Make your own Ouija board...
by Sky Gazzard
A full moon rises from the gloom of the clouds. The pumpkins are ripe. A group have gathered on All Hallow's Eve... They peer into each other's eyes to steady their nerves. The clock chimes twelve, the candles flicker and the glass begins to move. Out come the Ouija boards...
You may have heard stories of how Ouija can go wrong. Maybe you have one yourself? Whether you believe in spirits or not, there are ways to make the experience safer and avoid any sleepless nights.
What is a Ouija board?
A Ouija board is a flat board printed with the letters of the alphabet, the numbers 1 to 10, 'yes', 'no', 'maybe' and 'goodbye'. One or more people hold a seance by lightly placing a finger each on a planchette (a pointer), relaxing, and asking questions of the spirits. The spirits are said to spell their answers out on the Ouija board - without the participants intentionally moving the planchette, of course.
Instructions on making your own Ouija board
Ouija boards, also known as spirit/talking boards, can be bought or made. To make your own Ouija board you'll need a board with a smooth surface and something to act as a planchette (the moving pointer). An upturned glass is usually used for the planchette so just make sure it's big enough for everyone's fingers. You'll need to mark the letters, numbers and 'yes', 'no', 'maybe' onto the board. You can follow designs from other boards or design your own layout. Painting on a wooden board should be fine and you can varnish the board if you want to keep it. Don't forget the board still needs to be smooth so the glass can slide across it (so sticking on raised lettering isn't a good idea).
Starting the Ouija board session
Halloween or Samhain is the ideal time to contact the dead, as the veil between worlds is said to be thinner. Dawn or dusk on any day is another time that the veil will be thinned. Having a known target, a specific person you wish to contact - like a relative - is much safer than calling anyone in general as you already know what the person is like, so you're not risking an aggressive spirit coming through.
A magic circle can be used as a barrier so that any spirits stay within the circle. Form a physical magic circle by holding hands around the board. As a group, imagine a strong white energy flowing through your hands that will remain in place when your hands are lowered - that's your sphere of protection in the magic circle. You may find it easier to picture this as a stone wall. However you imagine it, picture yourself surrounded by a sphere of energy so you're protected above and below.
Depending on your beliefs, you may want to say a prayer to ask God, your spirit guides or your guardian angel to watch over and protect you.
During the Ouija board session
It may be tempting to call upon the demons from the blackest pits but obviously this is not a good idea. Even if it turns out that Ouija boards only work through your imagination, do you really want to be the paranoid girl sleeping with her lights on? Try to be respectful and not to taunt the spirits - in general, you don't want to anger them. Also, don't ask questions like 'who will be the next to die?' You might not care if you're next in the firing line but it could really upset your friend.
Finishing the Ouija board session
This is where most people go wrong. Don't just get up and leave when you've asked all your questions. Any spirits that have been called need to be released. Firstly, thank them - even if you didn't get the conversation you wanted. Next, tell them they are free to go. If the spirit refuses or you still feel as if they're there then command them to leave in a voice that is firm but not angry. If you still have problems, ask whatever you believe in to escort the spirit back to where they came from.
Have the group hold hands and visualise your sphere defence crumbling before you pack up the board... this will redistribute the energy.
Finally, it is best not to perform Ouija boards in front of impressionable little children; the only shakes they should be getting is from trick-or-treat sugar highs.
Tell me more about Ouija boards!
Spirit or talking boards were first commonly used by the American Spiritualist Movement in the late 1900s. No-one quite knows where the word 'Ouija' came from. It might be the French/German for 'yes' ('oui'/'ja'), and it's claimed the name was revealed to businessman and Ouija board inventor Charles Kennard during a seance, where he was told it was an ancient Egyptian term for 'good luck'.
Regardless of the Ouija board's origin and history, channelling spirits is a great thing to do for Halloween.
Halloween links on Mookychick
- Halloween costume: Make your own binbag dress
- Halloween costumes: Make your own goth/burlesque outfits
- Get your teeth into the pagan Halloween (Samhain)
- Make your own ouija board
- Spooky competition: Win DVDs and books from master-mentalist Derren Brown
- Vampire magazine: Bite Me
More Magic, Wicca, Paganism and Spirituality
Mission statement
Mookychick believes that climbing trees and riding giant turtles is more fun and girly than worrying about make-up. But if you want to worry about make-up instead of turtles? Fine by us. Be you feminist, kitten, punk, emo, indie, goth, witch, vegan, horror junky, intellectual, christian goth, corset queen, geek, unicorn, sea monkey... be you into alternative style, alternative health, spirituality, comics, manga, j-pop, harajuku or jock culture... we will always love you.
A Ouija guitar? Call forth the spirit of Hendrix!
Buy Imogene Froward's Mystical Talking Board (see above two pics) online - it's a NeoVictorian Ouija board from Etsy!
Sky Gazzard is a psychology student and pagan who loves gothic style, stomping to metal music and meeting likeminded individuals. She is addicted to shopping and chocolate and proves that goths can smile. She can usually be found behind a computer writing stories or surfing the net. Sky is torn between writing and being a clinical psychologist but is currently investigating modelling. Email Sky.
