• About
  • Archer Paranormal Investigations (API)
  • Contact
  • Equipment
    • Go-To Tools
  • Media
  • The Haunted Librarian Show

The Haunted Librarian

~ Researching, investigating, and writing about the paranormal.

The Haunted Librarian

Tag Archives: ouija board

Tonight on Archer Paranormal Radio: Ouija Board Arson & Sloss Furnace Re-Enactment

05 Thursday Feb 2015

Posted by The Haunted Librarian in Ouija Boards

≈ Comments Off on Tonight on Archer Paranormal Radio: Ouija Board Arson & Sloss Furnace Re-Enactment

Tags

arson, investigation re-enactments, ouija board, sloss furnaces

Margaret Carroll

Margaret Carroll

Tonight week on the Archer Paranormal Radio:

  1. Ouija Board “predicts” eminent death. Arson charges filed after police investigation shows foul play. When will people learn?
  2. Public investigation at the Sloss Furnaces in Alabama. A man is setting himself on fire as part of a re-enactment. Is this a good idea?

Tune in to Archer Paranormal Radio every Thursday evening at 7 pm EST on www.liveparanormal.com. Follow us on Twitter: @JMSpear, @HauntedLib, and @MagnoliaPsychic. Check out The Haunted Librarian, www.thehauntedlibrarian.com.

Ouija Board “Predicts” Fire: Arson Charges Filed

04 Wednesday Feb 2015

Posted by The Haunted Librarian in Breaking the News, Crimes, In the News, Ouija Boards

≈ Comments Off on Ouija Board “Predicts” Fire: Arson Charges Filed

Tags

arson, dog killer, katrina livingston, margaret carroll, northern echo newspaper, ouija board, paul carroll

Katrina Livingston

Katrina Livingston

Ouija Board “Predicts” Fire: Arson Charges Filed

Ouija boards are not toys. Here’s another glowing example.

Dateline Leadgate, Consett, County Durham, England where Margaret Carroll (age 60) and Katrina Livingston (age 37) are suspected of setting fire to their home stemming from a Ouija board session. The mother and daughter were attempting to communicate with their dead Bedlington terrier. The dog was savagely killed and dismembered on Christmas Eve by Margaret’s current husband, Paul Carroll (age 51), after a similar Ouija board session.

Paul Carroll dog killer

Paul Carroll dog killer

Paul Carroll asserts that the December 24th session was spurned by black magic. Paul admits to playing with the Ouija board. He further stated that the dog became possessed. Afterward he killed and dismembered the innocent dog. Foolishly, Paul attempted to flush the parts down the sewer drain. The resulting clog alerted local police to the crime. Paul was arrest for the unnecessary suffering of an animal; he awaits sentencing.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, RSPCA, removed the remaining dogs from the residence. The family has lived there for less than a year. However, they appear to be frequent Ouija board enthusiasts.

Margaret Carroll

Margaret Carroll

Last weekend, Margaret and Katrina toyed with the Ouija board. Katrina told a neighbor that the board predicted their imminent deaths. The following day, Saturday, January 31st, the attached bungalow was engulfed in flames; mother and daughter were found unconscious in the garden.

Neighbors are mad. The bungalow destroyed. Police skeptical.

According to the Northern Echo newspaper, Margaret and Katrina were hospitalized following the fire. Katrina was arrested shortly after her release and charged with suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life. She was remanded into police custody and will appear in court on February 18th. Presumably, Margaret will face similar charges once released.

Destroyed Bungalow

Destroyed Bungalow

Credits: Images from the Northern Echo newspaper.

The Wonderful Talking Board, Part 2

18 Friday Apr 2014

Posted by The Haunted Librarian in Radio Show, Toys & Games

≈ Comments Off on The Wonderful Talking Board, Part 2

Tags

ideomotor effect, ouija board

Ouija Board

Ouija Board

The Wonderful Talking Board, Part 2

The “Talking Board” was patented under the Toy/Game Section. Kennard Novelty Company brought a medium to the Patent Office in order to demonstrate. And the Ouija Board performed. Patent granted. And the Ouija Board became a multi-million dollar seller. But in 1973 the Ouija Board’s reputation turned forever.

The Exorcist brought the true essence of the board to the attention of international movie-goers. Religious bodies worldwide took notice and began cautioning parishioners about its use. But does it really work? No. Spoiler: A spirit does not communicate via the board.

Researchers claim the board works via the “Ideomotor Effect.” Simply put, the participants’ subconscious movements cause the planchette to move. Participants’ expectations are the driving force at play. Further, the participants are the ones who respond not a spirit. While perusing the Internet for information, I found an interesting article with the “Rule of Play” for the Ouija Board. Even though I am ardent about its disuse, I believe a short primer for those who ignore the warning is in order. According to RelativelyIntersting.com (http://www.relativelyinteresting.com/do-ouija-boards-really-work-spoiler-alert-they-dont/), the Rules are:

  1. Ouija Board Rule #1
    Never play with the Ouija board alone.
  2. Ouija Board Rule #2
    Do not allow the planchette to count down through the numbers or backwards through the alphabet.
  3. Ouija Board Rule #3
    Always place a silver object upon the Ouija board before playing.
  4. Ouija Board Rule #4
    Never, ever mention “God,” as it is believed that entities contacted through the Ouija Board are generally “evil” in nature.
  5. Ouija Board Rule #5
    When you are done playing, say “goodbye.”

