment. Catherine was not happy when it was suggested that she retire to a nunnery, saying "God never called me to a nunnery I am the King's true and legitimate wife." Henry had hopes that the Holy See, would act separately from Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, who didn't know anything about Henry's plans. The King's secretary, William Knight, was sent to Pope Clement VII to sue for an annulment. The pope, however, was a prisoner of Catherine's nephew Emperor Charles V, after the Sack of Rome in 1527-so needless to say, Knight had great difficulty trying to get an audience with him! William Knight returned to England without accomplishing much. Now Henry's hand was forced-he had to appeal to Cardinal Wolsey. Indeed, Wolsey ended up doing all he could to get a decision in Henry's favor. He convened an ecclesiastical court in England with a representative of the Pope presiding. Both Henry and Catherine were in attendance. Shakespeare's play, The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eighth, paints a remarkable picture of Catherine's eloquence. Catherine clearly made the case that she was being treated unfairly by Henry.

The Pope recalled his legate. It is not clear how much the pope was influenced by Charles V, but it is clear that Henry thought that the Pope was unlikely to give him an annulment from the Emperor's aunt. The Pope forbade Henry to marry again before a decision was reached in Rome. Cardinal Wolsey had failed and was dismissed from office in 1529. Wolsey began a secret plot to force Anne Boleyn into exile and began communicating with the pope about this matter. The unfortunate Wolsey's plot was discovered and Henry ordered Wolsey's arrest. If Wolsey had not died from illness in 1530, he might have been executed for treason. A year later Catherine was banished from court and her old rooms were given to Anne Boleyn. When Archbishop of Canterbury William Warham died, the Boleyn family's chaplain, Thomas Cranmer was appointed to the vacant position. When Henry decided to annul his marriage to Catherine, John Fisher became her most trusted confidante and one of her main supporters. He appeared in the legates' court on her behalf, where he shocked people with the sharpness of his language. Fisher declared that, like John the Baptist, he was ready to die on behalf of the indissolubility of marriage.

Henry was enraged and wrote a long Latin address to the legates in answer to Fisher's speech. The removal of the cause to Rome ended Fisher's role in the matter, but Henry never forgave him. When Henry returned to Dover from a meeting with King Francis I of France in Calais, he married Anne Boleyn in a secret ceremony. Anne was already pregnant by this time. Cranmer declared the marriage of Henry to Catherine illegal on 23 May 1533, and 5 days later declared the marriage of Henry and Anne valid. Catherine insisted that she was Henry's only lawful wife until the end of her life and England's only legitimate queen. Catherine's faithful servants continued to address her by that title, and most of Europe agreed that Catherine was the Queen and Anne Boleyn just a concubine and her daughter a bastard. Henry refused Catherine the right to any title but "Dowager Princess of Wales," in recognition of her position as his brother's widow. In 1535 Catherine was transferred to the decaying and remote Kimbolton Castle in Cambridgeshire. She confined herself to one room and left it only to attend Mass. She fasted most of the time and even wore the hair shirt of the Order of St. Francis. She was permitted to receive occasional visitors, but was forbidden to see her daughter, Mary. They were also forbidden to communicate-but discreet sympathizers acted as an underground postal service for the two.

Henry offered them both better quarters and each other's company if they would acknowledge Anne Boleyn as his Queen, but they refused to do this. In late December 1535, Catherine sensed the end was near and made her will. She also wrote to her nephew, The Emperor Charles V, asking him to protect her daughter Mary. Catherine then wrote one final letter to Henry, her "most dear lord, king and husband," The hour of my death now drawing on, the tender love I owe you forceth me, my case being such, to commend myself to you, and to put you in remembrance with a few words of the health and safeguard of your soul which you ought to prefer before all worldly matters, and before the care and pampering of your body, for which you have cast me into many calamities and yourself into many troubles. For my part, I wish to devoutly pray God that He will pardon you everything, and I wish to devoutly pray God that He will pardon you also. For the rest, I commend unto you our daughter Mary, beseeching you to be a good father unto her, as I have heretofor desired. I entreat you also, on behalf of my maids, to give them marriage portions, which is not much, they being but three. For all my other servants I solicit the wages due them, and a year more, lest they be unprovided for. Lastly, I make the vow, that mine eyes desire you above all things. Katherine the Quene.

