The fact that you've even asked this question is worrying, keep studying and practicing before you start with Ouija boards you can leave yourself vulnerable so just be patient.
I have used the parker brothers version at Halloween parties that got boring. The wooden one an Aunt had when I was a child was wooden and stained with dark substance in the letters and markings with a dark tint to the whole board. We thought we contacted something but our Aunt caught us using it and had it burned immediately. Never found out if we actually contacted anything or what it was. She had one of the male relatives chop it up and put it into a burn barrel. She said if she had known it was still around she would have burned it years before ' when it killed my daughter ' as she put it. We all receieved spankings and lectures on dark forces and no deserts the rest of our visit. Apparently the things are considered very dangerous.
[cracks knuckles knowing this is going to be long]
first, are Ouija Boards dangerous? no, they are a tool, when used properly you will be fine. however, like with birth control, nothing's 100% and avoiding it is the best way to prevent things from going wrong. Ouija Boards are a spiritual magnet, anything in the area will be drawn to it, good or bad, so be sure to put up barriers, and be specific when speaking with the board.
Can you make one out of paper? yes but it's not recommended. as with Athame's, wands, and other magickal tools, you are charging and enchanting the Ouija Board. if your wand was broken, you need to make a replacement. if your Ouija Board broke, because it is a tool to speak with spirits, demons, and other beings, this is very dangerous as it could release a lot of energy resulting in yourself, or your home, being attacked by this negative energy, spirit, demon, etcetera. wood is common and preferred in the boards constructions as they are harder to break/damage. different woods have different properties, so research the wood before choosing. [go for wood with divination, psychic, or protective qualities] stone can also be used, and i have worked with a stone board, it was made of stone but the surface in which you placed the planchette [heart-shaped pointer thingie] was made of glass. it didn't slide very well, so be sure whatever you choose the planchette can glide on the surface.
how to make a board is simple, take some paper, wood, or other flat surface, and write the letters of the alphabet, 1-9, yes, no, and goodbye. [other words and symbols can be used, but these are the most common and best words to choose] the planchette can be made from wood, plastic, a magnifying glass, a crystal, a drinking glass, even a penny, so long as you can 'hold' it, it slides easily, and you can clearly identify what the item is pointing at. after making the board, the key part is to cleanse, charge, and bless the board. if you buy one from the store for example, it will have the energy of everyone who touched, handled, or walked past it in the store. cleansing it will wipe it's energy, charge it with your energy will get it attuned to your energy patterns, and blessing it will help not only protect it, but give it a magickal property as your other magickal tools. very important point, since you will be using it mostly to speak with spirits, it will pick up energy, cleanse it regularly as well as store it in a safe place so it isn't damaged.
how to use the board? cleanse yourself and the area. for yourself take a cleansing bath, and the area you could either use a bessom to 'sweep' away energy, or some sage smudge to cleanse the area of lingering energy. casting the circle to protect yourself from any negative being that could be attracted to the board. [specifying to speak to a friendly spirit can also help] meditate and clear your mind, once you're in a trance like state place your index and middle finger slightly above the planchette, barely touching it. resting your hand or fingers on the planchette will result in a few outcomes, the planchette not moving, covering the letters/responses with your hand, or moving the planchette too much as a result of your muscles natural movements. [ideomotor effect] a personal preference of mine is to have three people use the board. two with their eyes closed/blindfolded/meditating use the board and the third person asks questions and record the responses. as well, keep in mind who you ask to help you, as many people use the board to scare or prank their friends.
Ouija Boards originate from 1848 in New York State. many throughout history though, have contacted spirits through similar means. [such as Kokkuri san in Japan] i suggest you study a lot more about Ouija Boards, as well as circle casting, protection, cleansing, and many other 'basic information' sources before using a Ouija Board.
okay thank you. Can you tell me about your experiences with them? You can mail me if you want. But the problem is i do not have any equipment to do magick and such sept a wiccan handbook. My parents are strictly Christian you see..
well if your parents are Christian i strongly and i mean strongly advise you not to get a Ouija Board because of it's bad reputation. if you have yet to confront your parents about your interest in a new faith, and you are under the legal age of connect, you need to tell them by law. wait for the right moment, be calm, not confrontational, and provide many answers and resources. a telling them you're Wiccan and are buying a Ouija Board might not be the best idea. [and if you want a board to talk with 'ghosts' use a pendulum, they're safer.]
regarding personal experience, i've got quite a few stories, though they're nothing spectacular. most of them involve Rori [a spirit i've lived with for a little over 10 years] messing with the board for fun. nothing too serious, and nothing too interesting. i normally use it once a year on Samhain to speak with Rori and that's about it really. the first time i used it i was 16 and it was with my coven at one covenmates house. [old house in the woods lot of history, long story] nothing too interesting, spoke with a woman who was murdered, an old spirit who couldn't remember when he was last human and didn't plan on crossing over, an angry spirit who attached herself to my covenmate to cause her misfortune [and if you knew her and all the terrible things that has happened to her, you'd understand] and, of course, Rori.
one side note, don't threaten the spirit you're speaking with. one covenmate was getting annoyed at the one spirit [the murdered woman] who kept returning to the letter D. my covenmate cursed her out if she dared to return to D again and the planchette stopped instantly. the woman said she would continue [and forgive us] if we removed our covenmate from the house. [which we did] so, don't yell at a spirit, it's a dumb move.