Please visit the above-referenced link for explanations. They are quite candid. The Ouija Board can act as a portal or opening for lingering spirits to come through. If they do, their intentions are BAD. So while the spirit is not communicating by moving the planchette, the spirit may be waiting for user error in order to do its business once the board is put away.

Listen to the Archer Paranormal Radio episode where the API gals discuss the Ouija Board. It is educational, enlightening, and highly entertaining.

 

A Brief Interlude

18 Friday Apr 2014

Posted by The Haunted Librarian in Angels, Famous People, Ghost Hunting, Religion, Toys & Games

≈ Comments Off on A Brief Interlude

Tags

believing in God, God, ouija board

Cima da Conegliano, God the Father

Cima da Conegliano, God the Father

Brief Interlude—The Importance of God

Before posting Part 2 on the Ouija Board, I wanted to take a brief interlude. An “interlude” is anything that fills time between two events. Most, if not all, paranormal investigators steer clear of Ouija Boards. Nothing good comes with their play. However, some of our clients do dabble with the game—even if they adamantly deny it. Bad things come out with the board. And only a strong firm belief in the Lord combats the evil.

All ghost hunters need to have a firm belief in God. It is a necessity for the job. I am always cautious of people who believe in the Devil but who aren’t “religious.” You cannot have the Devil without the Lord. The universe is a balance between good and evil, light and dark, and God versus the Devil. It doesn’t matter if you regularly attend church, you must believe that God is the Supreme Being. The End.

But what should you be doing? You should be praying to talk with God AND meditating to hear His instructions. Prayer + Meditation = God’s instructions. The angels who look after you are directly linked to God. You don’t have to memorize the Bible. You don’t have to quote scripture. But you must believe!

The Wonderful Talking Board, Part 1

10 Thursday Apr 2014

Posted by The Haunted Librarian in Artists, Artwork, Famous People, Ghost Hunting, Paranormal, Paranormal History, Radio Show, Toys & Games

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

archer paranormal radio, haunted librarian, norman rockwell, ouija board, paranormal history

The Ouija Board

The Ouija Board

The Wonderful Talking Board, Part 1

Nothing divides a room than a discussion about playing with the Ouija Board. On one side sits the ardent not-in-a-million-years group. On the other, the occasional player. Where do you fall?

America was in a frenzy with the rise of Spiritualism in 1848. Spiritualism was compatible with Christian ideology. Séances were en vogue. Mediums enjoyed a celebrity type status. A simplified planchette was manufactured and sold across the country. However, a savvy businessman saw the potential to make millions.

The man who brought Ouija to the masses was in it for the money. Kennard Novelty Company patented the Ouija Board (Patent Number US446054 A) in 1891. Ironically, in order to receive a patent, the company had to demonstrate that the board actually worked. The Ouija Board game was introduced as a parlor wooden board game in the early 1900s—right as interest in the afterlife was growing. It was priced at $1.50 and consisted of a wooden board and wooden planchette.

Where does the name originate? Despite numerous stories, the name is not a combination of the words “Yes” and “No.” The most likely source of the name comes from co-founder Elijah Bond’s sister-in-law Helen Peters, a medium in her own right. Peters asked the board what it wanted to be called, and the response was “Ouija”—loosely translated as “good luck.” Dig a little deeper and you learn that Ms. Peter’s was sporting a locket containing the picture of women’s rights activist Ouida. Hmm.

Norman Rockwell

Bernice Bobs Her Hair, Norman Rockwell, May 1, 1920.

The Ouija Board was a mainstream activity in homes. Norman Rockwell added one in his May 1, 1920 illustration for The Saturday Evening Post. Polite society sat in their parlors and attempted to communicate with the dead. All hands would lightly rest on a teardrop-shaped planchette. A question would be called and mysteriously the planchette would move to reveal an answer. The answer may come in the form of a “yes” or a “no.” Or the spirit may spell out the answer one letter at a time. Or indicate a number. This process of deciphering a message from beyond the Veil could take hours. And many waited.

By the time the Kennard Novelty Company sold the game to Parker Brothers in 1967, the game turned into a multi-million dollar business. All was good until 1973 and The Exorcist. The sole factor in how a seemingly harmless parlor game turned into the portal of evil rests squarely on one motion picture. The Exorcist is loosely based on one pre-teenage girl (in real life it was a boy) who played with the Ouija Board and let loose the Devil. Parker Brothers was sold to Hasbro, current owner of the game. Since the movie’s premiere, the great divide on where people stand on the board has widened. Ouija Board games are ceremoniously burned with the likes of Harry Potter. Pat Robertson warns that demons can reach us through the board. Church leaders denounce the usage. The board game became spooky. But is it really? “Good-Bye.” For now…

Registered Trademark

Archer Paranormal Investigations

Archer Paranormal Investigations

The Haunted Librarian

Marietta, Georgia

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets

Archives

Categories

Top 50 Paranormal Blogs & Websites

Top 15 Paranormal Blogs of 2019

Banners for Top 15 Paranormal Blogs of 2019

A WordPress.com Website.

Cancel