Ouija board, Ouija board, can you help me?
Introduction
I first wrote this in February 2011. Since then a number of things have prompted me to expand upon my original article, not least of which is a film entitled Ouija coming out for Hallowe’en. Anyway, my basic thoughts are these:
I am suspicious of Ouija boards, not because they are too occult and hence evil, but because they are not occult enough!
I shall explain. The way that Ouija boards are marketed is so egregious it ought to make a serious occultist cringe. Whenever I see an Ouija board, I cannot help but think of what real Mediums go through to be in a position to communicate with the departed. The traditional method of becoming a Medium has always been to join a “development circle” – membership of which being usually only open to members of a Spiritualist Church – thus ensuring that one is in sympathy with the aims of the circle from the outset. The Development Circle forms a sympathetic environment in which a trainee medium can learn how to practice their art in a safe, sensible and respectful manner – respectful to oneself, to the bereaved, and to the spirit being contacted – and all the while being supported by those of like-mind. Going through a development circle like this might take a couple of years at the very least.
Ouija boards, however, are marketed like “Hey! You and your friends can chat with the dead at your party tonight!!!” No mention of training, but a lot of helpful advice like “Why not make the atmosphere spooky by dimming the lights and lighting some candles? Woooo!”
Ironically, it is theoretically possible to turn an Ouija board into a serious method of spirit communication, if only its users used the same sort of care that a trained Medium would use. It so happens that the techniques of the Medium also have their analogue with those of the Ceremonial Magician – which I describe below. For example, the Pentagram ritual is equivalent to the forming of the circle, and the use of prayer to prepare the Seance. Moreover the Guardian Angel in the process serves the same purpose as Medium’s “Spirit Guide.” The Pentagram Ritual has the effect of banishing all unwanted influences; whilst the Guardian Angel will ensure that only the desired spirit is contacted, and that it speaks the truth whilst doing so.
Anywho: here’s my original article:
Ouija Boards
During the week, I came across a post at patheos.com by some Christian fundamentalist about how evil ouija boards were, and that they were leading children into the occult etc.
NB: As always when trying to claim the moral high ground in cases like this, the writer inevitably invoked a “think about the children” mentality.
I therefore decided to lend my assistance – by explaining how an ouija board may be used safely with minimal risk to the user. A sort of how to contact spirits and have fun doing so, if you were.
Then within the past day or so I find that the site underwent maintenance, after which all the comments (including mine) conveniently ahem I mean mysteriously disappeared! Luckily I had saved what I wrote, so I present it here for your delectation.
An Ouija board can be made safe with the following simple 3 step procedure:
- Firstly: perform the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram.
- Before attempting to contact any other spirit, invoke a “Guardian Angel” to come down and watch over the board. Ask the Guardian Angel to ensure that only the spirits you desire contact you through the board, and that they speak the truth when they do so. Assuming the Guardian Angel says yes, proceed to …
- Contact the desired spirit – get it to acknowledge the Guardian Angel, and provide some proof that it is who it says it is.
Any spirit communication that happens and at least one of these rules hasn’t been observed can and indeed should be discarded. Too much caution cannot be exercised – not necessarily because it is dangerous, but because believing any old rubbish that a passing entity happens to send over detracts from the value of receiving genuine messages.
Also, one should be particularly aware when trying to contact departed loved ones, and they start talking about stuff they would not have known whilst alive. This is highly suspicious. As it is said: “Just because someone is dead, doesn’t make them any more intelligent.”
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Great post! I agree with your annoyance of those who take the moral high ground and use of child morality in matters like these. I cannot say however that I am not guilty of assuming moral high ground myself! At least providing a basis for argument gets us all thinking about how we feel it.
It is my current idea that the problem with ouji boards is the stability of peoples minds when using them. A mind that harbours certain, stereotypical fears of what might happen, is highly likely to manifest them during a seance. Tis true that employing ritual defence mechanisms can help to reduce the materialisation of demons, both inner and outer, but unless a person is very confident in himself, I think they will remain a dodgy thing.
Alex, your procedure for making Ouji boards safe is good enough but what 13 year old knows how to do that or adult for that matter? Most of them have never heard of the LBRP let alone anything else? Not being a lover of religion and Christianity in particular, nevertheless I have had to intervene on quite a few cases with teenagers getting into some real trouble with negative spirits that had been invoked while using the Ouji board, such as following them to school, or harassing their parents/teachers, and some real weird little gremlin like creatures running around in their house etc. Frankly, I don’t recommend the use of a Ouji board, why when there are safer ways to work with spirits?
This is the 2010s. Times have changed since the 2000s. In the 2000s and before there was a distressing trend for “dumbing down” as if this was socially necessary. This is no longer the case. In the 2010s we are living in an internet age when Google and Wikipedia mean that any fact is within fingertip-reach of anyone, especially young people who are internet savvy.
To presume to think that any 13 year old living in the modern world is potentially ignorant of any given fact is unacceptably patronising. You could have got away with that five or ten years ago, but not today – we are living in a new decade. I foresee that the young people of today – thanks to the resources that are now available to them – will become the people that the generation of 20 years ago aspired that they would become, but that those who identify with the generation of the intervening times – such as yourself – gave up hope for.
Good point Alex! But I’m not sure that a 13 Yr old has the kind of common sense that would see them research such a thing first. Most 13 year olds are young, dumb and full of ….. Kicks for now, consequences later. There is the same amount of disinformation as there is information. Which, perhaps, only experience would be able to filter.
Minors are intelligent enough to be trusted to cross the road properly, to observe basic health & safety, and to compete in sports assuming they have received proper training – and all of these can result in far worse injuries if done improperly than from using an Ouija board.
Not saying that minors should use them, but assuming that they suddenly become less intelligent when it comes to a subject about which the adult has an irrational fear is a clear example of projection on the part of the latter.