I have three children. When they see my various spirit boards, their opinions on the Ouija talking board couldn’t be more different. My oldest is deeply Southern Baptist in his faith. His opinion is like most I see these days in various online groups: Ouija is a gateway to Hell and in his words: “The Devil’s Keyboard” (a term that brings a laugh from me every time I type it.) My middle child is part Fae (not really, maybe), and she is coming into her own as a spiritual witch. She sees the board as a tool, just like anything else. My youngest is more open minded about things. His Mother was also raised in a Christian home, she later became a LaVeyian Satanist for many years, and now aligns more closely to Norse Paganism. We encouraged him to seek his own path and explore many different religions to see what spoke to him. Still, even he is wary of being around Ouija boards due to the stigma put on them by popular culture. Three children with uniquely different opinions on the same subject.

What surprises them most is when my deeply Baptist Mother says of her childhood in the fifties “Oh, we played with an Ouija board all the time” Indeed, if one looks at the Pre-Exorcist era, spirit boards were seen as a parlor game past time. Norman Rockwell depicted a couple playing with a board for the cover of the Saturday Evening Post in 1920.

If we look at early advertisements that had debuted in the early 1890’s, the Ouija was serving the Spiritualist movement well. No longer did one have to go through the alphabet until you heard a “knock”, with the talking board, a message could be received much quicker.

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Ouija were part of pop culture as well, I Love Lucy played it for laughs in the episode “The Seance“, which illustrates a comedic counterpoint to what was coming 20 years later.

In 1973, The Exorcist single-handedly changed the fabric of popular opinion on the Ouija board among the masses. Suddenly, the demons were waiting on the other side, ready for you to open the portal for them and their like to possess you. Other horror movies and writings would follow, such as 1986’s “Witchboard” and 2014’s “Ouija“.

By the Eighties, the Satanic Panic had taken such a hold on the public that it would be hard to ever go back to what it once was. When Harry Potter came along, the same religious devout that would warn of the evils of the Ouija, were burning it alongside the “Satanic” boy wizard books in an effort to save the souls of the young.

From a magickal point of view, I view the spirit board no different from a pendulum or automatic writing…or a cellphone. In fact, I’ve never been randomly contacted on an Ouija by someone telling me my car warranty had expired! There is intentions set on each of these tools, and just like a phone, with a spirit board you can “hang up” on someone you don’t want to talk to. You are in complete control of the situation. It’s not a popular opinion, but those who are influenced by something as simple as an Ouija, were likely just susceptible to influence, whether it be sub-conscious to their own base desires or through negative energy attraction. It’s also just being made to be a scapegoat for a conversion agenda…like music, art, or Snow White. (It has a Witch!)

My friend Bob from Tales from The Dark made a really great history video about the Ouija board that I would be remiss if I didn’t recommend. It’s nestled on YouTube between the videos titled “10 TRUE Dark & Terrifying Ouija Board Horror Stories to Freak You Out!” and “Do Not Play OUIJA BOARD at a Haunted Chuck E Cheese at 3AM!!“

With an estimated 20 million Ouija boards sold (and countless hand crafted spirit boards sold on Etsy and other online venues), it would stand to reason that if a board has such a high concentration of portal potential, it’s very image shouldn’t be plastered over objects that can be purchased at Spirit Halloween Store and Spencer’s Gifts. The reason that the Magic 8 Ball isn’t as equally reviled is simple. No one wrote a book about it that was made into a popular movie. So if you are listening Hollywood….I’ve got a movie for you!