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Welcome To The Oddity Shop, Where The Bizarre is Always on Sale. This week, your Curator Zach has the Tale of Ouija's Origins.
A century ago, a simple board promised something enormous: a chance to keep talking after goodbye. We follow that promise from candlelit parlors to factory floors, then through a single film that rewired an entire culture’s imagination. Along the way we meet the Fox sisters, watch automatic writing become a planchette, and see how Charles Kennard and Elijah Bond turned a parlor method into a mass‑market icon—only to have William Fuld claim the credit and build an empire that outlived him. The history is twisty, but it’s also deeply human: people searching for answers when life doesn’t give them one.
Whether you see the board as a tool, a trap, or a beautiful piece of folk art, the core is connection—how we reach for each other when words run out. If you enjoyed this deep dive into spiritualism, talking boards, cultural myths, and the science of belief, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review to help other curious minds find us. What are your rules for using one?
Check out oddityshoppodcast.com for all references used in this episode!
Get All Your Spiritual Supplies From Mystic Moons On Etsy, or Check out their Facebook
Support the show
The Shop's phone lines are open! Give us a call and leave a voicemail (Or two!) with your creepy personal tale/oddity, and it could be featured on a future episode!
616.320.4935
JOIN US ON PATREON: Click Here!
Join the Oddity Shop on Patreon for Day Early Access to Episodes and tons of bonus content!!!
Visit our Website to learn more!
Email Us at: oddityshoppodcast.com
www.OddityShopPodcast.com
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Affiliate programs are designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to the partner site.
By Kara Perakovic and Zach Palmer4.9
5252 ratings
Welcome To The Oddity Shop, Where The Bizarre is Always on Sale. This week, your Curator Zach has the Tale of Ouija's Origins.
A century ago, a simple board promised something enormous: a chance to keep talking after goodbye. We follow that promise from candlelit parlors to factory floors, then through a single film that rewired an entire culture’s imagination. Along the way we meet the Fox sisters, watch automatic writing become a planchette, and see how Charles Kennard and Elijah Bond turned a parlor method into a mass‑market icon—only to have William Fuld claim the credit and build an empire that outlived him. The history is twisty, but it’s also deeply human: people searching for answers when life doesn’t give them one.
Whether you see the board as a tool, a trap, or a beautiful piece of folk art, the core is connection—how we reach for each other when words run out. If you enjoyed this deep dive into spiritualism, talking boards, cultural myths, and the science of belief, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review to help other curious minds find us. What are your rules for using one?
Check out oddityshoppodcast.com for all references used in this episode!
Get All Your Spiritual Supplies From Mystic Moons On Etsy, or Check out their Facebook
Support the show
The Shop's phone lines are open! Give us a call and leave a voicemail (Or two!) with your creepy personal tale/oddity, and it could be featured on a future episode!
616.320.4935
JOIN US ON PATREON: Click Here!
Join the Oddity Shop on Patreon for Day Early Access to Episodes and tons of bonus content!!!
Visit our Website to learn more!
Email Us at: oddityshoppodcast.com
www.OddityShopPodcast.com
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Affiliate programs are designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to the partner site.

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