Guidelines for using your spirit board

1. The more the merrier. Having two or more people using a spirit - ouija board reduces tension and reluctance when the spirits guide the planchette. It is also believed that the more people you have builds stronger energy and makes contact more likely. It is also recommended to work with those you consider friends, providing even less tension and creating an element of trust.

2. Let your fingers do the talking by lightly placing your fingertips on the planchette. Do not force the movement of the planchette, if it isn't responding to a light touch no one is there, give it time, or there is not enough psychic energy being generated try to focus on a single question or meditate on the spirit you are attempting to contact. Try to clear your mind and relax. Ask in general if there are any spirits present, ask them to respond, and relax and wait, patience is the key. (also see #11 below)

3. Night time is the best for working with spirit boards. Low or ambient lighting, incense, and candles help create a translucent atmosphere that is favorable to the spirits. Minimize all possible background noises and distractions. And for those that like to capture EVP's use a tape recorder during the sessions.

4. Just because you heard it on your ouija board, does not mean it is so. Spirit contact is most often working with disembodied people, they are subject to their own bias, ignorance, and sometimes arrogance. Ask questions and later check sources. Ask the same question more than once in a session, to verify that you get the same response. I once worked with a 16 year old spirit that often told us what we wanted to hear because he craved the contact.

5. Rarely very strong controlling spirits can contact during a sessions. Do NOT let them intimidate or control the session. It is in essence no more then the same maniacal control ego we see in those personalities in human form that gets away with as much as people allow. Demand that a spirit who is trying to control behave or leave. You are in control.

6. Be as comfortable as possible. It is essential that everyone be relaxed. I personally have had my best results being seated around a table. There are no rules that a session must be a total solemn occasion, in chatting, and laughing you create an environment that may encourage friendly spirits to join in. Of course you may also get the occasional trickster spirit, using this method. Again remember you are in control.

7. Be considerate of both the participants and the spirits. You always get more flies with honey, and thanking the spirits for their time and their insight builds a bond for future sessions.

8. Unless you have a connection to astronomy professionals that can tell you when sun spots are at a high and solar flares are at a low, use the board at night. Best results are when solar activity are at a low and the atmosphere is less turbulent.

9. Start with simple yes or no questions. The spirit needs a little time to build energy and keeping it simple allows them to add to their reserves. Avoid asking multiple questions in a single sentence or to rapidly. Take time to fully understand the response, so that you can repeat its essence and verify that was what the spirit meant.

10. It is advisable that all participate, but that only one be the focus, medium, of the session. This allows the medium to build a bridge and connect with the spirit. You can verbalize your questions but ask the medium to repeat.

11. Sometimes it helps to move the planchette in circles allowing the momentum take a life of its own. Giving it that little push allows spirits to connect and move the planchette.

12. Keep the questions as simple as possible. Knowing the extent of the spirits understanding and knowledge does not push them away. Put it this way, would you ask President Bush to explain the Theory of Relativity?

13. It is a good idea to have someone writing down questions and responses. Often spirits speak in an abbreviated code of first letters of words (instead of whole words) and also they may spell things out phonetically. When we see it written out, it becomes more clear. Keep in mind that not all spirits originally spoke your language. Some spirits may also communicate in symbolic terms, so round could be a cookie, a ball, a ritual circle...

14. Sometimes people ask for signs of presence from the spirits. Be very careful asking for manifestations like this, because these often cause an automated response of fear once a spirit responds. Fear is a level of energy that some spirits have learned to draw from. Creating a nasty little cycle of causing fear so they can get stronger then creating more fear by manifesting etc.

15. Patience is essential. Some spirits are as weary and reluctant as we are to contact them. Although asking questions about a time period they resided in is perfectly acceptable, avoid asking for anything too specific, like a time or date in your world, they may have problems transferring events on a time-line as time is insignificant to them.

16. Always end the sessions with reverence and thanking the spirits for their time and dismiss them if they do not use the good-bye or farewell on your board. Do not be insulted if a spirit you are talking to abruptly dismisses you, this is common as they tire (or bore) easily.