When we were 12, my friend Horsey Girl and I spent the entire summer holiday having long, deep conversations with a ouija board. Between the two of us, the magical planchette positively flew around the board, answering all our questions and spelling out fantastical information. We even made contact with our very own ouija board spirit! She told us her name was Natasha and also gave us her entire life story, spelling it out letter by painfully slow letter. Natasha was our conduit to the other world, the spooky world of weird.
Oh, how we loved Natasha! We had just learned to embroider in 4-H so Horsey Girl made a beautiful yellow satiny cloth with "Natasha" embroidered on it. After every session, we would wrap the planchette in Natasha's special cloth until the next day when we would consult the oracle again.
I can't remember now anything that Natasha told us but I do know that once the summer was over, Natasha departed and never returned again. When we pulled out the ouija board after that, the planchette would barely move for us. The magic was gone, gone, gone. We were bereft. After a while, the ouija board just got left in the closet. What was the point if Natasha wasn't present?
For whatever reason, our highly-charged adolescent psyches, emotions or something like that just "clicked" that summer and the ouija board came alive for us. I know that neither of us was pushing the planchette. Our fingers were barely touching it. In some mysterious way, we were externalizing our imaginations and our creativity and Natasha was born.
Has the ouija board ever been a factor in your life?
Yes actually. I've used it quite successfully for certain spirits. I never got the whole fear thing around it's use. People may as well be terrified of tarot cards or a pendulum.
ReplyDeleteJust to say I won't read this post for obvious reasons, but just to wish you a great day!
ReplyDeleteIt always tickled me that the thing that's meant to communicate with the supernatural is manufactured by the same company that makes Trivial Pursuit. Is that irony or just happily appropriate?
ReplyDeleteI've pretty much stayed away from the Ouiji board. Not exactly afraid of it, but just never had a desire to try it.
ReplyDeleteMary
Ooooh, fun stuff! I love this story. I love spooky things. I've never used a Ouija board but I have had some 'unusual' experiences in my life.
ReplyDeleteYep. About the same age as you with the same results and when we got "him" out of the closet the next summer, he'd found someone else to visit..... ... ...
ReplyDeleteoh yes yes, same as you, same age, our family swings towards things o this nature, my Grandfather was a tea leaf reader, my niece is a medium working here in canada, she relays messages from the departed, she was aware as a child, faught it until her 30's and then finally went public, the power is out there , so much we don't understand of that realm,,,
ReplyDeleteA great story! Who knows, maybe Natasha is still around somewhere, watching over you and your friend?
ReplyDeleteI had one as a kid. Never really worked too well....
ReplyDeletemy granddaughter wanted to try my board last year. It was quite interesting. She was frightened and will not use it again. I on the other hand thought the experience with her was fun.
ReplyDeletewe don't have those boards here... which is probably for the better :) I wouldn't mind being a medium like that crazy Theresa women from LONG ISLAND MEDIUM series
ReplyDeleteI'm an atheist so I've never had any supernatural experience in my life, even though we fooled around with home-made ouija boards when we were little (nothing happened).
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, Thor is pretty - but Princess Batman is prettier :)
I firmly believe oujia board results are often a delusion or just a friend who likes to play jokes at the other.
ReplyDeleteLOVED this story. Bizarre that it worked for a while, and then nothing. I once bought a ouija board a flea market, but my boyfriend at the time was so afraid he didn't allow me to use it. Back then I still believed in ghosts, but that has changed.
ReplyDeleteI never had a ouija board. Never thought to buy one. Strange.
ReplyDeleteNot a big factor in my life, but I loved playing with one once in awhile. The really fun thing about it was when I told my Baptist grandmother that I thought a ouija board was fun. Her expression was priceless! Lol. She said to my mother.. 'You LET her play with one of those?? It will lead her to SIN! Lol again.
ReplyDeleteWow, I rarely hear of such a positive and fascinating experience with the ouija board before, I loved reading that Debra.
