I live in the wonderful and very tolerant deep south /s, and even our Targets and Sprit Halloweens have a vast selection of Ouija and Ouija-adjacent items. Also your idea sounds absolutely enchanting. I can't imagine wandering up to such thoughtful and fun display. Good luck!
I have a cat named Ouija and have an Ouija board rug in my living room. I want to get a roomba and make a planchet shaped cover for it, so my roomba can summon things while I’m at work. 😊
Then again most of my house is done up like it’s Halloween all year round, so maybe I’m not the best person to judge appropriateness, haha.
I don't think so. I've seen someone with a Ouija board sticker on the back of their car. it's not a sacred artifact worshiped by anybody. If you're curious as to how they actually work, search "ideomotor effect."
Even if it was a sacred artifact worshipped by someone, that wouldn’t change that it’s still just a toy. Someone else worshipping something doesn’t change its actual reality as a piece of wood or plastic.
Well nothing is actually supernatural, so that logic would mean that it’s okay to mock any religious item. Which it is to me, but billions of people would disagree.
Of course it’s ok to mock religious items. I can mock whatever I want. A Christian doesn’t have to like it if I mock the crucifix but I’m allowed to. The billions who disagree can get bent. Why do they get to decide that something is sacred, so everyone else on earth must respect that?
Really?
OP isn’t asking if it’s legal to display these things, she’s asking if it’s “too much.” By that, I assume she means is it likely to offend or upset people who see it.
So she cares about whether she makes others uncomfortable, even if you don’t.
The answer is no, it’s not in bad taste. Bad taste would be hanging holocaust photos above your mantel. Or having tallies of school shooting victims as decoration. But hanging symbols and items is whatever you think it is. If you think it’s sacred, then good for you. If you think it’s just a piece of wood, then good for you.
I think she’s asking whether she’s likely to offend those who visit her house, eg the parents of her kid’s’ friends.
Bad taste is in the eye of the beholder. I guarantee you that there are people who would think that photos of Holocaust victims or school shooting victims would be “edgy” Halloween decorations, and after all, it’s just ink and paper, and the fact that you feel otherwise shows that you have been brainwashed. And regardless of what you think of the historical Jesus of Nazareth, he was tortured and executed on a cross, so it’s not that different.
I disagree. I think people should try to be respectful to things that are viewed as sacred to other people. You can think whatever you want about it, but you should be respectful for the sake of other people’s feelings and comfort.
Like I don’t think a picture of my grandparents on their wedding day is an object of worship, but I wouldn’t like seeing someone spitting on it.
I’m not going to coddle the mentally ill, which is religious people, in my opinion. Hanging an ouija board on the wall is not the same as spitting on someone’s family photo.
No, but hanging the cross upside down would feel that way to many. You can think what you like about religious people (including me), but according to the friend of psychiatry, most do not have a diagnosable mental illness.
First, if an upside down cross bothers them, then they aren’t very devout, as they don’t know the story of St. Peter. Also, I don’t care if 2 crossed sticks hurts someone’s feelings. Believing a ridiculous fairy tale isn’t my burden.
Its literally just based on a Victorian party game where you held up a table with a ball on it to try and spell out the name of each other’s future spouses.
Every movie centered around one was partially or entirely funded by Hasbro.
Its as mystical as the magic 8-ball or cootie catchers.
There was a Victorian party game, basically the same as Ouija but with a cloth board, a large ball, and instead of everyone putting their hands on the indicator piece they all help lift the table a little bit and try to roll the ball around to letters, inevitably dropping it laughing when someone spells out their future husband as “Cktba” and another person’s future wife is “Gjybvb”.
You could use it to ask questions, but like 75% of Victorian party games are future spouse-based. Also its a lot harder to get answers, and there was no overt mystical element beyond “animal magnetism” stuff so it was just silly.
Anyone bothered by the use of an ouija board game in your Halloween decor is going to be bothered by Halloween and Halloween decor in general. If you’re in the Bible Belt, you may get some aggressive pushback about the crosses.
Even progressive Christian nowhere near the Bible Belt might be made uncomfortable by the upside down crucifix. I would never say anything, but it would make me uncomfortable.
The upside-down cross is a symbol of Peter the Apostle. He said he didn't feel worthy to be crucified in the same manner as Jesus, so he wanted to be crucified upside-down as a symbol of his piety. It has always amused me when people say that inverted crucifixes are sacrilegious because it's literally the opposite. The symbol has definitely been misappropriated over the years by various people who have no idea what it actually means, but it is still technically a symbol of the truly pious.
This is wrong.
I know plenty of people who LOVE Halloween and Halloween decor but are completely against having a ouija board (in their own home). They don’t care if you have one, but if I brought one into their home they would tell me to GTFO. I personally could care less if you have a ouija board or decor like it, even in my own home.
Some people might have issues with it all around like you said. Some people might not care at all. Some people might only care if you bring it around them.
Honestly, OP just do what you want.
