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Dreadnought Special user Athens, Georgia 836 Posts |
I agree with Gregg in that, the Ouija board is not arcane. It only dates the spiritualism movement of the late 19th and early 20th century. Most people will not know this so you can weave a fantastic tale around it, but be careful of those who do know.
To each his or her own but I will also agree with what was said earlier, and this strictly goes for me and my style, I wouldn't use any language outside of what is normal for the audience. I have an MA in Archaeology and I have a working knowledge of Eqyptian and Indo-American heiroglyphs but to formulate a Ouija board around them would only invite scepticism on the part of the people observing. If one uses some sort of glyphs then one had better have a bit more than a basic understanding of them that goes beyond something found on the internet or a book. I actually have an illusion that I built and I have decorated with Egyptian heiroglyphics citing a passage from the Egyptian Book of the Dead. If asked what it means I can readily read it and, more often than not, have to pause and think what is this glyph again. If one constructs an Ouija board in this manner, some audience members will be impressed but it will become lost on others because they can't read it which means they have to rely on the performer and BELIEVE he or she knows, which to me would leave me thinking, "Phhht yeah right, if you say so." Peace and Godspeed
Peace
"Ave Maria gratia plena Dominus tecum..." Scott Would you do anything for the person you love? |
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Dreadnought Special user Athens, Georgia 836 Posts |
And by the way Tuscano is cool by the way, we have their stuff all over our house and garden. Their stuff would be cool as magic props or even stage props. Here is their link:
http://www.designtoscano.com/
Peace
"Ave Maria gratia plena Dominus tecum..." Scott Would you do anything for the person you love? |
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KOTAH Inner circle 2289 Posts |
Gregg, you are right about Ed Solomon. He and I have recently discussed this notion of other takes on a Ouija board. Since posting it, several new ideas have been shared with me in PMs. DReadnaught and other can and most likely will follow their own path on this, as they are free to do. Dr. Steve accepted this post in the spirit it was intended. IT was just a suggestion brothers.
An attempt to open the doors to sharing and brainstorming here on the Café' I am not attempting to change your opinions or thoughts, just share my owm. Still I always seem to be on the offensive here. I have ideas for several other variations on Ouija boards. Some will embrace them, others never will. Kotah |
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Bill Ligon Inner circle A sure sign of a misspent youth: 6437 Posts |
"if you're looking for something ancient, try Cephalonomancy. That was a way to determine the name of a guilty person. The head of an ass was broiled, and when a guilty person's name was called out, the ass' jaws supposedly move."
Where in the world are you going to find an ass on the Magic Café?
Author of THE HOLY ART: Bizarre Magick From Naljorpa's Cave. NOW IN HARDCOVER! VIEW: <BR>www.lulu.com/content/1399405 ORDER: http://stores.lulu.com/naljorpa
<BR>A TASSEL ON THE LUNATIC FRINGE |
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aquariusmagic Regular user England 122 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-05-25 17:16, Dreadnought wrote: Things are being discovered all the time, there is no reason why a hitherto undiscovered and extremely early ouija board could not be found. So early and important that it has changed historians knowledge about when they first appeared.:_) regards Francis |
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skc417 Loyal user australia 226 Posts |
I am not sure about an actual "board", but Chinese have had similar practices that I am certain predates the spiritual movement. There are special parchements that are sold arrange in a circular pattern with various chinese characters. The planchette used is usually a small dish that is inverted.
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Balaram Special user 904 Posts |
I like the idea of a non-traditional "reading board", call it a "Relik" rather than "relic" if you like. I recently saw a Chinese paper-cut, folk art Zodiac, under glass with a pendulum or planchette, could be fun for a natal divination.
Or the famous John Dee's mystic chart, read the findings as you like. After all, it is a Ouyja, different rules to a Ouija... |
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KOTAH Inner circle 2289 Posts |
For the dyed in wool Bizarrists, have your local monument stone worker etch a Ouija Board layout into the top of your tombstone. Visitors will be right at the 'source' should they desire to make contact. Ouija boards could be in the form of a table cloth to,. Any table becomes your board. Even more fun. T- shirt ouija boards.
Bill Z and others will think further on this subject I am hopeful. Kotah |
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dmkraig Inner circle 1949 Posts |
Kotah, the problem with using something made of cloth for a Ouija is that planchettes won't easily move over them.
On the other hand, a T-shirt printed front and back could make and interesting living Hot Rod. |
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Bill Ligon Inner circle A sure sign of a misspent youth: 6437 Posts |
Ouija does not necessarily imply a planchette. The pendulum has already been discussed, and there are other options. An inverted drinking glass would work, perhaps. A smooth cloth could be found, I am sure, that would allow a glass or even a traditional planchette move easily. I like the tablecloth idea. It need not be a full-sized table cloth. It could even be weighted at the edges so that it would it would tend to remain in place.
A small, ouija board sized, smooth cloth with weighted hems can be rolled up and easily carried.
Author of THE HOLY ART: Bizarre Magick From Naljorpa's Cave. NOW IN HARDCOVER! VIEW: <BR>www.lulu.com/content/1399405 ORDER: http://stores.lulu.com/naljorpa
<BR>A TASSEL ON THE LUNATIC FRINGE |
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Balaram Special user 904 Posts |
Table cloth under glass, no problem for a planchette.