ReplyDeleteI was warned by my sister Jamie to always stay away from it. I was around when people tried using it but I am very "guarded" and even though I touched it, I warded myself from it. I never even considered a positive experience could happen.
Oh yes, Debra, the Ouija board was front and center with myself and best friend when we were around the same age....maybe a bit older. I remember asking it (we never gave it a name!! Didn't DARE!) questions that each of us individually only knew the answers. It named my grandfather by name who had died a couple of years before. Other questions I don't remember. It always made me shiver!! Ever 'talk' to Natasha again?
ReplyDeleteMy brother, sisters, and I played with one off and on during our childhood. It was freaky, and it didn't help relieve our fears when our great grandmother told us we were playing with the devil.
ReplyDeleteThis was a fun post, Debra!
I think my cousin had one and we played around with it a couple of times. I love your story about Natasha, maybe after she told you here story, she felt that she was then able to cross-over to the spiritual world for good.
ReplyDeleteThere used to be a show on called the Haunted Collector, after I heard them talk about items such as the Ouija board, i decided that I would never buy anything like that at a flea market or estate sale. Even now I say a little prayer (silently) when I buy items before I bring them into my home. Just in case....
I think I was probably the same age when my bestie and I spent a summer playing with the Ouija board. We never had a Natasha but we asked many questions and received many answers.
ReplyDeleteAnd, we were in 4H!
:-)
I've never used one. I know it's just your own subconscious moving the pointer but it's stil so spooky!
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm a big chicken, so what?
That was super fun to read and thanks for letting me snag your Thor.
ReplyDeleteHoney I have played with one with friends, but sooooo not when were drinking! For a may say something offending to a spirit! You have inspired me to tell of my sort of haunting I had a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteI hate them. Bad ju ju can only come from messing with one. I don't fuck with the spirit world. I won't even say Candyman three times or even Beetleguess.
ReplyDeleteI have always wanted to try the Ouija board, but have been way too chicken. I've heard too many stories.
ReplyDeleteWe did raise the "Hoss" character from Bonanza once, at a slumber party.
Great story! I remember playing with a it once in my teens and being a little creeped out at how it moved. I was skeptical but could not see anyone touching it. Strange! I wonder if the new movie coming out will bring attention back to the mysterious ouija board.
ReplyDeleteI used one once and it scared me so bad I never tried it again.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, thanks for a new word for me - planchette. I must say the eyes on the girl in the pic don't look real.
ReplyDeleteYes as a teen I played around with a ouija board. Didn't believe it much.
Some people think those boards are sinful.
Did you know they made a movie about a ouija board?
Here's a funny clip on ouija board prank
http://youtu.be/5ncQN_7I7hk
No, but if you spit in your palm and slap it, it will splatter in the direction of danger. Remember that the next time you are alone at night on a scary dark street. It worked for me when I was pre-teen and walking home alone from the movie theater at night.
ReplyDeletethe Ol'Buzzard
This always reminds me of The Exorcist.
ReplyDeleteHaha that was a fun story. We didn't have the board but we created one and we used a drinking glass. Well I didn't really get involved much as I was half afraid and half curious :)
ReplyDeletePlus they wont let me join cause I had strong doubts and they say it wont move hehe
Yep, played with it too. Ten years before my brother met his bride, it gave a description of her, and her name's first initial. Hasn't worked since - maybe because she's really mean!!! Poor brother.
ReplyDeleteExcellent story! I know we use to have one in our old house. One time, after a party, there was like 6 of us in the house, just hanging around. So, we sat around the table and started having fun. It was moving so fast answering all our questions! The one guy was scared to go home! LOL! I know mom, quickly got rid of it afterwards! She didn't like having it in our home!
ReplyDeleteWe played it in high school once, and it said my brother would be a virgin until he was 18. That's the last time he wanted to play!
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