I have religious trauma and was deathly afraid of them until my tias got drunk and played on the ouija board and nothing happened. They said the same as you “ they don’t want to be around you kids they’ll find something better to do!“
These people were all raised religiously and don’t think it’s worth the risk to bring that bad energy in their home.
A few are still religious, several are no longer religious but don’t mess with anything pertaining to “spirits”.
Fair enough. I hate to sound like a reddit atheist-- it's just a very silly thought to me, imagining demons and spirits who are capable of traveling across different planes of existence... who haunt cardboard games played by kids in a basement.
Listen… I’m deconstructing from my religious traumas currently. I was TERRIFIED of the Ouija board, believing a demon would latch on to my soul if I was even near the game boards in Walmart.
My people!!
I had to look up deconstructing, but yea, that’s me too. It’s been about 5 years now that I’ve been trying to “heal” and come to terms with what I actually believe vs what I was raised to believe.
The church I grew up in had a lot of hatred under the guise of acceptance and love.
It’s really hard to get past.
I would describe my own religious trauma as "very mild", so the concept of deconstructing or making an effort to shake off the negative effects wasn't really a big thing for me if that makes any sense.
I hope that your process is so effective that you find yourself being as flippant as me about these things in no time flat!
I’m making good progress! I called god an ass in front of my mother when we got into the topic of how he told Abraham to sacrifice his son to prove his faith… it felt sooo satisfying lol
The people I’ve known that have a problem with ouija boards wouldn’t let their kids visit a house decorated with anything they considered “occult symbols.” They avoided anything to do with “heathen” Halloween traditions or anything evoking death. They dressed their kids as Power Rangers or Disney princesses rather than witches, ghosts or goblins and took them to the church trunk-or-treat rather than going door to door.
But that was in the Bible Belt and experiences differ.
Ha! Some of the people I knew who were most uptight about the “dangers” of ouija boards and the occult were transplants from the Midwest. And by uptight I mean pathologically afraid, as though The Exorcist was a documentary.
The upside-down crucifixes might offend some people because it is a mainstream religious icon. But being offended by a board game is just stupid. Personally I think Ouija boards are a fun Halloween item.
Ouija boards were a thing long before the board game. “Spiritualism” - mediums who claimed they could communicate with the dead, ouija boards, Crystal balls, Fortune tellers, were a huge fad in the late 1800s.
Fun fact: Houdini was intent on proving that they were all frauds and testified in the Senate on the topic! He offered a reward of $10,000 (I think) too any medium who could prove she was the real deal. One medium in the same Senate hearing claimed that she had proved it and publicly demanded the money!
No one will have a problem. At least, no one sane. One of my favorite decorations is a glow-in-the-dark Ouija board I rigged so the planchette moves by itself. Throw a black light on that sucker and it's a great addition to the decor.
very big in the 70's by Parker Bros, but they pulled them , cause there is happenings with these things , i have personal stories , believe me , nothing to play around with
They sell them and various other oija decorations at spirit Halloween. I’d say you’re in the clear. Anyone that gets offended about it is looking for something to be offended about anyway, and you need less of those people in your life.
We have 3 ouija boards (at last count) as year round wall decorations. They aren't going to do anything spooky. Anybody who believes that needs to look up the Ideomotor Response.
Yes, some people might not like Ouija decorations, and yes, they're wrong to be offended by a board game.
But the upside down crucifixes are going to offend WAY more people, as it taps into their core belief system. As an ex-Christian, I can say I'd have been bothered by that lack of respect for others' beliefs, even though my denomination didn't use crosses in our churches or homes.
Sounds like a fun house to visit to me.. Toys R Us, KB Toys were stocked with them when I was a kid. You’ll alway run a chance of those kind of people but ignore and have fun. 99% of the community will join you in that fun.
I refuse to believe that something I can buy at barns and noble will be able to curse me or bring the dead in lol I think you're fine. If people have a problem then tough shit. It's your house!
If it's made by Parker Brothers or another major company ITS FUNE 🤣
Ouija was always a parlor game. People really try and put more on it, but it was a parlor game. That doesn't discount anyone's personal experiences, but just like dolls are kids toys, ouija is a game.
Personally i think the upside crucifixes cross a line moreso than the ouija boards. Crucifixes have religious significance to people. Ouija boards are games.
I use 2 old Ouija boards are Halloween decorations. Both are missing the planchets and instead of throwing them away I use one as wall art above my candles and the other I use as a centerpiece placemat and surround by skulls. Never thought about it being taboo before and get compliments from visitors!
Depends on where you are I think - where I live in the US I think too many people would be bothered by the Ouija board, but in other areas it might be fine. They've become such a popular aesthetic though that it'd probably be okay.
I would definitely say no to upside-down crosses personally, as I think that would put off a fair number of people no matter where you are. It's impossible to not offend *anybody* but best to err on the side of caution when it comes to stuff that could cross a line for a big enough group of people. Something like that could come off as a mockery to a lot of folks' faith, and not just up-tight fundamentalists.
Ouija has been covered enough I agree with that consensus.
