Dee, John Dee: The Royal Astrologer & Spy Who Was the Queen’s First 007

John Dee made his forecast for the reign of Queen Elizabeth I based on her Coronation date of January 15, 1559. Hundreds of years later, astrologers are doing the same for King Charles III.

Mathematician and astrologer John Dee was a favorite during the lifetime of Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603), a royal mover and shaker among European intellectuals known as Elizabeth's philosopher.

Dee also gathered intelligence as the Queen’s secret agent, signing himself off as ‘007’ although James Bond creator Ian Fleming apparently wasn’t aware of it, according to Donald McCormick, author of Who’s Who in Spy Fiction.

Fleming once said he took 007 from the zip code 20007 for the Georgetown area of Washington, D.C. where many CIA agents lived, although some say it’s a reference to breaking the German diplomatic code in WWI.

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Espionage and the occult ‍

It wasn’t unusual for monarchs and rulers to dabble in espionage or the occult to assist with decision-making. Queen Victoria was heavily involved in the occult after the death of her husband, Prince Albert and held séances for years hoping to contact him. French Queen Catherine de Medici employed 16th-century doomsayer Nostradamus as resident mystic at the court of King Henry II, so John Dee’s presence in the court of Queen Elizabeth I wouldn’t have raised eyebrows.

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John Dee, one-man think tank and special agent

In addition to sleuthing, Dee’s role included reporting on the state of the nation's political, economic, and social affairs in Summary of the Commonwealth of Britain (1570). He was one of the main architects of an imperial vision for England and coined the term ‘British Empire’. Dee was also an inventor, building many of the instruments early navigators needed on their journeys but it was his dabbling in other worlds that made him a novelty in royal circles.

Dee was ‘heavily’ involved in astrology, magic, and the occult. Royal Museums Greenwich said he advised Elizabeth I and made a forecast for her reign based on her Coronation date. She believed in his magical powers and he was a trusted counselor.

Unfortunately for Dee, Elizabeth I’s successor James I wasn’t interested in superstition or magic so Dee’s services were no longer required before his death in 1608 or 1609.

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Star astrologers

Astrologers continue to find a role in modern royal circles and even on the staff of some world leaders. US President Ronald Reagan famously employed astrologer Joan Quigley to schedule his meetings and trips at auspicious times. Princess Diana also consulted one of the world’s leading astrologers for years, Penny Thornton, who had previously worked with Diana’s sister-in-law Sarah Ferguson.

Unfortunately for Diana, Thornton saw difficulty in the stars. A year after the marriage of Diana and the future king in 1981. Thornton wrote: “In my heart of hearts, of course, I knew this marriage is never going to work.”

There’s no indication that Charles has his own mystical advisors, although that hasn’t stopped astrologers from weighing in on King Charles III, an intense Scorpio Sun with a grounded Taurus Moon and a regal Leo Ascendant.

Astrologer Debbie Frank, another associate of Princess Diana’s, predicted before King Charle’s Coronation in May 2023, that it would be far from a calm and peaceful year for the King and Queen Consort Camilla. "Scorpio King Charles is in the grip of tough Saturn as 2023 opens and Harry's memoir is published," she said.

“Interestingly, the Scorpio eclipsed Full Moon the day before his Coronation marks the royal stamp of fate and destiny as eclipses so often coincide with important royal events."