Catherine died at Kimbolton Castle, on 7 January 1536. The news reached Henry and Anne the following day. Anne wore yellow for the mourning which has been interpreted in different ways; some taking it as a sign she didn't mourn. However, Chapuys reported that it was actually King Henry who wore yellow and celebrated the news and made a show of his and Anne's daughter, Elizabeth, to his courtiers. This was seen as distasteful and vulgar by many. Rumors then began that Catherine had been poisoned by one or both of them. The rumors began after a discovery during her embalming that there was a black growth on her heart that could have been caused by poisoning. However, modern medical experts agree that the discoloration was not due to poisoning but cancer, a disease not understood at the time. Another belief, is that the dressing in yellow was out of respect for the late queen/princess dowager as yellow was the Spanish color of mourning. Definitely, later in the day it is reported that Henry and Anne both individually and privately wept for her death. Catherine was buried in Peterborough Cathedral in Cambridgeshire, England with the ceremony due to a Dowager Princess of Wales, not a queen. Henry did not attend the funeral and refused to allow Mary to attend also.

The image at the top is of Catherine of Aragon as a Queen of England-I am going to try to add another image of Catherine of Aragon as a younger woman in here also somewhere in the post. I hope I didn't go unnecessarily too far back in time to explain the world of Queen Elizabeth I, Dr. John Dee and Edward Kelley. The more I kept looking at things the more I thought I should add-this may indeed be a long series and the next article may be historical in nature as well-not sure yet. I hope to get caught up with everyone tomorrow. Peace and be well anyone stopping by or passing through-& thanks so much again for your continued wonderful, thought-provoking and intelligent comments!

John Dee & Edward Kelley & the Spirit World

Dr. John Dee was born on 13 July 1527, in Tower Ward, London, England-exactly 482 years ago-give or take a few Julian-Gregorian calendar screw-ups (joke). He attended Chelmsford Catholic School from 1535 to 1542. After this, he attended St. John's College in Cambridge. Dee's great abilities in mathematics and the sciences were recognized there, and he was made a founding fellow of Trinity College. The amazing stage effects Dee produced for a production of Aristophanes' Peace gave him the reputation for being a magician that would follow him throughout his life. In fact, many in the audience thought his wondrous construction of a flying beetle was too good-and thought it had to be the work of Ole Scratch himself! After Dee's studies in Cambridge he travelled to the Continent in the late 1540s and early 1550s. He studied at the University of Leuven in Belgium (still famous as the repository for the largest collection of theological books in the world), Brussels and gave a series of much acclaimed lectures in France. During these travels, Dee began meeting men with a wide range of scientific and philosophical interests. Dee studied with Gemma Frisius, a famous cartographer who had also studied at Leuven. Dee also became a close friend of the famous cartographer Gerardus Mercator.

Dee also met men interested in esoteric studies of subjects like the Kabbalah, alchemy and magic. John Dee was already famous for his knowledge and expertise in the fields of mathematics, astrology, classics, astronomy, navigation, history and the antiquities. Dee was not content to just absorb the information in books alone. He went on tours of England to seek out first-hand knowledge and experience of things as different as buried treasure, hauntings, the recording of ancient monuments and ancestral coats of arms. He was indeed a typical Renaissance Man. Dee met Gerolamo Cardano, an Italian Renaissance mathematician, physician, and astrologer in 1552. Together the two investigated the ever-chimerical perpetual motion machine, as well as a gem that was believed to have magical properties. Dr. John Dee was an innovator in many different areas and in his middle years many people came to his Thameside home at Mortlake to ask him about practical and esoteric matters. In 1554, Dee was offered a readership of mathematics at Oxford University, which he declined as he was busy with other things. In 1555 Dee became a member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers, whose goal was to act as a trade association for general merchants, especially for exporters of wool and importers of velvet, silk and other luxurious fabrics. The word mercero in Spanish has a meaning similar to haberdasher.