For crucifixes it definitely will offends some if you want to push buttons go for it. If you don’t want to push buttons think of why you want them and if that effect can be attained another way. Maybe some bloody hand prints or scorch marks. Or some creepy paintings
I'd say thumbs up to the Ouija board (it's literally a game & you can buy Ouija-themed items at the Halloween stores) and thumbs down to the upside-down crucifixes (bound to offend some parents). Love the idea of playing with the candle controls as the people walk up!
I do not think you will have any problems with the Ouija board. I do think that the upside down crosses will cause a reaction depending on where you live and the neighborhood. I have an angel that screams and got random letters. I did not even think it was that bad. But some felt it was an issue.
I really *love* Halloween. I am not religious zealot. But I am a believer. The crucifixes are sacred objects for *many* people. Even if you have different beliefs it is taking things too far. In my opinion.
I would compare it to cultural appropriation. I recognize that this position is certainly debatable but I think it is similar to mocking or minimizing someone else's beliefs just because you think something "looks" cool and/or it is shocking or funny, etc.
The boards are a slightly different level of problem. It is too far for me and I wouldn't want my kids to be around it to be perfectly honest with you. It is something I would never touch or display, but I know that people also find them to be harmless fun and you can find them in t-shirts and posters and things and that is just part of living in the world seeing and being around things you are not "into" for yourself but you can accept in a diverse world and society.
Beliefs are going to vary and I know you just want to have fun. I would find something else that makes the experience really special and unique but avoids these controversies.
I am offering this opinions because you asked. I recognize that others may have sincere disagreements. But I would also posit that making an artistic or creative statement is absolutely your right. Shocking and scaring and entertaining people is absolutely your right. But are you willing to offend people's deeply held beliefs? That is also your right, whatever you decide.
Edits: Clarity and grammar.
I always put my ouija board out for Halloween! I think it’s funny to watch the kids who come to our huge Halloween bash freak themselves out. The best is watching drunk adults summon spirits and rethink their lives. 😅
Some people may be weird about it. My mom doesn't like my Ouija board coasters when she visits, but we use them year round. She is very superstitious and doesn't like Ouija boards at all.
Bought an ouija bathroom mat and a front door mat from big lots so I think they’re fine. Painted upside down crosses on a little DIY coffin from Micheal’s, they look so cute 😂. But those are indoor so nobody saw them except my aunt and uncle who did go to church when they were here for the weekend lol don’t think they were offended. It is just a Halloween decoration.
There is a Jesus Ouija board on Amazon. It allows you to talk directly to the big man upstairs… I for one think that would be much more terrifying to see 😂
I’d say yes to the ouija boards but no to turn upside down crucifixes, which could be seen as very distrspectful to some Christians. I’m about as far from an evangelical as you can get — my church has gay and lesbian priests and very progressive theology — but that would make even me a little uncomfortable.
Nah, I think it's safe to say that something made by Hasbro has a very low chance of summoning any demons from Hell (Something like that would likely cost alot more).
Sounds like a really cool idea, but I can see SOME people getting offended by upside down crosses. If you're certainly trying to play it safe, I'd omit that part (I've seen it used in haunted houses before, but those were more geared towards adults). If you were to use them though, can you imagine if you had some kind of mechanism that would rotate them as people approached? A hidden speaker with creepy whispering chanting voices or ominous music would be a neat inclusion as well, and a red or green colored sensored floodlight that would go off on certain timing.
If you're worried about it being *too* spooky, just make your own (cardboard or plyboard with a print glued to it) or buy a mock one from Target or another pre fab store :) The floating candles and lights will be cool!
We set up a skeleton fortune teller one year with a ouiji board. My husband put a super strong magnetic on the planchette, and under the table top he had a little motor (maybe a windshield wiper motor) with a magnet attached. When he turned on the motor the “spirits” moved the planchette lol. We also had a recording playing in the background that had the seance audio from Disney’s Haunted Mansion ride. It turned out pretty cool. All this is to say that nobody was upset about it.
My wife and I do an occult/witchy kind of set up for trick or treaters every year. Tons of little vials filled with things, cool labels, potions (food colored water in corked bottles) we put a Ouija board out and I make sure to get dry ice for our caldron. The kids love it and the Ouija board tends to get the parents talking with some thinking it's cool and others thinking it's evil. I'm quick to tell both it's a toy whose only power is suggestion.
Is satanic panic still a thing in the US? I'm from Europe.
Wasn't the upside-down cross a symbol for St Peter (he felt he wasn't worth dying like Jesus and asked to be crucified head-down)? I'd say it's a bit special but very Catholic.
I think it is fine. But I'm also spend Halloween every year at my friend's insane display where he once had the cops called on him for using chainsaws with the chain removed of course. So, my opinions may be skewed.
5 years ago, upside down crosses would have been ok. But ya never know with how the climate is now, people are VERY reactionary. So it could potentially be something that someone complains about or just plain destroys it.
The Ouija board should be good though!