Living Hot Rod--somewhere, a birthday clown is jumping up and down, thanking you! |
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Tokyo Williams Regular user NYC 126 Posts |
I've always wondered why the talking board didn't evolve more toward what seems like a natural conclusion. As many of you have pointed out, its purpose was to bypass 'interpretive mediumship,' if you will, and put a simple means of communicating to the Summerland in the hands of laypeople. However, it's obviously created with an incredible Anglo-centric bias. Not only can you only commune with English-speaking spirits, but only those in the yet smaller demographic (historically speaking, at least) that could actually read and write.
I often explain to my occasional audiences that receiving a message from beyond is taxing, confusing, and complicated procedure. It isn't like listening to someone tell you a story. It's more like hearing someone tell you a dream...but with a combination of images, emotions, aural/tactile sensations, etc. used instead of words. Often this montage makes its message clear, but sometimes you have to put it together yourself (occasionally incorrectly. I use a tweaked version of this explanation on telepathy/divination/etc for a more mentalism-oriented program. It seems perfectly plausible that some innovative ghost-hunter would put together a talking board that uses some form of universal symbols instead of words or letters. Something not unlike, say, the symbols found on an alethiometer in Pullman's Dark Materials works. The sitters can use a glass/planchette like a traditional board (or a pendulum, if that's your thing), and you would explain the results. As a result, you're covered no matter what direction the ideomotor fairies take the sitters; the prescience and accuracy of your spirit rests solely on your ability as a cold reader and/or storyteller. Houdini's mom can talk to you about her boy no matter what language you speak and you finish clean. Of course, those of you who want a bit more insurance or expanded material have probably already figured out a few ways to set the symbols up for a force or two.
I have nothing to say
And I am saying it And that is poetry. -John Cage |
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KOTAH Inner circle 2289 Posts |
What an incredibly well thought out and written post by Tokyo Williams,
Thank you sir for doing so. Most illuminating. Kotah |
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Tokyo Williams Regular user NYC 126 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-05-26 18:22, KOTAH wrote: Why, thank you kindly. I'm glad this particular set of ramblings remained relatively coherent.
I have nothing to say
And I am saying it And that is poetry. -John Cage |
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aquariusmagic Regular user England 122 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-05-26 10:55, dmkraig wrote: One could always put a sheet of glass over the cloth . Albeit a little cumbersome. regards Francis |
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docsteve Inner circle 1831 Posts |
After watching Paul "Voodini" Bell perform his gimmickless glass-moving at Doomsday, there is more merit in using symbols rather than alphabet cards.
Now I'm not necessarily saying that all Ouija experiences work this way, BUT ;-) if ideomotor signals are being utilised, then getting coherent messages out of single letters is unlikely to yield meaningful results (unless the sitters have been primed about the 'spirit' being contacted). Specific-sounding, yet in reality vague, terms of reference/images would work very well [Eriksonian's take note!]. And where might one find such images? Konxari cards anyone?? As for a Ouija card into one's own tombstone? Why not combine with the old ruse of carrying a card in one's wallet, saying "I predict today is the day I will die; please contact me via my headstone in exactly 30 days time at midnight!" You final effect! S
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KOTAH Inner circle 2289 Posts |
Dr Steve, returning for a moment to an egyptia based Ouija take. Framed Papryus prints, paired with a Scarb used as the planchette might well have a nice esthetic and theatrical feel to it, Asian themed approach could use a larger oriental coin as the planchette, What other alternate planchettes might be applicable to a Ouija presentation? Objects suoopsedly once owned or in the possession of the one we wish to contact, a pocket watch for instance? A CW watch could reveal the time of death for the finale'. The issue of language barriers might be handled by using one of the recent translation phones as your planchette, High tech penetrates the spirit world. These are all possibilities. What harm in giving it all a bit more thought. I am convinced there are treasures to be found.
Kotah |
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chmara Inner circle Tucson, AZ 1911 Posts |
Scarab as planchette is a great idea and making a suitable "Egyptian" board (under glass) could be an oooh-aah prop, especiall if one treaqts the materials as museum quality -- the glass possibly from the display case.
Adding a time piece to the routine would be great -- but the pieces George at Viking/Collectors has been offering all seem to indicate they are "quartz" watches -- -not from the era from whichin I work. Using the Scarab as planchette -- you can also "prove" its motivation with telekinetic timber -- crediting the scarab with the movement to topple the timber. And since the sitters' vision is directed to the board and panchette during operations -- and light is often full -- any ideas on adding apports?
Gregg (C. H. Mara) Chmara
Commercial Operations, LLC Tucson, AZ C. H. Mara Illusion & Psychic Entertainments |
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Balaram Special user 904 Posts |
Translation phone as planchette! Very cool idea!
Another possible board: A child's school desktop, the type that was hinged, and lifted up to allow you to put your papers inside. They already had an alphabet printed across the top-and several generations of doodles, scrawls, and carvings shoud allow as many interesting symbols for interpretation as your story-telling, or reading skills desire. An inkwell planchette--? Kotah thanks for starting the thread- |
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handa Inner circle Pittsburgh, PA 1357 Posts |
I've always wanted to use a hornbook in a magic routine. I even have a reproduction of a sewing hornbook that I bought at a local living history center.
http://www.founderspatriots.org/images/hornbook.jpg Chris |
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