Ouija Boards

[Red_Dazes]

...So skipping over here from This discussion on CS... since it is getting dangerously close to fratching territory anyway.



Personally, I have had, and known people who have had, some really creepy borderline scary experiences with the things. I am not a religious person by any means, but I do believe there are certain energies things bring with them, and I have never been around an Ouija board and felt comfortable.
On the same line, however, I also believe that objects only gain power when we ascribe it to them. A Ouija board with out belief is just a scrap of cardboard with fancy letters, and a neat glass pendulum. But it only takes one person to ascribe power to something. and I also believe that objects can retain energy from people who have them before us.

So I am of mixed feelings with the boards... I would never allow one in my home, but I would certainly not freak out on someone if I were at a party and they pulled one out. I just would not participate.

However, Ouija boards are just about the only 'pagan' thing I feel uncomfortable with. Everything else is fine by me... I even own a deck of Tarot cards, doesn't mean I take them seriously... but it is something to entertain myself with.


SO! Ouija Boards... Your thoughts? Your comments? Your beliefs? Dis-beliefs? Let us try not to bash any religions/non-religions. But healthy debate is always good!
Scrying, Tarot cards etc... anything else like this can fall into this discussion.

^_^ Enjoy... I thought it needed doing!
~Red

[Wingates_Hellsing]

Call me cynical, call me mundane, but I've never for even a second believed that rubbish. The only fascinating thing going on during the use of a whatsy-board is the workings and interaction of the human mind. That, is incredibly fascinating and I'm quite frankly annoyed to within an inch of brick-throwing when people I used to know (see: morons) got all wishy/washy pagan mystical whenever the subject was brought up.

At best it's a parlor trick, and at worst it's crack for pagan-junkies. Neither is needed, so why bother?

[Boozy]

Do I believe in Ouija boards?

Hell, I've seen one!

[jackfaire]

I have Karma Cards but they are to help me.

Not because I believe they have mystical gifts but because I lay them out for an answer and then either like the answer and that helps me make up my mind or I dislike the answer and argue it out.

[fireheart17]

Not because I believe they have mystical gifts but because I lay them out for an answer and then either like the answer and that helps me make up my mind or I dislike the answer and argue it out.

I've done the same with Tarot cards. I've laid them out, seen the answer and either chosen to go ahead with it or not. If I don't, I know that I'm not gonna get in trouble.

I'm wondering though if the game I mentioned sounds more like a sleepover-type thing....

[McDreidel09]

As a person who believes in ghosts and spirits, I do believe these work. I've used a homemade one and it really worked. In fact, it helped me find out about the ghosts in my own house! It was a scary experience because I found out that there are 5 ghosts of children in my house and they actually started messing with us.

[Dreamstalker]

Hell, I've seen one!

I own one (1908 Wm. Fuld wooden board rescued from my grandparents' house, it's sitting innocently on the bookcase waiting for a shadowbox frame). Nothing weird has happened since we brought it home, and I've never been tempted to use it.

There were two entities in that house; one good (who I've seen, and we think came with us when the house was sold) and one decidedly evil. The evil one seemed "bound" to a 50's board which was sold to some creepy guy at a yard sale.

[elsporko]

I tried to use on by myself and nothing happened. Without your friends to push it around Quiji boards are way less effective

[smileyeagle1021]

I follow George Norrey's (not sure on the spelling) advise on Oije boards. Don't use them. If they really are nothing than junk, then you are wasting your time, if they really work, you can't control what doors will or won't open and what you might let through.

[Rapscallion]

Do I believe in Ouija boards?

Hell, I've seen one!

I'm one and so's my wife!

Rapscallion

[Gravekeeper]

I'll subscribe to my mom's advice on this one: The more you pay attention to it, the more it pays attention to you.

A practical down to earth skeptic is going to scoff at it as a toy and indeed that's all it will be to them. Someone on the other end of the spectrum may be in for a more unpleasant experience ( Albeit maybe not with a hot pink board. )

I personally don't like them, they make me uneasy and in the few times I've been roped into using one they have told me things about other people I had no way of knowing. Unpleasant things. Which while cathartic in the long run for the people ( and things ) involved were quite upsetting initially.

[powerboy]

I never used one and I never plan on it.

[MaseMan]

I think the Noory advice is pretty good to go by.

As a Christian, I don't believe in ghosts, but I do believe the devil and demons are real. If you play with fire, you're going to get burned.

[Red_Dazes]

I'll subscribe to my mom's advice on this one: The more you pay attention to it, the more it pays attention to you.

.

I really do think that is very good advice for most things that dabble into the...."spiritual" realm.

I only know that I have had some down right scary experiences with them, and have known people who have had experiences that border on terrifying. So I leave them well enough alone.

[Amanita]

One of my books describes a ouija board as akin to a phone- you have no idea who you are dialing, and they can come crawling back through the phone line to you.

We used one at a girl guide sleepover- the thing went nuts when the other girls used it, but fell silent when I touched it. The other girls thought it was the ring I was wearing- "take it off, ouija doesn't like it". So I took it off. And still, nothing.

I believe in spiritual things. I'm an urban animist, after all. But ouija boards STFU when I have tried to use them.