Queen Elizabeth I, for whom Dee had selected a coronation date for astrologically, met with him regularly although he was never given the status he felt he deserved. Dee also became famous as an author, especially for his preface to Euclid and for Monas Hieroglyphica, which is a work describing cosmic unity represented by the glyph at the top of the page. However, Dr. John Dee's life was anything but smooth and free of bumps and bruises. In 1555 he was imprisoned for casting enchantments against Queen Mary. Dee appeared before the Star Chamber, which was an English court of law set up to ensure the enforcement of laws against prominent people, who would normally be so powerful that no ordinary court would ever convict them of any crimes. Dee exonerated himself in this affair. After this he was turned over to the Catholic Bishop Bonner for religious examination. His strong and lifelong penchant for secrecy probably made matters worse for him at this time in his life. The episode with Bonner and the Star Chamber was merely the latest scandal perpetrated against him. Dee and Bonner became close associates after the affair was over. Dee presented Queen Mary with a visionary plan for the preservation of old manuscripts, books, etc and the foundation of a national library, but his proposal was not taken up. Instead he expanded his personal library at his house in Mortlake, tirelessly expanding his library with books from England and the European continent. Dee's library, outside of the centers of learning in England, became famous for the wealth of information it contained and was visited by many scholars.

I hope to be able to continue this new series at a halfway decent clip-I can't promise anything, as it seems when I do things go the opposite way that I had intended. I would like to have the next post in this series here by the 18th-hopefully earlier. There is a lot of background history and other things I think I could include in this series if I can keep my energy level somewhat higher than it has been-and lately I would make Abe Vigoda look like Lance Armstrong! If this starts to get ridiculously long between posts there is a "guide" by which I can finish things up much faster, but I am hoping that doesn't happen. Thanks again all of you for your friendly, insightful, intelligent comments! I hope to be around tomorrow (unless a handsome dark looking fellow decides to sweep all 195 pounds of me off my feet and "take me to his mansion in the sky"-haha remember that one anybody??:) For today I think I will collapse into a sweat soaked puddle in the middle of my kitchen and drown myself in a glass of iced tea! Peace and best to all of you!

