Ouija Boards Why the crazy fears?

[Mysticfying Planchette]

You look online and see such Pranoid feed back on a ouijaboards,
people build up thier fears and finaly talked them selves in mess of fears.
And the next thing they call out and trying sell thier fears to thers about this and that and about ouijaboards, I'm happy vintage william Fuld ouija board owner and my ouija board has nothing to do with devil and it don't have the mark of the devil on it.
Why do people blame a piece of wood?
blaming a ouija board for troubles is not the way to live.
I don't believe in the devil , it's truly as sad world.

[Kaala]

yea i agree with that, people use those things so wrongly then on TV they say dont use these they are bad. geez people are so stupid!

[Mysterious573]

People believe they are bad out of fear.

Fear is really the reason for a lot of misunderstandings. People fear what they can not explain or wrap their minds around. It might not be bad but it scares them and it is different. So right away fear in their mind equals bad. Just with one person thinking that an item, ritual, religion is labeled as evil. Depending on just how much they want to relate it to evil or bad they mark it with relation to the devil. Which is meant to strike even more fear into people and ward them from using said item or doing whatever it is that has been mislabeled.

I like to think of those people that do go against the norm and use a Ouija board as being brave. You are taking on something that frightens the world and are proud of it.

[Velvet_Rose]

Personally, I've always been wary of using Ouija boards just out of common sense. Unless you're very skilled at channelling energies, it's hard to say what could happen if you use it 'wrong' (for lack of a better word)
It doesn't matter how you view it (good, evil etc) it is a powerful thing in it's own right. However, I do believe that as long as you know what you're doing, it can be perfectly harmless.
Besides, if you do happen to screw it up, burn the board and you'll be free of any negativity you envoked, so no worries :)

[Brigit]

Ouija boards are not implicitely evil. Neither are the entities one encounters when using them. Of course, if you are aimlessly trying to "contact whoever is there" you may end up with more than you bargained for, but if you direct it, most likely you will not find trouble. People who do things randomly never get the results they expect -- as with spell-work, you MUST be able to direct the board to what you want to accomplish. I would never attempt a spell with random thoughts or just a vague idea of what I wanted... the same goes for contacting spirits. If you openly invite ANYTHING to contact you, something will, and it may not have the best of intentions.
Humans as a race have always feared the unknown, Pagans, Witches, monsters in the closet for example. Sadly, I doubt that this is a flaw they will ever get over.

[Silverm00n]

Brigit,

Glad you mentioned spells and rituals. After reading this post about the Quija, I was thinking the same thing. If you don't cast your circle right or specifically say that negative or harmful energies are not allowed, isn't that the same thing? If I were to use a Quija, I would definitely do it in a consecrated circle.

[Aleforge]

Is a Ouija board anything more then just that, unless you cleanse it and make it into a sacred instrument? I mean nothing a Witch uses in ritual is anymore then a physical object unless you make it so. So how would a Ouija board be anything special, or every cause any negativity outside your own thoughts.

Here is something I found posted by the Blue Moon Coven,

Q. Do Ouija boards really work?
A. Ouija boards are games manufactured by Milton Bradley. They are not intended for use as a divination tool. The only purpose they serve is to give kids a tool for scaring each other. No serious Wiccan uses one.

[Lotus]

I have been following this thread since I first got here. It is the first thing I looked at when I first found this place. I so wanted to reply to it, as no one had, yet. But, since I've been able to. I have seen a couple responses, and didn't know best how to put in my own two cents.

My thoughts are actually rather a mixture of all the comments left here, to some extent.

Most importantly. I think that in the truest meaning of "do ouija boards work," usually asked by people wondering if something similar to one of the earlier episodes of charmed, where the planchette moves all by itself. Does that happen. No, I think not. But, I think wicca and art, are very similar in this way: it is an expression of one's inner unconcious (subconcious, rather, perhaps) soul. I am a painter and a musician. And I found that my best work comes out of writing music and painting with a sort of loose and open mind. You relax and let your emotions come to the surface, and start to write or paint without thinking about it. It can be right SCARY the things that can come out of you when you're in the right state of mind.

My point, I think this is how ouija works in a way. Your subconcious telling you what your concious self can't think of or come up with. I like to think that both parts of you are on two different levels, and the "medium" used helps one level communicate with the other.

Anyway, I also, believe that first and formost, in answer to the actual question. People fear what they do not know. It is in our nature. "Fear is the mind killer." Sorry, Dune (frank hurbert). Anyway.

I'll end here, and see what else happens to this thread.

