Set the board on the surface, with either a lace, linen cloth, or terry cloth table covering. This will prevent the board from sliding around on a smooth table top. It will also alert you if your partner is using body force to move the planchette, as the fabric underneath will develop ripples and bulges on the side toward a person who is using such body force. Even if you are working with someone you feel you can trust fully, it is possible for small, unconscious movements of the hand, arm, or body to affect the movement of the planchette across the board. Also, a stronger person might inadvertently overpower the weaker person. Position the planchette in the center of the board and have each participant place one or two fingers to it.
The operators can either place the index or index and middle finger lightly on top of the planchette at and close their eyes. Empty your mind of all thoughts. It may happen that the planchette will not move. If this is the case, you may just wait a while for it to move. If the arms get tired, take rest periods between attempts. Once the planchette begins to move, it may move very slightly, very slowly, or very rapidly. What is important is to keep the fingertips and even contact with it. Do not apply any more or less Force while it is moving. Any drag on the planchette can prevent it from moving correctly, or stop it from moving at all.
At the beginning, it is best to use one of the ordinary questions which have developed over the years:
- Is anyone here?
- Do you have anything you want to tell us?
- Do you wish to speak?
- Will you answer questions?
These questions may rouse movement from the board, and if so, questions should be repeated from time to time, to keep the messages flowing. Let the planchette move and try not to force it in any direction. It should move to each letter in turn, spelling out the spirit’s answer. Have a pad and pencil so that you or one of the operators, while keeping one hand on the planchette, can use the other hand to write down such information. Taping the paper or using a clipboard eliminates any possibility of curling or floating off the table while using the planchette and provides a smooth surface on which to work.
A darkened room creates an atmosphere for the participants, but it is not necessary for successful contact with the spirits. It certainly adds to the ambience of the mood and creates the right atmosphere though. People who have experience with the Ouija board method of communication often feel that a lighted white candle on the table beside the board, or on a nearby table, is a safeguard against the invasion of low plain spirits or evil entities. Whether or not this is true, the sitters may feel more confident if there is a candle burning nearby. It should be a white candle, or a blue candle, as these colors lend themselves well to this kind of quest into the spiritual world. Never use a red or orange candle, and certainly never use a black candle. These are colors that will inhibit communication with the spirits.
It is not a good idea to place any object on the table which belonged to a dead person. Avoid any other material which has associations with a death. It is possible to cause unnecessary fear, stress, or fright by this practice. This could be very dangerous to the health of any sitter with a problem involving blood pressure or irregular heart rhythm although it cannot be conclusively proven that communication with the dead is possible, it is better to use the Ouija board with some amount of good common sense and discretion. If it is really possible to contact those who have passed beyond the grave, then it can be done only through the human mind and with the assistance of the Ouija board. There is no need for any object or photograph to accomplish this.
questions should be carefully phrased so that they can be answered by a simple yes or no and worded so that as much information as possible can be gained. An example question could be:
- Is anyone there?
- Will you give us your name?
- What is your name?
- Are you female?
- Will you tell us when you were born?
With these questions, the sitters should begin to watch carefully and take notes of any letter or any number upon which the planchette stops. There are times when the planchette may move between two numbers or letters. If this happens, repeat the question and watch to see if it moves again. If not, then ask for clarification such as did you mean to show us the number eight? If the planchette moves to yes up in the corner, then you write down that number.
Often the Ouija board will attempt to spell things out, letter by letter, with no pauses to indicate the end of a word. If this happens during a sitting, it is best to record all of the letters while they are being indicated, and to separate the words after finishing, or during a regular rest period. If it helps, use a tape recorder on a nearby chair to pick up the letters or numbers as they are being given. Choosing one person to read the letters out loud is best so that there is less confusion when playing back the tape at some later time.
It sometimes happens that a message received on the board will instruct the sitter to perform a certain activity. If this does occur in your own experimentation, do not follow any such instruction or direction without careful thought and the use of common sense. If a warning is received concerning your own health, or that of a friend or loved one, do not panic and assume that the message is entirely true. Experience alone will tell you whether or not you can trust this information or advice. Predictions of death and disaster to come are common when using a Ouija board or other device of that type. Again, use your own judgment about taking such predictions as fact.
At the end of the session, it is considered helpful to alleviate stress by having a debrief afterwards where you share your personal feelings with your fellow sitters.
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From our altar to yours, with love from the sea,
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