The Ouija Board Is More Than Just A Game

A psychic client recently asked me for my opinion on the Ouija board after she discovered that her teenage son had been playing the “game” at a friend’s house.

To be honest, I have a hard time just writing about this subject, which already tells you my true thoughts and feelings on the matter.

The Ouija board may seem like an innocent board game or even a fun psychic tool for spiritual exploration. However, there are significant reasons to approach this so-called “game” with great caution, if at all.

In my work as a spiritual counselor, I have had to help a few clients over the years who have dabbled with the Ouija board and other forms of dubious spirit communication, such as necromancy. While engaging with the spirit realm offers great potential for spiritual healing, growth, and connection, it is not a practice to be taken lightly.

Developing your intuition and spiritual connection is a beautiful, uplifting process. It allows you to become more aware of the unseen and to communicate with your deceased loved ones, ancestors, spirit guides and angels. But this communication and interaction must be approached with respect, reverence and pure intention.

Well-intentioned practices of divination, psychic reading and mediumship are very different from opening yourself up like a sponge, without boundaries and protections, to any and all spiritual entities and energies.

When you open yourself blindly through the Ouija board or other unchecked, uncontrolled methods, you lose control over who and what enters your energy field and touches your soul. It’s like opening the front door of your aura and letting in a crowd of strangers, some of whom may not have the best of intentions.

Never open the door to a lesser evil, for other and greater ones invariably slink in after it ~ Baltasar Gracián

There is no filtering system, no gatekeepers, no guardrails, no shields, no protection. This is exactly why I discourage the use of the Ouija board or any other unstructured method of spirit communication.

Our deceased loved ones, ancestors, spirit guides, and the divinely empowered angels act as a buffer of protection, allowing only energies that resonate with our highest good. When you communicate through them, you have the benefit of their wisdom, discernment and shielding. Without them, you run the risk of inviting lower vibrational entities into your life, which can have lasting negative effects on your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being.

The Mystical Origins Of The Ouija

Also known as a spirit board, talking board, or witch board, the Ouija board is a flat, rectangular piece of wood inscribed with the Latin alphabet, the numbers 0-9, the words “yes” and “no” and sometimes “hello” and “goodbye,” and other symbols. A planchette, usually a small heart-shaped piece of wood or plastic, is used as a moving indicator to spell out spirit messages during a séance. Participants place their fingers lightly on the planchette, which moves across the board, pointing to letters or symbols that form words.

While the Ouija board is commercially marketed as a board game, it is originally a device designed to facilitate spirit communication. Not much is known about its true origins, except that it emerged in 19th-century spiritualism, a belief system rooted in various cultural and religious practices that emphasize communication with the spirit realm and belief in the afterlife. Influences that may have paved the way include shamanism, in which shamans serve as intermediaries between the physical and spiritual realms, and mesmerism, which explored the manipulation of an invisible fluid for healing through trance states.

Early religious movements in the US, such as the Quakers, also promoted direct personal experiences with the divine, while Enlightenment thinkers explored the nature of the soul and consciousness. In addition, ghost stories and folklore across cultures had a longstanding fascination with spirits and laid the groundwork for the formal emergence of spiritualism as a movement and belief system.

Factors that contributed to the popularity of spiritualism and mediumship in the mid-1800s were the significant loss of life due to war, disease, and industrial accidents. Mass deaths, rapid industrialization and urbanization, and major social changes also led to a sense of insecurity and loss of traditional values. Spiritualism offered a sense of solace and spiritual connection. Spiritualism was also a response to scientific advances and a growing interest in the esoteric.

The movement gained popularity through famous figures such as the Fox sisters – Margaret, Kate, and Leah – who communicated with spirits at their home in Hydesville, New York. Séances, table-turning, and automatic writing were common practices during this time, offering comfort to a society struggling with short life spans, war, and widespread grief.

As early as 1886, some spiritualists began using a “talking board” similar to the modern Ouija board, especially in their Ohio gatherings. In the late 1800s in Chestertown, Maryland, Charles Kennard, a businessman with a knack for spotting opportunities, and E.C. Reiche, a coffin maker and undertaker, were inspired by the early spiritualist boards and began working together to create their own version.

When Kennard later moved to Baltimore and sought investors for his talking board invention, he received numerous rejections until he caught the attention of local attorney Elijah Bond. With the help of his sister-in-law, Helen Peters, a renowned medium, Bond patented the board in 1891. Remarkably, it was tested and proven to work at the U.S. Patent Office before the patent was granted, adding to the intrigue and mystique of the Ouija.

During World War I, spiritualist Pearl Curran helped popularize the board as a divining tool, shifting its perception and use within spiritual practices. Today, it is marketed as a fun novelty item that bridges the gap between the material and the immaterial. Although “Ouija” is a trademark of Hasbro (acquired by Parker Brothers), the term is often used generically to refer to any such talking board used for spirit communication.