Christopher Smart: My Cat Jeoffrey

For I will consider my cat Jeoffrey.
For he is the servant of the living God,
duly and daily serving him.
For at the first glance of the glory of God
in the East he worships in his way.
For this is done by wreathing his body seven
times round with elegant quickness.
For when he leaps up to catch the musk, which
is the blessing of God upon his prayer.
For he rolls upon prank to work it in.
For having done duty and received blessing
he begins to consider himself.
For this he performs in ten degrees.
For first he looks upon his fore-paws to see
if they are clean.
For secondly he kicks up behind to clear away
there.
For thirdly he works it upon stretch with
the fore-paws extended.
For fourthly he sharpens his paws by wood.
For fifthly he washes himself.
For sixthly he rolls upon wash.
For seventhly he fleas himself, that he may
not be interrupted upon the beat.
For eighthly he rubs himself against a post.
For ninthly he looks up for instructions.
For tenthly he goes in quest of food.
For having consider'd God and himself he
will consider his neighbor.
For if he meets another cat he will kiss
her in kindness.
For when he takes his prey he plays with it
to give it a chance.
For one mouse in seven escapes by his
dallying.
For when his day's work is done his busi-
ness more properly begins.
For he keeps the Lord's watch in the night
against the adversary.
For he counteracts the powers of darkness
by his electrical skin and glaring eyes.
For he counteracts the Devil, who is death,
by brisking about the life.
For in his morning orisons he loves the sun
and the sun loves him.
For he is of the tribe of Tiger.
For the Cherub Cat is a term of the Angel
Tiger.
For he has the subtlety and hissing of a
serpent, which in goodness he suppresses.
For he will not do destruction, if he is well-fed,
neither will he spit without provocation.
For he purrs in thankfulness, when God tells
him he's a good Cat.
For he is an instrument for the children to
learn benevolence upon.
For every house is incomplete without him
& a blessing is lacking in the spirit.
For the Lord commanded Moses concern-
ing the cats at te departure of the
Children of Israel from Egypt.
For every family had one cat at least in the bag.
For the English cats are the best in Europe.
For he is the cleanest in the use of his fore-
paws of any of the quadrupeds.
For the dexterity of his defence is an inst-
ance of the love of God to him exceed-
ingly.
For he is the quickest to his mark of any
creature.
For he is tenacious of his point.
For he is a mixture of gravity and waggery.
For he knows that God is his Saviour.
For there is nothing sweeter than his peace
when at rest.
For there is nothing brisker than his life
when in motion.
For he is of the Lord's poor and so indeed is
he called by benevolence and perpetuality--
Poor Jeoffrey! poor Jeoffrey! the rat has
bit thy throat.
For I bless the name of the Lord Jesus that
Jeoffrey is better.
For the divine spirit comes about his body
to sustain it in a compleat cat.
For his tongue is exceeding pure so that it
has in purity what it wants in musick.
For he is docile and can learn certain
things.
For he can set up with gravity which is
patience upon approbation.
For he can fetch and carry, which is pat-
ience in employment.
For he can jump over a stick which is pat-
ience upon proof positive.
For he can spraggle upon waggle at the
word of command.
For he can jump from an eminence into his
master's bosom.
For he can catch the cork and toss it again.
For he is hated by the hypocrite and the miser.
For the former is afraid of detection.
For the latter refused the charge.
For he camels his back to bear the first mo-
tion of business.
For he is good to think on, if a man would
express himself neatly.
For he made a great figure in Egypt for his
signal services.
For he killed the Icneumon-rat very pern-
icious by land.
For his ears are so acute that they sting
again.
For from this proceeds the passing quickness
of his attention.
For by stroaking of him I have found out
electricity.
For I perceived God's light about him both
wax and fire.
For the Electrical fire is the spiritual sub-
stance, which God sends from heaven
to sustain the bodies both of man and
beast.
For God has blessed him in the variety of his
movements.
For, tho he cannot fly, he is an excellent-
clamberer.
For his motions upon the face of the earth
are more than other quadrupeds.
For he can tread to all the measures upon
the musick.
For he can swim for life.
For he can creep......

From Rejoice in the Lamb: A Song from Bedlam by Christopher Smart, 1722-1771.
And many thanks to "P----" at the RI forum for turning me on to this as the saying goes-geez I love that-must bring it back into vogue! Peace and be well to anyone stopping by!
Christopher Smart

Death of the Dollar or Life Support a Bit Longer?

Sorry I have been so lazy lately. I really hate the summertime here in Arizona-I wish I could hibernate from May through September! I found this article and thought it was interesting, as the topic it talks about could have severe ramifications for not only people in the United States but around the world. I know if I was a foreign nation holding a bunch of bucks I would be feeling really uneasy right now. I think it is great that those Chinese folk laughed in our Treasury Secretary's face when he said he believed in a strong dollar-cool stuff Chinese folk-I might even try that Feng Shui crap out and see if it makes my life any better! I do think that for a while-who knows how long-it will be hard to find a replacement for the dollar as the world's reserve currency. I look at the news sometimes and all I can think is god we are so fucked! Like the article states with a degree of humor-or humour to my overseas friends:)-the dollar has been presumed dead more times than the lead singer of The Pogues so handle this information with care. But no one-as Timothy Geithner learned-can say with a straight (or gay-haha-sorry lame humor again) face that the dollar doesn't have its problems. The buck has lost more than a quarter of its value when weighed against a basket of foreign currencies just since 2002. Love you all and hope have had -or a finishing up having a great weekend! Article Here

Another article about Japan abolishing cash to fight deflation-I think throwing cash into "the garbage bin of history" (god I hate to quote the bozo who said that-haha!) has long been a goal of the People That Really Run The World or the PTRRTW as I call them:) all the better to track the movements and desires of The People That Don't Run The World or TPTDRTW as I call them-article Here It is coming quickly-the future-unlike me-I take awhile-sorry more lame humor-what the hell is wrong with me today? All the best!

