The Queen's Conjuror
The Life and Magic of Dr. Dee
Book • 2001
Benjamin Woolley's 'The Queen's Conjuror' traces the life of Dr. John Dee, a prominent Elizabethan scholar who combined scientific inquiry with alchemy, astrology, and angelic communication.
Woolley examines Dee's influence at court, his experiments with scryers and mediums, and the often ambiguous boundary between learned scholarship and esoteric practice in the period.
The book situates Dee's pursuits within the political and cultural currents of Elizabethan and continental Europe, including his travels and interactions with figures like Edward Kelley.
Woolley presents Dee as a complex figure whose intellectual curiosity led to both high status and eventual misfortune, offering readers a nuanced portrait of early modern intellectual life.
The biography illuminates how Renaissance science and magic were interwoven rather than strictly opposed.
Woolley examines Dee's influence at court, his experiments with scryers and mediums, and the often ambiguous boundary between learned scholarship and esoteric practice in the period.
The book situates Dee's pursuits within the political and cultural currents of Elizabethan and continental Europe, including his travels and interactions with figures like Edward Kelley.
Woolley presents Dee as a complex figure whose intellectual curiosity led to both high status and eventual misfortune, offering readers a nuanced portrait of early modern intellectual life.
The biography illuminates how Renaissance science and magic were interwoven rather than strictly opposed.
Mentioned by
Mentioned in 0 episodes
Mentioned by 
Suzannah Lipscomb
When Elves & Fairies Lived Among Us
