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The Ouija
By Jay Barrymore
Wiccans and other Occultists often use divination to discern upcoming events, to find out what's happening in the present, and to reveal things from the past. There are many forms of divination: The Tarot, I Ching, the pendulum, palmistry, the list goes on. Among the elements of divination, the famous (or infamous), Ouija Board can be found.
The Ouija has a hot/cold relationship with occultists, depending on whom you ask. There are those who use the Ouija with much success and like it, and there are many who hate the oracle and reject it with much distrust.
The name "Ouija" comes from the combination of "yes" in two tongues (the French "oui" and the German "ja"). The Ouija, as we now have it, is credited to William Fuld, but it's alleged that Elijah J. Bond first patented the Oracle in 1891. Fuld reportedly bought the rights to the patent from Bond in 1892 and then filed for another U.S. patent. He later founded the Southern Novelty Company in Baltimore, where he started producing the Ouija for sale to the public.
Surprisingly, the Ouija, or mechanisms like it, were around thousands of years before Elijah Bond or William Fuld ever came on the scene. The Greek philosopher and mathematician, Pythagoras, in 550 BCE, used an Ouija device to gain information from the spirit realm. The ancient Chinese also used an Ouija instrument to communicate with the spirits of the dead. It's reported that Native Americans used a device called a Squdilatc Board to find missing persons and articles long before Columbus. The Ouija, in one form or another, has been around for a long time.
What makes the Ouija work? There are two schools of thought regarding this question. The first believes that the messages generated from the Ouija emanate from the spirit realm. The second proposes that the messages come from the user's subconscious mind. Whatever one believes, it is certain that the Ouija Board can produce some startling results.
Why do many people hate the Ouija? I don't pretend to know. I find the Ouija very similar to other (more accepted) forms of divination, such as the pendulum, or automatic handwriting, yet many occultists will shun it. Perhaps the Ouija's reputation of being a "game" (along with that less-than-flattering fact that it can be purchased in toy stores) may have some bearing. Note, though, that other divinatory means have ended up becoming "party games" as well, such as the Tarot, automatic handwriting, etc.
Another sad fact is the "obsession" factor. There have been stories of people receiving such startling or amazing messages through the Ouija that they start behaving strangely, even to the point of bizarre and illegal acts, all because the Ouija told them to do it. Some people would not to act upon anything until after consulting the Ouija. But this is not a behavior that is unique to Ouija Board users, and obsession can be found among users of other occult devices, as well as more mundane things, such as home shopping channels on television.
Should a person want to use the Ouija, my only suggestion is to approach it with the "proper" attitude, and create a sacred and safe space. Inscribing a ritual Circle and calling upon the help and protection of friendly entities should help the board operator obtain positive results.
Entire novels, along with beautiful poems, have been written via the Ouija Board. The instrument is truly fascinating. Of course, it's up to each person to decide whether they want to use this Occult tool.
The Ouija has a stigma about it that needs to be set aside. Among the divinatory methods, the Ouija is truly occult, but due to its nature, its misuse can make it dangerous. | 
