Is The Ouija Board Evil?
Article: Is The Ouija Board Actually A Tool for Evil? Photo of vintage wooden Spirit Board by Amanda Linette Meder, Location: The Creeper Gallery, New Hope, PA
The history, how to use them & how they became known for evil plus How To Use A Ouija Board Safely
amanda linette meder
Updated 2021.12.15 with new links and the latest research and just as an FYI, this post includes affiliate links.
When I was twelve years old, I walked down to the main bridge in my hometown and threw an Ouija Board in the box straight over the side of the rail and watched it float away.
If you're like me, you're familiar with the Ouija Board, and you know it as a tool that is used to conjure or call up communication with the Spirits.
You may have even had an old Parker's Brother version growing up, or threw one over a bridge once yourself.
This would only be one of the first run-ins that I've had with the Ouija Board, which developed a reputation for evil in 1973, after the release of The Exorcist, which featured a scene where the main character becomes possessed after contact with the board.
Before that, the Ouija Board had developed somewhat of a mysterious past until Robert Murch, spent nearly 15 years discovering its history.
First patented in 1890, by lawyer and inventor Elijah Bond, the board was tested to assure it worked before it received a patent at all.
Hailing from Maryland, US, the Ouija Board quickly gained popularity on the heels of the Spiritualism movement, which was strongest between 1848-1870, and it played a part in fueling America's belief in Spiritualism.
After the movement’s surge in the 1800s, Spiritualism continued weaving in and out of the threads of American history through various levels of support in film, Vaudeville, and by individual American Presidents.
It remained a popular house game until the 1980s when the patent was again purchased by Hasbro games in Rhode Island, who continues to own the patent today.
The famous talking board utilizes a technique of an alphabet and number system to communicate with spirits has been around now for 130 years.
The feature of the Ouija Board in the Exorcist was just the start of its association with evil. That shadow followed the game all the way through the demon fever in the 1990s and even now, into today.
Aside from the Exorcist associating the Ouija Board with negative spirits, among some spirit workers, there is a hypothesis that only 'low spirits' are attracted to physical types of communication methods.
Because it's an earthen material that vibrates at a very low speed, the idea is that it attracts other low vibrating, dense spirits, energies, and that fast-moving, high vibrating spirits wouldn't connect so easily.
Angels being considered high vibrational and fast, being they are closer to Heaven, and elementals and other daemons, being found closer to earth and, therefore, closer to the underworld.
But if the Ouija Board is just a tool for contacting spirits, and likewise, so is the mind, can't all devices, human, or otherwise attract evil spirits? Technically yes, and it is my hypothesis all tools can be used for good, too.
I've had positive experiences with Divination Tools, and this is just another kind, one with a fascinating history rooted right here in America.
I now proudly display one in my office, despite all this, I have used one safely and rekindled my bond with this beloved tool.
In case you'd like to use it, below are a few tips I've learned along the way.
How To Use A Ouija Board Safely
Ouija Board Photo by Josh Olalde on Unsplash
Basic Outline Of Connecting
When the game was first released, no official instructions were provided besides that it worked.
In the way I was taught to use it, between 3-5 people will sit around the board, and place their fingers lightly on a triangular piece that sits on top.
They ask that any spirits in the room communicate with them and verify their identity first, by moving the piece, called a planchet, from letter to letter to spell out names, answers, and messages.
While wooden planchets are beautiful for display and I have one, typically, the lighter the planchet, the more efficiently the piece will move.
The Spirit present speaks using the energy in the player's hands and the charged free energy in the room to move the piece, spelling on its messages.
You can ask it anything, but I suggest asking questions where short words can be used as responses. Otherwise, it will take a while. I also recommend having a notebook handy to spell out the letters.
When the energy wanes, signaling that the Spirit is leaving, the planchet will stop moving, and communication will cease. You can use it yourself, but having more than one person present, I feel, helps to guide the energy.
