The Great Table

The Great Table is a large grid of letters, 25 squares wide and 27 high. Two major versions of the Table exist. The first was produced during the work in 1584. Three years later, Kelly (working alone) produced a revised Table now called the Tabula Recensa.

The Table is a magickal "map" of the world, including all levels of existence that are not part of the transcendental, divine realm. It is divided internally according to an orderly system to produce a hierarchy of divine and angelic names ruling various aspects of existence. A separate method of division, in which it is separated into 91 dissimilar regions, produces the names of the "Parts of the Earth" shown in Liber Scientiae.

The first division in the Great Table splits it into four Elemental Tablets, 12 squares wide and 13 squares high. These Tablets are separated by a cross with arms one square wide, called the Cross of Union, or Black Cross. The four tablets are associated with the four traditional elements, following the same positions as the continents in the Tablet of God. (The Tabula Recensa changes the positions of the Tablets within the Table.)

Each Tablet has an internal division into four "Lesser Angles", separated by a "Great Cross". The Great Cross has a vertical arm two units wide, and a horizontal arm one unit high. The horizontal is called the "Line of the Holy Ghost" and contains the three highest names of God within the Tablet, formed by dividing its twelve letters into groups of three, four, and five letters. The vertical arm considered as a whole is said to represent God the Father. When considered as two columns, it represents God as Father and Son.

The eight central letters of the Great Cross are taken in a clockwise inward spiral to form the two names of the Elemental King who rules the Tablet. Each of these names uses only one of the two most central letters. Dee was told that one of these names was for beneficent works, the other for works with harmful intent. When the letters of the Great Cross are read outwards from the center along each arm, they form the seven-letter names of six "Seniors".

The Great Cross is associated with levels of manifest divinity, the mathematical or planetary regions that lie above the Earth but inside the transcendental divine realm in medieval cosmology. Cabalistically they connect with the second triad of sephiroth in the Tree of Life, and with the human soul that originates there. The King and Seniors are generally considered to be planetary in nature; the power of the Seniors was said to be "knowledge of all human affairs".

The Lesser Angles are grids five columns wide and six rows high. The central column forms a god-name of six letters; the second row from the top forms a god-name of five letters. The four rows below (ignoring the central column) form four angelic names ruled by these god-names. Today they are usually referred to by the Golden Dawn label, as "Servient" angels.

The four squares of the top row (again ignoring the central column) form four angelic names which are not ruled by the god-names from the calvary cross. Instead, a different god-name is formed by adding a letter from the Cross of Union to the first angel’s name. These four angels are specifically associated with the letters INRI, written above the cross of Jesus’ crucifixion. The Golden Dawn labeled them "Kerubic" angels, after the four elemental Kerubs of the Tarot cards.

The angels of the Lesser Angles are assigned governance over specific areas of knowledge, e.g., medicine, precious stones, mechanical arts, etc. These powers can be easily associated with one of the four elements; the result is that the positioning of the elements in the Tablet of God is reflected downwards in the positions of the Tablets in the Great Table, and in the positions of the Lesser Angles within each Tablet.

Type of Angel/ Lesser Angles /Power

Servient/ Upper left (Air)/ Medicine
Servient/ Upper right (Earth)/ Metals and Stones
Servient/ Lower left (Fire)/ Transformation
Servient/ Lower right (Water)/ Living creatures
Kerubic/ Upper left/ Mixing of natures
Kerubic/Upper right /Changing of place
Kerubic/ Lower left/ Mechanical arts
Kerubic/Lower right/ Understanding secrets


These various powers must be considered to be representative rather than inclusive. According to the angels the Great Table is in some way connected to every type of event that takes place within the Earth; therefore these angels must have much wider areas of responsibility than is suggested by the listed powers.



The Great Table