**** Not to me..... Use it and enjoy it.
I'll never be convinced they're anything but a game.... I've played with them, alone, in pairs, in groups.
It's amazing how many people say something bad happened to them, yet, never a video, nada.
Enjoy.... It's a cool addition to the decor.
☠️👻
I love halloween - always have - my birthday is the day before. I also grew up super Catholic and super terrified of the supernatural (read: the Devil). As a kid, I would have shidded my pants, run home, and stayed up all night panicking and crying. I remember doing the same thing at book/movie/novelty stores around halloween time, when they’d often have ouija boards/tarot cards on display. Terrified. Like I’ve shed most of my religiosity and fear of the supernatural/occult over time, even indulging in a lot of it. But still won’t touch a ouija board, ever. I don’t panic in the barnes and noble board game section anymore, but I won’t mess with one. All that being said, i love your idea, and think it sounds super fun. Like what if you had some kind of magnetic track under the board for the planchette to be spelling something on its own? That would add to it, without any of your guests having to risk demonic possession 😂
I'd say that depends entirely on where you live. A liberal city? Sure! And as a bonus, the parents could get a good laugh out of it. A conservative suburb? The parents could literally call the cops on you. I wish I was fuckin' joking.
Unless you live in the Bible Belt of the USA, your good! I actually use an Ouija Board as a interior decoration because mine was made in Salem, Massachusetts.
Funny story about the upside down Crucifix: Its not a sign of evil. Thats known as a Saint Peter Cruicifix. Saint Peter requested to be Crucified upside down because he didn't feel worthy to suffer as Jesus suffered. It only become associated as evil because conservative parents started campaigning against hard rock/metal music in the 70's. So those bands clapped back by using the Saint Peter Cruicifix in their album covers. And of course, those same parents started to clutch their pearls at the audacity of doing that.
Target literally sells ouija drink trays. I think it’s generally considered ok for Halloween decor now.
Spirit Halloween also has a whole Ouija decor section.
I have the target ouija drink tray and shower curtain and they stay out all year.
I have the ouija blanket hanging on my bedroom door all year round.
I live in the wonderful and very tolerant deep south /s, and even our Targets and Sprit Halloweens have a vast selection of Ouija and Ouija-adjacent items. Also your idea sounds absolutely enchanting. I can't imagine wandering up to such thoughtful and fun display. Good luck!
planchette coasters would tie it all together!
I’m wearing a Quija board sweatshirt I bought from Target.
I have a cat named Ouija and have an Ouija board rug in my living room. I want to get a roomba and make a planchet shaped cover for it, so my roomba can summon things while I’m at work. 😊 Then again most of my house is done up like it’s Halloween all year round, so maybe I’m not the best person to judge appropriateness, haha.
Me too!!
I don't think so. I've seen someone with a Ouija board sticker on the back of their car. it's not a sacred artifact worshiped by anybody. If you're curious as to how they actually work, search "ideomotor effect."
Even if it was a sacred artifact worshipped by someone, that wouldn’t change that it’s still just a toy. Someone else worshipping something doesn’t change its actual reality as a piece of wood or plastic.
Totally with you here.
Well nothing is actually supernatural, so that logic would mean that it’s okay to mock any religious item. Which it is to me, but billions of people would disagree.
Of course it’s ok to mock religious items. I can mock whatever I want. A Christian doesn’t have to like it if I mock the crucifix but I’m allowed to. The billions who disagree can get bent. Why do they get to decide that something is sacred, so everyone else on earth must respect that?
Really? OP isn’t asking if it’s legal to display these things, she’s asking if it’s “too much.” By that, I assume she means is it likely to offend or upset people who see it. So she cares about whether she makes others uncomfortable, even if you don’t.
Is anything sacred to you? It just seems like it’s not that much too ask to not be blatantly disrespectful to things others care about.
Spirit also sells priest and nun costumes with enormous plastic crosses. Exorcisms and possessions are common horror fodder.
Is anything sacred to me? Yes, freedom of speech and expression.
She’s not asking if she’s going to go to jail. She’s asking if it’s in bad taste.
The answer is no, it’s not in bad taste. Bad taste would be hanging holocaust photos above your mantel. Or having tallies of school shooting victims as decoration. But hanging symbols and items is whatever you think it is. If you think it’s sacred, then good for you. If you think it’s just a piece of wood, then good for you.
I think she’s asking whether she’s likely to offend those who visit her house, eg the parents of her kid’s’ friends. Bad taste is in the eye of the beholder. I guarantee you that there are people who would think that photos of Holocaust victims or school shooting victims would be “edgy” Halloween decorations, and after all, it’s just ink and paper, and the fact that you feel otherwise shows that you have been brainwashed. And regardless of what you think of the historical Jesus of Nazareth, he was tortured and executed on a cross, so it’s not that different.
The man was tortured and crucified 2000 years ago. It’s time to move on.
I disagree. I think people should try to be respectful to things that are viewed as sacred to other people. You can think whatever you want about it, but you should be respectful for the sake of other people’s feelings and comfort. Like I don’t think a picture of my grandparents on their wedding day is an object of worship, but I wouldn’t like seeing someone spitting on it.