When working with the Ouija Board, I encourage the same techniques you'd use for connecting with any spirit to keep yourself clear:
To be of sound mind
To ground your energy
To pay attention to your other intuitions and senses for when and if you should cut off or continue communication
To decide when and where to use your device
Once you’ve decided you’re clear, you feel grounded, and you have another human player ready if you’d like one, decide where to set up your device and get a pen and pad of paper.
Some people also like a small bowl of water nearby, as it can indicate when vibrations are present in the space.
Set Your Boundaries For Spirit Communication
When you bring out the board, set the boundaries. Don't lay your hands on the playing piece until you do. This is a lot like saying a prayer before you connect.
You can communicate with Angels, Guides, and Loved Ones with this tool, you can also connect with nearby deceased.
Make a statement that indicates your boundaries are clear and say something like this,
"I am opening the channel to connect with those who are in the Light, speak the truth, and with those who are ready to communicate for the highest and greatest good of all those involved."
If you do have more than one person with you, one person at a time should ask questions. Otherwise, you may get debatable answers.
Wait 30-60 seconds for a reply before asking another matter, as sometimes spirits take a second to muster up the energy to move the planchet.
If you get a strong communicator, this is not necessarily an indicator of an evil presence, as I falsely believed when I was a young teen. Helpful spirits can also be powerful communicators.
It's an old campfire tale that only negative spirits communicate loudly.
God can talk loudly, so can Archangel Michael. So can a deceased person who really wants to get through. If you are easily frightened, I suggest deep breathing while working with it.
When You're Done, Close the Channel
When you work with the Ouija Board, you ask questions of the Spirit who is present to communicate with you by spelling things out.
I suggest a notebook and trying more than one device in more than one location before you quit seeing if the method works. It does, it just needs the right energy and the right tool, for the right place, for the right person.
You can ask anything you want, and because it works letter by letter, it can take a long time to get information.
But, no matter how long you stick with it, when you're done, be clear you are done communicating and end the session, close the channel, seal up the link.
You may feel the energy start to wane or you may find the responses too slow when the connection is closing, which it usually does on its own.
Whether you want to admit it or not, any time you bring in spirit energy into a focused, concentrated spot, you are creating something like a Portal - a pathway for those in spirit to energetically travel and link with you.
If you don't make it clear the door is closed, you may have strays coming in and out as they please. In other words, when you are done having guests and ready to go to bed, close your front door.
To close the channel, say,
"Thank you for sharing your messages, divine love, guidance, and presence with us today. Our session communication and session is now complete."
While this is all it takes, I also like to imagine a door shutting.
Some people want to burn Palo Santo or a candle to reset the energy when the session is complete. Some people feel when the Spirits are gone, but you still do want to cleanse and reset the energy afterward.
Okay, so there you have it.
No matter what tool you use for connecting, whether it's merely yourself, a pendulum, a deck of cards, or a game board, they can all invite in spirits, regardless of intent.
It is the practitioner that decides who is invited to the party, but if you don't set your boundaries for yourself, someone else will, just like in ordinary life.
To end, you can use divination tools, such as the Ouija Board, safely and effectively.
With so much history behind it, and because it can be fun and exciting, I think The Ouija Board is a bucket list item for everyone should try once in their lifetime.
You may end up finding out that it's one of your favorite Divination Tools.
Ouija Board - who owns the patent, where to buy one, and how to use one. Ouija Board Photo by Josh Olalde on Unsplash with text overlay - Ouija Board: The History, How To Use Them, & How They Became Known as a Tool for Evil.
To learn more about the board, see these external resources
To purchase a Ouija Board, vintage or new
Personally, I find that if this is your first time using the board, a fresh in box edition will be the clearest and carry the least amount of potential complications.
If you purchase a secondhand board, and you believe you have a board that has a spirit who favors it, tradition states you can clear it in running water or by burying it underground.
I also find saging or a firm talking to the Spirit helps. There are also collectors who may purchase it from you with that information included.
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