Modern Ouija

Here’s something I really like.

My friend got this Ouija board a few months ago.

But unlike those fake ass Ouija boards from Parker Brothers, this one really does have all the answers.

It’s a custom engraved wooden laptop cover made by a company called Toast. (It’s not something they just sell. It was a custom order. But here’s the vector file if you decide you want to recreate it.)

I like the idea a lot. It looks cool and it’s a conversation piece. Specifically it’s a conversation piece that can push the discussion in a weird/magic-y direction. And it can be used with different effects.

What effects?

Well, I’ve written in the past about using a Ouija board to “suggest” the letters in a progressive anagram. That way it’s not you reading their mind, but “the spirits.”

Or

You could say you’re thinking of removing the cover because some weird shit has happened since you put it on. Then use a Loop to move an impromptu planchette (maybe a fork or a paper cup) without touching it. Really any sort of PK effect would work if done on top of the board.

If you use your laptop and interact with people in libraries, coffee-shops, co-working spaces or anything like that, I think it’s a great Hook to get into a magic trick. Even if you didn’t specifically use the Ouija board in the trick itself. I watched my friend use it to transition into a trick with a woman at a cafe in this manner…

Her: I like your laptop cover.

Him: Oh, thanks.

[There was some conversation here about whether it was real wood and where he got it.]

Him: The other day this woman freaked out about it. She said the Ouija board is powerful black magic, not a toy.

Her: That’s funny. I used to play with one at my grandmother’s house with my cousins.

Him: Was it powerful black magic? Did you contact any spirits?

Her: I don’t think so. If we did, they didn’t have anything interesting to say. But I swear the… whatever the thing is called… would move on its own.

Him: Hmm… yeah, I’m fascinated with anything weird/unexplainable. Speaking of… do you want to see something I’ve been reading about?

Then he was off showing her some mentalism thing and they’ve been seeing each other since.

That’s a much better response than I’ve ever gotten from my custom laptop cover. (Which consists of a tasteful nude of myself with the phrase, “Magicians Do It With Sponge Balls” engraved underneath.)

[UPDATE: My friend just saw this post and passed along some more information if you want to have one of these made for yourself. Here’s his email:

I thought of a couple things your readers may want to keep in mind if they decide to do this.

First, the total cost of this, including top and bottom covers for a 13 inch macbook, was $160. So it’s not cheap.

Second, here was the first mock-up they sent me.

Obviously that looks idiotic. There are two special requests you have to make. The first is to have them print the image across the full cover. (That’s where $30 of the $160 went—as a surcharge for the larger image.)

The other special request is to have them remove the TOAST logo. (That’s the small brown box at the bottom of the image above.)]