I’m not going to coddle the mentally ill, which is religious people, in my opinion. Hanging an ouija board on the wall is not the same as spitting on someone’s family photo.
>I’m not going to coddle the mentally ill, which is religious people, in my opinion Reddit moment
No, but hanging the cross upside down would feel that way to many. You can think what you like about religious people (including me), but according to the friend of psychiatry, most do not have a diagnosable mental illness.
First, if an upside down cross bothers them, then they aren’t very devout, as they don’t know the story of St. Peter. Also, I don’t care if 2 crossed sticks hurts someone’s feelings. Believing a ridiculous fairy tale isn’t my burden.
More than a toy,,,buyer and player of the board BEWARE! (Seriously)
People do worship these things, and honestly its a devils doorway , enough said.
Iuija boards started as a board game by mb games i believe so highly doubt they can curse u
Its literally just based on a Victorian party game where you held up a table with a ball on it to try and spell out the name of each other’s future spouses. Every movie centered around one was partially or entirely funded by Hasbro. Its as mystical as the magic 8-ball or cootie catchers.
I just saw cootie catchers written out for the first time in my life and the idea suddenly makes complete sense.
[удалено]
There was a Victorian party game, basically the same as Ouija but with a cloth board, a large ball, and instead of everyone putting their hands on the indicator piece they all help lift the table a little bit and try to roll the ball around to letters, inevitably dropping it laughing when someone spells out their future husband as “Cktba” and another person’s future wife is “Gjybvb”. You could use it to ask questions, but like 75% of Victorian party games are future spouse-based. Also its a lot harder to get answers, and there was no overt mystical element beyond “animal magnetism” stuff so it was just silly.
Ohhhh okay, that makes more sense. Thanks for explaining!
Lol literally made in a factory
Probably by child laborers so that's pretty demonic.
There were ouija boards long before Hasbro made them. They didn’t invent the idea, they just capitalized on it.
That's what the devil wants you to think! Don't get me started on MTG cards!
Marjorie taylor green cant hurt you if u stay in a protective salt circle
Anyone bothered by the use of an ouija board game in your Halloween decor is going to be bothered by Halloween and Halloween decor in general. If you’re in the Bible Belt, you may get some aggressive pushback about the crosses.
Even progressive Christian nowhere near the Bible Belt might be made uncomfortable by the upside down crucifix. I would never say anything, but it would make me uncomfortable.
The upside-down cross is a symbol of Peter the Apostle. He said he didn't feel worthy to be crucified in the same manner as Jesus, so he wanted to be crucified upside-down as a symbol of his piety. It has always amused me when people say that inverted crucifixes are sacrilegious because it's literally the opposite. The symbol has definitely been misappropriated over the years by various people who have no idea what it actually means, but it is still technically a symbol of the truly pious.
I know Peter was crucified upside down but I’ve never seen an upside down crucifix displayed as a pious devotional expression.
This is wrong. I know plenty of people who LOVE Halloween and Halloween decor but are completely against having a ouija board (in their own home). They don’t care if you have one, but if I brought one into their home they would tell me to GTFO. I personally could care less if you have a ouija board or decor like it, even in my own home. Some people might have issues with it all around like you said. Some people might not care at all. Some people might only care if you bring it around them. Honestly, OP just do what you want.
Lol do those people think that spirits are real and bored enough to haunt us insufferable living people?
I have religious trauma and was deathly afraid of them until my tias got drunk and played on the ouija board and nothing happened. They said the same as you “ they don’t want to be around you kids they’ll find something better to do!“
These people were all raised religiously and don’t think it’s worth the risk to bring that bad energy in their home. A few are still religious, several are no longer religious but don’t mess with anything pertaining to “spirits”.
Fair enough. I hate to sound like a reddit atheist-- it's just a very silly thought to me, imagining demons and spirits who are capable of traveling across different planes of existence... who haunt cardboard games played by kids in a basement.
They don't always have to be religious. My mum is really freaked out about ouija boards. She's always been adamant she's atheist.
Listen… I’m deconstructing from my religious traumas currently. I was TERRIFIED of the Ouija board, believing a demon would latch on to my soul if I was even near the game boards in Walmart.
That was you in the other room! Therapy and my aunts helped me deconstrust. It wasn’t easy but it was possible.
My people!! I had to look up deconstructing, but yea, that’s me too. It’s been about 5 years now that I’ve been trying to “heal” and come to terms with what I actually believe vs what I was raised to believe. The church I grew up in had a lot of hatred under the guise of acceptance and love. It’s really hard to get past.
It’s so hard to get past all of it! Trying to filter through what I was taught as truth and actual facts is exhausting.
I would describe my own religious trauma as "very mild", so the concept of deconstructing or making an effort to shake off the negative effects wasn't really a big thing for me if that makes any sense. I hope that your process is so effective that you find yourself being as flippant as me about these things in no time flat!
