John Dee, court astrologer to Queen Elizabeth, wrote his Monas Hieroglyphica in 1564. It is an exhaustive interpretation of a glyph, of his own design, that is meant to express the mystical unity of all creation. He traveled to Hungary to personally present a copy to Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor.
The Hieroglyphic embodies Dee's vision of the unity of the Cosmos and is a composite of various esoteric and astrological symbols. The Hieroglyphic Monad serves as a primer of its mysteries. However, the obscurity of the commentary is such that it is believed that Dee used it as a textbook for a more detailed explanation of the Hieroglyph, which he would give in person. In the absence of any remaining detail of this explanation we may never know the full significance of the Glyph.
It is believed the Dee was the inspiration for the character of Prospero in Shakespeare's Tempest.
This edition has been carefully prepared to highlight Dee's original illustrations and includes the Diary of John Dee and the Catalogue of His Manuscripts that he prepared before his home was attacked and destroyed by fire.
It has been recently re-formatted for improved compatibility with devices and a fully-functional table of contents.
