The working
- Only sit if everyone is in good spirits and wants to. Skip it if anyone is grieving hard, anxious, frightened of the idea, or has been drinking.
- Set the board on a table or across two people's knees, with the pointer in the middle and a note-taker ready.
- Each sitter rests two or three fingertips on the pointer as lightly as possible, without pressing.
- Agree on a plain opening, such as greeting whatever answers and asking for a gentle, honest exchange.
- Ask one clear question at a time and wait. Let the pointer drift without steering it, and call out each letter so the note-taker can write it down.
- Keep questions light and open. Avoid asking about death dates, illness or other people's secrets, since the answers come from the sitters' own minds and can upset people.
- When you are done, slide the pointer to GOODBYE together, as players traditionally do, and put the board away.
- Afterward, read the notes back and talk over where the words may have come from. That conversation is often the most revealing part.
Take care: Nothing on the board can harm you, but the experience can frighten or upset people, so keep sessions light, stop if anyone becomes distressed, and do not use it with children who are scared or with anyone in crisis. Never use answers as a reason for medical, legal or money decisions.