A little knowledge of the occult is dangerous. Unless it’s used for good, disaster will follow its wake. That is Cosmic Law ~ Clarence Upson Young

Communicating With Spirit Is Not A Game

Communicating with spirits, whether through mediumship, channeling, divination, or other occult practices, is never to be taken lightly. It is a sacred art that requires preparation, respect, and protection.

When done correctly, communicating with spirits can be inspiring, insightful, and healing. It can bring comfort and closure to those who mourn the loss of loved ones. It can deepen our spiritual practice and help us better understand our karmic lessons and soul journey. It can also offer us divine inspiration and guidance and insight into the future and our destiny.

It is not a form of entertainment. If we approach spirit communication with a frivolous attitude, we destroy the sacredness of the connection. Mediumship, in particular, must be practiced with care.

A responsible, experienced medium knows how to discern the different types of energies and spirit entities, and understands the importance of calling in protection before opening up to the unseen realms. This is not something that can be accomplished with a piece of cardboard and a plastic pointer.

Opening up to the spirit realm without proper preparation and protection is potentially a very dangerous game. It is like lighting a match in a dry, overgrown forest. Once the flames catch, they can quickly spiral out of control, consuming everything in their path before you even realize the danger you’re in.

My Professional Experience With Victims

In my professional practice, I have worked with several clients who made the mistake of treating the Ouija board as a harmless game or a fun experiment to explore the paranormal. Unfortunately, they soon found out that it was anything but harmless. These clients came to me distraught, confused, depressed, anxious, fearful, asking how they could rid themselves of the invasive negative entities or energy attachments they had picked up by “playing” Ouija.

None of the entities they encountered through the Ouija board were benevolent spirits. Instead, they were all energies that thrived on fear, confusion, destruction, and chaos. Some of these clients experienced nightmares, disturbances in their homes, mental health issues, and even physical symptoms of distress.

It took considerable spiritual healing and energy work to clear their energy fields and help them regain a sense of peace. Many were left feeling vulnerable and shaken as they realized that what they had thought was just a “game” had real and serious implications. When you open yourself to the spirit world without protection or intention, you run the risk of becoming a magnet for energies you do not want.

Though the board is a fixture in American pop culture, very little is known about where it came from…the history of the Ouija is as mysterious as the workings of the board itself ~ Baynard Woods

The Importance Of Spiritual Protection

So, how do you protect yourself if you are interested in exploring spirit communication in a safe and sacred way? The key is intention, preparation, and calling upon your guides.

Before engaging in any form of spirit communication, whether it’s divination, channeling, mediumship or invocation, it’s important to ground and shield your energy and set a clear intention. Are you seeking to connect with a loved one who has passed? Are you asking for guidance? Are you simply curious about the spirit realm? Your intention acts as a filter, directing your energy toward a specific goal or outcome. Without it, you can open yourself up to all kinds of unwanted energies and spirit attachments.

In the worst cases, it can even lead to spirit possession. In such cases, a negative or malevolent entity takes partial or total control of a person’s physical body, mind, or energy, and influences their thoughts, actions, and emotions in harmful ways. This can manifest as drastic personality changes, unexplained physical symptoms, or a sense of disconnection from one’s self.

Unlike healthy spirit communication, in which guides and loved ones communicate respectfully, possession involves an invasive force that attempts to manipulate or drain the person’s energy, often causing distress, fear, and disruption of daily life. Removing such an entity usually requires the help of a trained spiritual practitioner or healer to safely cleanse the energy and restore balance.

Your guides provide an essential layer of protection. These spiritual beings are attuned to your highest good and act as gatekeepers, allowing in only energies that are aligned with your path. Before you attempt to connect with any spirits, take time to call upon your guides. You can do this through prayer, meditation, or simply by saying aloud that you seek their protection and guidance.

It’s also important to create a sacred space for your spiritual work. Whether it’s a dedicated room, a small altar, or even just a candlelit corner, creating a space where you feel safe and centered helps set the tone for the work ahead. You can also use protective crystals, such as black tourmaline or amethyst, and visualization techniques to shield yourself from negative energies.

While the Ouija board may seem like an enticing tool for exploring the spirit realm, it comes with significant risks. Communicating with spirits is a sacred process that requires reverence, intention, and protection. If treated as a game or a casual experiment, the consequences can be harmful and lasting.

Protect yourself by honoring the sacredness of the process. Meditate on positive experiences, call upon your guides for protection, and make sure you are grounded and prepared before engaging in any spiritual work. This will allow you to safely explore the spiritual realms while keeping your energy and home free of unwanted intrusions.