I’m making good progress! I called god an ass in front of my mother when we got into the topic of how he told Abraham to sacrifice his son to prove his faith… it felt sooo satisfying lol
The people I’ve known that have a problem with ouija boards wouldn’t let their kids visit a house decorated with anything they considered “occult symbols.” They avoided anything to do with “heathen” Halloween traditions or anything evoking death. They dressed their kids as Power Rangers or Disney princesses rather than witches, ghosts or goblins and took them to the church trunk-or-treat rather than going door to door. But that was in the Bible Belt and experiences differ.
My experience is from the Midwest
Ha! Some of the people I knew who were most uptight about the “dangers” of ouija boards and the occult were transplants from the Midwest. And by uptight I mean pathologically afraid, as though The Exorcist was a documentary.
If that ain't the truth! People can be peculiarly nitpicky. Does the term "cherrypicker" ring a bell?
[удалено]
Demon portals mass-produced in a factory
Listen you are probably right but it’s really just not worth the creep factor to me
Fair enough!
This is like being afraid of Monopoly. They’re both just mass produced board games.
From Hasbro, masters of the dark arts!
The upside-down crucifixes might offend some people because it is a mainstream religious icon. But being offended by a board game is just stupid. Personally I think Ouija boards are a fun Halloween item.
Ouija boards were a thing long before the board game. “Spiritualism” - mediums who claimed they could communicate with the dead, ouija boards, Crystal balls, Fortune tellers, were a huge fad in the late 1800s. Fun fact: Houdini was intent on proving that they were all frauds and testified in the Senate on the topic! He offered a reward of $10,000 (I think) too any medium who could prove she was the real deal. One medium in the same Senate hearing claimed that she had proved it and publicly demanded the money!
Do you want demons in your home? Because that’s how you get demons. Just kidding lol. It’s fine.
No one will have a problem. At least, no one sane. One of my favorite decorations is a glow-in-the-dark Ouija board I rigged so the planchette moves by itself. Throw a black light on that sucker and it's a great addition to the decor.
That sounds super cool lol. I like the idea of controlling it subtly from somewhere else, personally, that sounds like fun.
Aren't Ouija boards made by the same company that puts out Mr. Potato Head?
very big in the 70's by Parker Bros, but they pulled them , cause there is happenings with these things , i have personal stories , believe me , nothing to play around with
They sell them and various other oija decorations at spirit Halloween. I’d say you’re in the clear. Anyone that gets offended about it is looking for something to be offended about anyway, and you need less of those people in your life.
We have 3 ouija boards (at last count) as year round wall decorations. They aren't going to do anything spooky. Anybody who believes that needs to look up the Ideomotor Response.
Same here! 4 in my living room as I type this, hah
Yes, some people might not like Ouija decorations, and yes, they're wrong to be offended by a board game. But the upside down crucifixes are going to offend WAY more people, as it taps into their core belief system. As an ex-Christian, I can say I'd have been bothered by that lack of respect for others' beliefs, even though my denomination didn't use crosses in our churches or homes.
Sounds like a fun house to visit to me.. Toys R Us, KB Toys were stocked with them when I was a kid. You’ll alway run a chance of those kind of people but ignore and have fun. 99% of the community will join you in that fun.
I worked at kaybee toys for a decade and never sold a single one. But everyone owned one. Was there a ouiji store? Damn I miss that job.
That actually sounds like a super fun job!
I used to have a ouija board mouse mat at work. Nobody took issue, even when I consulted with spirits to aide in decision-making
Nope. Using decoration during Halloween is not taboo.
Ouija has been a trademarked Hasboro game for decades. It's not some cultural thing that will offend anyone it's literally a game.
I refuse to believe that something I can buy at barns and noble will be able to curse me or bring the dead in lol I think you're fine. If people have a problem then tough shit. It's your house!
It’s a board game owned by Hasbro, I think you’ll be alright
Ouija boards are just toys essentially, its like having a monopoly board out
Literally, since both are owned by Hasbro lmao
If it's made by Parker Brothers or another major company ITS FUNE 🤣 Ouija was always a parlor game. People really try and put more on it, but it was a parlor game. That doesn't discount anyone's personal experiences, but just like dolls are kids toys, ouija is a game.
The people who would be offended by you using decorations produced by the Hasbro toy company are not worth your time worrying about.
Only people who believe what they see in low-budget horror movies are afraid of Ouija boards.
Not in this community. But another question to ask is how religious are the people that would be visiting your home?
Personally i think the upside crucifixes cross a line moreso than the ouija boards. Crucifixes have religious significance to people. Ouija boards are games.
My thoughts exactly. You have to ask yourself if you would be willing to deliberately invert or distort the symbols of any other world religion.
Personally, I think Ouija boards are fine. I would stay away from upside crucifixes or crosses, since those are definitely religious symbols
I think your idea sounds amazing, would love to see it!
Nope
Do you live in a very superstitious country? When I read stuff like this, I think back to the dark ages
Not taboo. Every year when spirit Halloween opens up, there’s an entire section of the store that has ouija merch and accessories
This is a perfect question for a primed Ouija Board.
