How to Use a Glass to Replace a Planchette While Playing Ouija

Shot glasses with wide mouths and bases work well as alternatives to Ouija planchettes.

Ouija is a party game whereby questions are mysteriously answered by a board covered in letters and a moving letter selector, or planchette. Although planchettes come included with commercially available Ouija boards, some groups may wish to forgo the planchette and use a shot glass instead. Shot glasses can serve the same function as a planchette; they will move around the board, stopping on certain letters or words. Using a glass to replace a planchette while playing Ouija is easy and inexpensive.

Things You'll Need

• Shot glass

Instructions

1. Take out the Ouija board and place it on a flat surface. Make sure that you give enough sitting room around the board for the people who are playing. Have everyone arrange themselves around the board in a sitting or kneeling position, either on the ground or in chairs. Take a large, wide-mouthed shot glass and place it upside down in the center of the Ouija board.

2. Begin by placing a finger, preferably the index finger of your dominant hand, on the base of the shot glass; everyone else should follow suit. Ensure that everyone places their fingers on the base of the shot glass evenly, with approximately equal distance between every digit. Exert slight pressure on the glass as you wait to begin playing Ouija.

3. Choose one person to be the reader of the Ouija board. If you're the leader, speak words aloud asking for a positive and interesting Ouija experience. Take a deep breath and ask a question to the Ouija board; the question can be about a person in the group, a "ghost" who may be present, or any kind of request for information that might occur to you. Fall silent after you ask the question and wait for the shot glass to start moving over the Ouija board; it will probably start slowly, but will pick up speed if given time. Don't move the shot glass deliberately, but don't resist it if you feel it moving in a particular direction. Continue watching the shot glass move until it comes to rest over one of the many letters on the board.

4. Look down through the base of the shot glass to the letter beneath when the glass comes to rest, and read the letter out loud. Wait until the glass begins to move again and comes to rest over a different letter, before reading out that letter as well. Continue to read out letters as the glass moves and stops. String the letters together to form words and sentences. Move onto another question if you feel done talking about a subject. Trade off questioner and reader roles around the circle.

Tips & Warnings

• Everyone should lean forward slightly when playing Ouija so that their elbows can bend and their arms can reach more distant parts of the board.

• Stop playing if you feel overly frightened or uncomfortable.

References

• Trimmer Assist: How to Make a Ouija Board
• Play Ouija Board: How to Use a Ouija Board