By Alex Grayson, Resident Curmudgeon and Occult Author at LearningTarot.net
In the ever-bizarre theatre of human curiosity, it’s not often one finds a modern scientific initiative like Skywatch waltzing arm-in-arm with the same class of intelligences that once ranted in Enochian tongues through John Dee’s skryer Edward Kelley. And yet, here we are.
Skywatch claims to explore UAP (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena) using both cutting-edge aerospace technology and – here’s where it gets delightfully weird – psionic and ritualistic techniques to summon them. Yes, summon. Not just “observe,” but actively call forth. For any student of Dee or Crowley, this should cause your ritual-blasted ears to perk right up.
Let’s unravel what this means, and how old-school occultism might provide a more coherent framework for these modern high-tech summoners than they even realise.
Summoning Spirits… or Spacecraft? Dee’s Angelic Intelligence and the UAP Mirror
Dr. John Dee (1527–1608), that brilliant polymath and part-time angel-whisperer, developed his Enochian system through direct communication with non-human intelligences who referred to themselves as “angels.” These beings provided Dee and Kelley with a rich linguistic and magical framework, promising no less than apocalyptic transformation and cosmic alignment.
The crux? These beings were not passive; they came when called. Through the infamous Sigillum Dei Aemeth, scrying stones, and ceremonial structure, Dee summoned intelligences that displayed autonomy, intelligence, and yes – bizarre, often threatening behavior.
If Skywatch is observing “anomalous aerial phenomena” in response to ritualistic or technological beacons, it mirrors Dee’s method uncannily. Swap a crystal ball for a sensor array and Kelley’s trance-state jabbering for machine learning analysis of thermal spectra, and you have functionally the same operation; summoning NHI (non-human intelligences) to engage on our terms.
And the intent – ah yes, the most critical ingredient in any magical operation – is there, focused, deliberate, and charged. Ritual and magick do not require “belief” so much as performance and intention. Even their technology may simply be functioning as ritual instruments: focusing, grounding, and broadcasting intent into a responsive cosmos.
The Watchers Return? Ancient Entities with New Names
The term “Watchers” has long been associated with fallen angels from apocryphal texts; beings who descended, shared forbidden knowledge, and wreaked all sorts of biblical havoc. John Dee’s “angels” shared similar qualities: deeply intelligent, morally ambiguous, and oddly obsessed with humanity’s spiritual evolution (or destruction, depending on the mood).
Skywatch’s NHI (non-human intelligence) may well be a rebranding of these old spirits in new suits.
Crowley, ever the opportunistic Magus, encountered similar forces via the Enochian system. He claimed contact with entities like Aiwass (who dictated The Book of the Law) and used rituals that echoed Dee’s mechanisms to interact with beings from beyond. His magick often blurred the lines between extraterrestrial, extra-dimensional, and internal archetypal forces—a delightful ambiguity modern UFO researchers are only just catching up to.
If the beings encountered by Skywatch are responsive to psionic signals and ritualized technology, the implications are clear: They are intelligent, they are old, and they have always been watching.
Do We Really Need the Tech? Or Are We Just Casting Electric Circles?
A question often posed in modern ceremonial and witchcraft circles is this: “Do we need the ritual tools, or are they just psychological props?” The answer is yes. And no. And also maybe.
In Enochian magic, the tools – wax tablets, crystal globes, furniture cut to the inch – were not optional. They were the manifestation of will through physical form, “fetishes” in the truest sense: symbolic conduits for non-material force.
Skywatch’s devices may be the same: techno-fetishes. Not necessary in the universal sense, but essential as the chosen form through which the operators focus their will and intent. Think of them as electromagnetic wands.
Could they summon without the machines? Possibly. But it’s not about what works – it’s about what you can do consistently, reproducibly, and without burning a hole in the fabric of spacetime. Some precautions are in order.
Final Thoughts from a Wand-Wielding Skeptic
We’ve reached an era where Pentagon officials and indie occultists are asking the same questions: “Who are these intelligences, and what do they want?”
The divide between UFOlogy and magick is thinning. From Dee’s scrying room to Skywatch’s sensor arrays, humanity continues its long flirtation with the Other. The only difference now is whether you prefer your summons by sword and circle, or satellite and signal.
Just remember – whatever you call them, these beings don’t care if you’re in a robe or a lab coat. They care that you’re paying attention.
And maybe that you’ve brought the right kind of offerings.
Alex Grayson is a practicing ceremonial magician and British Traditional Witch, editor-at-large at LearningTarot.net, and occasional scribe to beings that don’t belong to this dimension. Approach with caution—and a sense of humour.