Just Say "No!" to Ouija - Part 1
[The following story is a first-hand, cautionary account about the Ouija board and does not promote it’s casual use. It is NOT a game. It is NOT a toy. If you decide to use the board, please take spiritual precautions such as saying a prayer before use. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! All names are fictitious to protect the identities of those mentioned.]
During one summer when I was in middle school, my cousin from New York, Wilma, came to visit with her mom. They were staying at another aunt’s house in Port Orchard, Washington, where our Auntie Pat ran a berry farm. The early part of the season was raspberry season, so my cousins and I would stay at Auntie Pat’s to pick berries. Considering that I have over twenty cousins around my age, this was free labor for my Aunt Pat. And, it was a good time to bond with the lost of them. In addition, it was a good time to get to know Wilma.
Previously, I had met Wilma briefly when they first immigrated to the US in the late 1980’s before they proceeded to New York City where they were living. When she came for a visit that summer a few years after, we found that we had a lot in common. Aside from liking the band, Depeche Mode, one of them was a curiosity for the paranormal. In one of our talks, the subject of the Ouija board came up.
We had only heard of some stories. But, they weren’t scary enough to dissuade us from buying one. We were pre-teens and thought that those stories were told by “scaredy cats”. If anything, the stories only added to our curiosity. We wanted to get one as soon as possible.
During one summer when I was in middle school, my cousin from New York, Wilma, came to visit with her mom. They were staying at another aunt’s house in Port Orchard, Washington, where our Auntie Pat ran a berry farm. The early part of the season was raspberry season, so my cousins and I would stay at Auntie Pat’s to pick berries. Considering that I have over twenty cousins around my age, this was free labor for my Aunt Pat. And, it was a good time to bond with the lost of them. In addition, it was a good time to get to know Wilma.
Previously, I had met Wilma briefly when they first immigrated to the US in the late 1980’s before they proceeded to New York City where they were living. When she came for a visit that summer a few years after, we found that we had a lot in common. Aside from liking the band, Depeche Mode, one of them was a curiosity for the paranormal. In one of our talks, the subject of the Ouija board came up.
We had only heard of some stories. But, they weren’t scary enough to dissuade us from buying one. We were pre-teens and thought that those stories were told by “scaredy cats”. If anything, the stories only added to our curiosity. We wanted to get one as soon as possible.
We buy the board
When we had a break from picking berries, Wilma, a few other cousins, my sister and I went to the local mall. One of things on our list was the Ouija board. We were so excited that when we reached my house, we immediately opened the box and began using it in my bedroom.
The directions were simple, touch the “planchette”, the heart shaped pointer, with the tips of the fingers and “follow” it. It was recommended that a boy and girl touched the planchette, so Wilma and I were the first ones. We were excited and apprehensive, but we managed to muster enough courage and took a deep breath. After talking about it for so long, our fear gave way to curiosity. It seemed that the other person was moving the planchette and we accused each other laughing all the while.
We asked many questions. It wasn’t the questions nor their responses that come mind, but the odd event that happened while we were in my room. A box that rested on a shelf and had not be touched in years inexplicably fell down while we were receiving an answer. We were so startled that no one slept in my room that night. We all camped out in the living room. But even after that scare, we continued taking turns asking questions until we went to bed late into the night.
We asked many questions. It wasn’t the questions nor their responses that come mind, but the odd event that happened while we were in my room. A box that rested on a shelf and had not be touched in years inexplicably fell down while we were receiving an answer. We were so startled that no one slept in my room that night. We all camped out in the living room. But even after that scare, we continued taking turns asking questions until we went to bed late into the night.
We share the board with the other cousins
We returned to my Auntie Pat’s house bringing the board. We introduced it to the other cousins. A few of them, the younger ones, were scared and didn’t even want to touch the board. A few, others around our age, just didn’t believe in it. Wilma and I, however, were enthralled. Ever spare moment we had, we would ask the board something, "Are there spirits here?”, “Will Wilma find a boyfriend?”, etc. When we were done for the day, we’d use the board. Sometimes we were scolded because we were scaring the younger kids. We were so riveted by what the board revealed. We were in awe that we had the power to know things nobody else could know. It got to the point that we even brought the board to a local park where we were having a family picnic!
Wilma and I stole away from the rest of the family and found a bench where we could place the board. A stranger walked by and noticed what we were doing. He talked to us about the dangers of the board. He mentioned that it could open a door and that we would not have any control over what came through. Another thing he mentioned is how some people had become obsessed and relied on the board for answers so much so that they became “addicted” to it and couldn’t make any decisions without asking it first. We felt embarrassed, put the board away, and returned to join the rest of the family. But even his talk did not stop us from consulting the board once in a while after that. In fact, we used it more and more.
We were kids and “hard-headed” as my mom would say. We just didn’t know what was in store for us…
Wilma and I stole away from the rest of the family and found a bench where we could place the board. A stranger walked by and noticed what we were doing. He talked to us about the dangers of the board. He mentioned that it could open a door and that we would not have any control over what came through. Another thing he mentioned is how some people had become obsessed and relied on the board for answers so much so that they became “addicted” to it and couldn’t make any decisions without asking it first. We felt embarrassed, put the board away, and returned to join the rest of the family. But even his talk did not stop us from consulting the board once in a while after that. In fact, we used it more and more.
We were kids and “hard-headed” as my mom would say. We just didn’t know what was in store for us…
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