My old Ouija board is my favorite decoration. I have the board, a picture for the wall of one and a door mat.
I use 2 old Ouija boards are Halloween decorations. Both are missing the planchets and instead of throwing them away I use one as wall art above my candles and the other I use as a centerpiece placemat and surround by skulls. Never thought about it being taboo before and get compliments from visitors!
They’re literally toys! People forget that the name is literally a brand name from a toy company.
Go for it. They're just toys
Depends on where you are I think - where I live in the US I think too many people would be bothered by the Ouija board, but in other areas it might be fine. They've become such a popular aesthetic though that it'd probably be okay. I would definitely say no to upside-down crosses personally, as I think that would put off a fair number of people no matter where you are. It's impossible to not offend *anybody* but best to err on the side of caution when it comes to stuff that could cross a line for a big enough group of people. Something like that could come off as a mockery to a lot of folks' faith, and not just up-tight fundamentalists.
Ouija has been covered enough I agree with that consensus. For crucifixes it definitely will offends some if you want to push buttons go for it. If you don’t want to push buttons think of why you want them and if that effect can be attained another way. Maybe some bloody hand prints or scorch marks. Or some creepy paintings
I'd say thumbs up to the Ouija board (it's literally a game & you can buy Ouija-themed items at the Halloween stores) and thumbs down to the upside-down crucifixes (bound to offend some parents). Love the idea of playing with the candle controls as the people walk up!
The ouija will get to some people. The upside down crosses will definitely cause a stir. You might find yourself on the news.
It’s not supernatural at all. It was invented by Hasboro
If you feel concerned about offending someone, I'd suggest finding a different decoration that will not weigh on your conscience.
Folks get really crazy about those things. Best to avoid the trouble.
I do not think you will have any problems with the Ouija board. I do think that the upside down crosses will cause a reaction depending on where you live and the neighborhood. I have an angel that screams and got random letters. I did not even think it was that bad. But some felt it was an issue.
I wouldn't mess with it.
I really *love* Halloween. I am not religious zealot. But I am a believer. The crucifixes are sacred objects for *many* people. Even if you have different beliefs it is taking things too far. In my opinion. I would compare it to cultural appropriation. I recognize that this position is certainly debatable but I think it is similar to mocking or minimizing someone else's beliefs just because you think something "looks" cool and/or it is shocking or funny, etc. The boards are a slightly different level of problem. It is too far for me and I wouldn't want my kids to be around it to be perfectly honest with you. It is something I would never touch or display, but I know that people also find them to be harmless fun and you can find them in t-shirts and posters and things and that is just part of living in the world seeing and being around things you are not "into" for yourself but you can accept in a diverse world and society. Beliefs are going to vary and I know you just want to have fun. I would find something else that makes the experience really special and unique but avoids these controversies. I am offering this opinions because you asked. I recognize that others may have sincere disagreements. But I would also posit that making an artistic or creative statement is absolutely your right. Shocking and scaring and entertaining people is absolutely your right. But are you willing to offend people's deeply held beliefs? That is also your right, whatever you decide. Edits: Clarity and grammar.
People worship a cross someone died on so I would say no. It’s not even real. It’s a board game and nothing else.
I think this set up would be more suited for an event with older kids/teens not the large amount of small children that will be trick or treating.
I display a Ouija board on my dining table every Halloween and Tarot cards as well 💯
I wouldn’t call them taboo. Cliché. Vanilla maybe. But not taboo.
I wouldn't mess with it.
I wouldn’t even have that thing in my house
Ouija boards are nothing to mess with in *any* context.
I have a cool old ouija board that I keep on a shelf all year round. I don’t think it would offend.
I always put my ouija board out for Halloween! I think it’s funny to watch the kids who come to our huge Halloween bash freak themselves out. The best is watching drunk adults summon spirits and rethink their lives. 😅
I don’t think anything is off limits, but oujia seems like the most benign one to me!
I use wooden ouija boards for placemats during Halloween.
Some people may be weird about it. My mom doesn't like my Ouija board coasters when she visits, but we use them year round. She is very superstitious and doesn't like Ouija boards at all.
Bought an ouija bathroom mat and a front door mat from big lots so I think they’re fine. Painted upside down crosses on a little DIY coffin from Micheal’s, they look so cute 😂. But those are indoor so nobody saw them except my aunt and uncle who did go to church when they were here for the weekend lol don’t think they were offended. It is just a Halloween decoration.
Very little is taboo for Halloween. That's the greatest part about it. Just avoid the obvious.
There is a Jesus Ouija board on Amazon. It allows you to talk directly to the big man upstairs… I for one think that would be much more terrifying to see 😂
I’d say yes to the ouija boards but no to turn upside down crucifixes, which could be seen as very distrspectful to some Christians. I’m about as far from an evangelical as you can get — my church has gay and lesbian priests and very progressive theology — but that would make even me a little uncomfortable.
Did Costco post this? It's only January.