Buy Buy Love!

Much of the following information comes from Martin Kaufman in a wonderful article he did for Popular Paranoia called "The Manhattan Project to Manufacture the First Yuppies" published in 2002 and edited by Kenn Thomas. In 1984 Newsweek wrote: "much of the energy and optimism and passion of the sixties seems to have been turned inward, on lives, on careers, apartments and dinners." Martin Kaufman writes: "Note the passive verb; been turned suggests it happened by itself, that nothing caused the rebellious sixties spirit to turn inward...Do a little bit of cultural archaeology, however, and you discover that the yuppies were a created phenomenon. The manufacturing process didn't start with Reagan, but all the way back in the days of Ford, even Nixon. Its goal? To transform the anti-materialistic sixties generation back into responsible Americans; i.e., get them to buy on command. Some background: With the pullout from Vietnam and ouster of Nixon, many people in the 70s felt they could really make change happen. The 60s spirit was alive-in 1975 seven bills to legalize marijuana were introduced in the New York legislature. (4) David Rockefeller's elitist Trilateral Commission termed such attempts by the people to influence their government "a crisis of democracy" that had to be dealt with."

How do you like that my fellow Americans? OUR attempts to have a say in what is supposedly OUR government are "a crisis of democracy." If I am not mistaken David Rockefeller (coulda been his bro Nelson-I get the slimy fucks mixed up) also said that the United States "suffered from an excess of democracy in the 1970s." Hey at least the rat bastards kinda tell it like it is anyway -eh?? The illusion that this nation is "of the people by the people, for the people" has never been anything more than a sick joke-and the joke is on us-sadly. Getting back to Martin Kaufman, "On November 10, 1976, the world's most influential newspaper, The New York Times, debuted its Wednesday "Living" section. In the very first issue we find all the tokens and value systems of yuppiedom that would "mysteriously" arise eight years later. Kaufman continues on in his article to give us examples of the names and subject matter of these articles. For the purposes of this post some of the names will be quite sufficient I think. "The Best Pates in New York" by Mimi Sheraton, Craig Claiborne begged us to cook "Volaille au Coulis de Poitreux et de Truffles"-I don't have an effin clue as to what this dish might be-except maybe something with truffles in it-hey private investigator at work here! "Wine Talk" was a section telling people to drink ultra fine and expensive wines and champagne and not as Kaufman writes, "the plebian California stuff but the real champagne from "the valley of the Marne River east of Paris." Kaufman goes on to say, "Mike Wallace pondered his dream to open a restaurant ( a future yuppie cliche). William F. Buckley, Jr. shared veal recipes with a typically yuppie (and typically Buckley) unconcern for the disgraceful torture veal calves undergo."

Let me interject some of my own thoughts about Mr. Buckley if I may. A nice boy wouldn't say this-but then who says I am a nice boy? I am happy Buckley is no longer on this mortal coil and probably rotting in whatever circle of hell slimy fascists go to when they pass on-probably sharing space with Falwell, Franco, the "Gipper", Jesse Helms and a host of other personalities. Unfortunately they'd better save some room! Just in this nation alone people like Ollie North, 41, 43, Kissinger, Zbig, Limbaugh, O'Reilly -well you get the picture are still around-not to mention kind-hearted folks like Le Pen in France and other nations-so save room down there please! Back in the 1980s Mr. Buckley suggested that people with HIV/AIDS be tattooed and interned in camps-kinda reminds you of another time and place eh? Mr. Buckley began the neo-fascist rag (at least in spirit anyway) The National Review in 1955. In a memorable debate on 27 August 1968 in an exchange with the extremely talented novelist/essayist/playright and almost politico -Gore Vidal this exchange occurred involving the debate raging over America's involvement in the Vietnam war: Gore Vidal: "the only pro or crypto-Nazi here is yourself." William F. Buckley: "Now listen, you queer, you stop calling me a crypto-Nazi or I'll sock you in the goddamn face and you'll stay plastered."

