We’ve held our fair share of seances in haunted houses in Dallas / Fort Worth area and we can tell you from personal experience Ouija Board parties can either be a whole lot of fun, or they can be hella-scary. But even hella-scary can be fun if you do it right. Here’s how to host your own Ouija party safely.
Invite a good mix of people – Invite a couple of people who truly believe in the powers of the Ouija and a couple of people who think it’s pure malarkey, then invite 4 or 6 people who fall somewhere in between. This ensures you’ll have enough serious-minded folks to make a concentrated effort at contacting the spirits, and enough folks who just want to have fun to maintain a fun party atmosphere.
Beware the witching hour – We’ve always had the best luck contacting spirits during the hours between midnight and 3 a.m. – the witching hour – so it’s best to start your Ouija party later than normal, say around 10 or 11 p.m. You want your guests to have just enough time to relax, mingle, and maybe have a drink to calm their nerves before you get started.
Don’t drink and drive – While it goes without saying that friends don’t let friends drive drunk, we’re talking about “driving” the planchette here, that little pointy thing that moves around the board landing on letters. There’s always the chance there’s a demon lurking in that dark, gloomy corner over there and if you’re drunk you might say the wrong thing and invite them in.
Set the mood, but be careful – The best way to set the mood is just to make the room as dark as possible. Close the curtains, drape them with black cloth or scarves. Cover the table with a black tablecloth. Of course, nothing makes a room creepier than flickering candlelight but be careful, especially if you’re serving alcohol. Place candles away from high traffic areas and away from your Ouija Board circle so they don’t get knocked over if someone gets scared and bolts.
Use protection – No, we don’t mean that kind of protection. There are some who say it’s dangerous to even have a Ouija Board in your house. Here are some tips to help protect you from the spirits:
1. Never use the Ouija Board alone, always have at least two people.
2. Never dare the spirits.
3. Never use the board when you’re drunk or using mind-altering drugs.
4. Never ask questions about your own death or someone else’s death.
5. Use white or blue candles in the room.
6. Visualize yourselves being surrounded by a white, protective light.
7. Clear your mind of all negative thoughts or distractions.
Be polite – If you only remember one thing after reading this, let it be this: Always remember to thank the spirits for speaking to you and tell them Goodnight before you get up from the Board. If, after thanking them, the spirits don’t move the planchette to point to Goodbye, then you should do it yourself. Otherwise, the channel between you and the spirit world will be left open and anything can come through.
Lighten the mood – Once you’ve finished your séance, lighten the mood so your guests can all make it home safely. Turn on the lights, put on some music, and have fun for a while.