--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Those who abdicate the empire of reason…" description: "\"“Those who abdicate the empire of reason and permit their wills to wander in pursuit of reflections in the Astral Light, are subject to alternations of..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d97/eliphas-levi-11993_1855_those-who-abdicate-the-empire-of-reason_1777761.jpg" --- # Those who abdicate the empire of reason and permit their… ![“Those who abdicate the empire of reason and permit their wills to wander in pursuit of reflections in the Astral Light, are subject to alternations of mania and melancholy which have originated all the marvels of demoniacal possession, though it is true, at the same time, that by means of these…” quote by Éliphas Lévi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d97/eliphas-levi-11993_1855_those-who-abdicate-the-empire-of-reason_1777761.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d97/eliphas-levi-11993_1855_those-who-abdicate-the-empire-of-reason_1777761.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d97/eliphas-levi-11993_1855_those-who-abdicate-the-empire-of-reason_1777761.jpg) > ““Those who abdicate the empire of reason and permit their wills to wander in pursuit of reflections in the Astral Light, are subject to alternations of mania and melancholy which have originated all the marvels of demoniacal possession, though it is true, at the same time, that by means of these reflections impure spirits can act upon such souls, make use of them as docile instruments and even habitually torment their organism, wherein they enter and reside by obsession, or embryonically. These kabalistic terms are explained in the Hebrew book of the Revolution of Souls , of which our thirteenth chapter will contain a succinct analysis. It is therefore extremely dangerous to make sport of the Mysteries of Magic; it is above all excessively rash to practice its rites from curiosity, by way of experiment and as if to exploit higher forces. The inquisitive who, without being adepts, busy themselves with evocations or occult magnetism, are like children playing with fire in the neighborhood of a cask of gunpowder; sooner or later they will fall victims to some terrible explosion.”” [Éliphas Lévi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliphas-levi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Pursuing occult knowledge without discipline leads to mental instability and dangerous spiritual entanglements, likened to reckless children with gunpowder. **In simple terms:** Untrained magic practice risks madness and harm. Key Takeaway Study responsibly, respect limits. Themes danger occult discipline madness spirituality Mood cautionary serious thoughtful Type esoteric philosophical When to use this quote - ritual magic - self‑study - spiritual exploration Key Concepts alchemy psychology esotericism Questions to Reflect On - Why do people seek forbidden knowledge? - How can curiosity be channeled safely? A Different Perspective Risk of obsession and mental breakdown. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children playing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-playing/) [Doctrine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctrine/) [Magick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magick/) [Occult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occult/) [Playing with fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-with-fire/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Sooner or later](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sooner-or-later/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Warning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/warning/) ## Related quotes > [“However, as a guarantee of its renewed youth, the symbolical phoenix never reappeared before the eyes of the world without having consumed solemnly the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliphas-levi/however-as-a-guarantee-of-its-renewed-youth-the-symbolical-phoenix/) [Éliphas Lévi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliphas-levi/) > [“Religion realizes philosophy by adapting it to the weaknesses of the vulgar…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliphas-levi/religion-realizes-philosophy-by-adapting-it-to-the-weaknesses-of-the/) [Éliphas Lévi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliphas-levi/) > [“Beware of singing divine psalms for an ordinary recreation, as do men of impure spirits, who sing holy psalms intermingled with profane ballads: They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-bayly/beware-of-singing-divine-psalms-for-an-ordinary-recreation-as-do-men/) Lewis Bayly > [“The Americans of all nations at any time upon the earth have probably the fullest poetical nature. The United States themselves are essentially the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/the-americans-of-all-nations-at-any-time-upon-the-earth-have-probably/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [“Our progress in degeneracy appears to me to be pretty rapid. As a nation, we began by declaring that 'all men are created equal.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/our-progress-in-degeneracy-appears-to-me-to-be-pretty-rapid-as-a/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [“Somehow I have been stunned. Stand back! 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Philosophical gold in religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliphas-levi/like-all-magical-mysteries-the-secrets-of-the-great-work-have-a/) [Éliphas Lévi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliphas-levi/) > [An iron chain is less difficult to break than a chain of flowers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliphas-levi/an-iron-chain-is-less-difficult-to-break-than-a-chain-of-flowers/) [Eliphas Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliphas-levi/) > [Everything is possible to him who wills only what is true! Rest in Nature, study, know, then dare; dare to will, dare to act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliphas-levi/everything-is-possible-to-him-who-wills-only-what-is-true-rest-in/) [Eliphas Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliphas-levi/) > [What is more absurd and more impious than to attribute the name of Lucifer to the devil, that is, to personified evil. The intellectual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliphas-levi/what-is-more-absurd-and-more-impious-than-to-attribute-the-name-of/) [Eliphas Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliphas-levi/) > [Nothing can resist the will of man when he knows what is true and wills what is good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliphas-levi/nothing-can-resist-the-will-of-man-when-he-knows-what-is-true-and/) [Eliphas Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliphas-levi/) > [“Man's greatest wisdom is to choose his obsession well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliphas-levi/man-s-greatest-wisdom-is-to-choose-his-obsession-well/) [Éliphas Lévi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliphas-levi/) > [There exists in nature a force which is immeasurably more powerful than steam, and by means of which a single man, who knows how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliphas-levi/there-exists-in-nature-a-force-which-is-immeasurably-more-powerful/) [Eliphas Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliphas-levi/) > [There is nothing more to controlling demons than to do good and fear nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliphas-levi/there-is-nothing-more-to-controlling-demons-than-to-do-good-and-fear/) [Eliphas Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliphas-levi/) > [The Placer is an enemy who must necessarily become our lord or our slave; one doesn't enjoy if it's not defeated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliphas-levi/the-placer-is-an-enemy-who-must-necessarily-become-our-lord-or-our/) [Eliphas Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliphas-levi/) [Explore all 53 Éliphas Lévi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliphas-levi/) ## More 1855 quotes > [“However, as a guarantee of its renewed youth, the symbolical phoenix never reappeared before the eyes of the world without having consumed solemnly the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliphas-levi/however-as-a-guarantee-of-its-renewed-youth-the-symbolical-phoenix/) [Éliphas Lévi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliphas-levi/) > [“The Americans of all nations at any time upon the earth have probably the fullest poetical nature. 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These kabalistic terms are explained in the Hebrew book of the Revolution of Souls , of which our thirteenth chapter will contain a succinct analysis. It is therefore extremely dangerous to make sport of the Mysteries of Magic; it is above all excessively rash to practice its rites from curiosity, by way of experiment and as if to exploit higher forces. 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