I hope to post a link to this exchange from you tube. What a typical Amero-fascist maneuver-call Vidal a queer (he is a bisexual man-getting up in years now-but talented and smart-very handsome also in my opinion-not that that has anything to do with anything-I just mentioned that part because I always thought Buckley was an ugly as sin-slack jawed and slack brained phoney) and threatening him with physical violence. I hope the video is as good as it was when I viewed it for you all. For you young folks who may not know who these people are -well I will put it this way -Buckley and his ever so precious mannerisms strike me as about as threatening as one of the Seven Dwarves of Snow White fame-to bad they didn't have a dwarf called Dorky Fascist Bootlicker! Buckley was also a defender of McCarthyism. In McCarthy and His Enemies he stated that "McCarthyism...is a movement around which men of goodwill and stern morality can close ranks." Uh yeah Bill-if you happen to be an admirer of Adolph Hitler! Well as usual I am getting way off-topic.

Back to Martin Kaufman and the yuppies or rather the creation of them: "In 1977-79, still years before yuppieism, "Living" tackled such important issues as: "The Best of Brie." Late autumn marks...the year's best season for game, truffles, fresh foie gras and especially brie, France's King of Cheese and the Number One status choice in this country as well. We also discovered the wonders of Supreme de Volaille aux Polvons. "The succulence of Caneton Etrange a la Suedois...The "newspaper of record" seemed intent on setting record for sheer single-mindedness of purpose. Their super-salesmanship (and they were selling class consciousness for the would- be nouveau riche more than food), was obsessive, overdone, and showed an appalling lack of gentility and moderation-exactly the characteristics that came to typify the new-money yuppies."

Martin Kaufman goes on a bit later in his article: "By the time 1984 rolled around and the name "yuppie" had been coined, the New York yuppies had been programmed for over a decade and were obedient robots. The Times and New York (magazine) were now joined by innumerable other publications celebrating excess (and the economic system that made it possible). But the 1987 stock market crash found the Times in a reflective mood, noting that the yuppies' "huge incomes and ostentatious consumption, an inclination highlighted in both advertising and news coverage (italics mine; when you create a phenomenon, can you really be said to be 'covering it?)-generated deep resentment...Get it? That distaste many of us felt for status-seeking and egotism was mere jealousy. That disgust at people without consciounces, disguised envy. Post-crash, however, the Times quickly rejoined the party, with gift ideas: For your son: "A yuppie, he likes the new and different, so give him a BMW in milk, dark or white chocolate , $14.75 at Li-lac."

Well I have let Mr. Kaufman tell so much of our tale here why stop now? "What a feat of social engineering. Moving masses of people awar from flower power, and toward materialism, class-consciousness and rightest politics. And making it seem like it all just happened spontaneously, unassisted. In 1977, the first year with both new sections, Times income more than doubled from 1975. It's interesting how the Times' interests and Wall Street's coincide. More interesting still is how the Times' duties as lapdog to the power elite (a role well documented by Noam Chomsky and others) go well beyond just whitewashing U.S. foreign policy and printing corporate PR in the guise of news, all the way to ineventing lifestyles and zeitgeists that bolster elitist values. Thus setting the course not just for educated professionals' lives, but those of the millions who emulate them. And all other societies that emulate the U.S. (or, more accurately, are having U.S. culture forced down their throats). Yes the Times really outdid itself with its "coverage" of the yuppie phenomenon. We thought it was time they received the credit they were due."