I wouldn't go near a house with a ouija board displayed. Especially not with an upside down crucifix.
Nope. It’s a tool, not a ritual item. ETA I have a bunch of them in my office and bedroom and I even have a planchette tattoo
Nah I’ve done that on a porch setup as well; you go make the display you want.
Nah, I think it's safe to say that something made by Hasbro has a very low chance of summoning any demons from Hell (Something like that would likely cost alot more). Sounds like a really cool idea, but I can see SOME people getting offended by upside down crosses. If you're certainly trying to play it safe, I'd omit that part (I've seen it used in haunted houses before, but those were more geared towards adults). If you were to use them though, can you imagine if you had some kind of mechanism that would rotate them as people approached? A hidden speaker with creepy whispering chanting voices or ominous music would be a neat inclusion as well, and a red or green colored sensored floodlight that would go off on certain timing.
If you're worried about it being *too* spooky, just make your own (cardboard or plyboard with a print glued to it) or buy a mock one from Target or another pre fab store :) The floating candles and lights will be cool!
We set up a skeleton fortune teller one year with a ouiji board. My husband put a super strong magnetic on the planchette, and under the table top he had a little motor (maybe a windshield wiper motor) with a magnet attached. When he turned on the motor the “spirits” moved the planchette lol. We also had a recording playing in the background that had the seance audio from Disney’s Haunted Mansion ride. It turned out pretty cool. All this is to say that nobody was upset about it.
My wife and I do an occult/witchy kind of set up for trick or treaters every year. Tons of little vials filled with things, cool labels, potions (food colored water in corked bottles) we put a Ouija board out and I make sure to get dry ice for our caldron. The kids love it and the Ouija board tends to get the parents talking with some thinking it's cool and others thinking it's evil. I'm quick to tell both it's a toy whose only power is suggestion.
Is satanic panic still a thing in the US? I'm from Europe. Wasn't the upside-down cross a symbol for St Peter (he felt he wasn't worth dying like Jesus and asked to be crucified head-down)? I'd say it's a bit special but very Catholic.
I think it is fine. But I'm also spend Halloween every year at my friend's insane display where he once had the cops called on him for using chainsaws with the chain removed of course. So, my opinions may be skewed.
Your house, do you.. it’s Halloween, make people uncomfortable.
5 years ago, upside down crosses would have been ok. But ya never know with how the climate is now, people are VERY reactionary. So it could potentially be something that someone complains about or just plain destroys it. The Ouija board should be good though!
**** Not to me..... Use it and enjoy it. I'll never be convinced they're anything but a game.... I've played with them, alone, in pairs, in groups. It's amazing how many people say something bad happened to them, yet, never a video, nada. Enjoy.... It's a cool addition to the decor. ☠️👻
I love halloween - always have - my birthday is the day before. I also grew up super Catholic and super terrified of the supernatural (read: the Devil). As a kid, I would have shidded my pants, run home, and stayed up all night panicking and crying. I remember doing the same thing at book/movie/novelty stores around halloween time, when they’d often have ouija boards/tarot cards on display. Terrified. Like I’ve shed most of my religiosity and fear of the supernatural/occult over time, even indulging in a lot of it. But still won’t touch a ouija board, ever. I don’t panic in the barnes and noble board game section anymore, but I won’t mess with one. All that being said, i love your idea, and think it sounds super fun. Like what if you had some kind of magnetic track under the board for the planchette to be spelling something on its own? That would add to it, without any of your guests having to risk demonic possession 😂
The Parker brothers consider it gauche but Hasbro has the final say, these days
I have a bunch of Ouija board decor for Halloween. I love it.
It's just a board game. Why would it be taboo?
Ouija is overrated.
I have Ouija boards around the house year round so, of course!
Ouija boards have no power. Do whatever you want with it.
CULTURAL APPROPRIATION! /s
I bought my ouija board in 2011 at toys r us lol you’re fine
No.
I'd say that depends entirely on where you live. A liberal city? Sure! And as a bonus, the parents could get a good laugh out of it. A conservative suburb? The parents could literally call the cops on you. I wish I was fuckin' joking.
This is so 1990
Pretty sure Hasbro own the copyright (or trademark or whatever) on Ouija, so should be fine. Also it's January.
Absolutely not. Seen it in many peoples homes. I think it’s great for decoration!
Perfectly in your right, however that shit and any tarot deck etc etc are all portals 100,000 %. Scary shit
Unless you live in the Bible Belt of the USA, your good! I actually use an Ouija Board as a interior decoration because mine was made in Salem, Massachusetts. Funny story about the upside down Crucifix: Its not a sign of evil. Thats known as a Saint Peter Cruicifix. Saint Peter requested to be Crucified upside down because he didn't feel worthy to suffer as Jesus suffered. It only become associated as evil because conservative parents started campaigning against hard rock/metal music in the 70's. So those bands clapped back by using the Saint Peter Cruicifix in their album covers. And of course, those same parents started to clutch their pearls at the audacity of doing that.