Nearly concurrent with these scholars, were the works of John Dee (1527–1608) and Edward Kelley (1555–1597), known for their publications on the Enochian language. Dee himself was an English mathematician, astronomer, astrologer and occult philosopher. He devoted much of his life to the study of alchemy, divination, and Hermetic philosophy. Kelley, partnered with Dee, was an English Renaissance occultist and self-declared spirit medium. From their scrying sessions in communications with what they described as ‘Enochian or, fallen angels’, they produced the book Liber Loagaeth (‘Speech of God). This contained 49 ‘Great Letter Tables’, or squares made of 49 by 49 letters, front and back, totaling 98 in all. Later, they produced texts comprised of 48 poetic verses, called Claves Angelicae, or ‘Angelic Keys’. The ‘Keys’ are assigned certain functions within the magical system, of which Dee intended to employ to open “The 49 Gates of Wisdom/Understanding” represented by the 49 magic squares in Liber Loagaeth.

It is then we open to the early 20th century and Aleister Crowley (1875–1947), an English occultist, ceremonial magician and founder of the religion of Thelema. He is best known for his involvement with the esoteric Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. He was convinced he, with the use of the 49 “Angelic Keys”, also known as “Calls”, and referring to himself as “The Beast”, could announce the start of the Aeon of Horus. It was while in Cairo, Egypt, Crowley claimed to have been contacted by a supernatural entity named Aiwass, who provided him with “The Book of the Law,” a sacred text that served as the basis for Thelema. The book declared that its followers should “Do what thou wilt” and seek to align themselves with their ‘True Will’ through the practice of ‘magick’.