A board and pointer used for divination and by some as a means to contact spirits or entities. The name comes from the French and German words for "yes," oui and ja (ja is mispronounced with a hard "j"). Critics of the Ouija, who include authorities in most denominations of Christianity, say it is dangerous and a tool of the Devil. Advocates say that it, like other forms of divination, is a legitimate means to discover insight, wisdom, and self-truths and to communicate with discarnate beings.

The board includes letters of the alphabet, numerals 0 through 9, the words "yes" and "no," and a heart-shaped pointer on three felt-tipped legs. One or two people place their fingertips on the pointer, which moves to answer questions. In most cases answers probably rise up from the subconsciousness of the users, even when "spirits" identify themselves and give messages. However, Ouija pointers have been known to fly off the board and spin out of control, as though being directed by unseen forces, and some users claim to be harassed by external agents contacted through the board.

Precursors to the Ouija date back to ancient times. In China before the birth of Confucius (c. 551 B.C.), similar instruments were used to communicate with the dead. In Greece during the time of Pythagoras (c. 540 B.C.) divination was done with a table that moved on wheels to point to signs, which were interpreted as revelations from the "unseen world." The rolling table was used through the nineteenth century. Other such devices were used by the ancient Romans as early as the third century A.D., and in the thirteenth century by the Mongols. Some Native Americans used "squdilatc boards" to find missing objects and persons, and obtain spiritual information. In 1853 the planchette came into use in Europe. It consisted of a triangular or heart-shaped platform on three legs, one of which was a pencil. The medium or user moved the device over paper to draw pictures and spell out messages.(1)

NOTE: The Ouija board, like other forms of divination, has been used in an attempt to contact the dead (necromancy), which is clearly condemned by the Bible:

Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the LORD your God. The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so (Deut. 18:10-14).

All other forms of sorcery are clearly denounced in Scripture as well. Those that refuse to listen to God regarding this command are mentioned in the follow Scripture:

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death (Rev. 21:8).

Their only hope is to find forgiveness by turning from this form of wickedness to the true and living God through Jesus Christ. See Acts 20:21.

Ouija Popularity Around WW I

The Ouija enjoyed enormous popularity during and after World War I, when many people were desperate to communicate with loved ones killed in the war and Spiritualism was in a revival. In 1966 Fuld sold his patent to Parker Brothers game company of Beverly, Massachusetts. Interest in the Ouija picked up again in the 1960s and 1970s, along with renewed interest in the occult and supernatural. Parker Brothers stresses that the Ouija is a game for entertainment purposes.(2)

Demon Possession and The Ouija Board

People know not what they do when they dabble in the occult, even innocently. By doing such they open themselves up to many spiritual dangers that normally would never occur, one of which is demon possession. Such has been linked to the Ouija board:

Some demonologists say the Ouija opens the door to possession by evil spirits ....(3)

Some evil spirits first contacted by the Ouija board has led to a deeper involvement and bondage in the occult.

Jane Roberts, Seth and Others

Some critics contend that such contact is inherently dangerous, and that any beings who communicate through such a device are likely to be demonic and attempt to possess the user .... The entity Seth, popularized by the writings of Jane Roberts in the 1960s and 1970s, initiated his communication with Roberts through a Ouija board. The communication then rapidly progressed to direct automatic writing with a pen and then into a trance mediumship in which Seth allegedly used Roberts' vocal cords to speak.

The Ouija also served as the initial means of communication with alleged spirits of the dead in 1913 for Pearl Curran (see WORTH, PATIENCE), and in 1919 for Stewart Edward White and his wife, Betty. The Whites spent 17 years studying Betty's mediumship with a group of discarnate beings who called themselves "the Invisibles." After initial contact was made through the Ouija, Betty began using automatic writing and then trance mediumship, in which the spirits allegedly used her own vocal cords.(4)

The Lie Will Continue to go Forth

Be assured, that for the many that are misinformed, the Ouija board will continue to be accepted as a mere game for entertainment purposes:

Ouija A device marketed as a game in which answers to questions are divined.(5)

The Ouija Board is Unsafe and Even Used in Seances!

While the Ouija board remains popular and is sold commercially as a "game," it has been attacked both by critics of the occult and those within the occult community who consider it unsafe. Some mediums claim to have started with the board and "discovered" their psychic abilities as a result of using it.(6)

Ouija board, in occultism, a device ostensibly used for obtaining messages from the spirit world, usually employed by a medium during a séance.(7)

So what is a seance? And why would an occultic medium be using a harmless game for entertainment purposes there?

seance A sitting organized for the purpose of receiving spirit communications or paranormal manifestations via the services of a medium .... A seance is immediate and powerful, playing upon the sitters' sensibilities with a drama that no other occult reading can match. But to the initiated, the seance can open the doorway to a mysterious other world.(8)

WARNING!

Have NOTHING to do with the occult or Spiritism in any form. Do NOT dabble with what God has expressly forbidden. If you already have, pray a sincere prayer to God asking Him to forgive you for your grievous sins. Also pray a prayer of renunciation, that is, renouncing this and all involvement in the occult. If you already own an Ouija board, remove it from your house and burn it publicly. This is how some first-century sorcerers treated their scrolls and thereby proved their repentance toward God:

A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas (Acts 19:19).

Please WARN as many as you can about the Ouija board. This dangerous occultic device not only can lead to demon possession, but even eternal damnation in the lake of fire. Remember what God says about those that practice the magic arts, even if under the guise of a harmless game for entertainment purposes:

Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you (Deut.18:12).

Anyone means anyone, even a person previously saved.

1. Rosemary Ellen Guiley, Harper's Encyclopedia of Mystical & Paranormal Experience (NY: Harper San Francisco, 1991), pp. 418, 419.

I'm writing to you because we need help. We have caught these EVP on a recorder and now we know there is something here attached to, we think, a friend of ours who lives with us. She is my partner. She dabbled in witchcraft without knowing what she was messing with; that is one possibility.

Also, a couple of our friends have sometimes done a Ouija board, and they did protect themselves. But you never know.

Here are the two evps:

• The first one we think says, "The gate is open. Come in."
• The second one says, "Do you want to see hell?"

Our lives have gotten worse. We all feel drained and have started to have vicious arguments over nothing. The anger is getting worse. We desperately need help or answers. Life is becoming unbearable for us.

-- Natalie, Kirstie, Vee and Dionne

Girls, it's always difficult to give advice about things like this without a personal investigation of all the dynamics involved. Your fighting could be just a natural outcome of four girls living together. If you continue to be concerned, however, I suggest contacting a reputable paranormal research group in your area. They may be able to lend some guidance after speaking with you. Good luck.