[Aleforge]

I hope I did not offend with my post, I know the bluemooncoven had a rather brash way of putting their opinion into words on the subject. I have not really had much luck in my readings finding the origin and use of the ouija board in regards to Wicca or any pagan religion for that matter. I also found this which coincides with the opinion I posted above,

During the late 1800s, planchettes were widely sold as a novelty. The businessmen Elijah Bond and Charles Kennard had the idea to patent a planchette sold with a board on which the alphabet was printed. The patentees filed on May 28, 1890 for patent protection and thus had invented the first Ouija board. Issue date on the patent was February 10, 1891. They received U.S. Patent 446,054 . Bond was an attorney and was an inventor of other objects in addition to this device. An employee of Kennard, William Fuld took over the talking board production and in 1901, he started production of his own boards under the name "Ouija". The Fuld name would become synonymous with the Ouija board, as Fuld reinvented its history, claiming that he himself had invented it. Countless talking boards from Fuld's competitors flooded the market and all these boards enjoyed a heyday from the 1920s through the 1960s. Fuld sued many companies over the "Ouija" name and concept right up until his death in 1927. In 1966, Fuld's estate sold the entire business to Parker Brothers, who continues to hold all trademarks and patents. About ten brands of talking boards are sold today under various names.

Now I don't mean to discredit anyone who feels they get something spiritual out of the board, but just always keep in mind it was created for fun and its in the same league as Monopoly when it comes to its "natural" magick properties. However as I questioned before, it seems anything can be used for divination, so no harm no foul.

[Brigit]

It'd take more than that to offend me. lol Besides, thanks for the information. I really didn't know where the boards originated, but I never use them myself. I just don't want to go out and buy one.. I'm cheap. lol

[Mysterious573]

You learn something new every day. That information will be logged away in mind with all the other random things I have. Thank you for that, it is always interesting to see just where things come from and how distorted their uses and meanings have become over the years.

[Silverm00n]

I have been following this thread since I first got here. It is the first thing I looked at when I first found this place. I so wanted to reply to it, as no one had, yet. But, since I've been able to. I have seen a couple responses, and didn't know best how to put in my own two cents.

My thoughts are actually rather a mixture of all the comments left here, to some extent.

Most importantly. I think that in the truest meaning of "do ouija boards work," usually asked by people wondering if something similar to one of the earlier episodes of charmed, where the planchette moves all by itself. Does that happen. No, I think not. But, I think wicca and art, are very similar in this way: it is an expression of one's inner unconcious (subconcious, rather, perhaps) soul. I am a painter and a musician. And I found that my best work comes out of writing music and painting with a sort of loose and open mind. You relax and let your emotions come to the surface, and start to write or paint without thinking about it. It can be right SCARY the things that can come out of you when you're in the right state of mind.

My point, I think this is how ouija works in a way. Your subconcious telling you what your concious self can't think of or come up with. I like to think that both parts of you are on two different levels, and the "medium" used helps one level communicate with the other.

Anyway, I also, believe that first and formost, in answer to the actual question. People fear what they do not know. It is in our nature. "Fear is the mind killer." Sorry, Dune (frank hurbert). Anyway.

I'll end here, and see what else happens to this thread.

Lotus,

Totally agree with you there. Yes, the Quija is a "board game" however, I'm pretty sure that you can get results out of it as far as contacting spirits. It's just another medium, like you said through your subconscious. Tarot cards work the same way. They don't hold the answers, you do. And they are just a tool to let those answers surface from within your subconscious. I think it's the same for all divination tools. Heck, a deck of playing cards can be used as tarot cards and vice versa. I think if you take the board seriously and use it with a serious intent, then yes, results are possible.

[BlaqxAngel]

i always thought it was just a bad idea to call the dead. because u dont really know there motives or how the spirts feel. the circle sounds like the best approach to using a Ouija board. i never really thought about using the circle tho. thanks ;D

[Errin]

You'll probably tell me this is a lot of rubbish, but my mother is cool with most things, she accepts and encourages the way I feel about Wicca etc, but she will simply not tolerate the use of a Ouija board, I think she'd be more angry about that, than if I got arrested for something.

When she was 15, her, my aunt and a few of their friends used a board, with the result "lucifer wants janet" and only days later, their mother (my gran, Janet) had a very severe brain haemorhage, died 3 times on the operating table and nearly didnt pull through (she had to learn everything new, like a child, she has a metal plate in her head etc) the weirdest thing was, her hair grew back a different colour :s

I'm not saying I strictly believe it, there's a whole host of other family reasons that might have happened to my gran,

But down to my mothers wishes, I doubt that I'd ever touch one.

[nosnitram]

i have a ouija board sitting in my closet, got it last year from a buddy of mine (he had 2 in storage) anyways, i havent had a chance to use it yet, been too busy, but have been planning to use it