Ouija boards have been used for centuries as a means of communication with the supernatural. While some people use them as a way to connect with the spirit world, others view them with skepticism. In this blog post, we’ll provide tips, advice, and guidelines on how to use a Ouija board safely and responsibly.
Halloween is fast approaching, which means that the veil between the planes of the living and dead is getting thinner and thinner. Naturally this means you want to make contact, right? Right? No? Just me, then?
Well, before you run to your local Wally World for a brand spanking new Ouija Board (or you can check your grandparent’s spooky attic) let’s talk about safety and proper use.
What You'll Need When Using a Ouija Board
Even if you don’t believe in spirits or opening portals to other dimensions, I believe. I encourage exploration of these planes, but only if you’re prepared and understand what you’re doing. I’m sure inviting a demon into your house is not your intention, and I can help you prevent that!
Let’s start off with what you’ll need:
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A Ouija Board and planchette
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White candles
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A pentacle or spell casting tools (If that’s your thing. Even if it’s not your thing, I highly encourage use of something along these lines)
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Friend(s)
Make Preparations to Use Your Ouija Board Safely
All Ouija Boards have the same basic setup: the alphabet, numbers 0-1, hello, goodbye, yes, and no. This is how you’ll communicate with whoever comes to you. Once you have the board on your table (or wherever you will be using it -- the floor, the couch, a bed), you should light at least one white candle. White candles usually symbolize purity and are used for prayer (they can also be used for communication, but that’s another lesson for another day, kids).
Next, grab your friend(s), and don your protection symbols and/or cast your protection spell. You should always say a prayer before you play with your board. Something as simple as asking for only those who seek to communicate to come forward and for only good spirits to come through. Once you’ve done all of these things, you’re ready to play.
Initiating Contact
You and your friend(s) should place the planchette on top of the board with one to two fingers from each hand resting lightly against it. Circle the planchette around the board around hello and speak aloud, “Hello.” You’re now free to ask any questions that you like. It’s best to start off with simple questions such as, ‘is someone here with us’ or ‘is there anyone here that would like to speak with us’ or even to just ask their name.
Don’t feel disappointed if you don’t get a response. You must remember that the spirit is not there for your entertainment, and should not be forced to speak with you. You wouldn’t like it if someone disturbed you in the afterlife asking silly questions like, “What’s your name?”
Gauging The Energy and Mood
There are a few ways to note if the spirit is unhappy with the questions being asked, if they’re not in the mood to speak with you, or even if they’re a bad spirit. The planchette should move smoothly across the board, fast or slow. If it feels like the planchette is being tugged forcefully from under your fingers or if the board is pulled, pushed, or thrown, that's probably a certain sign that they’re not happy or nice.
Should you find yourself speaking with a bad or angry spirit, you should stop your game immediately. No need to piss off dead people. They have nothing to lose and you have quite a bit to lose, really. It’s also possible that the spirit can lie about who they are, so if they say that they’re Grandmama, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are that person.
When it comes to who comes through to speak with you, you really don’t have a say in who it is. And they know that; they know that you can’t actually tell who they are (unless you’re a psychic medium, of course). But please keep in mind the game is not over until you intentionally make it over. In the same way that you open the portal, you should also close it. Circle the planchette a few more times and say goodbye while moving the piece over goodbye.
If Things Don't Go to Plan
Last note, if something is going wrong, do not panic and break the board. This is not a good idea. Why? If you break the board, you cannot close the portal. If you cannot close the portal, you’ve basically opened up a door to god knows what, and you just have to let them have free reign of the house until you can get someone to clear the space and close it in another way.
At this point, if the game ended on a bad note, it’s probably best that you burn some sage and clear out the negative spirit and energy from the space and your house. It’s best to do this immediately so that it doesn’t get the chance to mess with you. There are plenty of Ouija Board horror stories out there, and I’ve heard too many. Trust me when I say it’s best to work quickly when it comes to purifying your space.
Yes, Halloween is the best time to play with your Ouija Board, but I implore you to do so carefully. And even if you don’t want to play, if you hear someone talking about playing, make sure that they have all the proper knowledge so that they can play safely.
Ouija Boards are a great way to communicate with the dead, but they can also be dangerous. If you're going to use one, make sure you follow these tips to keep yourself safe.
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