Madison from San Francisco, CA asks:
I am curious about the paranormal, so I want to use a Ouija Board to try connecting with spirits from the other side. Before I continue using it, I want to understand the background of this tool. What are the dangers of the board?
Psychic Marin ext. 5113 responds:
Although many have attempted to use talking boards to communicate with spirits, it is a tool rarely used by mediums or spiritualists, as most make direct contact with spirits without the use of a Ouija Board. However, with proper precautions it is an excellent tool for someone trying to further their psychic skills and who requires the assistance of a tool in the beginning phase of their development.
In the mid 1800s, talking boards came into existence as a parlor game. Similar concepts have been in existence since 600 BCE, but look nothing like the Ouija we recognize today. The oldest known device was a Chinese system used for divination. In early Greece, there was a portable divination instrument that was affixed on wheels. In the 19th century, such devices begin to include the use of a pencil and a board in an attempt to induce automatic writing.
There are several types of “talking boards,” and “Ouija” is the most known name and trademark, developed by inventor William Fuld, who sold his patent in 1966 to Parker Brothers. Ouija has become the name often generically given to any “talking board.” The Ouija name was created by taking the French (“Oui”) and German (“Ja”) words for “yes.” The board itself bears the images of the letters of the alphabet, numbers 1-0, the words “Yes,” “No,” and “Good Bye.” Also included with the “game” is a heart-shaped plastic planchette, which serves as the moveable pointer. Participants place their fingers on the planchette, which then moves about the board, under the direction of “supernatural forces,” to spell out messages and answers by pointing to different letters or to “yes” or “no.”
A lot of mystery surrounds the board, but as you can imagine, some is true, and some is false. Among the rumors are that Satan and his minions can speak through the Ouija board, or that a person can become so addicted to guidance from the “spirit world” via the board that they allow the board to control their life. As with any occult or divination tool, one must take precautions when using the Ouija board to make contact with the other side, but it is not necessarily an evil tool. Just as you select your friends and who you choose to associate with on a daily basis, you can select your guides and who you choose to work with from the other side. It is also important how you choose to use the tool. As with anything in life, use it in moderation. It is no different than frequency and use of video games or television.
Perhaps the most noteworthy concern about the Ouija is that it is distributed in toy stores, thereby making it accessible to children and people not properly equipped to handle spirit communication. It can also unintentionally lead to invoking spirits for the purposes of possession or channeling, something only those experienced with the paranormal should be attempting to undertake.
When you choose to experiment with the Ouija board, the first necessary action is to create a wall of protection around you. In my previous Psychic Workout article, “Shield Yourself From Negativity,” I offer suggestions for visualizations and an introduction on how to create protection. Whether you use my technique or perform your own routine, psychic shielding and protection is a must before consulting the Ouija or any form of spirit communication.
When you begin the session, feel free to call on a specific deceased loved one that you knew and whose advice you trust. If you don’t have a particular contact, you may want to open spirit communication by using the phrase that Spiritualists use prior to the beginning of a seance: “I ask for white light of protection against all evil and against all negativity. I ask for the highest and best spirits to come through, now!”
Other general suggestions include refraining from using the Ouija board while under the influence of any substance. Maintaining a clear channel will result in successful communication and will minimize contact with “negative” spirits wishing to horse around.
If at any time you feel uncomfortable with your communication, politely end the session and attempt contact with another spirit, at another time.
When you end a session, always do so with appreciation and gratitude.
You may choose to write notes on your sessions and begin to identify certain guides that communicate with you on a regular basis. This relationship often leads to frequent interaction, and soon you will not require the use of the Ouija to communicate. Your other senses and abilities will strengthen, as the goal is to receive guidance without depending upon a tool.
“Ouija… It’s only a game. Or is it?” – Parker Brothers
Check out what some of our readers said about this article:
Michael in New Hampshire says:
My wife and I started using a Ouija board just this past weekend. We used it three nights in a row. I always say that this board is for good spirits only before starting. We have a spirit guide that shows up who passed away in 1845 – a girl from the state of Maine who died at the age of 41. On Sunday night we talked with my mom, who passed away nine years ago, and my wife’s grandmothers on both sides of her family. We just ask simple questions, like “Are you happy on the other side?”
Cheri in Syracuse says:
I beg to differ with you on the use of Ouija boards. I do not feel that you should suggest that anyone use a Ouija board, as the user(s) don’t really know who they’re speaking with – i.e. an evil entity pretending to be a loved one, or so on. Many users of Ouija boards have brought evil into their homes and not realized it until it’s too late. I don’t recommend that anyone use a Ouija board to try and communicate with spirits or increase their psychic powers. It can be a very dangerous game, and I don’t think that many people take it seriously, and don’t properly protect themselves from spirits that could be evil. Please be careful in recommending that anyone uses the board. My family learned the hard way, and brought evil entities into our home when I was a young girl. What they thought was just a fun game turned into a nightmare. I caution its use for anyone. Sorry, Marin, but I’m sticking to my thoughts on this matter as I know personally from experience. Even Sylvia Browne, a well know psychic, does not recommend Ouija board use. I don’t think that it’s a good idea for anyone to open a portal when they may not be properly prepared to protect themselves.
What do you think – is using a Ouija board a good idea or not? Have you had any experiences one way or the other?
4 thoughts on “How to Use a Ouija Board”
When I lived in the dorms, my neighbor and I played with her friend’s Ouija board. We went to the basement and started asking it questions, like what it’s name was and where it was originally from. It said it’s name was “Kalb” and it came from somewhere East. My neighbor started to get smart mouthy with it. Her lighter all of a sudden had a small hole in the side that squirted the fluid all over the place. When I picked it up it was ICE cold. Needless to say it scared the hell out of us. We ran upstairs screaming. Our own roommates were out of town, so she crashed in my room and we slept in the same bed we were so scared!
Since then all kinds of things happened in the basement. Nothing really dangerous, per say, but just very mischievous and annoying. The washing machines and driers would break. The TV would randomly flip channels or go on the fritz. The lights would flicker or turn on and off at random. There were cold spots all over the place there. Nobody wanted to go down there by themselves because they felt like they were being watched.
It didn’t seem to spread to other areas of the dorm and it is just pure dumb luck that “Kalb” didn’t decide to stick to either of us for her being a smartaleck to the spirit.
I wonder if Kalb is still in that basement all those years later!
Pingback: Billy Ray Cyrus & Son's Paranormal Outing | California Psychics Blog
I can relate to your comment. I am the author of this article, and I had to “earn” my first Ouja board. I literally had to beg my parents for two years until they finally bought me a Ouija board when I was 13 years old. So, it may be a generational stigma, but my parent were initially opposed to me having one. I even remember my Mother asking around, in an attempt to get some comfort in purchasing one for me, but the general census was that they had a negative connotation. Unfortunately Hollywood perpetuated the fears of the Ouija, comparable to the movie Jaws and fear of sharks.
It is my belief that the Ouija is a tool, as are Tarot cards, automatic writing instruments, oracle cards, crystal balls and pendulums. All are designed to help us connect to “the other side.” However, it is the “what” or “who” that you connect to that should be the focus of concern, not the tool used to access it.
It is hard to imagine that one tool will connect to evil side and summon evil spirits, while the use of a different tools will only connect to the angelic. Form everything I have seen, felt, and heard… it simply doesn’t work that way. The “other side” is the “other side” and you connect with “THE other side” regardless of the tool you use, including the Ouija.
As confusion as this discussion may be, I hope it sheds some light on the darkness of the Ouija.
Faithfully,
marin #5113
Wow times have changed! Growing up my mother forbid me and my brother from playing with it….