Thank you Martin Kaufman! This isn't a typical MFM post-of course what really is typical here? I zig and zag and mix and match so much I bet folks are glad I am not a pilot or bus driver! I just really enjoyed that article and wanted to share some of it here. The parts here are not nearly the whole thing. I found it fascinating -the "cultural achaeology" Mr. Kaufman did to let us know that the yuppies and their admirers didn't arise out of a cultural vacuum. The fact that this social engineering was in the works so long before the actual "yuppies" arrived on the scene interested me a great deal also. In the same article Mr. Kaufman mentions an article by Stanley H. Brown, "People's Capitalism is killing Wall Street", in New York magazine from way back in April of 1970! It does worry me a great deal sometimes about what other goodies the social engineers are thinking of to mold our reality. Thanks again for all of your kind, intelligent and thoughtful comments! I will try to post the You Tube link and some others. Vidal and Buckley in 1968-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYymnxoQnf8 and Gore Vidal Link

I Was Pixilated or the Grocery List Returns!

Obviously I wasn't sure what to call this post. Pixilated is a nod to author Patrick Harpur who wrote Daimonic Reality: A Field Guide to the Otherworld and The Philosophers' Secret Fire: A History of the Imagination. Harpur's mother referred to "Pixilation" as what happens when things go missing such as keys and other items and subsequently turn up-usually in the spot where the person missing the item frantically searched for them earlier. This quote is also from Patrick Harpur, "Indeed, perhaps the purpose of pixilation is to introduce us to the in-between world. It opens a nagging crack in the fabric of our comfortable reality, a crack small enough to ignore or overlook if we wish-as we must, if we are not to plunge into unfathomable depths. Pixilation is analogous to the weak spot on those violent, busy, invulnerable heroes, such as Achilles and Ajax or Sigurd of Norse myth. It is a mixed blessing to be invulnerable, because it also seals you up in your own world and cuts you off from commerce with the Otherworld. Thus, like the little spots of weakness on the hero-the heel or the patch on the shoulder-pixilation is a tiny fault-line symbolising the moment in the midst of our armoured surface, and our invincible egotism, our heroic hurry and certainty, when we are suddenly opened up like wounds to the possibility of death. Death, that is, of the ego and its commonsense life, and the beginning of the deeper, imaginative life of the soul."

After wanting my whole life-or almost my whole life anyway-to have some kind of contact with the mysterious and ineffable it may finally have happened yesterday. Previously I had always wanted to see and have some sort of contact with a ghost or the crew of a UFO-to solve a conspiracy-you name it -just something to take me out of this mundane existence if for only a little while. Hell-in the last few years I probably would have settled for an Elvis sighting or to figure out where Lord Lucan went or even to find out if Anne Coulter is really a woman. Of course with what happened yesterday I think I got the Yugo version instead of the Rolls-Royce version. Here is the story. I have referred various times to being a victim of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder or OCD for short. I am very lucky that my symptoms are fairly mild. They do involve a lot of checking on things like seeing if the door is locked, coffee pot off and so on. I think one of the symptoms of this OCD thing with me is always and I mean always to know where I put stuff-things that I will need to use in a short matter of time. I always put my wallet, car keys etc and anything I will need to do or use for the next day in the top drawer of my dresser.

I had been making out a grocery list for a time and was finally ready to go to the store yesterday morning. I ritually put the grocery list on top of my wallet the night before so I would be good to go the next day. As it turned out, I had an awful time sleeping the night of the 31st and woke quite late (noon) on the first. I really wanted to hustle as I had a lot of things to buy and wanted to get it done before the heat of the day really got going. I threw on some clothes and shoved my wallet -along with I thought-the darn grocery list in my pocket-I had seen it right there where I left it the previous night. Wanting to make sure I had everything I did one last check before getting out the door and sure enough-no grocery list. I thought no prob-it must still be in the drawer where I saw it last. Well it wasn't-I must have checked that damn drawer no less than five or six times-thinking perhaps that I was so irritated I was looking right at it and not seeing it. I finally gave up looking for it and made a new list to the best of my memory. I finally got back home with the groceries and put those away -looking once again in the drawer to see if the original list was there-just out of curiosity-it wasn't. Hours and hours later when I was going to bed for the evening I opened the drawer to put my wallet, keys and other stuff in-perish the thought I could ever leave them on a table or a dish like most normal people!

