Collection: Spirit Boards

What Is a Spirit Board?

A spirit board is a flat board printed with the alphabet, the numbers 0 through 9, the words yes and no, and usually goodbye, used with a small pointer called a planchette to receive messages. Two people usually rest their fingertips lightly on the planchette, ask a question, and watch it move from letter to letter. It goes by many names, including talking board, witch board, and Ouija board. Ouija is a Hasbro trademark that most people use for any talking board, and the boards and cloths in this collection are spirit boards in that classic style.

Where Did the Spirit Board Come From?

The spirit board came out of American Spiritualism, the 19th-century movement built on the belief that the living can speak with the dead. By 1886, newspapers reported talking boards taking over the Spiritualist camps in Ohio. In 1890 the medium Helen Peters Nosworthy gave the board its famous name during a session in Baltimore, and her brother-in-law Elijah Bond won the patent in February 1891. The board sold for decades as a parlor game, until the medium Pearl Curran made it famous as a tool for divination during World War I. Its roots go back much further: in Song dynasty China, around 1100, practitioners used a form of planchette writing to receive messages from the spirit world.

How Do You Use a Spirit Board?

To use a spirit board, sit with a partner in a quiet room with the board between you, and rest two or three fingertips of each hand lightly on the planchette. Many practitioners open with a protective step first, such as lighting a white candle, cleansing the room with incense, or casting a circle. Say a greeting, then ask one clear question at a time and wait; the planchette may move slowly at first. When you are finished, always close the session by moving the planchette to goodbye together, and put the board away rather than leaving it set up. As the veil thins toward Samhain, this is the season many people bring the board out, and a simple opening and a clear goodbye keep the session grounded.

Does a Spirit Board Really Work?

Whether a spirit board really works depends on who you ask. Scientists explain the planchette's movement as the ideomotor effect, tiny movements our hands make without our conscious awareness, first described by Michael Faraday in 1853. Many practitioners use the board for spirit contact, and others see it as a way to hear their own intuition, since those unconscious movements come from somewhere deep in the mind. Either way, the board rewards the same approach: a calm room, honest questions, and respect for whatever comes through.

What You'll Find Here

Tabula Mortem spirit board. This modern talking board from U.S. Games Systems, designed by Judas Knight, uses rune-styled symbols instead of the usual alphabet. It comes with a planchette that doubles as a pendulum and an 84-page guidebook on the history and use of talking boards.

Spirit board mat. Our 24-inch black spirit board mat is printed on cloth, comes with a planchette, and rolls up for storage or hangs on the wall.

Spirit board altar cloth. This 24 by 30 inch cloth carries the classic board layout, and it works as a pendulum board as well as an altar cloth or a wall hanging.

For the spirit board lover. Our leather journal embossed with a planchette is made for recording what comes through in each session, and the black cat spirit board tote carries your board to the next gathering.

Explore Related Collections

A spirit board sits naturally beside other tools for spirit communication and divination. Hold a pendulum from our pendulums collection over a spirit board cloth, or look into crystal balls and scrying mirrors for gazing work; our guide to scrying explains how. Browse everything for intuition in divination and psychic abilities, dress the space with an altar cloth and white candles, and keep a record of every session in one of our journals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a Spirit Board the Same as a Ouija Board?
Yes, a spirit board and a Ouija board are the same kind of tool: a lettered talking board used with a planchette. Ouija is a Hasbro brand name that has come to stand for all talking boards, and spirit board is the general term.

What Is a Planchette?
A planchette is the small, heart-shaped pointer that moves across a spirit board to spell out answers, usually with a clear window or a point to mark each letter. The word is French for "little plank," and early planchettes held a pencil for automatic writing.

Do You Need Two People to Use a Spirit Board?
No, you don't need two people, but most practitioners prefer two, because the planchette moves more freely with two sets of hands and a partner helps keep the session grounded. If you work alone, keep sessions short and close them with goodbye.

What Questions Should You Ask a Spirit Board?
The best questions for a spirit board are simple and open, such as "Is anyone here with us?", "What is your name?", and "Do you have a message for us?" Ask one question at a time, and skip questions about death dates, lottery numbers, or anything that would frighten you to hear answered.

What Are the Rules for Using a Spirit Board?
The traditional rules for using a spirit board are to open with a greeting, stay calm and respectful, ask one question at a time, stop if a session feels wrong, and always close by moving the planchette to goodbye. Most practitioners also put the board away between sessions.

Can I Use a Spirit Board Cloth as a Pendulum Board?
Yes, a spirit board cloth works as a pendulum board. Hold the pendulum still over the center of the cloth, ask your question, and watch which letters, numbers, or answers the swing moves toward.