Well whaddya know?? There was the original grocery list in all its glory sticking out like a sore thumb! I would not have been as dumbfounded were it not for the fact that I must have been in that very same drawer almost twenty times before this-both in the search for it and after getting home. I have no explanation for what happened. All I know is that the list absolutely positively 100% certainly wasn't there before and I live alone so unless Clementina the Cat has learned some pretty nifty tricks no one is screwing around with my head. God forbid should that ever happen-it wouldn't take much to make me certifiable at this point in my life.

I will turn once again to Patrick Harpur before closing: "It looks very much as though so-called pixilations are as much the work of the dead as of the fairies. This should not surprise us: the Otherworld is an ambiguous realm, in which the daemonic beings and the dead often overlap. The dead are often seen among the fairies, for instance, in Irish fairy lore; and in Brittany, all the characterisitics of the fairies are attributed to the dead. As Camille Flammarion remarked in Mysterious Psychic Forces (Boston, 1907), the spirit manifestations in seances more often resemble "the prescences of mischievous boys than serious bona fide actions. It is impossible not to notice this...Either it is us who produce these phenomena or it is spirits. But mark this well: these spirits are not necessarily the souls of the dead; for other kinds of spiritual beings may exist, and space may be full of them without our ever knowing anything about it...Do we not find in the ancient literatures, demons, angels, gnomes, goblins, sprites, spectres, elementals, etc? Perhaps these legends are not without some foundation in fact." Harpur goes on to talk of an ashtray that was in his mom's car that he used to borrow and smoke cigarettes in. After he cleaned the ashtray and left it in an area to dry it also vanished into thin air.

Harpur continues: "My mum died suddenly. (Incidentally, her bunch of keys disappeared by pixilation the day before, but returned on the morning of her death. My sister even remarked that some transition must be in the offing). The day after her funeral, I took her car out. I lit a fag. The ashtray was back where it should be, installed in its slot under the dashboard. Did she replace it? Or did those pesky pixies-the ones she quarrelled with all her life but which now, perhaps, were abetting her? Either way, I had to laugh." OK -I would very much be interested to know if something similar to my experience or ones Patrick Harpur talks about has happened to any of you? Something that you are 100% certain of. I have had some "iffy" strange experiences in my life-but this may very well be my first that I am 100% certain of and that I do not have an explanation for. I am sorry it is not exactly awe-inspiring! Oh the pic is of me and our treasured dog -taken sometime in 1981 or 82. I got the idea to put personal pics up here and there from Aggie who I very much hope is feeling a lot better! If you are not bowled over by my movie star good looks-wait till you see what "times winged chariot" did to me later haha-although I am happy to say I am at least normal weight now and have lost the weight of a small child I was carrying around-knock on wood (more OCD superstition for you). Thanks again so very much for your kind, thoughtful and intelligent comments!

Talk about thought provoking and beautiful please go to this link if you have time-it is a long article-but more than worth your time to take a look at -amazing work Christopher! Link

Emily Dickinson & Stephen Crane

Emily Dickinson: The Soul Selects

The soul selects her own society,
Then shuts the door;
On her divine majority
Obtrude no more

Unmoved, she notes the chariots pausing
At her low gate;
Unmoved, an emperor is kneeling

Upon her mat

I've known her from an ample nation
Choose one;
Then close the valves of her attention
Like stone.

Stephen Crane: A Man Said To The Universe

A man said to the universe:
"Sir I exist!"
"However," replied the universe,
"The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation."

Emily Dickinson information- Here
Stephen Crane information- Here